The Reeve's Tale
Folio 59r
5 of 13 folios
But ȝit na force al schal be for þe beste
For Ioħn seide als euer mote I þriue
If þat I may yon wenche wol I swyue
Som esement haþ lawe schapen vs
260
For Iohñ þer is a lawe þat seith þus
That if a man in a poynt be agreeued
That in anoþer he schal be releeued
Oure corn is stolen soþly it is no nay
And we han had an ylle fitte to day
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And syn I schal haue noon amendemēt
Agayn my losse I wol haue esemēt
By goddes sale it sal nan oþir be
This Ioħn answerde Alayn so mot I þe
The meller is a perilous man he sayde
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And if þat he out of his slape abrayde
He mighte don vs boþe a vilanye
Alayn answerde I counte him nought a flye
And vp he rist and by þe wenche he crepte
This wenche lay vpright and faste slepte
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Til he so neigh was or sche mighte spye
That it hadde been to late for to crye
And schortly for to seyn þey were at oon
Now play alayn for I wol speke of Ioon
This Ioħn liþ stille a forlong wey or tuo
280
And to himself he makeþ rouþe and wo
Allas qd he þis is a wikke Iape
Now may I sayn þat I is but an ape
Ȝet haþ my felaw somwhat for his harm
He has þe myllers doughter in his arm
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He auntred him and haþ his needes spedde
And I lye as a draf sak in my bedde
And whan þis Iape is told anoþer day
I schal be holde a daffe a Cokenay
I wol arise and aunter it by my faith
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Vnhardy is vnseely as men saith
And vp he ros and softely he went