The Reeve's Tale
Folio 59v
4 of 13 folios
Vnto þe cradiƚƚ and in his hand it hent
And bar it softe vnto his beddes feet
Sone after þe wif hire routyng leet
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And gan to wake and went hire out to pisse
And com agayn and gan hir cradel mysse
And groped heer and þer but sche fond noon
Allas quod sche I hadde almost mys goon
I hadde almost goon to þe clerkes bedde
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Ey bñdicite þan hadde I foule y spedde
And forþ sche goþ til sche þe cradil fond
Sche gropeþ alwey forþer with hire hond
And fond þe bed and þoughte nought but good
By cause þat þe cradel by it stood
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And nyste wher sche was for it was derk
But faire and wel sche crepe in to þe clerk
And lith ful stille and wolde haue caught a slepe
With Inne a while þis Ioħn þe clerk vp lepe
And on þis goode wijf he leiþ on sore
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So mery a fitte ne hadde sche not ful yore
He prikeþ harde and deepe as he were madde
This Ioly lyf han þise tuo clerkes ladde
Til þat þe þridde cok bygan to synge
Aleyn wax wery in þe dawenynge
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For he hadde swonken aƚƚ þe longe nygħt
And sayde far wel Malyn sweete wigħt
The day is come I may no lenger byde
But euermoo wher so I go or ryde
I am þin oughne clerk so haue I hele
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Now deere lēman qd sche go far wele
But or þou go oo þing I wol þe telle
Whan þat þou wendest homward by þe melle
Right at þe entre of þe dore behynde
Thou schalt a cake of half a busshel fynde
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That was y maked of þin oughne mele
Which þat I hilpe my sire for to stele
And goode lēman god þe saue and keepe /