The Reeve's Tale
Folio 60r
3 of 13 folios
And with þat word almost sche gan to weepe
Alayn vprist and þougħt or þat it dawe /
330
I wol go creepen in by my felawe /
And fond þe cradel wiþ his hond anon
By god þougħt he al wrang I haue mysgon
Myn heed is toty of my swynk to nyght
That makeþ me þat I go nougħt aright
335
I wot wel by þe cradel I haue mysgo
Here lith þe meller and his wijf also
And forth he goþ on twenty deuelway
Vnto þe bed þer as þe meller lay
He wende haue cropen by his felawe Ioħn
340
And by þe mellere in he creep anoon
And caught him by þe necke and softe he spak
He seyde þou Ioħn þou swyneshed awak
For cristes sawle and heer a noble game /
For by þat lord þat called is saint Iame
345
As I haue þries in þis schorte nigħt
Swyued þe mellers doughter bolt vprigh
Whil þou hast as a coward ben agast
Ye false harlot qd þe meller hast
A fals traitour false clerk qd he
350
Þou schalt be ded by goddes dignite
Who durste be so bolde to disparage
My doughter þat is comen of such lynage
And by þe þrote bolle he caught alayn
And he hent him dispitously agayn
355
And on þe nose he smot him with his fiste /
Doun ran þe blody streen vppon his briste
And in þe floor with nose and mouth to broke
Þei walwe as doþ tuo pigges in a poke
And vp þai gon and doun a gayn anoon
360
Til þat þe meller spurned at a stoon
And doun he fel bakward vpon his wijf
That wiste noþing of þis nyce strijf
For sche was falle a sleepe a litel wigħt