The Miller's Tale
Folio 40v
8 of 15 folios
45
But sithe þat he / was fallen in the snare
He must enduren / as other folk / his care
¶ Fair was this ȝong wyf / and there wt alle
As ony wesyl / hir body gent and smalle
A Seynt she wered barred / al of sylke
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A barmclothe as whyte / as morwe mylke
Vp on hire lendes / ful of many a goore
White was hire smokke / and browded al byfore
And eke behynd / on hire coler a boute
Of cole blak sylk / wt Inne & eke wt oute
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The tapes / of hire white volupere
Were of þe same seute / of hire colere
Hire filet brod of sylk / and set ful hye
And sekirly she hadde / a lykerous eye
Ful smale I pulled / were hire browes two
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And tho were bent / & blake as is a slo
She was ful more blisful / on to se
Than is the newe / Pere Ionet tre
And softer þāne the wolle is / of a weder
And by hire girdel heng / a purs of lether
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Tasseled with silk / and perled wt latoū
In al this world / to seken vp and doun
There nys noman / so wys / þt coude thenche
So gay a popelot / or swiche a wenche
Ful brigħtere was the shynyng / of hire hewe
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Than in the Tour / the noble I forged newe
But of hire song / it was as loude / and ȝerne
As ony swalwe / sittyng on a berne
Ther to she coude skype / and make game
As ony kydde or calf / folwyng his dame
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Hire mouth was swete / as braket or the metħ
Or hoord of Apples / leyd in hey or hetħ
Wynsyng she was / as is a ioly colt
Long as a mast / and vp rigħt as a bolt
A broche she bar / vp on hire lowe coler
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As brod / as is the boos / of a bokeler
Hire shoes were laced / on hire legges heye
She was a prymerole / a pyggesnye
For any lord / to leggen in his bedde
Or ȝet / for ony good ȝēman / to wedde
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¶ Now sire and eft Sire / so byfel the cas
That on a day / þis hende Nicholas
Fel with þis ȝong wyf / to rage and pleye
While that hire husbond / was at Osneye
As clerkis ben ful sotil / and ful queynt