The Reeve's Tale
Folio 49v
5 of 10 folios
115
What wyl ȝe don / while þat it is in hand
By god rigħt by the hoper / wyl I stand
Quod Ioħn / and se how the corn gas In
Ȝet saw I neuere / be my fader kyn
How that the hoper / wagges tyl and fra
120
Aleyn answered / Ioħn wylt thow swa
Than wyl I be by nethe / be my croun
And se how that the mele / falles doun
In tyl the trow / that shal be myn disport
For Ioħn in faith / I may be of ȝoure sort
125
I is as ille a Myllere / as ar ȝe
¶ This Millere smyletħ / at here nycete
And thougħt / al this nys / but for a wyle
They wene þt noman / may hē begyle
But be my thrift / ȝet shal I blere here eye
130
For al the sleigħt / in here philosophie
The more queynt crekes / that they make
The more wol I stele / whan I take
In stede of flour / ȝet wol I ȝeue hē bren
The grettest Clerkes / be nat the wysest men
135
As whilom to the wolf / thus spak the Mare
Of al here art / counte I nat a tare
Ouȝt at the dore / he goth ful preuyly
Whan þat he saugħ his tyme / softly
He loketħ vp and doun / til he had found
140
The Clerkes hors / there as it stod I bound
Behynde the Mylle / vnder a lefselle
And to the hors / he goth hī faire & wele
And strepeth of the brydel / rigħt a non
And whan the hors was loos / he begynnetħ to gon
145
Toward the fen / there wylde Mares renne
And forth with we he / thorugħ thikke & thenne
¶ This Millere goth a geyn / no word he seid
But doth his note / & witħ the Clerkes pleyd
Til that here corn / was faire & wel I gounde
150
And whan the Mele is sakked / & I bounde
This Ioħn gotħ ouȝt / and fynt his hors a wey
And gan to crye herrowe / and weylawey
Oure hors is lost / Aleyn for goddes banes
Stepe on thy fete / come of man al at anes
155
Allas oure wardeyn / has his palfrey lorn
This Aleyn / al forgat / bothe Mele and corn
Al was oute of his mynde / his husbondrye
What whilk weye is he gan / he gan crye