The Miller's Tale
Folio 38r
8 of 15 folios
325
Sey what thou wolt / I shal it neuere telle
To child ne wyf / by hym that harwed helle
NOw Ioħn quod Nicholas / I wol nat lye
I haue yfounde / in myn Astrologye
As I haue looked / in the moone brigħt
330
That now a monday next at quarter nygħt
Shal falle a reyn / and that so wilde and wood
That half so greet was neuere Noees flood
This world he seyde / in lasse than an hour
Shal al be dreynt / so hidous is the shour
335
Thus shal mankynde drenche / and lese hir lyf
¶ This Carpenter answerde / allas my wyf
And shal she drenche / allas myn Alisoun
For sorwe of this / he fil almoost adoun
And seyde / is ther no remedie in this cas
340
¶ Why yis forgode / quod hende Nicholas
If thou wolt werken / after loore and reed
Thou mayst nat werken / after thyn owene heed
For thus seith Salomou / that was ful trewe
Werk al by conseil / and thou shalt nat rewe
345
And if thou werken wolt by good conseil
I vndertake / with outen Mast and seyl
Yet shal I sauen / hir / and thee / and me
Hastou nat herd / hou saued was Noe ;
Whan þt oure lord / hadde warned hym biforn
350
That al the world / wt water sholde be lorn
¶ Yis quod this Carpenter / ful yoore ago
¶ Hastou nat herd / quod Nicholas also
The sorwe of Noe / with his felaweshipe
Er þt he myghte / brynge his wyf to shipe
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Hym hadde be leuere / I dar wel vndertake
At thilke tyme / than alle hise wetheres blake
That she hadde had a shipe / hir self allone
And therfore / woostou what is best to doone
This asketh haste / and of an hastif thyng
360
Men may nat preche / or maken tariyng
¶ Anon go gete vs faste / in to this In
A knedyng trogh / or ellis a kymelyn
For ech of vs / but looke þt they be large
In whiche / we mowe swymme as in a barge
365
And han ther Inne / vitaille suffissant
But for a day / fy on the remenant
The water shal aslake / and goon away
Aboute pryme / vp on the nexte day
But Robyn / may nat wite of this / thy knaue
370
Ne eek thy mayde Gille I may nat saue
Axe nat why / ; for thougħ thou aske me
I wol nat tellen goddes pryuetee