The Miller's Prologue
Folio 175v
2 of 3 folios
Let be þyn lewede dronke harlotrye
It is a sȳne & ek agret folye
To apeyre ony man or hȳ diffame
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And ek to bryngyn whyuys ī swy\c/h fame
Þu mayst I now of oþere thyngis sayn
This dronkyn mellere spak ful sone ageyn
And seyde leue brothyr Osewold
Ho hath no wif he is no coukewold
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But I seye not þerfore p þu art on
There ben ful goode wivis manyon
And euer a thousent goode a ȝens on badde
That knowyst þu wel þyn self but ȝif þu madde
Why art þu angery wt myn tale now
I haue a wif also as wel as þu
Ȝit nolde I not for the oxsyn in myn plow
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Takyn vp on me more þan I now
As demyn in myn self þt þu were on
I wele be leue wel þt I ne am non
An husbonde schal not ben inquysityf
Of goddis piuyte nor of hese wyf
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So he may fyndyn godis foysoūn there
Of the remenaūt nedyth not tenquyre
What schalde I seyn But this mellere
He wolde hese wordys for no man forbere
But tolde hese cherlych tale ī hese manere
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Me thynkyth I schal reherse it here
And þerfore euery gentyl wygh I preye
For goddys loue demyth not þt I seye
Of euyl entent but for I mot reherse
Here talys al be þey betere or werse
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Or ellys falsyn sū of myn matere
And þerfore who so leste it not here
Turne ouer the lef & ches a noþer tale
For he schal fynde I nowe grete & smale
Of storyal thyng þt touchith gentillesse
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An ek Morallite & holynesse