The Reeve's Tale
Folio 188r
5 of 13 folios
Oure maūciple I hope he wele be ded
110
Swa werkis ay / þe wangis in hese hed
And þerfore is I come & ek aleyn
To grynde oure corn & carie it hō a geyn
I prey ȝow spede vs heue as ȝe may
It schal be don quod symkyn be myn fay
115
What wel ȝe don whil þt it is in hande
By god ryȝt by þõ hopyr wele I stande
Quod Ion & sen how þõ corn goth in
Ȝit saw I neuere be myn fadir kyn
How þt þe hopir wagis to & fra
120
Aleȳ answerede & seyde wilt þu swa
Thāne wele I be beneth bi myn croun
And sen how þt þõ mele fallyth don
In to þe trow þt schal ben myn dysport
For Ioħn yfayth I may ben of ȝore sort
125
I is as ille a mellere as is ȝe
This mellere smylede of here nysetee
And thouȝte al þis it nys don but for awyle
They wene þt no man may hē be gyle
But be myn thryft ȝit wele I blere here ye
130
For al þe sleyȝte in here philosofye
The more queynte crokede þt þey make
The more wele I stele whan I take
In stede of flor / ȝit wele I ȝeue hēm bren
The gretteste clerkys ben not wyseste men
135
As whilom to þe wolf þus spak þe mare
Of al here art I coūte not a tare
Out at þe dore he goth ful pryuyly
Whan þt he saw hese tyme softely
He lokyth vp & doū tyl he haue foūde
140
The clerkys hors þere as it stod I bounde
Be hȳde þe melle vndyr a leuesel
And to þe hors he goth fayre & wel
He strepith of þe brydil rygħt a non
And whā þe hors was los he gȳnyth gon .