The Reeve's Tale
Folio 189v
8 of 13 folios
For ale & bred & rostede hē a goos
And bond here hors it schulde not gon loos
And in hese owene chaūbir made a bed
220
With schetis & with chalōunys fayre I spred
Not frō his owene bed ten fote or twelve
Hese douȝtyr hadde a bed al by here selue
Rygh in þe same schaūbyr by & by
It myȝte ben no bet & cause why
225
There was non roumere herberw ī þe plase
The soupe & þey speke hē to solase
And dronkȳ ay strong ale at þe beste
Aboute medenyȝt wente þey to reste
Wel hath this mellere vernychid hese hed
230
Ful pale he was for drunke & not red
He ȝyksneth & spekyth þorw þe nose
As he were on þe quakke or on þe pose
To bedde he goþ & with hȳ goth his wif
As ony iay sche lyȝt was & iolyf
235
So was here ioly whistele wel I wet
The cradil at here beddys feet is set
To rokke & to ȝeue / þe child to souke
And whā þt dronkȳ al was in þõ crouke
To bedde wēte þe douȝtyr ryȝt a non
240
To bedde goth aleȳ & ek Ioħn
Ther nas no mor hē neded no dwale
This mellere hath so wysely bibbit alle
That as an hors he snortyth in hese slep
Ne of hese tayl ne takyth he no kep
245
Hese wif bar hȳ a burdoū a ful strong
Men myȝtȳ here xxxxx hyre route too furlōg
The wenche routyth ek par cūpaynye
Aleyn þe clerk þt herde þis melodye
He pokede ion & seyde slepist þu
250
Herdist þu euere swich a song er now
Lo swich a copil is a mong hē alle
A wylde fyr mote on here bodyis falle