The Reeve's Tale
Folio 190r
9 of 13 folios
\Ho/herkenyth euere swich a ferly thyng
Ȝa þey schal haue þe flour of ille endyng
255
This longe nyȝt þere tydis me noreste
But ȝit no fors al schal ben for the beste
For Ioħn seyde he as euere mote I thryue
Ȝif þt I may þe wenche wele I schryue
Sū esement has lawe I schapyn vs
260
For Ioħn þe is a lawe þt says þus
That ȝif a man in a poynt be a greuyd
That in a noþer he schal ben releuyd
Oure corn is stolī schortly it is non nay
And we han had an ille fit al þis day
265
And sȳ I schal hā non a mendement
A geyn my los I wele haue eysement
By godys sale it schal non oþer be
This Ioħn answerde Aley a vise þe
The mellere is a perlyous man he seyde
270
And ȝif þt he out of hese slep a breyde
He myȝte vs don bothe a velanye
Alyn answerde I coūte hȳ not a flye
And vp he sterte & by þe wenche he crepte
This wenche lay vp rygħt & faste slepte
275
Tyl he so nygh was er sche myghte aspye
That it hadde be to late for to crye
And schortely for to seyn þey were at on
Now pley aleyn for I wele speke of ion
This Ioħn lyth stylle a furlong wey or too
280
And to hȳ self he makyth reuthe & woo
Allas quod he þis is a wekede iape
Now may I seyn þt I is but an ape
Ȝit hath myn felawe sūwhat for hese harm
He has þe melleris douȝtyr in hese arm
285
He aūtered hȳ xx & has hese nedis sped
And I lye as a draf sek in myn bed
And whan þis iape is told a noþer day
I schal ben told a daffe a coke nay