The Reeve's Tale
Folio 190v
10 of 13 folios
I wele ryse & autere it be myn fay
290
Vn hardi is vn sely þus men say
And vp he ros & softely he wente
Vn to þe cradil & in hese hond it hente
And bar it softe vn to hese bedis feet
Sone aftyr þis þe wyf here routyng let
295
And gan to wake & leste for to pysse
And cam a geyn & gan here cradil mysse
And gropede here & þere / but sche fond non
Allas quod sche I hadde almost mys gon
I hadde al most gon to þe clerkys bed
300
Ey benedyste þāne hadde I foule I sped
And forth sche goth tyl sche þe cradel fond
Sche gropede alwey ferþere wt here hond
And fond þe bed & thouȝte not but good
Be cause þt þe cradyl by it stod
And nyste wher sche was for it was derk
305
And nyste where sche was for it was derk
And fayre & wel sche crep in bi þe clerk
And lyth ful stylle & wolde a cauȝt a slep
With inne a while þis Ioħn vp lep
And on þis goode wif he leyth on sore
310
So merye a fit ne hadde sche ful ȝore
He prikyth harde & sore as he were mad
This ioly lyf han þese too klerkis lad
Tyl þt þe fyrste kok be gan to synge
Aleyn wex wery in þõ dawenynge
315
For he hadde swonkȳ al þe longe nyȝt
And seyde farwel malyn swete wyȝt
The day is come I may no lengere byde
But euere more where so I go or ryde
I is þȳ owene clerk so haue I sel
320
Now dere leman quod sche go fare weel
But er þu go on thyng I wele þe telle
Whā þt þu wēdyst hōward be þe melle