The Miller's Tale
Folio 48r
12 of 19 folios
390
As doth þe white doke aftir hir drake
Than wol I clepe how alisoū how Ion .
Beotħ merye for the flood passetħ a non
And þou wolt seye heyl maister nicholay
Good morn I see þe wel for it is day
395
And þan schul we be lordes al oure lyf
Of al þe world as noe and his wyf
But of oo þing I warne þe ful rigħt
Be wel auysed of þat ilke nyght
That we ben entred in to schippes boord
400
That not of vs ne speke not a word
Ne clepe ne crye but be in his preyere
For it is goddes owne heste deere
Thy wyf and þou most hangen fer a twynne
For þat bitwixe ȝou schal be no synne
405
No more in lokyng þan þer schal in dede /
This ordynaūce is seyd so god me speede /
To morwe at nigħt whan men ben a slepe /
In to our knedyng tubbes wol we crepe /
And sitte þer abydyng goddes grace /
410
Go now þy way I haue no lenger space
To make of þis no lenger sermonyng
Men seyn þus / send þe wyse and sey no þing
Thou art so wys it needeth nat þe teche /
Go saue oure lyf and þat I þe byseche /
415
This seely carpent er goþ forþ his way
Ful ofte he seyd allas and weylaway
And to his wyf he told his pryuete
And sche was war and knew it bet þan he /
What al þis wente cast was for to seye /
420
But naþeles sche ferd as sche schuld deye
And seyde allas go forth þy way anoon
Help vs to skape or we be ded echon
I am þy verray trewe wedded wyf
Go deere spouse and help to saue oure lyf
425
Lo which a gret þing is affecciou~
A man may dye for ymaginaciou~
So deepe may impressioū be take