The Reeve's Tale
Folio 53v
3 of 11 folios
Syk lay þe mauncyple on a maledye
Men wenden wisly þat he schulde dye
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For which þis meller stal boþe mele & corn
A þousend part more þan byforn
For þer biforn he stal but curteysly
But now he is a þeef outrageously
For which þe wardeyn chidde and made fare
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But þer of sette þe meller not a tare
He crakked boost and swor it was nat so
Thanne weren þere poore scoleres tuo
That dwelten in þe halle of which I seye
Testyf þey were and lusty for to pleye
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And oonly for here mirþe and reue\i/rye
Vppon þe wardeyn bysily þey crye
To ȝeue hem leue but a litel stounde /
To go to melle and see here corn I grounde
And hardily þey dursten ley here nekke /
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The meller schuld nat stel hem half a pekke
Of corn by sleigħte ne by force hem reue
And atte last þe wardeyn ȝaf hem leue
Iohñ hight þat oon and Alayn higħt þt oþer
Of o toun were þey born þat highte Strothir /
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Fer in þe north I can nat telle where /
This aleyn makeþ redy al his gere
And on an hors þe sak he cast anoon
Forþ goth aleyn þe clerk and also Ion
Wiþ good swerd and wiþ bocler by her side
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Ioħn knew þe way þat hem neediþ no gyde /
And at þe mylle þe sak a doun he layth
Alayn spak first al heil Symond in faith
How fares þy faire dought er and þy wyf
Aleyn welcome qd Symond by my lyf
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And Iohñ also how now what do ȝe heere ;
By god qd Iohñ / Symond / neede has na peere
Him falles serue himself þat has na swayn
Or elles he is a fon as clerkes sayn
Oure mancyple as I hope wil be deed
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Swa werkes ay þe wanges in his heed