The Reeve's Tale
Folio 54v
5 of 11 folios
Til þat her corn was fair and wel I grounde
150
And whan þe mele was sakked and I bounde /
This Ioħn goþ out and fynt his hors a way
And gan to crye harrow and weylaway
Oure hors is lost aleyn for goddes banes
Step on þy feet cum on man al at anes
155
Aleyn ȝour wardeyn haþ his parfray lorn
This aleyn al forgeteþ mele and corn
Al was out of his mynd his housbondrye
What wikked way is he gan gan he crye
The wyf cam lepyng in ward wiþ a ren
160
Sche seyde allas ȝour hors goþ to þe fen
Wiþ wylde mares as fast as he may go /
Vnþank come on his heed þat band him so /
And he þat bettir schuld han knyt þe Reyne
Allas qd Iohan aleyn for cristes peyne
165
Leg doun þi swerd and I sal myn alswa
I is ful wigħt god wat as is a Ra
By goddes hart he sal nat scape vs bathe
Why nad þou put þe capil in þe lathe
Ilhail aleyn by god þou is a fon
170
This sely clerkes speeden hem anoon
Toward þe fen boþe aleyn and eek Ion
And whan þe myller sawh þat þey were gon
He half a busshel of þe flour haþ take
And bad his wyf go knede it in a cake
175
He seyde I trowe þe clerkes ben a ferd
Ȝet can a Miller make a clerkes berd
For al his art / ȝe lat hem go here way
Lo wher þey goon // ȝe lat þe children play
They get him nat so lightly by my crou~
180
This seely clerkes ronnen vp and dou~
Wiþ keep / keep . stand stand Iossa ware derere
Ga wightly þou and I sal keep him heere /
But schortly til þat it was verray nigħt
They cowde nat þough þey did al here migħt
185
Here capil cacche it ran away so fast /
Til in a diche þey caugħt him atte last