The Reeve's Tale
Folio 56r
8 of 11 folios
Oure corn is stoln soþly it is na nay
And we haue had an ylle fitt to day /
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And syn I sal haue nan amendemēt
Agayn my los I wol haue esement /
By godde sale it sal nan oþer be /
This Ioħn answerd aleyn auyse þe
This Miller is a perlous man he sayde
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And if þat he out of his sleep abrayde
He mighte do vs boþe a vilonye
Aleyn answerd I count it nat a flye /
And vp he roos and by þe wenche crepte
This wenche lay vprigħt and faste . slepte
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Til he so neih was or sche migħt aspye
That it had ben to late for to crye
And schortly for to seye þey weren at oon
Now pley aleyn for I wol speke of Ion
¶ This Iohñ lith stille a forlong whyle or two
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And to himself compleyned of his woo
Allas qd he þis is a wikked Iape /
Now may I say þat I am but an ape
Ȝet haþ my felaw somwhat for his harm
He haþ þe myllers doughter in his arm
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He auntred him and has his needes sped
And I lye as a draf sak in my bed
And when þis Iape is tald anoþer day
I sal be hald a daf a cokenay
Vnhardy is vnsely as men saith
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I wil arise and auntre it in good faiþ
And vp he ros and softely he wente /
Vnto þe cradil and in his hand it hente
And bar it softe vnto his beddis feet
Soone after þis þe wyf hir routyng leet /
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And gan awake and went hir for to pisse
And cam agayn and gan hir cradel mysse
And groped heer and þer but sche fond noon
Allas qd sche / I had almost mys goon
I had almost goon to þe clerkes bed
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Ey bendicite þan had I foule I sped