The Miller's Tale
Folio 44r
5 of 18 folios
And maken a chartre of lond / or Aquitaunce
On twenty manere / koude he trippe and daunce
After the scole / of Oxenford tho
And with his legges / casten to and fro
145
And pleyen songes / on a smal Rubible
Ther to he soong som tyme / a loud quynyble
And as wel / koude he pleye on a gyterne
In al the town / nas Brewhous ne Tauerne
That he ne visited / with his solas
150
Ther any / gaylard tappestere was
But sooth to seyn / he was som del squaymous
Of fartyng / and of speche daungerous
¶ This Absolon / þt ioly was and gay
Gooth with a sencer / on the haliday
155
Sensynge the wyues / of the parisshe faste
And many a louely look / on hem he caste
And namely / on this Carpenters wyf
To looke on hire / hym thoughte a murye lyf
She was so propre and sweete and likerous
160
I dar wel seyn / if she hadde been a Mous
And he a cat he wolde hir hente anon
This parisshe clerk this ioly Absolon
Hath in his herte / swich a loue longynge
That of no wyf / ne took he noon offrynge
165
For curteisye / he seyde he wolde noon
The Moone / whan it was nyght ful brighte shoon
And Absolon / his gyterne / hath ytake
For paramours / he thoghte for to wake
And forth he gooth / iolyf and amorous
170
Til he cam / to the Carpenters hous
A litel / after cokkes hadde ycrowe
And dressed hym vp / by a shot wyndowe
That was / vp on / the Carpenters wal
He syngeth / in his voys / gentil and smal
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Now deere lady / if thy wille be
I prey yow / þt ye wol rewe on me
Ful wel acordant to his giternynge
This Carpenter awook and herde hym synge
And spak vn to his wyf / and seyde anon
180
What Alison / herestow noght Absolon