The Miller's Tale
Folio 47r
16 of 17 folios
Mi modere ȝafe it me so god me saue
Ful fyne it is & þarto wel y graue
Þis wil .I. ȝeuen þe . if þou me kisse
610
Þis Nicholas was resen for to pisse
And þouhte he wolde amenden al þe Iape
He scholde kisse his ers er þat he scape
And vpe þe windowe dede he hastely.
And oute his ers he put piuelye
615
Ouer þe buttok to þe haunche bone
And þer wiþ spak þis clerke þis absolone
Speke swete birde .I. note where þu ert
This Nicholas anone lete flie a fart
As grete as it had be a þonder dinte
620
That wiþ þat stroke he was almost yblint
And he was rede wiþ his yren hote
And Nicholas in þe ers he smote
Of goþe þe scynne an handebrode aboute
The hote culter so brent his toute
625
¶ And for þe smerte he wende for to deie
As he were woode for woo he ganne to creie
Helpe water water helpe for goddes herte
This Carpentier owte of his slomere sterte
And herde one Crie water as he was wode
630
And þouht alas Nowe cōmeþ Noes flode
And sett him vp wt wordes moo
And wiþe an ax he spote þe corde a twoo
And doune goþe al he fonde Neiþer to seƚƚ
No brede Nor ale til he cam to þe seƚƚ
635
Vpon þe flore & þer aswowen he laye
Vp sterte hire Alison & Nicholaye
And criede oute & harrowe in þe strete
The neyhebores boþe smal & grete.
In ronnen for to gauren vpon þis man
640
That on swoune laie boþe pale & wan
For wiþ þat fal he broken haþ his arme
Bot stonde he moste vnto his owen harme
For whan he spake he was a none borne doune
Wiþe hende Nicholas & Alisoune
645
Thei tolden euery man þat he was wode
He was a gast so of þe Nowels flode
Thurghe fantasie þat of his vanite
He had him bouhte knedeyn\g/ tubbes þre