The Miller's Tale
Folio 29v
2 of 18 folios
Of euery thing I may noght ryken al
¶ The clerk was cleped hend nicholas
Of derne loue he couth and of Solas
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And ther to he was slygh and ful piuee
And lyke a mayden meke for to be
A chambre had he in that hostrye
Allone wyth outen any companye
Ful fetisly dyght wyth herbes sote
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And he him self as is the rote
Of licoris or any setewale
His Almagest and bokes gret and smale
His Astrelabre longyng for his art
His augryme stoones leyen feire apart
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On shelfes couched at his beddes hed
His persse couered wyth a mantil of red
And al aboue lay a gay sautrye .
On which he made on nyghtes melodye
So swetely that al the chambre rong
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And angelus ad virginem he song
And aftyr that he song the kynges note
Full ofte blessed was his mery throte
And thus this swete clerk his tyme spent
Aftyr his frendes fyndyng and his rent
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¶ This Carpenter had wedded anew wyf
Which that he loued moore thanne his lyf
Of seuentene yer she was of age
Gelous he was and hild hir narwe in a cage
For she was wilde and yong and he was olde
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And demyd him self belik a cokewald
He knew nat Caton for his wit was rude
That bad a man sholde wedde his Similitude
A man sholde wedden aftyr his estate
For youth and elde is often at debate
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But sythen he was fallen in the snare
He moste endure as other folk his care
¶ Fair was this yonge wyf and ther wyth al
As eny wesil hir body gent and smal
A seint she wered y barred al of silk
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A barme cloth as whit as any mylk .