The Miller's Tale
Folio 31r
5 of 18 folios
Crulled was his heer and as the gold it shon
And strowted as a fanne large and brode
130
Ful streight and euene lay his ioly shode
In hosen rede he went fetisly
I clad he was ful smal and proprely
135
Al in a kyrtel of whit wachet
Ful fair and thik be the poyntes set
And ther vp on he had a gay surplice
As whit as is the blossom of the ryse
A mery cheld he was so god me saue
140
Wel coude he lat blood and clip and shaue
And make a chartre of lond or Aquytaunce
¶ In twenti maners couth he trippe and daunce
Aftyr the Scole of Oxenford tho
And wyth his legges casten to and fro
145
And pley songes vpon a smale ribible
Ther to he song som tyme aloude quynyble
And as wel couth he pley vpon a gyterne
In al the toun nas brewhous ne tauerne
That he ne vseth it wyth his solas
150
Ther any gaylard tapster was
But soth to sey he was som del swaymous
Of fartyng and speche daungerous
¶ This absolon that Ioly was and gay
Goth wyth censer on the holy day
155
Sensyng the wyues of the parysh fast
And many a louely loke he on hem cast
And namly on this carpenteres wyf
To loke on hir him thought a mery lyf
She was propre and swete and likerous
160
I dar wel say yif she had ben a mous
And he a cat he wold hir hent anon
¶ This parysh clerk this ioly absolon
Hath in his hert swych a loue longyng
That of no wyfe toke he non offeryng
165
For curtesye he seide he nolde non
The moone whan it was nyght ful bryght shon
And absoloū his giterne hath I take
For paramours he thought for to wake
And forth he goth iolyf and amerous