The Reeve's Tale
Folio 42v
10 of 11 folios
And vp thei goon and doun ayen anon
360
Til that the miller sporned at a ston
And doun he fil bakward vpon his wyf
That wist no thing of this nyce stryf
For she was falle a sleep alitel wyght
Wyth Ioħn the Clerk that waked had al nyght
365
And wyth the fal out of hir sleep she breyde
Helpe holy cros of bromeholme she seide
In manus tuas lord to the I calle
A wake symond the feend is on me falle
Myn hert is broken helpe y nam but ded
370
Ther lith oon vpon my wombe and vpon myn hed
Helpe Symkyn for the fals Clerkes fight
¶ This Ioħn stert vp as fast as euer he myght
And graspeth by the walles to and fro
To fynde a staf and she stert vp also
375
And knew the estres bet than did this Ioħn
And bi þõ wal a staf she founde anon
And saugh a litel shimeryng of a lyght
For at an hole ynne shonne the mone bryght
And bi that light she saugh hem bothe two
380
But sykerly she nyst who was who
But as she sagh a white thing in hir eye
And whan she kan this white thing espye
She wende the Clerke had wered a volupere
And wyth the Staf she drew ay ner and nere
385
And wend han hit this aleyn at fulle
And smote the miller on the pilled Sculle
That doun he goth and cride harrow y dye
Thise clerkes bette him wel and leet him lye
And greithen hem and took hir hors anon
390
And eke hir mele and on hir wey thei gon
And at the mille yit thei toke hir cake
Of half abusshel flour ful wel I bake
¶ Thus is the proude Miller wel I bete
And hath y lost the gryndyng of his whete
395
And payde for the soper euery del
Of Aleyn and of Ioħn that bette him wel