The Miller's Tale
Folio 47r
16 of 20 folios
Now was þer of þat chirche a parissche clerk
The which þat was y cleped absolon
Crul was his heer and as þe gold it schon
And strouted as a fanne large and brode
130
Ful streyte and euene lay his Ioly schode
His rode was reed hise eyhen gray as goos
Wiþ poules wyndow coruen in his schoos
In hoses rede he wente fetisly
I clad he was ful smal and propurly
135
Al in a kerteƚƚ al of light waget
Ful faire an þikke ben þe poyntz y sett
And þer vpon he hadde a gay surplys
As whit as is þe blosme on þe Rys
A merie child he was so god me saue
140
Wel couþe he laten blood or clippe or schaue
And make a charter of lond or an aquitance
In twenty maner couþe he trippe and daunce
After þe scole of Oxenforde þo
And wiþ his legges casten to and fro
145
And playen songes on a smal rubible
Ther to he song som tyme a lowde quynyble /
And as wel couþe he pleye on a giterne
In all þe toun nas brewhous ne tauerne
That he ne visited wiþ his solas
150
Ther any gaillard tappestere was
But soth to sein he was somdel squaymous
Of fartyng and of speche daungerous
¶ This absolon þat Ioly was and gay
Goþ with a censer on þe haly day
155
Sensyng þe wyfes of þe parische fast
And many a louely look on hem he cast
And namely on þis carpunteres wyf
To loke on hire him þougħt a mery lijf
Sche was so proper and swete and swete and licorous
160
I dar wel sein if sche hadde ben a mous
And he a catte he wolde hire hente anoon