The Miller's Tale
Folio 53r
4 of 20 folios
And to himself he seyde I schal þe quyte
Who rubbeþ now who froteþ now his lippes
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With dust with Sond wiþ straw with cloþ wiþ chippes
But absolou þat seith fulofte allas /
My soule bitake I to Saternas /
But me were leuere þan al þis toun qd he /
Of þis despite awroken for to be
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Allas quoþ he allas I ne hadde y bleynt
His hote loue is cold and al yqueynt
For fro þat tyme þat he hadde kest hire ers
Of paramours he sette not a kers /
For he was heled of his maladie /
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Ful ofte paramoures he gan diffie
And weepe as doþ a child þat is y bete /
A softe paas he wente ouer þe strete /
Vntil a Smyth men clepen daun Geruays
That in his forge smythieþ plough harnays
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He scharpeþ scharre and Culter bisyly
This absolon knokkeþ al Esely
And sayde vnto Geruays and þat anon
What who art þou it am I absolou
What absolon for cristes swete tree
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Why ryse so raþe benedicite
What eyleþ ȝou som gay gerl god it woot
Haþ brought ȝou þus vpon þe viritoot
By seinte note ȝe wot wel what I me
This absolon ne roughte nat a bene
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Of aƚƚ his pley no word a gayn he gaf
He hadde more tow on his distaf
Than Geruays knew and sayde frend so deere
The hoote Culter in þe Chemenye heere
As lene it me I haue þer wiþ to done /
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I wol bringe it agayn ful soone /
Geruais answerde certes were it gold
Or in a poke nobles aƚƚ vntold
Thou scholdest haue as I am trewe smith