The Miller's Prologue
Folio 39r
1 of 2 folios
Of ielousie / or ony other tene
Thus endeth Palamon / and Emelye
And god saue al / this fair companye
¶ The prologe of the Millere
Whan that the knygħt / had thus his tale I told
In al the companye / ne was þere ȝong ne old
That he ne seide / it was a noble storie
And worthy for to drawen / to memorie
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And namely the gentiles / euerychoñ
¶ Oure host lougħ / and swor as mot I gon
This goth a rigħt / vnbocled is the male
Lat se now / who shal telle / a nother tale
For trewely / þis game is wel bygonne
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Now telletħ ȝe Sire Monke / if þt ȝe cone
Som what / to quyte with / þe knyghtes tale
¶ The Millere / þt for dronken was / of Ale of Aleal paleal pale
So þat vn ethe / vp on his hors he sat
He nolde a valen / neither hod ne hat
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Ne a byden noman / for his curteysie
But in pilates vois / he gan to crye
And swor by armes / and by blod & bones
I can a noble tale / for the nones
With whicħ I wol now / quyte þe knygħtes tale
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Oure host saw / that he was dronke of ale
And seide abyde / Robyn leue brother
Som betir man / shal telle vs first a nother
A byde / and late vs werkyn / thriftily
By goddes soule qd he / that wol nat I
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For I wol speke / or elles go my wey
Oure host answered / telle on a dewelwey
Thow art a fool / thy wyt is ouercome
¶ Now herkenetħ qd the Millere / alle & some
But first I make / a protestacioū
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That I am dronke / I knowe it be my soun
And þerfore / if that I / mysspeke or sey
Wyteth it the Ale / of Southwerk / I prey
For I wol telle / a legend / or a lyf
Bothe of a Carpenter / and of his wyf
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How þat a Clerk / hath set the wrygħtes cape