The Miller's Tale
Folio 45v
4 of 15 folios
And sekirly / I saugħ hī nat steryng
A boute his dore / sen day began to sping
So mot I thryue / I shal at Cokkes crowe
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Ful preuyly knokken / at his wyndowe
That stant ful lowe / vp on his boures walle
To Alisoū now / wol I tellen alle
My loue longyng for ȝet / I shal nat mysse
That at the leste weye / I shal hire kysse
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Som maner comfort / shal I haue parfay
My moutħ hath yched / al this long day
This is a signe / of kyssyng at the lest
Al nygħt me mette eke / þt I was at a fest
Therfore I wyl go slepe / an houre or twey
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And al the nygħt þāne / wol I wake & pley
¶ Whan that the first kok / hath crowe a non
Vp risith this Ioly louyere / Absolou
And hī arrayeth gay / at poynt deuys
But first he cheweth / Greynes & lycoris
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To smellen swete / er he had kembed his heer
Vnder his tonge / a treweloue he ber
For ther by wend he / to be gracious
He rometh / to the Carpenteres hous
And stille he stant / vnder the shot wyndowe
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Vn to his brest it raugħt / it was so lowe
And softe he koughed / wt a semy soun
What do ȝe honycombe / swete Alisou
My fair brede / my swete Cinamome
A waketh lēman myn / and speketh to me
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Wol litel thenke ȝe / vp on my woo
That for ȝoure loue / I swete there I go
No wonder is / though þt I swelt and swete
I morne as doth a lambe / after the tete
I wysse lēman / I haue swicħ loue longyng
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That like a Turtil trewe / is my mrnyng
I may nat ete / nomore than a mayde
¶ Go fro the wyndowe / Iakke fool she seyde
As help me god / it wol nat be compame
I loue a nother / and ellis I were to blame
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Wel bet than the / by Iħu Absolou
Go forth thy wey / or I wol cast a ston
And lete me slepe / a twenty deuelwey
¶ cAllas qd Absolou / and weyllawey
That trewloue was / euere / so yuel bysette
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Than kisse me / sithe it may be no bette
For Iħc loue / and for the loue of me