The Miller's Tale
Folio 35r
2 of 15 folios
Of xviij. yeer / she was of Age
Ialous he was / and heeld hir narwe in cage
For she was yong and wylde / and he was old
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And demed hym self been lik / a Cokewold
He knew nat Catoū / for his wit was rude
That bad / man sholde wedde his simylitude
Men sholde wedden / after hir estaat
For youthe and elde / is often at debaat
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But sith that he / was fallen in the snare
He moste endure / as oother folk his care
¶ Fair was this yonge wyf / and ther with al
As any wezele / hir body / gent and smal
A ceynt she werede / ybarred al of silk
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A barm clooth / as whit as morne Milk
Vp on hir lendes / ful of many a goore
Whit was hir smok and broyden al bifoore
And eek bihynde / on hir coler aboute
Of colblak silk wt Inne and eek wt oute
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The tapes / of hir white voluper
Were of the same suyte of hir coler
Hir filet brood of silk and set ful hye
And sikerly / she hadde a likerous eye
Ful smale ypulled / were hir browes two
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And tho were bent and blake as any sloo
She was / ful moore blisful on to see
Than is / the newe / pereionette tree
And softer / than the wolle is of a wether
And by hir girdel / heeng a purs of lether
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Tasseled with grene / and perled wt latoun
In al this world / to seken vp and doun
Ther nas no man so wys / þt koude thenche
So gay a popelote / or swich a wenche
Ful brighter was the shynyng of hir hewe
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Than in the tour / the noble yforged newe
¶ But of hir song / it was / as loude and yerne
As any swalwe / sittynge on a berne
Ther to / she koude skippe / and make game
As any kyde / or calf folwynge his dame
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Hir mouth was sweete / as bragot or the Meeth
Or hoord of Apples / leyd in hey or heeth
Wynsynge she was / as is a ioly colt
Long as a Mast and vp righte as a bolt
A brooch she baar / vp on hir loue coler
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As brood / as is the boos of a bokeler
Hir shoes were laced / on hir legges hye
She was a prymerole / a piggesnye
For any lord / to leggen in his bedde
Or yet for any good yeman to wedde