The Miller's Tale
Folio 36r
4 of 15 folios
In hoses rede / he wente fetisly
Yclad he was / ful smal and proprely
135
Al in a kirtel / of a lygħt waget
Ful faire and thikke / been the poyntes set
And ther vp on / he hadde a gay surplys
As whit as is / the blosme vp on the rys
A myrie child he was / so god me saue
140
Wel koude he laten blood / and clippe and shaue
And maken a chartre of lond / or Acquitaunce
In twenty manere / koude he trippe and daunce
After the scole / of Oxenford tho
And with his legges / casten to and fro
145
And pleyen songes / on a smal Rubible
Ther to / he song som tyme / a loud quynyble
And as wel / koude he pleye / on his giterne
In al the toun / nas Brewhous ne Tauerne
That he ne visited / with his solas
150
Ther any gaylard Tappestere was
But sooth to seyn / he was somdeel squaymous
Of fartyng and of speche daungerous
¶ This Absolon / þt iolif was and gay
Gooth with a Sencer / on the haliday
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Sensynge the wyues / of the parissħe faste
And many a louely look / on hem he caste
And namely / on this Carpenteris wyf
To looke on hir / hym thoughte a myrie lyf
She was so propre / and sweete and likerous
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I dar wel seyn / if she hadde been a Mous
And he a Cat he wolde hir hente anon
¶ This parissħ clerk / this ioly Absolon
Hath in his herte / swich a loue longynge
That of no wyf / took he noon offrynge
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For curteisie / he seyde he wolde noon
The Moone / whan it was nygħt ful brighte shoon
And Absolon / his gyterne hath ytake
For paramours / he thoghte for to wake
And forth he gooth / iolif and amorous
170
Til he cam / to the Carpenteres hous
Alitel / after Cokkes hadde ycrowe
And dressed hym vp / by a shot wyndowe
That was / vp on the Carpenteris wal
He syngeth in his voys / gentil and smal
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Now deere lady / if thy wille be
I pray yow / that ye wole thynke on me
Ful wel acordaunt to his gyternynge
This Carpenter awook / and herde synge
And spak vn to his wyf and seyde anon
180
What Alison / herestow nat Absolon