The Reeve's Tale
Folio 45v
8 of 10 folios
I hadde almoost goon / to the clerkes bed
300
Ey benedicite / thanne hadde I foule y sped
And forth she gooth / til she the Cradel fond
She gropeth / alwey forther with hir hond
And foond the bed / and thoghte noght but good
By cause / that the Cradel by it stood
305
And nyste wher she was / for it was derk
But faire and wel / she creepe In to the clerk
And lith ful stille / and wolde han caught a sleepe
With Inne a while / this Ioħn the clerk vp leepe
And on this goode wyf / he leith on soore
310
So myrie a fit hadde she nat ful yoore
He priketh harde and soore / as he were mad
This ioly lyf / han thise two clerkes lad
Til that the thridde cok / bigan to synge
¶ Aleyn wax wery / in the dawenynge
315
For he had swonken / al the longe nygħt
And seyde / fare weel Malyne sweete wigħt
The day is come / I may no lenger byde
But eueremo / wher so I go / or ryde
I is thyn awen clerk swa haue I seel
320
¶ Now deere lemman quod she / go fareweel
But er thow go / o thyng I wol thee telle
Whan that thou wendest homward by the Melle
Rigħt at the entree / of the dore bihynde
Thou shalt a Cake / of half a bussħel fynde
325
That was ymaked / of thyn owene mele
Which that I heelpe / my fader for to stele
And goode lemman / god thee saue and kepe
And with that word / almoost she gan to wepe
Aleyn vp rist / and thoughte / er þt it dawe
330
I wol go crepen In / by my felawe
And fond the Cradel / with his hand anon
By god thoughte he / al wrang I haue mysgon
Myn heed is toty / of my swynk to nygħt
That maketh me / that I go nat arigħt
335
I woot wel by the Cradel / I haue mysgo
Heere lith the Millere / and his wyf also
And forth he goth / a twenty deuel way
Vn to the bed / ther as the Miller lay
He wende haue cropen / by his felawe Ioħn
340
And by the Miller In he creepe anon
And caugħte hym by the nekke / and softe he spak
He seyde / thou Ioħn / thou swynesheed awak
For cristes saule / and heer a noble game
For by that lord / that called is seint Iame
345
As I haue thries / in this shorte nygħt /
Swyued the Milleres doghter bolt vp rigħt