The Reeve's Tale
Folio 46v
10 of 10 folios
395
And payed for the soper euerideel
Of Aleyn and of Ioħn þt bette hym weel
His wyf is swyued and his doghter als
Lo swich it is / a Miller to be fals
And therfore / this prouerbe / is seyd ful sooth
400
Hym thar nat wene wel / that yuele dooth
A gylour shal hym self bigyled be
And god / þt sitteth heighe in Trinitee
Saue al this compaignye / grete and smale
Thus haue I quyt the Miller in my tale
¶ Heere is ended the Reues tale ~
¶ The prologe of the Cokes tale ~
The Cook of Londoū / whil that the Reue spak
For ioye hī thoughte / he clawed hī on the bak
Ha. ha quod he / for cristes passiou
This Miller / hadde a sharpe conclusiou
5
Vp on his Argument / of herbergage
Wel seyde Salomō in his langage
Ne brynge nat euery man in to thyn hous
For herberwynge by nyghte is perilous
Wel oghte a man / auysed for to be
10
Whom that he broghte / in to his pryuetee
I pray to god / so yeue me sorwe and care
If euere sitthe / I higħte Hogge of Ware
Herde I a Miller / bettre yset awerk
He hadde a Iape of malice in the derk
15
But god forbede / that we stynte heere hic
And therfore / if ye vouche sauf to heere audire
A tale of me / that am a poure man
I wol yow telle / as wel as euere I kan
A litel iape / that fil in oure Citee
20
¶ Oure hoost answerde / and seide I graunte it thee
Now telle on Roger / looke that it be good
For many a pastee / hastow laten blood
And many a Iakke of Douere / hastow soold
That hath been / twies hoot and twies coold
25
Of many a pilgrym / hastow cristes curs
For of thy parcely / yet they fare the wors
That they han eten / with thy stubbel goos
For in thy shoppe / is many a flye loos
Now telle on / gentil Roger by thy name
30
But yet I praye thee / be nat wroth for game