The Miller's Tale
Folio 177v
4 of 17 folios
Do wey ȝoure hondis for ȝore curteysy
This nycholas gan mercy for to cry
And spak so fayre & proferede hȳ so faste
That sche here loue hȳ graūtede at þõ laste
105
And swor here oth be seynt Thomays of kent
That he wolde ben at hese comaūdement
Whan þt sche may here layser wel asspye
Myn husbonde is so ful of Ielousye
That but ȝe waite wel & ben piue
110
I wot ryght wel I am but ded quod sche
Ȝe muste ben ful derne as in þis cas
Nay þerof care ȝe not quod Nicholas
A clerk hadde lethyrly be set hese while
But ȝif he coude a carpenter be gyle
115
And þë they ben acordit & I sworn
To wayte a tyme as I haue told be forn
Whan Nicholas hadde don þis euery del
An thakkede here a boute the lendis wel
He kyssith here swete & takyth hese sautrye
120
And pleyeth faste & makyth melodye
Thāne fel it thus þt to þõ parich cherche
Crystys owene werkys for to werche
This goode wyf wente on an haly day
Here forehed schon as bryght as ony day
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So was it wasschyn whan sche let here werk
Now was þere of that cherche a parysch clerk
The wheche þt was clepid absolon
Crol was hese her & as þõ gol it schon
And strut as a fan large & brod
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Ful streyt & euene lay hese Ioly schod
His rode was red hese eyȝȳ greye as gos
W poulys wyndow I korwyn on hese schois
In hosyn rede he wente fetusly
I clad he was ful smal & properly
135
Al in a kyrtyl of a lyght vachet
Ful fayre & thikke ben the poyntis set