The Reeve's Tale
Folio 186v
2 of 13 folios
AT Trōpyngtoū not fer frā cātabregge
Þ ere goth a brok & ouer þt a bregge
Vp on þõ which brok þer stant a melle
And this is veray soth þt I ȝu telle
5
A mellere was þer dwellȳge many aday
As ony pekok he was proud & gay
Pype he coude and fyssche and netys beete
And turne cuppis & wel wrestele & schete
Ay by hese belte he bar a long panade
10
And of a swerd ful trenchaunt was the blade
A Ioly poppere bar he in hese pouche
Ther was no man for peryl durste hȳ touche
A sheffeld Thwytel bar he in hese hose
Round was hese face & kā~mede was hese nose
15
As pelyd as an ape was hese skolle
He was a markat betere at þõ fulle
There durste no wygh hand vp on hȳ leye
That he ne swor þt he schulde a non a beye
A thef he was for sothe of corn & mele
20
And þt a sly & vsaunt for to stele
And his name was hotyn deynous symkyn
A wif he hadde comyn of noble kyn
The persoū of the toun here fadyr was
W here he ȝaf ful many a peny of bras
25
For þt Symkyn schulde in hese blod alye
Sche was fostered in a nūnerye
For Sȳkyn wolde no wyf as he seyde
But sche were wel I noryschid & a mayde
To sauȳ hese estat of ȝemanrye
30
And sche was proud & pert as is a pye
A ful fayr syghte was it on hē to
On holye dayis be forn here wolde he ge
W hese typet boūdyn a boutȳ hese hed
And sche come aftyr in a gite of red
35
And sȳkyn hadde hosyn of the same
Ther durste no wygh clepȳ here but dame