The Reeve's Tale
Folio 187r
3 of 13 folios
Was non hardy þt wente be þõ weye
That durste wt here rage or onys pleye
But ȝif he wolde be slayn of symkyn
40
With panade or knyf or boytekyn
For Ielous folk ben perelous euere mo
Algate þey wolde here wyuys wenden so
And ek for sche was sūwhat smotyrlych
Sche was as dygne as watyr In a dich
45
And ful of hokyr & of bismerye
Sche thoughte þt a lady schulde here spareye
What for here kynrede & here Norterye
That sche hadde lerned in þõ nūnerye
A doughtyr hadde þey be twixe hē too
50
Of twenty ȝer wt outyn ony moo
Sauynge a chyld þt was of seue ȝer age
In cradil it lay & was a propere page
This wenche thikke & wel I growȳ was
W cāmuse nose & eyen greye as glas
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Buttokkys brode & brestis rounde & hye
But rygh fayr was here her I wele not lye
This persoū of the toū for sche was so fayr
In purpos was to makyn here hese eyr
But of hese catel & hese mesewage
60
And straūge he made it of here maryge
Hese purpos was for to be stowe here hye
In to sū worthi blod of aūceterye
For holicherche good / mote ben dispendit
On holy cherchis blod / þt is dessendit
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Þ erfore he wolde / hese holy blod honore
Thow þt he holy cherche / schulde devoure
Gret sokene hath / this mellere out of doute
W whete & malt / of al the lond a boute
And namely þere was a gret college
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Men clepyth þõ soler halle at cantebrege
There was heyre whete & here malt I groūde
And on a day it happede in a stoūde