The Cook's Prologue
Folio 57v
1 of 2 folios
And sawh a litel glymeryng of light
For at an hool in schon þe moone ligħt
And by þat ligħt sche saugh hem boþe two
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But sikirly sche wiste nat who was who
But sche saugh a whit þing in hir ye
And whan sche gan þis white þing aspye
Sche wend þe clerk had wered a volupeer
And wiþ a staf sche drough hir neer and neer
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And wend haue hit þis aleyn atte fulle
And smot þis meller on þe piled sculle
And doun he goþ and cryeþ harrow I dye
This clerkes beeten him wel and leet him lye
And greyth hem wel and take her hors anon
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And eek here mele and hoom anon þey goon
And at þe Millen dore þey tok here cake
Of half a buisshel flour ful wel I bake
Thus is þe prowde Miller wel I bete
And haþ I lost þe gryndyng of þe whete /
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And payed for þe soper euerydel
Of aleyn and of Iohñ þat beten him wel
His wyf is swyued and his doughter als
Lo such it is a Miller to be fals
And þerto þis prouerbe is seyd ful soþ
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He þar nat weene wel þat euyl doþ
A gylour schal him self bygiled be
And god þat sittest in þy mageste
Saue al þis compaignie gret & smale /
Thus haue I quyt þe Miller in his tale /
¶ Her endeþ þe Reeues tale
The Cook of londoū whil þe Reeue spak
For ioye he þougħt / he clawed him on þe bak
Ha ha qd he / for cristes passiou
This meller haþ a scharp conclusiou~
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Vpon his argumēt of herburgage
Wel seyde Salomon in his langage /
Ne bryng nat euery man in to þyn hous
For herburgage by night is perilous
Wel augħt a man avised for to be