The Miller's Tale
Folio 44r
4 of 19 folios
That on a day þis heende Nicholas
Fil wiþ þis ȝonge wyf to rage and pleye
Whil þat hir housbond was at Oseneye
As clerkes ben ful sotil and ful queynte
90
And pryuely he caught hir by þe queynte
And seyde I wis but if I haue my wille
For derne loue of þe lemman I spille /
And heeld hir harde by þe haunche boones
And seyde lemman loue me al at ones
95
Or I wol dye as wisly god me saue
And sche sprang out / as doþ a colt / in traue
And wiþ hir heed sche wried fast awey
I seyde I wol nat kisse þe by my fey
Why let be qd sche / lat be þou nicholas /
100
Or I wol crye out harrow and allas
Do wey ȝour handes for ȝour curtesye
This nicholas gan mercy for to crye
And spak so faire and profred him so faste /
That sche hir loue him gaunted atte laste /
105
And swor hir oth / by seynt thomas of kent
That sche wol be at his comaundement
Whan þat sche may hir leysir wel aspye
Myn housbond is so ful of Ielousie /
That but ȝe wayten wel and be pryue
110
I woot rigħt wel I am but deed quod sche
Ȝe mosten be ful derne as in þis caas
Ther of ne care þe nought quod Nicholas
A clerk haþ litherly byset his while
But if he cowde a carpenter bygyle
115
And þus þey ben acorded and I sworn
To wayte a tyme as I haue told biforn
Whan Nicholas had doon þus euery del
And þakked hire aboute þe lendys wel
He kist hir sweet / and takeþ his sawtrye
120
And pleyeþ fast and makeþ melodye
Than fyl it þus / þat to þe parisch chirche /
Cristes owen werkes for to wirche
This goode wyf / went on an haly day