The Miller's Tale
Folio 44v
5 of 19 folios
Hir forheed schon as bright as eny day
125
So was it waisschen whan sche leet hir werk
NOw þer was of þat chirche a parisch clerk
The which þat was I cleped absolon
Crulle was his heer and as þe gold it schon
And strowted as a fan right large and brood
130
Ful streyt and euene lay his ioly schood
His rode was reed his eyȝen gray as goos
With Powles wyndowes coruen in his schoos
In his hoses reed he went fetusly
I clad he was ful smal and propurly
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Al in a kirtel of a fyn wachet
Schapen with goores in þe newe get
And þervpon he had a gay surplys
As whyt as is þe blosme vpon þe rys
A mery child he was so god me saue
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Wel couþe he lete blood and clippe and schaue
And make a chartre of lond and acquitaūce
In twenty maners he coude skip and daūce
After þe scole of oxenforde þo
And with his legges casten to and fro
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And pleyen songes on a smal rubible
Therto he sang som tyme a lowde quynyble
And as wel coude he pleye on a giterne /
In al þe toun nas brewhous ne tauerne
That he ne visited with his solas
150
Ther as any gaylard tapster was
But soþ to say he was som del squaymous
Of fartyng / and of speche daungerous
This absolon þat ioly was and gay
Goþ wiþ a senser on þe haly day
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Sensyng þe wyues of þe parisch fast
And many a louely look on hem he cast
And namely on þis Carpenteres wyf
To loke on hire him þougħt a mery lyf
Sche was so propre sweete and licorous
160
I dar wel sayn if sche had ben a mous
And he a cat he wold hir hent anoon