The Miller's Tale
Folio 50r
16 of 19 folios
This absolon gan wipe his mouþ ful drye
Derk was þe nigħt as picche or as a cole /
Out atte wyndow putte sche hir hole /
545
And absolon him fel no bet ne wers
But wiþ his mouth he kist hir naked ers
Ful sauorly whan he was war of þis
Abak he sterte and þougħt it was amys
For wel he wist a wōman haþ no berd
550
He felt a þing al rougħ and long I herd
And seyde fy allas what haue I do
Tehee quod sche / and clapt þe wyndow to
And absolon goþ forþ a sory paas
A berd a berd / quod heende Nicholas
555
By goddes corps þis game goþ fair and wel
This seely absolon herd euery del
And on his lippe he gan for angir byte
And to himself he seyde I schal þe quyte
Who rubbiþ now who froteth now his lippes
560
Wiþ dust wiþ sand wiþ straw wiþ cloþ wiþ chippes
But absolon þat seith fulofte allas
My soule bytake I vnto Sathanas
But me were leuer þan aƚƚ þis toun qd he
Of þis dispit awroken for to be
565
Allas quod he allas I nadde bleynt
His hoote loue was cold and al I queynt
For fro þat tyme þat he had kist hire ers
Of paramours ne sette he nat a kers
For he was helyd of his maledye
570
Fulofte paramours he gan deffye
And wept as doþ a child þat is I bete
A softe paas went he ouer þe strete /
Vnto a smyth men clepith daun Gerueys
That in his forge smythed plowh harneys
575
He scharpeth schar and cultre bysily
This absolon knokkeþ al esily
And seyde vnto Geruays and þat anoon
What who art þou ; it am I absolon
What absolon what \for/ cristes swete tree ;