The Reeve's Tale
Folio 53r
2 of 11 folios
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And Symkyn hadde hosen of þe same /
Ther durste no wigħt clepe hir but ma dame /
Was noon so hardy walkyng by þe weye
That with hir dorste rage or elles pleye
But if he wold be slayn of Symekyn
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Wiþ panade or with knyf or boydekyn
For gelous folk ben perilous eueremo
Algate þey wolde here wyues wende so
And eek for sche was somdel smoterlich
Sche was as deyne as wat er in a dich
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As ful of hokir and of bissemare
Hir þoughte ladyes oughten hir to spare /
What for hir kynreed and hir nortelrye
That sche had lerned in þe Nonnerye
A douȝter hadden þey betwix hem two
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Of .xx i. ȝeer wiþouten eny mo
Sauyng a child þat was of half ȝer age
In cradil lay and was a proper page /
This wenche þikke and wel I growen was
Wiþ Camoys nose and eyȝen gray as glas /
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And buttokkes brode and brestes round and hye
But rigħt fair was hir heer I wol nat lye /
The persoū of þe toun for sche was feir
In purpos was to maken hir his heir /
Boþe of his catel / and his mesuage /
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And straunge made it of hir mariage
His purpos was to bystow hir hye
In to som worþy blood of ancetrye
For holy chirche good moot be despendid
On holy chirche blood þat is descendid
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Therfore he wolde his Ioly blood honoure /
Thougħ þat he schulde holy chirche deuoure
GRet soken had þis meller out of doute
With whete and malt of al þe lond aboute
And namely þer was a gret Collegge
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Men clepe it þe Soler haƚƚ of Cantebregge
Ther was here whete and eek here malt I grounde
And on a day it happed on a stounde /