The Miller's Tale
Folio 43r
3 of 18 folios
She was ful moore / blisful on to see
Than is the newe / Pereionette tree
And softer / than the wolle is of a wether
And by hir girdel / heeng a purs of lether
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Tasseled with silk / and perled with latoun
In al this world / to seken vp and doun
Ther nys no man so wys / þt koude thenche
So gay a Popelote / or swich a wenche
Ful brighter was / the shynyng of hir hewe
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Than in the Tour / the noble yforged newe
But of hir soong it was as loude and yerne
As any swalwe / sittyng on a Berne
Ther to / she koude skippe / and make game
As any kyde / or Calf / folwynge his dame
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Hir mouth was sweete / as Bragot or the meeth
Or hoord of Apples / leyd in hey or heeth
Wynsynge she was / as is a ioly Colt
Loong as a Mast and vp righte as a bolt
A brooch she baar / vp on hir loue coler
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As brood / as is the boos of a Bokeler
Hir shoes were laced / on hir legges hye
She was a Prymerole / a piggesnye
For any lord / to leggen in his bedde
Or yet for any good yeman to wedde
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¶ Now sire and eft sire / so bifel the cas
That on a day / this hende Nicholas
Fil with this yonge wyf / to rage & pleye
Whil þt hir housbonde / was at Osneye
As clerkes been / ful subtil and ful queynte
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And pryuely / he caughte hir by the queynte
And seyde ywys / but if ich haue my wille
For derne loue / of thee lemman I spille
And heeld hir harde / by the haunche bones
And seyde lemman / loue me al atones
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Or I wol dyen / al so god me saue
And she sproong as a Colt dooth in the Traue
And with hir heed / she wryed faste awey
She seyde I wol nat kisse thee by my fey
Wy lat be quod ich / lat be Nicholas
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Or I wol crye / out harrow and allas