The Reeve's Tale
Folio 51v
2 of 12 folios
Vp on the which brook ther stant a Melle
And this is verray sooth / þt I yow telle
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A Miller was ther dwellyng many a day
As any Pecok he was proud and gay
Pipen he koude / and fisshe / and nettes beete
And torne coppes / and wel wrastle and sheete
And by his belt he baar a long Panade
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And of a swerd / ful trenchaunt was the blade
A ioly popper / baar he in his pouche
Ther was no man / for peril dorste hym touche
A sheffeld thwitel / baar he in his hose
Round was his face / and camuse was his nose
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As piled as an Ape / was his skulle
He was a Market beter / atte fulle
Ther dorste no wight hand vp on hym legge
That he ne swoor / he sholde anon abegge
A theef he was for sothe / of corn and mele
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And þt a sleigh / and vsant for to stele
His name was hoten / deynous Symkyn
A wif he hadde / comen of noble kyn
The person of the toun / hir fader was
With hir he yaf / ful many a panne a bras
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For þt Symkyn / sholde in his blood allye
She was yfostred / in a Nonnerye
For Symkyn / wolde no wyf as he sayde
But she were wel ynorissed and a mayde
To sauen / his estaat of yemanrye
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And she was proud / and peert as is a pye
A ful fair sighte / was it vp on hem two
On halidayes / biforn hir wolde he go
With his tipet wounden aboute his heed
And she cam after / in a gyte of reed
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And Symkyn / hadde hosen of the same
Ther dorste no wight clepen hire but dame
Was noon so hardy / þt wente by the weye
That with hire / dorste rage / or ones pleye
But if he / wolde be slayn of Symkyn
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With panade / or with knyf or boydekyn
For Ialous folk / been perilouse eueremo
Algate / they wolde hir wyues wenden so