The Reeve's Tale
Folio 55r
9 of 12 folios
Yet has my felawe / som what for his harm
He has the Milleris doghter / in his arm
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He auntred hym / and has his nedes sped
And I lye / as a draf sak in my bed
And whan this iape / is told another day
I sal ben halden / a daf a Cokenay
I wil arise and auntre it by my fayth
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Vnhardy is vnsely / thus men sayth
¶ And vp he roos / and softely he wente
Vn to the Cradel / and in his hand it hente
And baar it softe / vn to his beddes feet
Soone after this / the wyf hir routynt leet
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And gan awake / and wente hir out to pisse
And cam agayn / and gan hir Cradel mysse
And groped heer and ther / but she foond noon
Allas quod she / I hadde almoost mysgoon
I hadde almoost goon to the clerkes bed
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Ey benedicite / thanne had I foule ysped
And forth she gooth / til she the Cradel fond
She gropeth alwey / forther wt hir hond
And foond the bed / and thoghte noght but good
By cause / þt the Cradel by it stood
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And nyste wher she was / for it was derk
But faire and wel / she creep in to the clerk
And lyth ful stille / and wolde haue caught a sleepe
With Inne a while / this Ioħn the clerk vp leepe
And on this goode wyf / he leyth on soore
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So murie a fyt ne hadde she nat ful yoore
He priketh harde and depe / as he were mad
This ioly lyf / han thise two clerkes lad
Til þt / the thridde cok bigan to synge
¶ Aleyn wax wery / in the dawenynge
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For he hadde swonken / al the longe nyght
And seyde / fare wel Malyn swete wight
The day is come / I may no lenger byde
But euere mo / wher so I go or ryde
I is thyn awen clerk so haue I sel
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¶ Now deere lemman quod she / go farewel
But er thow go / o thyng I wol thee telle
Whan that thow wendest / homward by the Melle