The Reeve's Tale
Folio 55v
10 of 12 folios
Right at the entree / of the dore bihynde
Thow shalt a Cake / of half a busshel fynde
325
That was ymaked / of thyn owene mele
Which þt I heelp / my sire for to stele
And good lemman / god thee saue and kepe
And with that word / almoost he gan to wepe
¶ Aleyn vp rist and thoghte er þt it dawe
330
I wol go crepen In / by my felawe
And fond the Cradel / with his hond anon
By god thoghte he / al wrang I haue mysgon
Myn heed is toty / of my swynk to nyght
That maketh me / þt I go noght aright
335
I woot wel by the Cradel / I haue mysgo
Here lyth the Millere / and his wyf also
And forth he gooth / on twenty deueleway
Vn to the bed / ther as the Millere lay
He wende haue cropen / by his felawe Ioħn
340
And by the Millere / In he creep anoon
And caughte hym by the nekke / and softe he spak
He seyde thou Ioħn / thow swyneshed awak
For cristes saule / and here a noble game
For by that lord / þt called is Seint Iame
345
As I haue thries / in this shorte nyght
Swyued the Milleris doghter / bolt vp right
Whil thow hast as a coward been agast
¶ Ye false harlot quod the Millere hast
A false traytour / false clerk quod he
350
Thou shalt be deed / by goddes dignytee
Who dorste be so bold / to disparage
My doghter / that is come of swich lynage
And by the throte bolle / he caughte Alayn
And he hente hym / despitously agayn
355
And on the nose / he smoot hym with his fest
Doun ran the blody streem / vp on his brest
And on the floor / with nose and mouth tobroke
They walwen / as doon two pigges in a poke
And vp they goon / and doun agayn anoon
360
Til þt the Millere / sporned on a stoon
And doun he fil / bakward vp on his wyf
That wiste no thyng of this nyce stryf