The Reeve's Prologue
Folio 47v
1 of 2 folios
And had hem hongede in þe roofe aboue
650
And þat he preide him for goddes loue
To sitten in þe roof par compaignye
The folke gan lawhen att his fantasie
An to þe rofe þei keken & þei gape
And torned al his harme vnto a Iape.
655
For what so þis Carpentier ansewerde
It was for nouht no man his resone herde
Wiþe oþes grete he was so sworne y doune
That he was holden woode in aƚƚ þe toune
For euery clerke anone riht ichone helde wiþ opere
660
Thei seide þe man is wode my leue broþere
And euery white gan lauhen att his strif
Thus swyued was þe Carpentiers wif
For al his kepeinge & his Ielouseie
And Absolon haþe keste hire neþer eye
665
And Nicholas is scalded in his toute
This tale is done & god saue al þe route.
Explicit fabula Molendeii .
Whan folke han lawhen att þis nyce caas
Of Absolon & hende Nicholas
Diuers folke diuersely þei seide
Bot for þe more parte þei lowhe & pleide
5
Ne att þis tale I. sauhe no man him greue
Bot it were onely Oswolde þe Reue
Be cause he was of Carpenteres craft
Alitel ire is in his hert laft
He gan to gruche & blame it alite
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So þeyke qd he ful wele couþ .I. ȝow quyte
Wiþ blerynge of a proude mellers eye
If þat me liste to speke of ribaudie
Bot ik am olde me list nouht pleie for age
Gras time is done my foder is forage
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This white toppe writes myne olde ȝeres
Myne herte is also moulde . as myne \h/eres
Bot if .I. fare as doþe an openers
Þat ilke fruyte is euer longe þe werse
Til it be roten in molloke & in stree
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We olde men .I. drede so fare we
Til we be roten can we nouht be ripe
We hopen alweie while þe werld wil pipe