The Miller's Tale
Folio 39v
1 of 17 folios
As demen of my self pat .I. were oone
.I. wiƚƚ beleue pat .I. am none
An husbonde schal nouht be inquisitif
Of goddes piuetees ne of his wif
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So he may finde goddes foy son þere
Of þe remenant nedeþ nouht to enquere
What schold .I. more seie ; Bot þis Mellere
He nolde his wordes for noman forbere
Bot his cherles tale in his manere
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Me aþenkeþ þat .I. schal reherce hem here
And þer for euery . gentil whight .I. preie
Demeþ nouht for goddes loue pat .I. seie
Of yuel enten bot þat .I. mot reherce
Her tales al be þei better or werse
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Or elles falsen sōme of my matiere
And þere fore who so list nouht to her
Torne ouere þe leue & chese a noþer tale
For ȝe schal finde . y nowe grete & smale
Of storial þinge þat toucheþ gentillesse
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And eke moralite & holynesse
Blameþ nouȝ me if pat ȝe chesen a mys
The meller is a cherle ȝe knowe wele þis
So was þe reue eke & oþer mo
And harlotrye þei tolden boþ tuo
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Auiseþ ȝowe & putte me owte of blame
And eke men schal nouȝt make ernest of game
WHilom þere was þere was dwellyng att Oxenford
A riche gnof þt gestis helde to bord
And of his craft he was a Carpentier
Wich him þere was dwellinge apouer scolier
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Hadde lerne arte bot al his fantasie
Was torned for to leren astrologie
And couþe a certeine of conclusions
To demen be interrogaciones
If þat men axed him in certeine houres
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Whan men schold haue drouht or elles schoures
Or if men axed him what schal be faƚƚ
Of euery þinge .I. may nouht reken aƚƚ
This clerke was cleped hende Nicholas
Of derne loue he couþe & of solas
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And þere to he was sleight & wele piue
And like a maide meke for to see .