The Miller's Tale
Folio 46r
14 of 17 folios
¶ As helpe me god .I. wil nouht be compame
.I. loue a noþer ande elles .I. war to blame
525
Wele bette þan þe be ihū Absolone
Go for þi waie or .I. wil cast a stone
And lat me slepe a twenti deuel weie
Alas qd Absolon and walawaie
That trewe loue was euer so yuel be sette
530
Than kisse me sen it maie be no bette
For ihūc loue . & for þe loue of me
Wilt þou þan go þi weie þere wiþ quod sche
Ȝe certes lemman qd þis Absolon
Than make þe redy qd sche .I. come anone
535
This Absolon downe sett him on his knes
And seide .I. am a lorde att al degres
And after þis .I. hope þere comeþ more
Lemman þi grace & swete birde þine ore
The wyndow scho vndoþe & þat in haste
540
Haue do qd sche come of & spede þe faste
Leste þat owre neybores þe Asspie
This Absolone gan wipe his mouþe ful drie
Derke was þe nyhte as pyche or as þe cole
And att þe wyndowe owte sche put hire hole
545
And Absolo him fel no bette ne wers
Bott wiþ his mouþe he kissed hir naked ers
Ful sauorly or he was warie of þis
A bakke he sterte & þouht it was a mys
For wele he wiste a wōman haþe no berde
550
He felte a þinge al roughe & longe yherede
And seide fie alas what haue .I. doo
Tehe qd sche & clapped þe window to
And Absolon goþe forþe a sory paas
Aberde aberde seide hende Nicholas
555
Be goddes corps þis goþe faire & wele
This sely Absolon herde it euery dele
And on his lippe he gan for angur bite
And to him selfe he seide .I. schal þe qwite
Who rubbeþ nowe who froteþ nowe his lippes
560
Wiþ duste wiþ sonde . wiþ strawe wiþ cloþe wiþe chippes
Bot absolon þat seiþe ful ofte Alas
My soule be take .I. to sathenas
Bot me were leuere þan al þis toune qd he
Of þis dispite a wroken for to be .