The Reeve's Tale
Folio 49r
2 of 10 folios
And eke for sche was somdele smoterliche
Sche was as deyne as water in a diche
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As ful of hokere & of bismare
Hir þouht þat a lady schold spare
What for hire kinred & hire Nortelrie
That sche had lerned in þe Nonnerye
A douhter had þei be twexe hem two
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Of twenty ȝere wiþ owten any moo
Saueinge a childe þat was of halfe ȝere age
In cradel it ley . & was a propur page
Þis wenche þikke & wele ygroue was
Wiþ Camois nose & eyen . grei as glasse
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Wiþ buttokes brode . & brestes rounde & hihe
Bot rihte faire was hire here .I. wil nouht lye
The person of þe toune for sche was so faire
In purpos was to make hire his hayre
Boþe of his Catel & his mesuage
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And strange he maade it for hire mariage
His purpos was to be stowe hire hye
In to sōme worþi blode of Auncestrie
For holy cherche goode mot be despended
On holy cherche blode þat is descended
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Ther fore he wolde he wolde his holy blode honoure
Þouhe þat holy cherche scholde deuoure
Grete soken haþe þis meller oute of doute
Wiþ wete & malte of al þe lande aboute
And namely þer was a grete College
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Men clepen þe solier halle att Cantabregge
There was hir whete & eke his malte ygroūde
And on a daye it happide on astounde
Seeke laie þe maunciple on a maledye
Men wenden wisly þat he scholde deye
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For whiche þis meller stale boþe mele & corne
An hundreþ time more þan be forne
For þere be forne he stale bot curteysly
Bot nowe he was a þef outrageouly
For whiche þe wardeine chidde & made fare
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Bot þere of sette þe Meller nouht a tare
He crakke bost & swore it was nouht soo
Than were þere ȝonge scolers tuo
That dwelten in þe hal of whiche .I. seye
Testif þei were & lusti for to pleie