The Miller's Prologue
Folio 39r
1 of 2 folios
Of ielousie / or ony other tene
Thus endeth Palamon / and Emelye
And god saue al
/ this fair companye
¶ Amen quod Wytton;
¶ Amen quod Wytton ; : In the right margin.ODR
¶ The prologe of the Millere The Incipit appears on the right marging.ODR
Whan t
hat t
he knyg
ħt
/ had thus
his tale I to
ld
Pen ink decorated ascenders use up the spece left for the incipit. The blue of the decorated letter is not the same of the blue of the paraph mark. This is evident on folio 39r. The capital is decorated using a shyning blue. A small pricking next to the first line of the prologue appears under the decorated letter and is visible from the verso of fol. 39v.ODR
In al the companye / ne was þere ȝong ne old
That he ne seide / it was a noble storie
And worthy for to drawen / to memorie
5
And namely the gentiles / euerychoñ
¶ Oure host lougħ / and swor as mot I gon
This goth a rigħt / vnbocled is the male
Lat se now
/ who shal telle
/ a nother tale
A nota in the left margin. It is made with the same colour of ink as a dot opposite to line 6.ODR
For trewely / þis game is wel bygonne
10
Now telletħ ȝe Sire Monke / if þt ȝe cone
Som what / to quyte with / þe knyghtes tale
¶ The Millere
/ þt for dronken was
/ of Ale
Corrected from: of Aleal paleal pale Ale al pale is written above Ale as an interlinear insertion. The ink is lighter, but it is the same shade of brown.ODR
So þat vn ethe / vp on his hors he sat
He nolde a valen / neither hod ne hat
15
Ne a byden noman / for his curteysie
But in pilates vois / he gan to crye
And swor by armes
/ and by blod
& bones
A dot in a brown ink appears opposite to this line in the right margin.ODR
I can a noble tale / for the nones
With whicħ I wol now / quyte þe knygħtes tale
20
Oure host saw / that he was dronke of ale
And seide abyde / Robyn leue brother
Som betir man / shal telle vs first a nother
A byde / and late vs werkyn / thriftily
By goddes soule qd he / that wol nat I
25
For I wol speke / or elles go my wey
Oure host answered / telle on a dewelwey
Thow art a fool / thy wyt is ouercome
¶ Now herkenetħ qd the Millere / alle & some
But first I make / a protestacioū
30
That I am dronke / I knowe it be my soun
And þerfore / if that I / mysspeke or sey
Wyteth it the Ale / of Southwerk / I prey
For I wol telle / a legend / or a lyf
Bothe of a Carpenter / and of his wyf
35
How þat a Clerk / hath set the wrygħtes cape