The Miller's Tale
Folio 45r
3 of 15 folios
With bred and chese / and good ale in a Iubbe
Suffisyng right I now / as for a day
But er that he / had mad al this array
445
He sent his knaue / and eke his wenche also
Vp on his nede / to londoū for to go
And on the monday / whan it drow to nygħt
He shette his dore / with outen candel ligħt
And dressyd al thyng / as it shulde be
450
And shortly / vp they clymben alle thre
They setyn stille / wel a forlong wey
Now pater noster / clum seide Nicholay
And clum qd Ioħn / and clum seide Alisou
This Carpenter / seide his deuocioū
455
And stille he syt / and biddeth his prayere
A waytyng on the reyn / if he it here
The dede slepe / for verrey besynesse
Fel on this Carpenter / rigħt as I gesse
A boute curfewe tyme / or litel more
460
For tauaille of his gost / he gronetħ sore
And eft he routetħ / for his hede myslay
Doun on the laddre / stalketh Nicholay
And Alisoū ful soft / a dou she spedde
With oute wordes mo / they gon to bedde
465
There as this Carpenter / is wont to lye
There was the reuel / and the melodye
And thus lyn Alisoū / and Nicholas
In besynesse of myrthe / and in Solas
Til that the belle / of laudes gan to rynge
470
And freres in the chaunsel / goñ synge
¶ This Parissħ Clerk / this amerous Absolou
That is for loue / al wey so woo bygon
Vp on the monday / was at Osneye
With companye / hi to disporte and pleye
475
And axed vp on cas / a cloisterere
Ful preuyly / after Ioħn the Carpentere
And he drougħ hī a pert / ouȝt of the chirche
And seide I not / I saugħ hī here nat werche
Sithe Satirday / I trowe þat he be went
480
For tymber / there oure Abbot hatħ hī sent
For he Corrected from: h<nothing> h is wont / for tymber for to go
And dwellyn at the Graunge / a day or two
Or ellis he is / at his hous certeyn
Where þat he be / I kan nat sothely seyn
485
¶ This Absoloū / ful Ioly was and ligħt
And thouȝt now is tyme / to wake al nygħt