Manuscript images © Cambridge University Library. Reproduction is strictly prohibited.
- You are now viewing the graphical version of the manuscript
1. The General Prologue
2. The Knight's Tale
3. The Miller's Prologue
4. The Miller's Tale
5. The Reeve's Prologue
6. The Reeve's Tale
7. The Cook's Prologue
8. The Cook's Tale
9. Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale
10. The Man of Law's Tale
11. The Wife of Bath's Prologue
12. The Wife of Bath's Tale
13. The Friar's Prologue
14. The Friar's Tale
15. The Summoner's Prologue
16. The Summoner's Tale
17. The Clerk's Tale
18. Lenvoye de Chaucer
19. Words of the Host
20. The Merchant's Prologue
21. The Merchant's Tale
22. Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale
23. The Squire's Tale
24. The Franklin's Tale
25. The Physician's Tale
26. Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale
27. The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
28. The Shipman's Tale
29. The Prioress' Tale
30. The Tale of Sir Thopas
31. Here the Host 'stynteth' Chaucer's Tale of Sir Thopas
32. The Tale of Melibeus
33. The Monk's Prologue
34. The Monk's Tale
35. The Nun's Priest's Prologue
36. The Nun's Priest's Tale
37. Epilogue to the Nun's Priest's Tale
38. The Second Nun's Tale
39. The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
40. The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
The Reeve's Tale Folio 48r 1 of 10 folios
And seide / what amounteth al th is wyt
Why shuln we alday / speke of holy wryt
The deuele mad a Reue / for to preche
50
Or a Soutere / a shipman / or a leche
Sey forth thy tale / and tary nat the tyme
Lo Depforde / and it is half weye pryme
Lo Grenewyche / there many a shrewe is Inne
It were al tyme / thy tale to bygynne
55
Now Sires / qd this Oswold the Reue
I prey ȝow alle / that ȝe nat ȝow greue
Though I answere / and somdel sette his howe
For leueful is / with force / force of showe
This dronken Millere / hath told vs here
60
How that begyled was / a Carpentere
And by ȝoure leue / I shal hi
Rygħ t in his cherles ter mes / wol I speke
I preye to god / his nekke mot to breke
65
He can wel in myn eye / sen a stalke
But in his owen / he can nat sen a balke
At Trompyngtoū / nat fer fro Caumbrygge
There goth a broke / and ouer that a brygge
Vp on þ e whiche broke / there stant a Mille
And this is verray sotħ / that I ȝow telle
5
A Millere was there / dwellyng
As any Pecok / he was proud and gay
Pipe he coude and fisshe / and nettes bete
And tr ne cuppes / & wel wrestel and shete
Ay by his belt / he bar a long
10
And of a swerd / ful trenchaū t was the blade
A Ioly poppere bar he / in his pouche
There was noman / for per il / durst hī touche
A Shefeld whitel / bar he in his hose
Round was his face / & kamuse was his nose
15
As pilled as an Ape / was his skulle
He was a markete betere / at the fulle
There durst no wygħ t / hand vp on hī legge
That he ne swor / he shulde a non a begge
A thef he was / for sothe / of corñ & mele
20
And that a slye / and vsand for to stele
His name was hoten / deignous Symkyn
A wyf he hadde / comyn of noble kyn
The per soū of the toun / hire fader was