The Reeve's Tale
Folio 40r
5 of 11 folios
170
¶ This sely clerkes han ful fast y ronne
Toward the fen bothe Aleyn and eke Ioħn
And whan the Miller saugh that thei were gon
He half a busshel of hir flour hath take
And bade his wyf go knede it in a kake
175
He seide I trow the clerkes were a ferd
Yit can a Miller make a clerkes berd
For al his art ye let hem gon hir wey
Lo where he goth ye let the children pley .
Thei gete him noght so lyghtely bi my croun
180
This sely clerkes rennen vp and doun
Wyth keep keep stand stand Iossa warderere
Ga whistel thow and I shal kepe him here
But shortely tyl it was verray nyght
Thei coude not though thei dede hir myght
185
Hir caple cacche he ran al wey so fast .
Til in a dych thei caught him at last
Wery and weet as bestes in the reyn
Comth sely Ioħn and wyth him comth Aleyn
Allas quod Ioħn the day that I was born
190
Now ar we dryuen til hethyng and til scoorn
Our corn is stoln men wil vs foles calle
Both our wardeyn and our felawes alle
And namely the miller weylawey
¶ Thus pleyneth Ioħn as he goth bi the wey .
195
Toward the mille and baiard in his hand
The miller sittyng by the fir he fond
For it was nyght and ferther myght thei noght
But for the loue of god thei him bisought
Of herberwe and of Ese as for hir peny
200
¶ The Miller seyde agayn yif ther be eny
Swich as it is yit shal ye haue your part
Myn hous is streyt but ye han lerned art
Ye kan by argumentz make a place
A myle brode of twenty foot of space
205
Lat se now yif this place may suffise
Or make it rowm wyth speche as in your gyse
¶ Now Symond seyde this Ioħn by seynt cuthberd