The Miller's Tale
Folio 45v
19 of 20 folios
Allone wiþouten eny companye
Ful fetisly dight wiþ herbes soote
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And he himself as sweete as is þe roote
Of licoris or any Settewale
His almagist and bokes grete and smale
His astrelabre longyng for his art
His augrym stones layen faire a part
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On schelfes couched at his beddes heede
His presse y couered with a faldyng reed
And al aboute þer lay a gay sautrie
On which he made a night melodye
So swetly þat alle þe chambre ronge
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And angelus ad virginē he songe
And after þat he song þe kinges note
Ful ofte blessed was his merie þrote
And þus þe sweete clerk his tyme spente
After his freendes fyndyng and his rente
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This Carpunter hadde wedded a newe wyf
Which þat he louede more þan his lyf
Of .xviij. ȝeer sche was of age
Ialous he was and heeld hir narwe in cage
For sche was wylde and ȝong and he was old
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And demed him self ben lik a Cokewold
He knew not Catoū for his witte was rude
That bad men wedde his similitude
Men scholde wedde after here astat
For youþe and eelde is often in debat
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But siþen þat he was fallen in the snare
He most endure as oþer folk his care
Fair was þis ȝonge wijf and þer wiþ al
As eny wesele hire body gent and smal
A ceynt sche wered barred al of selk
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A barmcloþ as whit as morne melk
Vpon hire lendes ful of many a goore
Whit was hir smok and brouded al bifore
And eek byhynde on hire coler aboute