The Miller's Tale
Folio 42v
2 of 18 folios
Of Lycorys / or any Cetuale
His Almageste / and bookes grete and smale
His Astrelabye / longynge for his Art
His Augrym stones / layen faire a part
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On shelues couched / at his beddes heed
His Presse / ycouered with a Faldyng reed
And al aboue / ther lay a gay Sautrye
On which / he made a nyghtes melodye
So swetely / þt al the chambre roong
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And Angelus Ad Virginem / he soong
And after that he soong the kynges note
Ful often blissed was / his murye throte
And thus this swete clerk / his tyme spente
After his freendes fyndyng and his rente
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¶ This Carpenter / hadde wedded newe a wyf
Which þt he louede / moore than his lyf
Of .xviij. yeer / she was of age
Ialous he was / and heeld hir narwe in Cage
For she was wilde and yong / and he was old
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And demed hym self / been lyk a Cokewold
He knew nat Catoū / for his wit was rude
That bad / men sholde wedde his similitude
Men sholde wedden / after hir estaat
For youthe and Elde / is often at debaat
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But sith þt he / was fallen in the snare
He moste endure / as oother folk his care
¶ Fair was this yonge wyf / and ther with al
As any wesele / hir body gent and smal
A ceynt she werde / barred al of sylk /
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A barmclooth / as whit as morne Mylk
Vp on hir lendes / ful of many a goore
Whit was hir smok and broyden al bifoore
And eek bihynde / on hir coler aboute
Of col blak silk / with Inne and eek wt oute
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The tapes / of hir white voluper
Were of the same sute / of hir coler
Hir filet brood of sylk and set ful hye
And sikerly / she hadde a likerous Iye
Ful smale ypulled / were hir browes two
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And tho were bent and blake as is a slo