¶The |pro|loge / of the Reues tale
Whan folk hadde laughen / at this nyce cas
Of Ab{s}olon / and hende Nicholas Di|uer|{s}e folk / diuer{s}ely they seyde But for the moore part/ they lowe and pleyde Ne at his tale / I seigh no man hym greue But it were oonly/ O{s}ewold the Reue By cau{s}e he was / of Carpenters craft/ Alitel Ire / is in his herte ylaft/ He gan to grucche / and blamed it alite So the ik quod he / ful wel koude I thee quyte With bleryng/ of a proud Millerys Iye If |þt| me li{s}te / speke of rybaudye But ik am oold / me li{s}t no pleye for age Gras tyme is doon / my fodder is now forage This white top / writeth myne olde yerys Myn herte / is al{s}o mowled / as myne herys But if ik fare / as dooth an Openers That ilke fruyt/ is euer lenger the wers Til it be roten / in Mollok / or in stree We olde men / I drede {s}o fare we Til we be roten / kan we noght be rype We hoppe alwey / whil |þt| the world wol pipe ffor in oure wil / ther stiketh euere a nayl To haue an hoor heer / and a grene tayl As hath a leek / for thogh oure myght be goon Oure wil de{s}ireth folie / euere in oon ffor whan we may noght/ doon / than wol we speke Yet in oure a{ss}hen olde / is fyr yreke
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ffoure gleedes haue we / whiche I shal deuy{s}e Auauntyng/ lyyng/ Anger Coueiti{s}e Thi{s}e foure sparkles / longen vn to eelde Oure lymes / mowe wel been vnweelde But wil ne shal noght faillen / that is sooth And yet I haue alwey / a coltes tooth As many a yeer / as it is pa{ss}ed henne Syn |þt| my tappe of lyf / bigan to renne ffor sikerlik/ whan ik was bore anon Deeth drogh the tappe of lyf / and leet it goon And euere sith / hath {s}o the tappe yronne Til |þt| almoo{s}t / al empty is the tonne The {s}treem of lyf / now droppeth on the chymbe The sely tonge / may wel rynge and chymbe Of wrecchedne{ss}e / |þt| pa{ss}ed is ful yoore With olde folk / saue dotage is namoore ¶Whan |þt| oure hoo{s}t/ hadde herd this sermonyng/ He gan to speke / as lordly as a kyng/ He seyde / what amounteth al this wit What shal we speke alday / of holy writ The deuel made / a Reue for to |pre|che Or of a Soute|re| / a Shipman / or a leche Sey forth thy tale / and tarie noght the tyme Lo Depeford / and it is half wey pryme Lo Grenewych / ther many a sherewe is Inne It were al tyme / thy tale to bigynne ¶Now sires / quod this O{s}ewold the Reue I pray yow alle / |þt| ye noght yow greue Thogh I an{s}were / and som del sette his howue ffor leueful is / with force / force of showue This dronken Mille|re| / hath ytoold vs heer How |þt| / bigiled was a Carpenter |per|auenture in scorn / for I am oon And by youre leue / I shal hym quyte anon Right / in his cherles termes / wol I speke I pray to god / his nekke mote to breke He kan wel / in myn eye / seen a {s}talke But in his owene / he kan noght {s}een a balke
Narra|ter|
AT Trompyngto|un| / nat fer fro Cantebrygge Ther gooth a brook / and ouer that a brygge
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Vp on the which brook/ ther stant a Melle And this is verray sooth / |þt| I yow telle A Mille|re| was ther dwellyng many a day As any Pecok/ he was proud and gay Pipen he koude / and fi{ss}he / and nettes beete And torne coppes / and wel wra{s}tle and sheete And by his belt/ he baar a long Panade And of a swerd / ful trenchaunt was the blade A ioly poppe|re| / baar he in his pouche Ther was no man / for |per|il dor{s}te hym touche A sheffeld thwitel / baar he in his ho{s}e Round was his face / and camu{s}e was his no{s}e As piled as an Ape / was his skulle He was a Market bete|re| / atte fulle Ther dor{s}te no wight/ hand vp on hym legge That he ne swoor / he sholde anon abegge A theef he was for sothe / of corn and mele And |þt| a sleigh / and v{s}ant for to stele His name was hoten / deynous Symkyn A wif he hadde / comen of noble kyn The per{s}on of the toun / hir fader was With hi|re| he yaf / ful many a panne a bras ffor |þt| Symkyn / sholde in his blood allye She was yfo{s}tred / in a Nonnerye ffor Symkyn / wolde no wyf as he sayde But she were wel ynori{ss}ed and a mayde To sauen / his e{s}taat of yemanrye And she was proud / and peert as is a pye A ful fair sighte / was it vp on hem two On halidayes / biforn hi|re| wolde he go With his tipet/ wounden aboute his heed And she cam after / in a gyte of reed And Symkyn / hadde ho{s}en of the same Ther dor{s}te no wight/ clepen hire but dame Was noon {s}o hardy / |þt| wente by the weye That with hire/ dor{s}te rage / or ones pleye But if he / wolde be slayn of Symkyn With panade / or with knyf/ or boydekyn ffor Ialous folk / been |per|ilou{s}e eueremo Algate / they wolde hir wyues wenden {s}o
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And eek / for she was som del smoterlich She was as digne / as water in a dich And ful of hoker / and of bi{s}mare Hir thoghte / |þt| a lady sholde hir spare What for hir kynrede / and hir nortelrye That she hadde lerned / in the Nonnerye A doghter hadde they / bitwix hem two Of twenty yeer / with outen any mo Sauyng a child / |þt| was of hal yeer age In Cradel it lay / and was a |prop|re page This wenche / thikke and wel ygrowen was With camu{s}e no{s}e / and eyen greye as glas With buttokes brode / and bre{s}tes rounde and hye But right fair was hir heer/ I wol nat lye ¶The |per|{s}on of the toun / for she was {s}o feir In purpos was / to maken hi|re| his heir Bothe of his catel / and his Me{s}uage And {s}traunge he made it/ of hir mariage His purpos was / for to bi{s}towe hir hye In to som worthy blood of Auncetrye ffor holicherches good / moot been de{s}pended On holicherches blood / |þt| is de{s}cended Ther fore / he wolde his holy blood honoure Thogh |þt| he / holy chirche sholde deuoure ¶Greet sokne / hath this Mille|re| out of doute With whete and malt/ of al the land aboute And nameliche / ther was a greet Collegge Men clepeth / the Soler halle at Cantebregge Ther was hir whete / and eek hir malt ygrounde And on a day / it happed in {{^}}{{a}} stounde Syk was this maunciple / on a maladie Men wenden wi{s}ly / |þt| he sholde dye ffor which this Millere / {s}tal bothe mele and corn An hondred tyme / moore than biforn ffor ther biforn / he {s}tal but curtei{s}ly But now / he was a theef outrageou{s}ly ffor which the wardeyn / chidde and made fare But ther of / sette the Millere noght a tare He craked boo{s}t/ and swoor it was noght so Thanne were ther / yonge poure scolers two
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That/ dwelten in the halle / of which I seye Te{s}tyf they were / and lu{s}ty for to pleye And oonly / for hir myrthe and reuerye Vp on the wardeyn / bi{s}ily they crye To yeue hem leue / but a litel stounde To go to Mille / and seen hir corn ygrounde And hardily / they dor{s}te leye hir nekke The Millere / sholde noght {s}telen hem half a pekke Of corn by sleighte / ne by force hem reue And atte la{s}te / the wardeyn yaf hem leue |Iohan| highte that oon / and Aleyn highte that oother Of oon town were they born / |þt| highte Strother ffer in the North / I kan noght telle where This Aleyn / maketh redy al his gere And on an hors / the sak he ca{s}te anon fforth gooth Aleyn the clerk/. and al{s}o |Iohan| With good swerd / and with bokeler by his syde |Iohan| knew the wey / hym neded no gyde And at the Mille / the sak adoun he layth ¶Aleyn spak fir{s}t/ alhayl Symkyn in fayth How fares / thy faire doghter / and thy wyf ¶Aleyn wel come / quod Symkyn by my lyf And |Iohan| al{s}o / how now / what do ye here ¶By god quod |Iohan| / Symond nede has na peere Hym bilhoues serue hym self / |þt| has na swayn Or ellis / he is a fool / as clerkes sayn Oure maunciple / I hope he wol be deed Swa werkes ay / the wanges in his heed And ther fore is I come / and eek Alayn To grynde oure corn / and carie it heem agayn I pray yow / speed vs heythen / what ye may ¶It shal be doon / quod Symkyn by my fay What wol ye doon / whil |þt| it is in hande ¶By god / right by the ho|per| / wol I stande Quod |Iohan| / and se how the corn gas In Yet {s}aw I neuere / by my fader kyn How |þt| the ho|per| / wagges til and fra ¶Aleyn an{s}werde / |Iohan| wiltow swa Thanne wol I be byneth / by my crown And se / how |þt| the mele falles down
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In to the trogh / that sal be my de{s}port/ ffor |Iohan| in faith / I may been of youre sort/ I is as ille a Millere / as ar ye ¶This Millere / smyled of hir nycetee And thoghte / al this nys doon / but for a wyle They wene / |þt| no man may hem bigile But by my thrift / yet shal I blere hir Iye ffor al the sleighte / in hir Phi{s}lophye The moore queynte crekys / |þt| they make The moore wol I {s}tele / whan I take In {s}tede of flour / yet wol I yeue hem bren The grette{s}t clerkes / been noght the wi{s}e{s}t men As whilom to the wolf/ thus spak the mare Of al hir art/ counte I noght a tare Out of the dore / he gooth ful pryuely Whan |þt| he saugh his tyme / softely He looketh vp and doun / til he hath founde The clerkes hors / ther {^}{{as}} it stood ybounde Bihynde the Mille / vnder a leef{s}el And to the hors / he gooth hym faire and wel He {s}trepeth of the bridel / right anon And whan the hors was laus / he gynneth gon Toward the fen / ther wilde mares renne And forth with wehe / thurgh thikke and thenne This Millere gooth ayein / no word he seyde But dooth his note / and with the clerkes pleyde Til |þt| hir corn / was faire and wel ygrounde And whan the mele / was sakked and ybounde ¶This |Iohan| gooth out/ and fynt his hors away And gan to crye / harrow and weilaway Oure hors is lo{s}t/. Alayn for goddes banes Step on thy feet/ com of man al atanes Allas oure wardeyn / has his palfrey lorn ¶This Alayn al forgat/ bothe mele and corn Al was out of his mynde / his hou{s}bondrye What whilk wey is he gane / he gan to crye ¶The wyf cam lepyng/ Inward with a ren She seyde allas / youre hors gooth to the fen With wilde mares / as fa{s}te as he may go Vnthank come on his hand / |þt| boond hym {s}o
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And he |þt| bettre / sholde haue knyt the reyne ¶Allas / quod |Iohan| / Aleyn for Cri{s}tes peyne Lay doun thy swerd / and I wol myn al{s}wa I is ful wight / god waat/ as is a ra By god hert/ he sal nat scape vs bathe Why ne had thow / pit the capil in the lathe Ilhail / by god Alayn / thow is a fonne ¶This sely clerkes / haan ful fa{s}te yronne Toward the fen / bothe Alayn and eek |Iohan| And whan the Millere seigh / |þt| they were gon He half a bu{ss}hel / of hir flour hath take And bad his wyf / go knede it in a cake He seyde / I trowe / the clerkes were aferd Yet kan a Millere / maken a clerkes berd ffor al his art/ ye lat hem goon hir weye Lo whe|re| he gooth / ye lat the children pleye They gete hym noght {s}o lightly / by my croun ¶Thi{s}e sely clerkes / rennen vp and doun With keep / keep / {s}tand / {s}tand / Io{ss}a warderere Ga whi{s}tle thow / and I sal kepe hym heere But shortly / til |þt| it was verray nyght/ They koude noght/ thogh they dide al hir myght/ Hir capyl cacche / he ran alwey {s}o fa{s}te Til in a dych / they caughte hym at the la{s}te ¶Wery and weet/ as bee{s}t is in the reyn Comth sely |Iohan| / and with hym comth Aleyn Allas quod |Iohan| / the day |þt| I was born Now ar we dryuen / til hethyng |&| til scorn Oure corn is stole / men wil vs foolis calle Bothe the wardeyn / and oure felawes alle And namely the Millere / weilawey ¶Thus pleyneth |Iohan| / as he gooth by the wey Toward the Mille / and Bayard in his hond The Millere / sittyng by the fyr he fond ffor it was nyght/ and ferther myghte they noght/ But for the loue of god / they hym bi{s}oght/ Of herberwe and of e{s}e / as for hir peny ¶The Millere seide agayn / if ther be eny Swich as it is / yet shal ye haue youre part/ Myn hous is streyt/ but ye han lerned art/
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Ye kan by argumentz / make a place A myle brood / of twenty foot of space lat se now / if this place may suffi{s}e Or make it rowm with speche / as is you|re| gy{s}e ¶Now Symond seyde this |Iohan| / by Seint Cutberd Ay is thou myrie / and that is faire an{s}werd I haue herd seye / men sal tak/ of twa thynges Swilk as he fyndes / or tak swilk as he brynges But specialy / I pray thee hoo{s}t deere Get vs {s}om mete and drynke / and make vs cheere And we wol payen / trewely atte fulle With empty hand / men may none haukes tulle Lo heere oure siluer / redy for to spende ¶This Millere in to town / his doghter {s}ende ffor ale and breed / and ro{s}ted hem a goos And boond hir hors / it sholde namoore go loos And in his owene chambre / hem made a bed With shetes and |with| chalons / faire y{s}pred Noght from his owene bed / but ten foot or twelue His doghter hadde a bed / al by hir selue Right in the same chambre by and by It myghte be no bet/ and cau{s}e why Ther was no rowmer herberwe / in the place They soupen / and they speken / hem to solace And drynken euere {s}troong ale / at the be{s}te Aboute mydnyght / wente they to re{s}te Wel hath this Millere / verny{ss}hed his heed fful pale he was for dronke / and noght reed He yexeth / and he speketh thurgh the no{s}e As he were / on the quakke / or on the po{s}e To bedde he goth / and |with| hym goth his wyf As any Iay / she light was and iolyf So was / hir ioly whi{s}tle / wel ywet The Cradel / at hir beddes feet is set/ To rokken / and to yeue the child to sowke And whan |þt| dronken / al was in the Crowke To bedde wente / the doghter right anon To bedde gooth Aleyn / and al{s}o |Iohan| Ther nas namoore / hem neded no dwale This Millere / hath so wi{s}ly bibbed ale
{{Folio 54v}}
That as an hors / he fnorteth in his sleep Ne of his tayl bihynde / he took no keep His wyf bar hym / a burdon / a ful strong/ Men myghten hir routyng/ heren a furlong/ The wenche / routeth eek |per| compaignye ¶Aleyn the clerc/ that herde this melodye He poked |Iohan| / and seyde slepe{s}tow Herd thow euere / slyk a sang er now Lo swilk a couplyng/ is ymel hem alle A wilde fyr / on thair bodyes falle Wha herkned euere / swilk/ a ferly thyng/ Ye they sal haue / the flour of il endyng/ This lang/ nyght/ ther tydes me na re{s}te But yet na force / al sal be for the be{s}te ffor |Iohan| seyde he / als e|uer|e moot I thryue If |þt| I may / yon wenche wol I swyue Som e{s}ement/ has lawe shapen vs ffor |Iohan| / ther is a lawe / |þt| says thus That gif a man / in a point be agreued That in another / he sal be releued Oure corn is {s}toln / {s}oothly it is na nay And we han had / an ille fit to day And syn I sal / haue naan amendement/ Agayn my los / I wil haue e{s}ement/ By goddes saule / it sal naan other be ¶This |Iohan| an{s}werde / Aleyn auy{s}e thee The Millere / is a |per|ilous man he sayde And if |þt| he / out of his sleep abrayde He myghte doon vs bathe / a vileynye ¶Aleyn an{s}werde / I counte hym noght a flye And vp he ri{s}t / and by the wenche he crepte This wenche lay vp righte / and fa{s}te slepte Til he {s}o neigh was / er she myghte e{s}pie That it hadde been / to late for to crie And shortly for to {s}eyn / they were at oon Now pley Aleyn / for I wol speke of |Iohan| ¶This |Iohan| lith {s}tille / a furlang wey / or two And to hym self/ he maketh routhe and wo Allas quod he / this is a wikked Iape Now may I seyn / |þt| I is but an ape
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Yet has my felawe / som what for his harm He has the Milleris doghter / in his arm He auntred hym / and has his nedes sped And I lye / as a draf sak / in my bed And whan this iape / is told another day I sal ben halden / a daf a Cokenay I wil ari{s}e and auntre it/ by my fayth Vnhardy is vn{s}ely / thus men sayth ¶And vp he roos / and softely he wente Vn to the Cradel / and in his hand it hente And baar it softe / vn to his beddes feet/ Soone after this / the wyf hir routynt leet/ And gan awake / and wente hir out to pi{ss}e And cam agayn / and gan hir Cradel my{ss}e And groped heer and ther / but she foond noon Allas quod she / I hadde almoo{s}t my{s}goon I hadde almoo{s}t/ goon to the clerkes bed Ey benedicite / thanne had I foule y{s}ped And forth she gooth / til she the Cradel fond She gropeth alwey / forther |with| hir hond And foond the bed / and thoghte noght but good By cau{s}e / |þt| the Cradel by it {s}tood And ny{s}te wher she was / for it was derk/ But faire and wel / she creep in to the clerk/ And lyth ful {s}tille / and wolde haue caught a sleep With Inne a while / this |Iohan| the clerk vp leep And on this goode wyf / he leyth on {s}oore So murie a fyt/ ne hadde she nat ful yoore He priketh harde and depe / as he were mad This ioly lyf / han thi{s}e two clerkes lad Til |þt| / the thridde cok/ bigan to synge ¶Aleyn wax wery / in the dawenynge ffor he hadde swonken / al the longe nyght/ And seyde / fare wel Malyn swete wight/ The day is come / I may no lenger byde But euere mo / wher {s}o I go or ryde I is thyn awen clerk/ so haue I sel ¶Now deere lemman quod she / go fare wel But er thow go / o thyng/ I wol thee telle Whan that thow wende{s}t / homward by the Melle
{{Folio 55v}}
Right at the entree / of the dore bihynde Thow shalt a Cake / of half a bu{ss}hel fynde That was ymaked / of thyn owene mele Which |þt| I heelp / my {s}ire for to {s}tele And good lemman / god thee saue and kepe And with that word / almoo{s}t he gan to wepe ¶Aleyn vp ri{s}t/ and thoghte er |þt| it dawe I wol go crepen In / by my felawe And fond the Cradel / with his hond anon By god thoghte he / al wrang I haue my{s}gon Myn heed is toty / of my swynk to nyght/ That maketh me / |þt| I go noght aright/ I woot wel by the Cradel / I haue my{s}go Here lyth the Millere / and his wyf al{s}o And forth he gooth / on twenty deueleway Vn to the bed / ther as the Millere lay He wende haue cropen / by his felawe |Iohan| And by the Millere / In he creep anoon And caughte hym by the nekke / and softe he spak/ He seyde thou |Iohan| / thow Swyne{s}hed awak/ ffor cri{s}tes saule / and here a noble game ffor by that lord / |þt| called is Seint Iame As I haue thries / in this shorte nyght Swyued the Milleris doghter / both vp right Whil thow ha{s}t / as a coward been aga{s}t/ ¶Ye fal{s}e harlot/ quod the Millere ha{s}t/ A fal{s}e traytour / fal{s}e clerk/ quod he Thou shalt be deed / by goddes dignytee Who dor{s}te be {s}o bold / to di{s}parage My doghter / that is come of swich lynage And by the throte bolle / he caughte Alayn And he hente hym / de{s}pitou{s}ly agayn And on the no{s}e / he smoot hym with his fe{s}t/ Doun ran the blody streem / vp on his bre{s}t/ And on the floor / with no{s}e and mouth tobroke They walwen / as doon two pigges in a poke And vp they goon / and doun agayn anoon Til |þt| the Millere / sporned on a {s}toon And doun he fil / bakward vp on his wyf That wi{s}te no thyng/ of this nyce stryf
{{Folio 56r}}
ffor she was falle a{s}lepe / alitel wight/ With |Iohan| the clerk / that waked hadde al nyght/ And with the fal / out of hir sleep she brayde Help holy cros of Bornholm / she sayde In manus tuas / lord to thee I calle Awake Symond / the feend is on me falle Myn herte is broken / help I nam but ded Ther lyth oon vp on my wombe / and vp myn hed Help Symkyn / for the fal{s}e clerkes fighte ¶This |Iohan| sterte vp / as fa{s}te as e|uer|e he myghte And gra{s}peth by the walles / to and fro To fynde a {s}taf / and she {s}terte vp al{s}o And knew the e{s}tres / bet than dide this |Iohan| And by the wal / a staf she foond anon And saugh / a litel shymeryng of a light ffor at an hole / in shoon the moone bright/ And by that light/ she saugh hem bothe two But sikerly / she ny{s}te who was who But as she saugh / a whit thyng in hir Iye And whan she gan / this white thyng e{s}pye She wende the clerk/ hadde wered a voluper And with the {s}taf / she drow ay ner and ner And wende han hit/ this Aleyn atte fulle And smoot the Millere / on the piled skulle That doun he gooth / and cryde harrow I dye Thi{s}e clerkes bette hym wel / and lete hym lye And greithen hem / and tooke hir hors anon And eek hir mele / and on hir wey they gon And at the Mille / yet they toke hir cake Of half a bu{ss}hel flour/ ful wel ybake ¶Thus is the proude Millere / wel ybete And hath ylo{s}t/ the gryndyng of the whete And payed for the souper / euerydel Of Aleyn / and of |Iohan| / that bette hym wel His wyf is swyued / and his doghter als Lo which it is / a Millere to be fals And therfore this |pro|uerbe / is seyd ful {s}ooth Hym thar nat wene wel / |þt| yuele dooth A gilour shal hym self / bigiled be And god / that sitteth heighe in mage{s}tee
{{Folio 56v}}
Saue al this compaignie / grete and smale Thus haue I quyt the Millere / in my tale
¶Here endeth the Reues tale
