Geoffrey Chaucer

“ For Iohn, ther is a lawe that says thus, 4180
That gif a man in a point be y-greved, (261)
That in another he sal be releved.
Our corn is stoln, shortly, it is na nay,
And we han had an il fit al this day.
And sin I sal have neen amendement, 4185
Agayn my los I wil have esement.
By goddes saule, it sal neen other be!'
This Iohn answerde, 'Alayn, avyse thee,
The miller is a perilous man,' he seyde,
'And gif that he out of his sleep abreyde, 4190
He mighte doon us bathe a vileinye.' (271)
Aleyn answerde, 'I count him nat a flye;'
And up he rist, and by the wenche he crepte. ”

“ For it was night, and forther mighte they noght;
But, for the love of god, they him bisoght
Of herberwe and of ese, as for hir peny.
The miller seyde agayn, 'if ther be eny, 4120
Swich as it is, yet shal ye have your part. (201)
Myn hous is streit, but ye han lerned art;
Ye conne by argumentes make a place
A myle brood of twenty foot of space.
Lat see now if this place may suffyse, 4125
Or make it roum with speche, as is youre gyse.'
'Now, Symond,' seyde Iohn, 'by seint Cutberd,
Ay is thou mery, and this is faire answerd. ”

“ What wol ye doon whyl that it is in hande?' 4035
'By god, right by the hoper wil I stande,'
Quod Iohn, 'and se how that the corn gas in;
Yet saugh I never, by my fader kin,
How that the hoper wagges til and fra.'
Aleyn answerde, 'Iohn, and wiltow swa, 4040
Than wil I be bynethe, by my croun, (121)
And se how that the mele falles doun
In-to the trough; that sal be my disport.
For Iohn, in faith, I may been of your sort;
I is as ille a miller as are ye.' 4045
This miller smyled of hir nycetee,
And thoghte, 'al this nis doon but for a wyle;
They wene that no man may hem bigyle ”

“ Il-hayl, by god, Aleyn, thou is a fonne!'
This sely clerkes han ful faste y-ronne 4090
To-ward the fen, bothe Aleyn and eek Iohn. (171)
And whan the miller saugh that they were gon,
He half a busshel of hir flour hath take,
And bad his wyf go knede it in a cake.
He seyde, 'I trowe the clerkes were aferd; 4095
Yet can a miller make a clerkes berd
For al his art; now lat hem goon hir weye.
Lo wher they goon, ye, lat the children pleye ”

“ With 'keep, keep, stand, stand, Iossa, warderere, (181)
Ga whistle thou, and I shal kepe him here!'
But shortly, til that it was verray night,
They coude nat, though they do al hir might,
Hir capul cacche, he ran alwey so faste, 4105
Til in a dich they caughte him atte laste.
Wery and weet, as beste is in the reyn,
Comth sely Iohn, and with him comth Aleyn.
'Allas,' quod Iohn, 'the day that I was born!
Now are we drive til hething and til scorn. 4110
Our corn is stole, men wil us foles calle, (191)
Bathe the wardeyn and our felawes alle,
And namely the miller ”

“ A Sheffeld thwitel baar he in his hose;
Round was his face, and camuse was his nose. ”

“ Men clepen the Soler-halle at Cantebregge, 3990
Ther was hir whete and eek hir malt y-grounde. (71)
And on a day it happed, in a stounde,
Sik lay the maunciple on a maladye;
Men wenden wisly that he sholde dye. ”

“ Til he so ny was, er she mighte espye, 4195
That it had been to late for to crye,
And shortly for to seyn, they were at on;
Now pley, Aleyn! for I wol speke of Iohn.
This Iohn lyth stille a furlong-wey or two,
And to him-self he maketh routhe and wo: 4200
'Allas!' quod he, 'this is a wikked Iape; (281)
Now may I seyn that I is but an ape. ”

“ Til that hir corn was faire and wel y-grounde.
And whan the mele is sakked and y-bounde, 4070
This Iohn goth out and fynt his hors away, (151)
And gan to crye 'harrow' and 'weylaway!
Our hors is lorn! Alayn, for goddes banes,
Step on thy feet, com out, man, al at anes!
Allas, our wardeyn has his palfrey lorn.' 4075
This Aleyn al forgat, bothe mele and corn,
Al was out of his mynde his housbondrye.
'What? whilk way is he geen?' he gan to crye. ”

“ To bedde gooth Aleyn and also Iohn; 4160
Ther nas na more, hem nedede no dwale. (241)
This miller hath so wisly bibbed ale,
That as an hors he snorteth in his sleep,
Ne of his tayl bihinde he took no keep.
His wyf bar him a burdon, a ful strong, 4165
Men mighte hir routing here two furlong;
The wenche routeth eek par companye.
Aleyn the clerk, that herd this melodye,
He poked Iohn, and seyde, 'slepestow?
Herdestow ever slyk a sang er now? 4170
Lo, whilk a compline is y-mel hem alle! (251)
A wilde fyr up-on thair bodyes falle! ”

“ We olde men, I drede, so fare we; (20)
Til we be roten, can we nat be rype; 3875
We hoppen ay, whyl that the world wol pype.
For in oure wil ther stiketh ever a nayl,
To have an hoor heed and a grene tayl,
As hath a leek; for thogh our might be goon,
Our wil desireth folie ever in oon. ”

“ Of Aleyn and of Iohn, that bette him weel.
His wyf is swyved, and his doghter als;
Lo, swich it is a miller to be fals!
And therfore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth,
'Him thar nat wene wel that yvel dooth; 4320
A gylour shal him-self bigyled be.' (401)
And God, that sitteth heighe in magestee,
Save al this companye grete and smale!
Thus have I quit the miller in my tale.
Here is ended the Reves tale.
Variae Lectiones, etc.
3862. E. Pt. om. is.—3865. E. Ln. eye.—3867. E. Hn. no (for not) .—3869. Hl. My (for This) .—3870. E. mowled also.—3872. E. leng; Ln. longe: rest lenger.—3876. ”

“ E. Cm. om. Iohn.—4087. E. Hn. god; rest goddes, goddis.—4088. E. Hn. Cm. pit; rest put (putte) .—4094. E. om. a.—4101. Cm. ware þe rere; Hl. ware derere; rest warderere; ed. 1561, wartherere.—4104. E. do; Cm. don ”

“ E. lite; Cm. lyte; rest litel.—4286. Cm. Pt. Ln. Bromeholm; rest Bromholm.—4290. Cp. Ln. vp (twice) . E. Hn. Cm. Pt. Hl. vp on (for 1st up) .—E. Cm. Pt. Hl. on (Hn. vp) ; for 2nd vp.—4292. E. Cm. stirte.—E. soone (for faste) .—4296. E. Hn. foond; Hl. took.—4301. Hl. ye; Hn. Iye; rest eye.—4307. E. Cm. Hl. And; rest That.—4309. Hl. greyth; Cm. hastede.—4320. E. Hn. yuele; Cm. euele.—4322. E. Trinitee; rest magestee (mageste) .—Colophon. Hn. Hl. ”