The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ The Millewardes tale/ [[no gap in the MS.]]

Whan þat þe knight had þus his tale y-told In all þe companye nas þer ȝong ne old That he ne seyde it / was a noble storye And worþi for to drawen in memorie Line 3112 And nameliche þe gentils euerych oon Oure Oost lough and swor so mot I gon This goþ aright vnbokeled is þe male/ lat se now who schal telle anoþer tale Line 3116 ffor trewely þe game is wel bygonne Now telleþ ȝe sire monk if ȝe kunne Somwhat to quyte with þe knightes tale The meller þat for-drunken was al pale Line 3120 So þat vnneþe vpon his hors he sat he nolde aualen neyþer hood ne hat Ne abide noman for his curtesie/ But in Pilates vois he gan to crye Line 3124 And swor by armes and by blood and bones I can a noble tale for þe nones Wiþ which I wol now quite þe knightes tale Oure oost saugh þat he was drunken of ale Line 3128 And seyde abyde Robyn leeue broþer Som bettre man schal telle vs ferst anoþer [folio 44b] Abyd and lat vs werken þriftily By goddes soule quod he þat wol nat I Line 3132 ffor I wol speken or elles go my weye Oure oost answerde /telle on a deuelleweye Thou art a fool þi witte is ouercome Now herkneþ quoþ þe meller alle and some Line 3136 But first I make a protestacioun That I am dronke I knowe it by my soun And þerfore if I speke or mys say Wite ȝe it þe ale of Suthwerk I ȝou pray Line 3140

Line 3140 ffor I wol telle a legende and a lyf Boþe of a Carpenter and of his wijf / how þat a clerk haþ sett þe wrightes cappe The Reeue answerde and seyde stynt þy clappe Line 3144 lat be þi lewed dronken harlotrie It is a synne and eeke gret folye To apeiren eny man or diffame And eek to bringe wyfes in such fame Line 3148 Thou maist ynough of oþer þinges sain This dronken meller spak ful soone agayn And seyde leeue broþer Osewold / Who has no wyf he is no Cokewold Line 3152 But I seye nought þerfore þat þou art oon Ther been ful goode wyfes many on . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 3156 Why art þou angry wiþ my tale now I haue a wif parde as wel as þou Yet nolde I not for þe Oxen in my plough Take vpon me more þan ynough Line 3160 As demen on my self þat I were oon I wil bileeue þat I am noon And housbonde schal not ben Inquysitif Of goddes priuetees ne of his wijf Line 3164 So he may fynde goddes foyson þere/ Of þe remenant needeþ nought to enquere What scholde I more sayn but þis Mellere he nolde his wordes for no man forbere [folio 45a] But tolde his cherles tale in his manere Me aþinkeþ þat I schal reherce hem heere And þerfore euery gentil wight I preye Demeþ nought for goddes loue þat I seye Line 3172 Of yuel entent but for þat I moot reherse Here tales alle be þei bettre or worse Or elles falsen som of my matiere And þer-fore who so list it nought to heere Line 3176

Line 3176 Torne ouer þe leef and chees anoþer tale ffor ȝe schulle fynde ynowe grete and smale Of storial þing þat toucheþ gentilesse And eek moralite and holynesse Line 3180 Blameþ not me if þat ȝe cheese amys The meller is a cherl ȝe knowe wel þis So was þe Reeue eek and oþer mo And harlotrie þey tolden boþe tuo Line 3184 Auiseþ ȝou and putteþ me out of blame And eek men schal not make ernest of game [[No gap in the MS.]]