The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ Heere folwen the wordes / bitwene the hoost and the Millere.

Whan that the knyght had thus his tale ytoold In al the route / ne was ther yong ne oold That he ne seyde / it was a noble storie And worthy / for to drawen to memorie Line 3112 And namely the gentils euerichon Oure hoost lough / and swoor so moot I gon This gooth aright / vnbokeled is the Male Lat se now / who shal telle another tale Line 3116 ffor trewely / the game is wel bigonne Now telleth on sire Monk / if that ye konne Sumwhat to quite with the knyghtes tale The Millere / that for-dronken was al pale Line 3120 So that vnnethe / vp on his hors he sat He nolde aualen / neither hood ne hat Ne abyde no man / for his curteisie But in Pilates voys / he gan to crie Line 3124 And swoor by Armes / and by blood / and bones I kan a noble tale for the nones With which / I wol now quite / the knyghtes tale Oure hoost saugh / that he was dronke of ale Line 3128 And seyde / abyd Robyn my leeue brother Som bettre man / shal telle vs first another Abyde / and lat vs werken thriftily [folio 38a] ¶ By goddes soule quod he / that wol nat I Line 3132 ffor I wol speke / or elles go my wey Oure hoost answerde / tel on a deuele wey Thou art a fool / thy wit is ouercome ¶ Now herkneth quod the Millere alle and some Line 3136 But first I make a protestacioun That I am dronke / I knowe it by my soun And therfore / if that I mysspeke or seye Wyte it the Ale of Southwerk I [you] preye Line 3140

Line 3140 ffor I wol telle / a legende and a lyf Bothe of a Carpenter / and of his wyf How that a clerk / hath set the wrightes cappe ¶ The Reue answerde / and seyde stynt thy clappe Line 3144 Lat be / thy lewed dronken harlotrye It is a synne / and eek a greet folye To apeyren any man / or hym defame And eek to bryngen wyues in swich fame Line 3148 Thou mayst ynogh / of othere thynges seyn ¶ This dronke Millere / spak ful soone ageyn And seyde / leue brother Osewold Who hath no wyf / he is no Cokewold Line 3152 But I sey nat therfore / that thou art oon Ther been ful goode wyues many oon And euere / a thousand goode / ayeyns oon badde That knowestow wel thy self / but if thou madde Line 3156 Why artow angry / with my tale now I haue a wyf pardee / as wel as thow Yet nolde I / for the oxen in my plogh Take vp on me / moore than ynogh Line 3160 As demen of my self / that I were oon I wol bileue wel / that I am noon An housbonde / shal nat been Inquisityf Of goddes pryuetee / nor of his wyf Line 3164 So he may fynde goddes foyson there Of the remenant nedeth nat enquere ¶ What sholde I moore seyn / but this Millere He nolde his wordes / for no man forbere Line 3168 But tolde his cherles tale in his manere Mathynketh / that I shal reherce it heere And ther-fore euery gentil wight I preye ffor goddes loue / demeth nat that I seye Line 3172 Of yuel entente / but that I moot reherce Hir tales alle / be they bettre or werse Or elles / falsen som of my mateere And therfore / who so list it nat yheere Line 3176

Line 3176 Turne ouer the leef / and chese another tale ffor he shal fynde ynowe / grete and smale Of storial thyng that toucheth gentillesse [folio 38b] And eek moralitee / and hoolynesse Line 3180 Blameth nat me / if that ye chese amys The Millere / is a cherl / ye knowe wel this So was the Reue / and othere manye mo And harlotrie // they tolden bothe two Line 3184 Auyseth yow / putteth me out of blame And eek men shal nat maken ernest of game [[Slight break in the MS.]]