The Petworth ms. of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

And here bygynneþ þe Reeues tale

At Trumpington not fer fro Caunterbruge Ther goþ a broke and over þat a bruge Vpon þe whiche broke þer stonte a melle And þis is verrey soþ þat I ȝou telle Line 3924 A Millere was þere dwelling mony a day As ony Pecok he was proude and gay Pipen he couþe an sisshen and nettes bete And turne Coppes and wel wrastel and shete Line 3928 Ny by his belt he bare a longe panade And of a swerd ful trenchant was þe blade A Ioly popper bere he in his pouche Ther nas no man for perile durst hym touche Line 3932 A Sheffeld thwytel bere he in his hose Rounde was his face and camoyse was his nose As pilled as an ape was his sculle He was a market beter atte fulle Line 3936 þer nas no wight þat durst hond on hym legge But if he swore he shuld anon abegge A theef he was forsoþ of corn and mele And þat a sleegh and vsaunt forto stele Line 3940 His name was hoten deyneȝouse Symkyn A wif he hadde commen of nobel kyn The person of þe toune her fader was Wiþ hir he ȝaue ful mony a panne of bras Line 3944 ffor þat Symkyn shuld in his blood allie She was yfostred in a nonrie ffor Symkyn wold[e] no wif as he seide But she were wel ynorshed and a mayde Line 3948 To Sauen his Astate of ȝemanrie [folio 55b] And she was proude and peert as is a pie A ful feire sight was it vpon hem twoo/ On holy daies byforn hir wold he goo/ Line 3952

Line 3952 Wiþ his typet bounden aboute his hede And she come aftere in a gite of rede And Symkyn had[de] hosen of þe same þer durst no wiȝt clepe hur but dame Line 3956 Was noon so hardy þat went by þe way Þat wiþ hir dorst ones rage or play Bat if he wold be sclayn of Symkyn Wiþ panade and wiþ knyf or boydekyn Line 3960 ffor Ielous folk ben perylous euermoo Algates þei wolde her wyues wenden soo And eke for she was somdell smoterlich She was as digne as water in a dich Line 3964 As ful of hoker and of bismare Hire þouȝte þat a lady shuld hir spare What for her kynrede and her nortelrie Þat she had lerned in þe Nonerie Line 3968 A douȝtere had[de] þei bitwene hem twoo Of xx^ti ȝere wiþ-outen ony moo/ Sauyng a childe þat was of half ȝere age In cradel it lay and was a propre page Line 3972 This wenche thik and wel ygrowe was Wiþ Camoys nose and eyen as grey as glas Wiþ buttokes brode and brestes round and hie But riȝt faire was hur heor I wil not lye Line 3976 ¶ The person of þe toune for she was so faire In purpoos was to make hir his aire Boþ of his Catell and of his messuage And straunge he made it of hur mariage Line 3980 His purpoos was to bystowe hir hie Into som worþi blood of Auncetrie ffor holy churches good most be despended/ On holy chirche blood þat is descended/ Line 3984 Therfore he wold his holy blood honoure [folio 56a] þoo þat he holy churche shuld devoure Grete soken haþ þis mellere out of doute With whete and malt of al þe londe aboute Line 3988

Line 3988 And namely þer was a grete colege Men clepen þe solere halle atte Cauntebrigge Ther was her whete and eke her malt ygrounde And on a day it happed in a stounde Line 3992 Sik lay þe manciple on a maladie Mon wenden wishly þat he shuld[e] dye ffor whiche þe Millere stale boþ mele and corn An hundred tyme more þan byforn Line 3996 ffor þer byforne he stale but curteisly But nowe he was a þeef outrageously ffor which þe wardeyne chidde and made fare But þerof sette þe Millere not a tare Line 4000 He craked booste and swore it was not soo/ þan were þere yonge scolers two That dwelten in þe halle of which I seie Teestif þei were and lusty forto pleye Line 4004 And only for her merth and reverye Vpon þe wardeyn bisily þei crie To ȝeue hem leue but a litel stounde To goo to melle and se her corn y-grounde Line 4008 And hardely þei dorst lay her nekke þe Millere shuld not stele hem half a pekke Of corn ne by sleight ne by force hem reue And at þe last þe wardeyn ȝaf hem leue Line 4012 Iohn hight þat oon an Aleyn hiȝt þat oþer Of oon toune were þei born þat hight[e] strother fferre in þe norþe I can not telle where This Aleyn makeþ redy al his gere Line 4016 And on an hors þe sak he cast anōn fforþ goþ Aleyn þe Clerc and also Iohn Wiþ good swerde and bokeler by her side Iohn knewe þe way hym neded no gyde Line 4020 And atte Mille þe Sak a doune he laith [folio 56b] Alayn spake first alhaille Symonde in faiþ How fareþ þi fare douȝtere and þi wiff Aleyn welcome quod Symkyn be my liff Line 4024

Line 4024 And Iohn also how nowe what do ȝe here By god quod Iohn Symond nede haþ no pere Hym byhoueþ serue hym self þat haþ no swayn Or ellis he is a fool as clerkes sayne Line 4028 Our manciple I hope he wil be dede Swa worchen hym ay þe wanges in his hede And þerfore is I commen and eke Aleyn To Grynde our corn and carie hit hom ageyn Line 4032 We prey ȝou spede vs hepen þat ȝe may It shal be done quod Symkyn be my fay What wil ȝe done while þat it is in hande By God riȝt by the hoper wil I stande Line 4036 Quod Iohn and see how gates þe corn goþ Inne Ȝit sagh I neuere be my fadere kynne How þat þe hoper waggeþ til and fraye Aleyn Answerd Iohan wiltowe swaye Line 4040 þan wil I be byneþe by my croune And se howe gate the mele falles adoun Into þe trough þat shal be my disport Quod Iohn in faath I may bene of ȝour sorte Line 4044 I is as il a Miller as is ȝe This Millere smyled of her nycete And þouȝt al þis is don but for a wile þei wene þat no man may hem bygyle Line 4048 But by my þrift ȝit shal I blere her ye ffor al þe sleiȝt in her philosophie The more queynte Clerkes þat þei make þe more wil I stele whan I take Line 4052 In stede of floure ȝit wil I ȝeue hem brenne The grettest clerkes ben not þe wisest men As whilom to þe wolf þus spake þe mare Of alle her arte counte I nouȝt a tare Line 4056 Out at þe Dore he goþ ful priuely [folio 57a] Whan þat he seghe his tyme softely He lokeþ vp and doune til he haþ founde The Clerkes hors þer as he stode ybounde Line 4060

Line 4060 Behinde þe mylle vndere a leueselle And to þe hors he goþ hym faire and welle He strepeþ of þe bridel riȝt anōn And whan þe hors is louse he gynneþ to gon Line 4064 Toward þe fenne where wilde Mares renne And forþe-wiþ þorgh þikke and þorgh þenne This Mellere goþ ageyn no word he seide But doþ his note and wiþ þise clerkes pleide Line 4068 Til þat her corn was faire and welle ygrounde And whan þe mele is sakked and ybounde This Iohn goþ oute and fonde her hors away And gan to crie harowe and walowway Line 4072 Our hors is lost aleyn for goddis banes/ Steppe on þi fete come of man / al at anes Allas our wardeyn haþ our palfray lorn This Aleyn forgate boþ mele and corn Line 4076 Al was out of his mynde his husbondrie What whilk way is he gon he gan to crie Þe wif come lepinge inward at a renne She seide alas ȝoure hors goþ to þe fenne Line 4080 With wilde mares as fast as he may goo Vnþonke come on his honde þat bonde hym soo/ And he þat better shuld haue knette þe reyn Allas quod Iohn Aleyn for cristes peyn Line 4084 Lay doune þi swerde and I wil myn alswaa I is ful swift god wate as is a Raa By goddes hert he shal not scape vs bathe Whi ne had þou putte þe Capel in þe lathe Line 4088 Ilhaile by god Aleyn þou is a fonne Thise sely clerkes han ful fast yronne Touard þe fenne boþen aleyn an eke Iohn And whan þe Miller segh þat þei were gon Line 4092 He half a busshel of her floure haþ take [folio 57b] And bad his wif go knede it in a cake And seide I trowe þe clerkes weren a-ferde Ȝit kan a Miller make a clerkes beerde Line 4096

Line 4096 ffor al her arte ȝit lat hem gon her way Lo wher þei gon ȝe lat þe children play They gete him not so lightly by my croun Thise sely clerkes rennen vp and doun Line 4100 With kepe. kepe. stonde. stonde. Iossa warderere Ga qwistel ȝou I shal kepe hym here But shortely til it was verrey nyȝt þei couþe not þoughe þei did al her myȝt Line 4104 þeire Capel cauche he ranne alway so fast Til in a dicche þei caught him at þe last Wery and wete as beestis in þe reyne Commeþ sely Iohn and wiþ hym commeþ aleyn Line 4108 Allas quod Iohn þe day þat I was born Nowe are we dryuen til heþing and to scorn Our corn is stolle men wil vs foles calle Boþ þe wardeyn and our felawes alle Line 4112 And namely þe Meller weylawaye þus pleyneþ Iohn as he goþ by þe waye Toward the Melle and baiard in his honde The Millere sitting by þe fire he fonde Line 4116 ffor it was nyght and ferþer myght he nouȝt But for þe loue of god þei hym bisouȝt Of harborowe and of ease as for her penye þe Millere seide aȝein if þer be enye Line 4120 Such as it is ȝete shal ȝe haue ȝoure parte Myn hous is streite but ȝe han lerned arte Ȝe can by argumente make a place A myle brode of xx^ti fete of space Line 4124 Lat se nowe if þis place may suffise Or make it rowmer wiþ speche as is ȝour gise Now Symond seide þis Iohn be seynt Cutberd Ay is þou mery . and þat is faire answerde Line 4128 I haue herde seye men shal taken of two þingges [folio 58a] Such as he fint or take such as he bringes But specialy I prey þee hooste dere Gete vs some mete and drink and make vs chere Line 4132

Line 4132 And we wil paien trewly atte fulle Wiþ empty hondes men may not haukes tulle Lo here our siluer redy forto spende This Mellere to þe toune his douȝter sende Line 4136 ffor Ale and brede and rosted hem a goos And bonde her hors for he shuld no more go loos And in his owne chambre he made a bedde Wiþ shetes and wiþ chalons faire yspredde Line 4140 Nouȝt from his owne bedde .x. fete or xij. His doughter had a bed al by hir selue Riȝt in þe same chambre by and by It myghte be no bette and cause why Line 4144 þer was no rommer herborowe in þe place þei soupen and þei speken hem to solace And drynken euere stronge ale atte beste About mydnyȝt went þei to reste Line 4148 Wel haþ þis Mellere vernyssed his hede fful pale he was for-dronken and not rede He ȝeskeþ and he spekeþ þorgh þe nose As he ware in þe quakke or on þe pose Line 4152 To bedde he gooþ and wiþ hym goþ his wif As eny Iaye he light was and Iolif So was her Ioly whistel wel ywette Þe Cradel at her beddis fete is ysette Line 4156 To Rokken and to ȝeue þe child to souke And whan þat dronken was al in þe crouke To bedde went þe doughter riȝt anōn To bedde goþ Aleyn and also Iohn Line 4160 þer nas no more hem neded no dwale This Mellere haþ so wisly bebbed ale þat as an hors he snorteþ in his slepe Ne of his tale behynde he toke no kepe Line 4164 His wif bare him a Burdon a ful stronge [folio 58b] Men myght here þe routing þens a forlonge The wenche routeþ eek par companye Aleyn þe Clerk þat herd þis melodye Line 4168

Line 4168 He pouked on Iohn and seide slepestowe Herde þou euere sclike a sang or nowe Lo sclike a conplinge is ytwix hem alle A wilde fire on her bodies falle Line 4172 Who herkened euere sclike a ferly þinge Ȝe þei shal haue þe floure of euel endinge This lange nyȝt þer tydes men no reste But ȝit na fors al shal be for þe beste Line 4176 ffor Iohn seide he as euere mote I þrive If þat I may ȝon wenche þan wil I swyve Some esement haþ lawe shapen vs ffor Iohn þer is a lawe þat seiþ þus Line 4180 That if a man in oon point be agreued That in anoþer he shal be releued Our corn is stollen soþly it is no nay And we han had an euel fit to day Line 4184 And syn I shal haue no amendement Ageyn my losse I wil haue esement By goddes saule it sal na noþer be þis Iohn answerde Aleyn avise þe Line 4188 The Mellere is a perilous man he seide And if þat he out of his sclepe abreide He myghte don vs boþ a vylenye Aleyn answerd I counte hym not a flye Line 4192 And vp he rist and by þe wenche he crepte This wenche lay vpriȝt and faste sclepte Til he so nygh was er she myȝte spie þat it had bene to late forto crie Line 4196 And shortely for to seie þei were at on Nowe pleye Alayn for I wil speke of Iohn This Iohn lith stille a forlonge way or two And to hym self he makeþ wamenting and woo Line 4200 Allas quod he þis is a wikke Iape [folio 59a] Now may I seie þat I is but an ape Ȝit haþ my felawe somwhat for his harme He haþ þe mellers douȝter in his arme Line 4204

Line 4204 He Auntreþ hym and haþ his nedes spedde And I ly as a draf sak in my bedde And whan þis Iape is tolde anoþer day I shal be holde a daff a cokenay Line 4208 I wil arise and aunter be my fath Vnhardy is vnsely þus men sath And vp he roos and softely he went Vnto þe Cradel and in his arme hit hent Line 4212 And bare it soft vntil his beddes fete Sone aftere þe wif her rowting lete And gan to wake and went her out to pisse And come agein and gan her cradel mysse Line 4216 And groped here and þere but she foond noon/ Allas quod she I had almost mysgon I had almost go to þe clerkes bedde Ey benedicite þan had I foule yspedde Line 4220 And forþ she goþ til she þe cradel fonde She gropeþ alway forþer wiþ her honde And fond þe bed and þouȝt nouȝt but of good By cause þat þe cradel by it stode Line 4224 And nyste wher she was for it was derk But faire and wel she crepte in to þe clerk And lith ful stille and wolde haue kauȝt a slepe Wiþ-In a while þis Iohn þe clerk vp lepe Line 4228 And on þis good[e] wif hee leiþ ful sore So mery a fitte ne had she not ful ȝore And prikeþ harde and depe as he ware madde Þis Ioly lif han þise two clerkes ladde Line 4232 To þat þe iij. coke bygan to singe Aleyn wexe wery. in þe daw[e]nynge ffor he had swonken al þe longe nyȝt And seide fare wel malyn sweete wiȝt Line 4236 The day is come I may no lenger byde [folio 59b] But euermo where so I go or ride I am þine owne clerk so haue I sele Now dere lemman quod she go fare wele Line 4240

Line 4240 But er þou goo. on þinge I wil þe telle Whhan þat þow wendest homward by þ^e melle Right at þe entre of þe door be-hinde Thow shalt a Cake of half a busshel fynde Line 4244 That was ymaked of þine owne mele Which þat I helpe my Sire forto stele And good lemman god þe saue and kepe And wiþ þat word almost she gan to wepe Line 4248 Aleyn vprist and þouȝt er þat it dawe I wol go crepen in by my felawe And fonde þe cradel wiþ his honde anon By god þought he alwrong / I haue mysgon Line 4252 Myn hede is toty of my swynk to nyght Þat makeþ me þat I go not aright I wote wele by þe cradel I haue mysgo Here lith þe meller and his wif also Line 4256 And forþ he goþ on twenty delway Vnto þe bedde þer as þe meller lay He wende haue cropen by his felawe Iohn And by þe Meller in he crept anon Line 4260 And kaught him by þe nek and soft he spake And seide þou Iohn þou swyneshede awake Of Cristes saule and here a noble game ffor by þat lord þat called is seint Iame Line 4264 As I haue þries in þis shorte nyȝt Swyved þe Mellers douȝter bolt vpriȝt Whilst þow hast as a Coward ben agast Ye fals harlot quod þe Mellere hast Line 4268 A fals traitour. fals clerk quod he Þow shalt be dede by goddes dignyte Who durste be so bolde to disparage My douȝter þat is come of swich lynage Line 4272 And by þe þrote bolle he kauȝt aleyn [folio 60a] And he him hent dispitously ageyn And on þe nose he smote hym with his fist Doune ranne þe blody streme vpon his brist Line 4276

Line 4276 And in þe floor wiþ nose and mouþ to-broke þei walowen as don two pigges in a poke And vp þei goon and doune anon Till þat þe Mellere spurned at a ston Line 4280 And downe he felle bakward vpon his wiff þat wist no þinge of þis nyce striff ffor she was falle a slepe a litel wiȝt Wiþ Iohn þe clerk þat waked had al nyȝt Line 4284 And wiþ þe falle out of her slepe she braide Help holy crosse of bromholm she saide In manus tuas lorde to þe I calle Awake Symond þe feend is on me falle Line 4288 Myn hert is broken help I ne am but dede þere lith vpon my wombe and on myn hede Helpe Symkyn for þise fals clerkes fiȝt This Iohn stert vp as fast as euere he myȝt Line 4292 And grasped by þe walles to and fro To fynden a staf and she stert vp also And knewe þe Eisters bet þan did Iohn And by þe walle she fonde a staf anōn Line 4296 And segh a litel shymering of a liȝt ffor at an hole in shone þe mone briȝt And by þat liȝt she segh hem boþ[e] two But sikerly she nyste who was who Line 4300 But as she seegh a white þinge in her eye And whan she gan þis white þing aspie She wende þe Clerk had wered a volipere And wiþ þe staf she drough ay ner and nere Line 4304 And wende han hitte þis Aleyn atte fulle And smote þe Mylere on þe pyled skulle Þat doun he goth and cried harowe I dye Thise Clerkes bette hym wel and lete hym lye Line 4308 And Greieþ hem and toke her hors anon [folio 60b] And eke her/ mele and on her way þei gōn And at the Melle ȝit þei toke her Cake Of half a busshel floure ful wel ybake Line 4312

Line 4312 Thus is þe proude Mellere wel ybete And hath ylost þe grynding of þe whete And paide for þe soper euery dell Of aleyn and of Iohn þat bette hym well Line 4316 His wiff is swyued and his douȝtere als Lo such it is a Miller to be fals And þerfor þis prouerbe is seide ful soth Hym ther not wene wele þat euel doth Line 4320 A Gilour shal hym self begiled be And god þat sitteþ hegh in mageste Saue al þe company grete and smale Thus haue I quytte þe Meller in my tale Line 4324

¶ Thus Endeth þe Reues Tale

Notes

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• [No break in the MS.]