¶ Heere bygynneth the Millers tale; [folio 40a]
WHilom there was dwellyng / in Oxenford
A riche gnof / that gestes held to bord
Line 3188
And of his craft / he was a Carpentere
with him þere was dwellyng / a poore scolere
Had lerned art / but al his fantasye
was turned / for to lerne / Astrologye
Line 3192
And koude a serteyn / of conclusions
To demen / by interrogacions
If þat men asked him / in certeyn houres
What þat men shuld haue / drought or elles shoures
Line 3196
Or if men asked him / what shulde by-falle
Of euery thyng / I may nat rekken hem alle
¶ . This Clerk was cleped / hende Nicholas
Of derne loue he coude / and of solas
Line 3200
And ther-to he was sly / and ful preue
And like a Maide / meke for to se
A Chaumbre had he / in that hostelrye
A-lone / with-outen ony companye
Line 3204
fful fetisly dight / with herbes swote
And he him self / as swete as is the rote
Of licoris / or ony Setuale
his Almageste / and bokes grete and smale
Line 3208
his Astralabie / longyng for his art
His Augryme stones / loyn faire a-pert
On shelues / kouched / at his beddis hede
His presse couered / with a faldyng rede
Line 3212
And al a-boue / there lay a gay Sautrye
On whiche he mad / on nyghtis melodye
So swetely / þat al the chaumber rong
And Angelus ad virginem / he song
Line 3216
And after that / he song the kynges note
fful often blissed / was his mery throte
