¶ Heere bigynneth the Reues Tale;
At Trompyngton / nat fer fro Caumbrygge
There goth a broke / and ouer that a brygge
vp-on the whiche broke / there stant a Mille
And this is verray soth / that I ȝow telle
Line 3924
A Millere was there / dwellyng many a day
As any Pecok / he was proud and gay
Pipe he coude and fisshe / and nettes bete
And turne cuppes / & wel wrestel and shete
Line 3928
Ay by his belt / he bar a long panade
And of a sword / ful trenchaunt was the blade
A Ioly poppere bar he / in his pouche
There was no man for paril durst him touche
Line 3932
A Shefeld whitel / bar he in his hose
Round was his face / & kamuse was his nose
As pilled as an Ape / was his skulle
he was a markete betere / at the fulle
Line 3936
There durst no wyght / hand vp-on him legge
That he ne swor / he shulde a-non a-begge
A thef he was / forsothe / of corn & mele
And that a slye / and vsand for to stele
Line 3940
his name was hoten / deignous Symkyn
A wyf he hadde / comyn of noble kyn
The parson of the toun / hire fader was
With hire he ȝaf / ful many a panne of bras [folio 48b]
Line 3944
ffor that Symkyn / shulde in his blod a-lye
She was I-fostred / in a Nonnerye
ffor Symkyn nolde no wyf / as he said
But she were wel norisshed / and a mayd
Line 3948
To sauen his estate / of ȝemanrye
And she was proud / and pert as a pye
A ful fair sight / was it vp-on hem two
On halidayes biforn hire / wold he go
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