They tolden euery man / that he was wood
He was agast so / of Nowelis flood
Thurgh fantasie / that of his vanytee
He hadde yboght hym / knedyng tubbes thre
Line 3836
And hadde hem hanged / in the roue aboue
And þat he preyde hem / for goddes loue
To sitten in the roof / par compaignye
¶ The folk gan laughen / at his fantasye
Line 3840
In to the roof / they kiken and they cape
And turned al his harm / vn to a Iape
ffor / what so / þat this Carpenter answerde
It was for noght no man his reson herde
Line 3844
With othes grete / he was so sworn adoun
That he was holde wood in al the toun
ffor euery clerk / anonright / heeld with oother [folio 45b]
They seyde / the man was wood / my leeue broother
Line 3848
And euery wight / gan laughen of this stryf/
Thus / swyued was / this Carpenteris wyf/
ffor al his kepyng and his Ialousye
And Absolon / hath kist hir nether eye
Line 3852
And Nicholas / is scalded in the towte
This tale is doon / and god saue al the rowte
¶ Heere endeth the Millere his tale [[Slight break in the MS.]]
