ffor al his Art now lat hem goon hir weye
Lo wher they goon / ye lat the children pleye
They gete hym nat so lightly / by my croun
¶ Thise sely clerkes / rennen vp and doun
Line 4100
With keepe / keepe / stand / stand / Iossa warderere
Ga whistle thou / and I shal kepe hym heere
But shortly / til that it was verray nyght
They koude nat / though they do al hir myght
Line 4104
Hir capul cacche / he ran alwey so faste
Til in a dych / they caughte hym atte laste
Wery and weet as beest is in the reyn
Comth sely Iohn / and with him comth Aleyn
Line 4108
Allas quod Iohn / the day that I was born
Now are we dryue / til hethyng and til scorn
Oure corn is stoln / me wil vs fooles calle
Bathe the wardeyn / and oure felawes alle
Line 4112
And namely / the Millere weylaway
¶ Thus pleyneth Iohn / as he gooth by the way
Toward the Mille / and bayard in his hond
The Millere / sittynge / by the fyr he fond
Line 4116
ffor it was nyght and forther myghte they noght
But for the loue of god / they hym bisoght
Of herberwe and of ese / as for hir peny
¶ The Millere seyde agayn / if ther be eny
Line 4120
Swich as it is / yet shal ye haue youre part/
Myn hous is streit but ye han lerned Art
Ye konne by Argumentz / make a place [folio 48b]
A myle brood / of twenty foot of space
Line 4124
Lat se now / if this place may suffise
Or make it rowm with speche / as in youre gise
Now Symond / seyde Iohn / by seint Cutberd
Ay is thou myrie / and this is faire answerd
Line 4128
I haue herd seyd / man sal taa / of twa thynges
Slyk as he fyndes / or taa slyk as he brynges
But specially / I pray thee hoost deere
Get vs som mete and drynke / and make vs cheere
Line 4132
