¶ Here bigynneth the Millerys tale.
Whilom ther was dwellyng at Oxenford
A riche gnof that gestes heeld to bord
Line 3188
And of his craft he was a Carpenter
With hym ther was dwellynge a poure Scoler
Hadde lerned art but al his fantasie
Was turned / for to leere Astrologie
Line 3192
And koude / a certeyn of conclusions
To demen / by interrogacions
If þat men axed hym / in certein houres
Whan þat men sholde haue droghte / or ellis shoures
Line 3196
Or if men axed hym / what shal bifalle
Of euery thyng / I may nat rekene hem alle
¶ This clerk / was clepyd hende Nicholas
Of derne loue he koude / and of solas
Line 3200
And ther-to he was sleigh / and ful pryuee
And lyk a mayde meke / for to see
A chambre hadde he / in that hostelrie
Allone / with-outen any compaignye
Line 3204
fful fetisly dight / with herbes swoote
And he hym self as sweete as is the roote
Of lycorys / or any Cetuale [folio 42b]
His Almageste / and bookes grete and smale
Line 3208
His Astrelabye / longynge for his Art
His Augrym stones / layen faire a part
On shelues couched / at his beddes heed
His presse / ycouered with a ffaldyng reed
Line 3212
And al aboue / ther lay a gay Sautrye
On which / he made a nyghtes melodye
So swetely / þat al the chambre roong
And Angelus ad virginem / he soong
Line 3216
And after that he soong the kynges note
fful often blissed was / his murye throte
