. ¶ The prologe / of the Reues tale
WHan folk hadde laughen / at this nyce cas
Of Absolon / and hende Nicholas
Line 3856
Diuerse folk / diuersely they seyde
But for the moore part they lowe and pleyde
Ne at his tale I seigh no man hym greue
But it were oonly / Osewold the Reue
Line 3860
By-cause he was / of Carpenters craft
A litel Ire / is in his herte ylaft
He gan to grucche / and blamed it a lite
So the ik quod he / ful wel koude I thee quyte
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With bleryng of a proud Millerys Iye
If þat me liste / speke of rybaudye
But ik am oold / me list no pleye for age
Gras tyme is doon / my fodder is now forage
Line 3868
This white tope / writeth myne olde yerys
Myn herte / is also mowled / as myne herys
But if ik fare / as dooth an Openers
That ilke fruyt is euer lenger the wers
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Til it be roten / in Mollok / or in stree
We olde men / I drede so fare we
Til we be roten / kan we noght be rype
We hoppe alwey / whil þat the world wol pipe
Line 3876
ffor in oure wil / ther stiketh ever a nayl
To haue an hoor heer / and a grene tayl
As hath a leek / for thogh oure myght be goon
Oure wil desireth folie / euere in oon
Line 3880
ffor whan we may noght doon / than wol we speke
Yet in oure asshen olde / is fyr yreke
ffoure gleedes haue we / whiche I shal deuyse [folio 51a]
Auauntyng lyyng Anger Coueitise
Line 3884
Thise foure sparkles / longen vn to eelde
Oure lymes / mowe wel been vnweelde
