Here begynnyth the [[head of painting of the Reeve]] Reue his tale
AT Trompyngtoun not fer fram cantabregge [folio 186b]
Þere goth a brok & ouer þat a bregge
Vp on þe which brok þer stant a melle
And this is veray soth þat I ȝou telle
Line 3924
A mellere was þer dwellynge many a day
As ony pekok he was proud & gay
Pype he coude and fyssche and netys beete
And turne cuppis & wel wrestele & schete
Line 3928
Ay by hese belte he bar a long panade
And of a swerd ful trenchaunt was the blade
A Ioly poppere bar he in hese pouche
Ther was no man for peryl durste hym touche
Line 3932
A sheffeld Thwytel bar he in hese hose
Round was hese face & kammede was hese nose
As pelyd as an ape was hese skolle
He was a markat betere at þe fulle
Line 3936
There durste no wygh hand vp on hym leye [[ye corrected]]
That he ne swor þat he schulde anon a-beye [[ye corrected]]
A thef he was for sothe of corn & mele
And þat a sly & vsaunt for to stele
Line 3940
And his name was hotyn deynous symkyn
A wif he hadde comyn of noble kyn
The persoun of the toun here fadyr was
With here he ȝaf ful many a peny of bras
Line 3944
ffor þat Symkyn schulde in hese blod alye
Sche was fostered in a nunnerye
ffor Symkyn wolde no wyf as he seyde
But sche were wel Inoryschid & a mayde
Line 3948
To sauyn hese estat of ȝemanrye
And sche was proud & pert as is a pye
A ful fayr syghte was it on hem to
On holye dayis be-forn here wolde he ge
Line 3952
