 The Reue And eek / for she was som del smoterlichShe was as digne / as water in a dichAnd ful of hoker / and of bismareHir thoghte / þᵗat a lady sholde hir spareWhat for hir kynrede / and hir nortelryeThat she hadde lerned / in the NonneryeA doghter hadde they / bitwix hem twoOf twenty yeer / with outen any moSauyng a child / þᵗat was of hal yeer ageIn Cradel it lay and was a ꝓpropre pageThis wenche / thikke and wel ygrowen wasWith camuse nose / and eyen greye as glasWith buttokes brode / and brestes rounde and hyeBut right fair was hir heer I wol nat lye¶ The ꝑperson of the toun / for she was so feirIn purpos was / to maken hir͗e his heirBothe of his catel / and his Mesuage.And straunge he made it of hir mariageHis purpos was / for to bistowe hir hyeIn to som worthy blood of AuncetryeFor holicherches good / moot been despendedOn holicherches blood / þᵗat is descendedTher fore / he wolde his holy blood honoureThogh þᵗat he / holy chirche sholde deuoure¶ Greet sokne / hath this Miller͗e out of douteWith whete and malt of al the land abouteAnd nameliche / ther was a greet ColleggeMen clepeth / the soler halle at CantebreggeTher was hir whete / and eek hir malt ygroundeAnd on a day / it happed in a a stoundeSyk was this maunciple / on a maladieMen wenden wisly / þᵗat he sholde dyeFor which this Millere / stal bothe mele and cornAn hondred tyme / moore than bifornFor ther biforn / he stal but curteislyBut now / he was a theef outrageouslyFor which the wardeyn / chidde and made fareBut ther of / sette the Millere noght a tareHe craked boost / and swoor it was noght soThanne were ther / yonge poure scolers two