And he þᵗat bettre / sholde haue knyt the reyne¶ Allas quod Iohn / Aleyn for Cristes peyneLay doun thy swerd / and I wol myn alswaI is ful wight / God waat as is a raBy god hert he sal nat scape vs batheWhy ne had thow / pit the capil in the latheIlhail / by god Alayn / thow is a fonne¶ This sely clerkes / haan ful faste yronneToward the fen / bothe Alayn and eek IohnAnd whan the Millere seigh / þᵗat they were gonHe half a busshel / of hir flour hath takeAnd bad his wyf / go knede it in a cakeHe seyde I trowe / the clerkes were aferdYet kan a Millere / maken a clerkes berdFor al his art ye lat hem goon hir weyeLo wher͗e he gooth / ye lat the children pleyeThey gete hym noght so lightly / by my croun¶ Thise sely clerkes / rennen vp and dounWith keep / keep / stand / stand / Iossa warderereGa whistle thow / and I sal kepe hym heereBut shortly / til þᵗat it was verray nyghtThey koude noght thogh they dide al hir myghtHir capyl cacche / he ran alwey so fasteTil in a dych / they caughte hym at the laste¶ Wery and weet as beest is in the reynComth sely Iohn / and with hym comth AleynAllas quod Iohn / the day þᵗat I was bornNow ar we dryuen / til hethyng ⁊and til scornOure corn is stole / men wil vs foolis calleBothe the wardeyn / and oure felawes alleAnd namely the Millere / weilawey¶ Thus pleyneth Iohn / as he gooth by the weyToward the Mille / and Bayard in his hondThe Millere / sittyng by the fyr he fondFor it was nyght and ferther myghte they noghtBut for the loue of god / they hym bisoghtOf herberwe and of ese / as for hir peny¶ The Millere seide agayn / if ther be enySwich as it is / yet shal ye haue youre partMyn hous is streyt but ye han lerned art