That as an hors / he fnorteth in his sleep̄eNe of his tayl bihynde / he took no keep̄eHis wyf bar hym / a burdon / a ful strongMen myghten hir routyng heren a furlongThe wenche / routeth eek ꝑpar compaignye¶ Aleyn the clerc that herde this melodyeHe poked Iohn / and seyde slepestowHerd thow euere / slyk a sang er nowLo swilk a couplyng / is ymel hem alleA wilde fyr / on thair bodyes falleWha herkned euere / swilk a ferly thyngYe they sal haue / the flour of il endyngThis lang night ther tydes me na resteBut yet na force / al sal be for the besteFor Iohn seyde he / als euꝰere moot I thryueIf þᵗat I may / yon wenche wol I swyueSom esement / has lawe shapen vsFor Iohn / ther is a lawe / þᵗat says thusThat gif a man / in a point be agreuedThat in another / he sal be releuedOure corn is stoln / soothly it is na nayAnd we han had / an ille fit to dayAnd syn I sal / haue naan amendementAgayn my los / I wil haue esementBy goddes saule / it sal naan other be¶ This Iohn answerde / Aleyn auyse theeThe Millere / is a ꝑperilous man he saydeAnd if þᵗat he / out of his sleep abraydeHe myghte doon vs bathe / a vileynye¶ Aleyn answerde / I counte hym noght a flyeAnd vp he rist / and by the wenche he crepteThis wenche lay vp righte / and faste slepteTil he so neigh was / er she myghte espieThat it hadde been / to late for to crieAnd shortly for to seyn / they were at oonNow pley Aleyn / for I wol speke of Iohn¶ This Iohn lith stille / a furlang wey or twoAnd to hym self he maketh routhe and woAllas quod he / this is a wikked IapeNow may I seyn / þᵗat I is but an ape