The Reeve's Tale

The Canterbury Tales and Other Works of Chaucer (Middle English), by Geoffery Chaucer, [14th cent.], at sacred-texts.com

The Canterbury Tales

The Reeve's Tale

 At Trumpyngtoun, nat fer fro Cantebrigge,
 Ther gooth a brook, and over that a brigge,
 Upon the whiche brook ther stant a melle;
 And this is verray sooth that I yow telle:
 A millere was ther dwellynge many a day.
 As any pecok he was proud and gay.
 Pipen he koude and fisshe, and nettes beete,
 And turne coppes, and wel wrastle and sheete;
 Ay by his belt he baar a long panade,
3930 And of a swerd ful trenchant was the blade.
 A joly poppere baar he in his pouche;
 Ther was no man, for peril, dorste hym touche.
 A Sheffeld thwitel baar he in his hose.
 Round was his face, and camus was his nose;
 As piled as an ape was his skulle.
 He was a market-betere atte fulle.
 Ther dorste no wight hand upon hym legge,
 That he ne swoor he sholde anon abegge.
 A theef he was for sothe of corn and mele,
3940 And that a sly, and usaunt for to stele.
 His name was hoote deynous Symkyn.
 A wyf he hadde, ycomen of noble kyn;
 The person of the toun hir fader was.
 With hire he yaf ful many a panne of bras,
 For that Symkyn sholde in his blood allye.
 She was yfostred in a nonnerye;
 For Symkyn wolde no wyf, as he sayde,
 But she were wel ynorissed and a mayde,
 To saven his estaat of yomanrye.
3950 And she was proud, and peert as is a pye.
 A ful fair sighte was it upon hem two;
 On halydayes biforn hire wolde he go
 With his typet wounde aboute his heed,
 And she cam after in a gyte of reed;
 And Symkyn hadde hosen of the same.
 Ther dorste no wight clepen hire but "dame";
 Was noon so hardy that wente by the weye
 That with hire dorste rage or ones pleye,
 But if he wolde be slayn of Symkyn
3960 With panade, or with knyf, or boidekyn.
 For jalous folk ben perilous everemo --
 Algate they wolde hire wyves wenden so.
 And eek, for she was somdel smoterlich,
 She was as digne as water in a dich,
 And ful of hoker and of bisemare.
 Hir thoughte that a lady sholde hire spare,
 What for hire kynrede and hir nortelrie
 That she hadde lerned in the nonnerie.
 A doghter hadde they bitwixe hem two
3970 Of twenty yeer, withouten any mo,
 Savynge a child that was of half yeer age;
 In cradel it lay and was a propre page.
 This wenche thikke and wel ygrowen was,
 With kamus nose and eyen greye as glas,
 With buttokes brode and brestes rounde and hye.
 But right fair was hire heer; I wol nat lye.
 This person of the toun, for she was feir,
 In purpos was to maken hire his heir,
 Bothe of his catel and his mesuage,
3980 And straunge he made it of hir mariage.
 His purpos was for to bistowe hire hye
 Into som worthy blood of auncetrye;
 For hooly chirches good moot been despended
 On hooly chirches blood, that is descended.
 Therfore he wolde his hooly blood honoure,
 Though that he hooly chirche sholde devoure.
 Greet sokene hath this millere, out of doute,
 With whete and malt of al the land aboute;
 And nameliche ther was a greet collegge
3990 Men clepen the Soler Halle at Cantebregge;
 Ther was hir whete and eek hir malt ygrounde.
 And on a day it happed, in a stounde,
 Sik lay the maunciple on a maladye;
 Men wenden wisly that he sholde dye.
 For which this millere stal bothe mele and corn
 An hundred tyme moore than biforn;
 For therbiforn he stal but curteisly,
 But now he was a theef outrageously,
 For which the wardeyn chidde and made fare.
4000 But therof sette the millere nat a tare;
 He craketh boost, and swoor it was nat so.
 Thanne were ther yonge povre scolers two,
 That dwelten in this halle, of which I seye.
 Testif they were, and lusty for to pleye,
 And, oonly for hire myrthe and revelrye,
 Upon the wardeyn bisily they crye
 To yeve hem leve, but a litel stounde,
 To goon to mille and seen hir corn ygrounde;
 And hardily they dorste leye hir nekke
4010 The millere sholde not stele hem half a pekke
 Of corn by sleighte, ne by force hem reve;
 And at the laste the wardeyn yaf hem leve.
 John highte that oon, and Aleyn highte that oother;
 Of o toun were they born, that highte Strother,
 Fer in the north; I kan nat telle where.
 This Aleyn maketh redy al his gere,
 And on an hors the sak he caste anon.
 Forth goth Aleyn the clerk, and also John,
 With good swerd and with bokeler by hir syde.
4020 John knew the wey -- hem nedede no gyde --
 And at the mille the sak adoun he layth.
 Aleyn spak first: "Al hayl, Symond, y-fayth!
 Hou fares thy faire doghter and thy wyf?"
 "Aleyn, welcome," quod Symkyn, "by my lyf!
 And John also, how now, what do ye heer?"
 "Symond," quod John, "by God, nede has na peer.
 Hym boes serve hymself that has na swayn,
 Or elles he is a fool, as clerkes sayn.
 Oure manciple, I hope he wil be deed,
4030 Swa werkes ay the wanges in his heed;
 And forthy is I come, and eek Alayn,
 To grynde oure corn and carie it ham agayn;
 I pray yow spede us heythen that ye may."
 "It shal be doon," quod Symkyn, "by my fay!
 What wol ye doon whil that it is in hande?"
 "By God, right by the hopur wil I stande,"
 Quod John, "and se howgates the corn gas in.
 Yet saugh I nevere, by my fader kyn,
 How that the hopur wagges til and fra."
4040 Aleyn answerde, "John, and wiltow swa?
 Thanne wil I be bynethe, by my croun,
 And se how that the mele falles doun
 Into the trough; that sal be my disport.
 For John, y-faith, I may been of youre sort;
 I is as ille a millere as ar ye."
 This millere smyled of hir nycetee,
 And thoghte, "Al this nys doon but for a wyle.
 They wene that no man may hem bigyle,
 But by my thrift, yet shal I blere hir ye,
4050 For al the sleighte in hir philosophye.
 The moore queynte crekes that they make,
 The moore wol I stele whan I take.
 In stide of flour yet wol I yeve hem bren.
 `The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men,'
 As whilom to the wolf thus spak the mare.
 Of al hir art counte I noght a tare."
 Out at the dore he gooth ful pryvely,
 Whan that he saugh his tyme, softely.
 He looketh up and doun til he hath founde
4060 The clerkes hors, ther as it stood ybounde
 Bihynde the mille, under a levesel;
 And to the hors he goth hym faire and wel;
 He strepeth of the brydel right anon.
 And whan the hors was laus, he gynneth gon
 Toward the fen, ther wilde mares renne,
 And forth with "wehee," thurgh thikke and thurgh thenne.
 This millere gooth agayn, no word he seyde,
 But dooth his note, and with the clerkes pleyde
 Til that hir corn was faire and weel ygrounde.
4070 And whan the mele is sakked and ybounde,
 This John goth out and fynt his hors away,
 And gan to crie "Harrow!" and "Weylaway!
 Oure hors is lorn, Alayn, for Goddes banes,
 Step on thy feet! Com of, man, al atanes!
 Allas, our wardeyn has his palfrey lorn."
 This Aleyn al forgat, bothe mele and corn;
 Al was out of his mynde his housbondrie.
 "What, whilk way is he geen?" he gan to crie.
 The wyf cam lepynge inward with a ren.
4080 She seyde, "Allas! youre hors goth to the fen
 With wilde mares, as faste as he may go.
 Unthank come on his hand that boond hym so,
 And he that bettre sholde han knyt the reyne!"
 "Allas," quod John, "Aleyn, for Cristes peyne
 Lay doun thy swerd, and I wil myn alswa.
 I is ful wight, God waat, as is a raa;
 By Goddes herte, he sal nat scape us bathe!
 Why ne had thow pit the capul in the lathe?
 Ilhayl! By God, Alayn, thou is a fonne!"
4090 Thise sely clerkes han ful faste yronne
 Toward the fen, bothe Aleyn and eek John.
 And whan the millere saugh that they were gon,
 He half a busshel of hir flour hath take,
 And bad his wyf go knede it in a cake.
 He seyde, "I trowe the clerkes were aferd.
 Yet kan a millere make a clerkes berd,
 For al his art; now lat hem goon hir weye!
 Lo, wher he gooth! Ye, lat the children pleye.
 They gete hym nat so lightly, by my croun."
4100 Thise sely clerkes rennen up and doun
 With "Keep! Keep! Stand! Stand! Jossa, warderere,
 Ga whistle thou, and I shal kepe hym heere!"
 But shortly, til that it was verray nyght,
 They koude nat, though they dide al hir myght,
 Hir capul cacche, he ran alwey so faste,
 Til in a dych they caughte hym atte laste.
 Wery and weet, as beest is in the reyn,
 Comth sely John, and with him comth Aleyn.
 "Allas," quod John, "the day that I was born!
4110 Now are we dryve til hethyng and til scorn.
 Oure corn is stoln; men wil us fooles calle,
 Bathe the wardeyn and oure felawes alle,
 And namely the millere, weylaway!"
 Thus pleyneth John as he gooth by the way
 Toward the mille, and Bayard in his hond.
 The millere sittynge by the fyr he fond,
 For it was nyght, and forther myghte they noght;
 But for the love of God they hym bisoght
 Of herberwe and of ese, as for hir peny.
4120 The millere seyde agayn, "If ther be eny,
 Swich as it is, yet shal ye have youre part.
 Myn hous is streit, but ye han lerned art;
 Ye konne by argumentes make a place
 A myle brood of twenty foot of space.
 Lat se now if this place may suffise,
 Or make it rowm with speche, as is youre gise."
 "Now, Symond," seyde John, "by Seint Cutberd,
 Ay is thou myrie, and this is faire answerd.
 I have herd seyd, `Man sal taa of twa thynges:
4130 Slyk as he fyndes, or taa slyk as he brynges.'
 But specially I pray thee, hooste deere,
 Get us som mete and drynke, and make us cheere,
 And we wil payen trewely atte fulle.
 With empty hand men may na haukes tulle;
 Loo, heere oure silver, redy for to spende."
 This millere into toun his doghter sende
 For ale and breed, and rosted hem a goos,
 And boond hire hors, it sholde namoore go loos,
 And in his owene chambre hem made a bed,
4140 With sheetes and with chalons faire yspred
 Noght from his owene bed ten foot or twelve.
 His doghter hadde a bed, al by hirselve,
 Right in the same chambre by and by.
 It myghte be no bet, and cause why?
 Ther was no roumer herberwe in the place.
 They soupen and they speke, hem to solace,
 And drynken evere strong ale atte beste.
 Aboute mydnyght wente they to reste.
 Wel hath this millere vernysshed his heed;
4150 Ful pale he was for dronken, and nat reed.
 He yexeth, and he speketh thurgh the nose
 As he were on the quakke, or on the pose.
 To bedde he goth, and with hym goth his wyf.
 As any jay she light was and jolyf,
 So was hir joly whistle wel ywet.
 The cradel at hir beddes feet is set,
 To rokken, and to yeve the child to sowke.
 And whan that dronken al was in the crowke,
 To bedde wente the doghter right anon;
4160 To bedde goth Aleyn and also John;
 Ther nas na moore -- hem nedede no dwale.
 This millere hath so wisely bibbed ale
 That as an hors he fnorteth in his sleep,
 Ne of his tayl bihynde he took no keep.
 His wyf bar hym a burdon, a ful strong;
 Men myghte hir rowtyng heere two furlong;
 The wenche rowteth eek, par compaignye.
 Aleyn the clerk, that herde this melodye,
 He poked John, and seyde, "Slepestow?
4170 Herdestow evere slyk a sang er now?
 Lo, swilk a complyn is ymel hem alle;
 A wilde fyr upon thair bodyes falle!
 Wha herkned evere slyk a ferly thyng?
 Ye, they sal have the flour of il endyng.
 This lange nyght ther tydes me na reste;
 But yet, na fors, al sal be for the beste.
 For, John," seyde he, "als evere moot I thryve,
 If that I may, yon wenche wil I swyve.
 Som esement has lawe yshapen us,
4180 For, John, ther is a lawe that says thus:
 That gif a man in a point be agreved,
 That in another he sal be releved.
 Oure corn is stoln, sothly, it is na nay,
 And we han had an il fit al this day;
 And syn I sal have neen amendement
 Agayn my los, I will have esement.
 By Goddes sale, it sal neen other bee!"
 This John answerde, "Alayn, avyse thee!
 The millere is a perilous man," he seyde,
4190 "And gif that he out of his sleep abreyde,
 He myghte doon us bathe a vileynye."
 Aleyn answerde, "I counte hym nat a flye."
 And up he rist, and by the wenche he crepte.
 This wenche lay uprighte and faste slepte,
 Til he so ny was, er she myghte espie,
 That it had been to late for to crie,
 And shortly for to seyn, they were aton.
 Now pley, Aleyn, for I wol speke of John.
 This John lith stille a furlong wey or two,
4200 And to hymself he maketh routhe and wo.
 "Allas!" quod he, "this is a wikked jape;
 Now may I seyn that I is but an ape.
 Yet has my felawe somwhat for his harm;
 He has the milleris doghter in his arm.
 He auntred hym, and has his nedes sped,
 And I lye as a draf-sak in my bed;
 And when this jape is tald another day,
 I sal been halde a daf, a cokenay!
 I wil arise and auntre it, by my fayth!
4210 `Unhardy is unseely,' thus men sayth."
 And up he roos, and softely he wente
 Unto the cradel, and in his hand it hente,
 And baar it softe unto his beddes feet.
 Soone after this the wyf hir rowtyng leet,
 And gan awake, and wente hire out to pisse,
 And cam agayn, and gan hir cradel mysse,
 And groped heer and ther, but she foond noon.
 "Allas!" quod she, "I hadde almoost mysgoon;
 I hadde almoost goon to the clerkes bed.
4220 Ey, benedicite! Thanne hadde I foule ysped!"
 And forth she gooth til she the cradel fond.
 She gropeth alwey forther with hir hond,
 And foond the bed, and thoghte noght but good,
 By cause that the cradel by it stood,
 And nyste wher she was, for it was derk;
 But faire and wel she creep in to the clerk,
 And lith ful stille, and wolde han caught a sleep.
 Withinne a while this John the clerk up leep,
 And on this goode wyf he leith on soore.
4230 So myrie a fit ne hadde she nat ful yoore;
 He priketh harde and depe as he were mad.
 This joly lyf han thise two clerkes lad
 Til that the thridde cok bigan to synge.
 Aleyn wax wery in the dawenynge,
 For he had swonken al the longe nyght,
 And seyde, "Fare weel, Malyne, sweete wight!
 The day is come; I may no lenger byde;
 But everemo, wher so I go or ryde,
 I is thyn awen clerk, swa have I seel!"
4240 "Now, deere lemman," quod she, "go, far weel!
 But er thow go, o thyng I wol thee telle:
 Whan that thou wendest homward by the melle,
 Right at the entree of the dore bihynde
 Thou shalt a cake of half a busshel fynde
 That was ymaked of thyn owene mele,
 Which that I heelp my sire for to stele.
 And, goode lemman, God thee save and kepe!"
 And with that word almoost she gan to wepe.
 Aleyn up rist, and thoughte, "Er that it dawe,
4250 I wol go crepen in by my felawe,"
 And fond the cradel with his hand anon.
 "By God," thoughte he, "al wrang I have mysgon.
 Myn heed is toty of my swynk to-nyght,
 That makes me that I ga nat aright.
 I woot wel by the cradel I have mysgo;
 Heere lith the millere and his wyf also."
 And forth he goth, a twenty devel way,
 Unto the bed ther as the millere lay.
 He wende have cropen by his felawe John,
4260 And by the millere in he creep anon,
 And caughte hym by the nekke, and softe he spak.
 He seyde, "Thou John, thou swynes-heed, awak,
 For Cristes saule, and heer a noble game.
 For by that lord that called is Seint Jame,
 As I have thries in this shorte nyght
 Swyved the milleres doghter bolt upright,
 Whil thow hast, as a coward, been agast."
 "Ye, false harlot," quod the millere, "hast?
 A, false traitour! False clerk!" quod he,
4270 "Thow shalt be deed, by Goddes dignitee!
 Who dorste be so boold to disparage
 My doghter, that is come of swich lynage?"
 And by the throte-bolle he caughte Alayn,
 And he hente hym despitously agayn,
 And on the nose he smoot hym with his fest.
 Doun ran the blody streem upon his brest;
 And in the floor, with nose and mouth tobroke,
 They walwe as doon two pigges in a poke;
 And up they goon, and doun agayn anon,
4280 Til that the millere sporned at a stoon,
 And doun he fil bakward upon his wyf,
 That wiste no thyng of this nyce stryf;
 For she was falle aslepe a lite wight
 With John the clerk, that waked hadde al nyght,
 And with the fal out of hir sleep she breyde.
 "Help! hooly croys of Bromeholm," she seyde,
 "In manus tuas! Lord, to thee I calle!
 Awak, Symond! The feend is on me falle.
 Myn herte is broken; help! I nam but deed!
4290 Ther lyth oon upon my wombe and on myn heed.
 Help, Symkyn, for the false clerkes fighte!"
 This John stirte up as faste as ever he myghte,
 And graspeth by the walles to and fro,
 To fynde a staf; and she stirte up also,
 And knew the estres bet than dide this John,
 And by the wal a staf she foond anon,
 And saugh a litel shymeryng of a light,
 For at an hole in shoon the moone bright,
 And by that light she saugh hem bothe two,
4300 But sikerly she nyste who was who,
 But as she saugh a whit thyng in hir ye.
 And whan she gan this white thyng espye,
 She wende the clerk hadde wered a volupeer,
 And with the staf she drow ay neer and neer,
 And wende han hit this Aleyn at the fulle,
 And smoot the millere on the pyled skulle,
 That doun he gooth, and cride, "Harrow! I dye!"
 Thise clerkes beete hym weel and lete hym lye,
 And greythen hem, and tooke hir hors anon,
4310 And eek hire mele, and on hir wey they gon.
 And at the mille yet they tooke hir cake
 Of half a busshel flour, ful wel ybake.
 Thus is the proude millere wel ybete,
 And hath ylost the gryndynge of the whete,
 And payed for the soper everideel
 Of Aleyn and of John, that bette hym weel.
 His wyf is swyved, and his doghter als.
 Lo, swich it is a millere to be fals!
 And therfore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth,
4320 "Hym thar nat wene wel that yvele dooth."
 A gylour shal hymself bigyled be.
 And God, that sitteth heighe in magestee,
 Save al this compaignye, grete and smale!
 Thus have I quyt the Millere in my tale.