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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) THE REVES TALE. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
THE REVES TALE. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales) [1899]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols. Vol. 4.
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THE REVES TALE.
Here biginneth the Reves tale.
- At Trumpington, nat fer fro Cantebrigge,
- Ther goth a brook and over that a brigge,
- Up-on the whiche brook ther stant a melle;
- And this is verray soth that I yow telle.
- A Miller was ther dwelling many a day;3925
- As eny pecok he was proud and gay.
- Pypen he coude and fisshe, and nettes bete,
- And turne coppes, and wel wrastle and shete;
- And by his belt he baar a long panade,
- And of a swerd ful trenchant was the blade.3930
- A Ioly popper baar he in his pouche;(11)
- Ther was no man for peril dorste him touche.
- A Sheffeld thwitel baar he in his hose;
- Round was his face, and camuse was his nose.
- As piled as an ape was his skulle.3935
- He was a market-beter atte fulle.
- Ther dorste no wight hand up-on him legge,
- That he ne swoor he sholde anon abegge.
- A theef he was for sothe of corn and mele,
- And that a sly, and usaunt for to stele.3940
- His name was hoten dëynous Simkin.(21)
- A wyf he hadde, y-comen of noble kin;
- The person of the toun hir fader was.
- With hir he yaf ful many a panne of bras,
- For that Simkin sholde in his blood allye.3945
- She was y-fostred in a nonnerye;
- For Simkin wolde no wyf, as he sayde,
- But she were wel y-norissed and a mayde,
- To saven his estaat of yomanrye.
- And she was proud, and pert as is a pye.3950
- A ful fair sighte was it on hem two;(31)
- On haly-dayes biforn hir wolde he go
- With his tipet bounden about his heed,
- And she cam after in a gyte of reed;
- And Simkin hadde hosen of the same.3955
- Ther dorste no wight clepen hir but ‘dame.’
- Was noon so hardy that wente by the weye
- That with hir dorste rage or ones pleye,
- But-if he wolde be slayn of Simkin
- With panade, or with knyf, or boydekin.3960
- For Ialous folk ben perilous evermo,(41)
- Algate they wolde hir 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.3965
- Hir thoughte that a lady sholde hir spare,
- What for hir kinrede and hir nortelrye
- That she had lerned in the nonnerye.
- A doghter hadde they bitwixe hem two
- Of twenty yeer, with-outen any mo,3970
- Savinge a child that was of half-yeer age;(51)
- In cradel it lay and was a propre page.
- This wenche thikke and wel y-growen was,
- With camuse nose and yën greye as glas;
- With buttokes brode and brestes rounde and hye,3975
- But right fair was hir heer, I wol nat lye.
- The person of the toun, for she was feir,
- In purpos was to maken hir his heir
- Bothe of his catel and his messuage,
- And straunge he made it of hir mariage.3980
- His purpos was for to bistowe hir hye(61)
- In-to som worthy blood of auncetrye;
- For holy chirches good moot been despended
- On holy chirches blood, that is descended.
- Therfore he wolde his holy blood honoure,3985
- Though that he holy chirche sholde devoure.
- Gret soken hath this miller, out of doute,
- With whete and malt of al the land aboute;
- And nameliche ther was a greet collegge,
- Men clepen the Soler-halle at Cantebregge,3990
- Ther was hir whete and eek hir malt y-grounde.(71)
- 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 miller stal bothe mele and corn3995
- An hundred tyme more than biforn;
- For ther-biforn he stal but curteisly,
- But now he was a theef outrageously,
- For which the wardeyn chidde and made fare.
- But ther-of sette the miller nat a tare;4000
- He craketh boost, and swoor it was nat so.(81)
- Than were ther yonge povre clerkes two,
- That dwelten in this halle, of which I seye.
- Testif they were, and lusty for to pleye,
- And, only for hir mirthe and revelrye,4005
- Up-on the wardeyn bisily they crye,
- To yeve hem leve but a litel stounde
- To goon to mille and seen hir corn y-grounde;
- And hardily, they dorste leye hir nekke,
- The miller shold nat stele hem half a pekke4010
- Of corn by sleighte, ne by force hem reve;(91)
- And at the laste the wardeyn yaf hem leve.
- Iohn hight that oon, and Aleyn hight that other;
- Of o toun were they born, that highte Strother,
- Fer in the north, I can nat telle where.4015
- This Aleyn maketh redy al his gere,
- And on an hors the sak he caste anon.
- Forth goth Aleyn the clerk, and also Iohn,
- With good swerd and with bokeler by hir syde.
- Iohn knew the wey, hem nedede no gyde,4020
- And at the mille the sak adoun he layth.(101)
- Aleyn spak first, ‘al hayl, Symond, y-fayth;
- How fares thy faire doghter and thy wyf?’
- ‘Aleyn! welcome,’ quod Simkin, ‘by my lyf,
- And Iohn also, how now, what do ye heer?’4025
- ‘Symond,’ quod Iohn, ‘by god, nede has na peer;
- Him boes serve him-selve that has na swayn,
- Or elles he is a fool, as clerkes sayn.
- Our manciple, I hope he wil be deed,
- Swa werkes ay the wanges in his heed.4030
- And forthy is I come, and eek Alayn,(111)
- To grinde our corn and carie it ham agayn;
- I pray yow spede us hethen that ye may.’
- ‘It shal be doon,’ quod Simkin, ‘by my fay;
- What wol ye doon whyl that it is in hande?’4035
- ‘By god, right by the hoper wil I stande,’
- Quod Iohn, ‘and se how that the corn gas in;
- Yet saugh I never, by my fader kin,
- How that the hoper wagges til and fra.’
- Aleyn answerde, ‘Iohn, and wiltow swa,4040
- Than wil I be bynethe, by my croun,(121)
- And se how that the mele falles doun
- In-to the trough; that sal be my disport.
- For Iohn, in faith , I may been of your sort;
- I is as ille a miller as are ye.’4045
- This miller smyled of hir nycetee,
- And thoghte, ‘al this nis doon but for a wyle;
- They wene that no man may hem bigyle;
- But, by my thrift, yet shal I blere hir ye
- For al the sleighte in hir philosophye.4050
- The more queynte crekes that they make,(131)
- The more wol I stele whan I take.
- In stede of flour, yet wol I yeve hem bren.
- “The gretteste clerkes been noght the wysest men,”
- As whylom to the wolf thus spak the mare;4055
- Of al hir art I counte noght a tare.’
- Out at the dore he gooth ful prively,
- Whan that he saugh his tyme, softely;
- He loketh up and doun til he hath founde
- The clerkes hors, ther as it stood y-bounde4060
- Bihinde the mille, under a levesel;(141)
- And to the hors he gooth him faire and wel;
- He strepeth of the brydel right anon.
- And whan the hors was loos, he ginneth gon
- Toward the fen, ther wilde mares renne,4065
- Forth with wehee, thurgh thikke and thurgh thenne.
- This miller gooth agayn, no word he seyde,
- But dooth his note, and with the clerkes pleyde,
- Til that hir corn was faire and wel y-grounde.
- And whan the mele is sakked and y-bounde,4070
- This Iohn goth out and fynt his hors away,(151)
- And gan to crye ‘harrow’ and ‘weylaway!
- Our hors is lorn! Alayn, for goddes banes,
- Step on thy feet, com out, man, al at anes!
- Allas, our wardeyn has his palfrey lorn.’4075
- This Aleyn al forgat, bothe mele and corn,
- Al was out of his mynde his housbondrye.
- ‘What? whilk way is he geen?’ he gan to crye.
- The wyf cam leping inward with a ren,
- She seyde, ‘allas! your hors goth to the fen4080
- With wilde mares, as faste as he may go.(161)
- Unthank come on his hand that bond him so,
- And he that bettre sholde han knit the reyne.’
- ‘Allas,’ quod Iohn, ‘Aleyn, for Cristes peyne,
- Lay doun thy swerd, and I wil myn alswa;4085
- I is ful wight, god waat, as is a raa;
- By goddes herte he sal nat scape us bathe.
- Why nadstow pit the capul in the lathe?
- Il-hayl, by god, Aleyn, thou is a fonne!’
- This sely clerkes han ful faste y-ronne4090
- To-ward the fen, bothe Aleyn and eek Iohn.(171)
- And whan the miller 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;4095
- Yet can a miller make a clerkes berd
- For al his art; now lat hem goon hir weye.
- Lo wher they goon, ye, lat the children pleye;
- They gete him nat so lightly, by my croun!’
- Thise sely clerkes rennen up and doun4100
- With ‘keep, keep, stand, stand, Iossa, warderere,(181)
- Ga whistle thou, and I shal kepe him here!’
- But shortly, til that it was verray night,
- They coude nat, though they do al hir might,
- Hir capul cacche, he ran alwey so faste,4105
- Til in a dich they caughte him atte laste.
- Wery and weet, as beste is in the reyn,
- Comth sely Iohn, and with him comth Aleyn.
- ‘Allas,’ quod Iohn, ‘the day that I was born!
- Now are we drive til hething and til scorn.4110
- Our corn is stole , men wil us foles calle,(191)
- Bathe the wardeyn and our felawes alle,
- And namely the miller; weylaway!’
- Thus pleyneth Iohn as he goth by the way
- Toward the mille, and Bayard in his hond.4115
- The miller sitting by the fyr he fond,
- For it was night, and forther mighte they noght;
- But, for the love of god, they him bisoght
- Of herberwe and of ese, as for hir peny.
- The miller seyde agayn, ‘if ther be eny,4120
- Swich as it is, yet shal ye have your part.(201)
- Myn hous is streit, but ye han lerned art;
- Ye conne by argumentes make a place
- A myle brood of twenty foot of space.
- Lat see now if this place may suffyse,4125
- Or make it roum with speche, as is youre gyse.’
- ‘Now, Symond,’ seyde Iohn, ‘by seint Cutberd,
- Ay is thou mery, and this is faire answerd.
- I have herd seyd, man sal taa of twa thinges
- Slyk as he fyndes, or taa slyk as he bringes.4130
- But specially, I pray thee, hoste dere,(211)
- Get us som mete and drinke, and make us chere,
- And we wil payen trewely atte fulle.
- With empty hand men may na haukes tulle;
- Lo here our silver, redy for to spende.’4135
- This miller in-to toun his doghter sende
- For ale and breed, and rosted hem a goos,
- And bond hir hors, it sholde nat gon loos;
- And in his owne chambre hem made a bed
- With shetes and with chalons faire y-spred,4140
- Noght from his owne bed ten foot or twelve.(221)
- His doghter hadde a bed, al by hir-selve,
- Right in the same chambre, by and by;
- It mighte be no bet, and cause why,
- Ther was no roumer herberwe in the place.4145
- They soupen and they speke, hem to solace,
- And drinken ever strong ale atte beste.
- Aboute midnight wente they to reste.
- Wel hath this miller vernisshed his heed;
- Ful pale he was for-dronken, and nat reed.4150
- He yexeth , and he speketh thurgh the nose(231)
- As he were on the quakke, or on the pose.
- To bedde he gooth, and with him goth his wyf.
- As any Iay she light was and Iolyf,
- So was hir Ioly whistle wel y-wet.4155
- The cradel at hir beddes feet is set,
- To rokken, and to yeve the child to souke.
- And whan that dronken al was in the crouke,
- To bedde went the doghter right anon;
- To bedde gooth Aleyn and also Iohn;4160
- Ther nas na more, hem nedede no dwale.(241)
- This miller hath so wisly bibbed ale,
- That as an hors he snorteth in his sleep,
- Ne of his tayl bihinde he took no keep.
- His wyf bar him a burdon, a ful strong,4165
- Men mighte hir routing here two furlong;
- The wenche routeth eek par companye.
- Aleyn the clerk, that herd this melodye,
- He poked Iohn, and seyde, ‘slepestow?
- Herdestow ever slyk a sang er now?4170
- Lo, whilk a compline is y-mel hem alle!(251)
- A wilde fyr up-on thair bodyes falle!
- Wha herkned ever slyk a ferly thing?
- Ye, they sal have the flour of il ending.
- This lange night ther tydes me na reste;4175
- But yet, na fors; al sal be for the beste.
- For Iohn,’ seyde he, ‘als ever moot I thryve,
- If that I may, yon wenche wil I swyve.
- Som esement has lawe y-shapen us;
- For Iohn, ther is a lawe that says thus,4180
- That gif a man in a point be y-greved,(261)
- That in another he sal be releved.
- Our corn is stoln, shortly, it is na nay,
- And we han had an il fit al this day.
- And sin I sal have neen amendement,4185
- Agayn my los I wil have esement.
- By goddes saule, it sal neen other be!’
- This Iohn answerde, ‘Alayn, avyse thee,
- The miller is a perilous man,’ he seyde,
- ‘And gif that he out of his sleep abreyde,4190
- He mighte doon us bathe a vileinye.’(271)
- Aleyn answerde, ‘I count him nat a flye;’
- And up he rist, and by the wenche he crepte.
- This wenche lay upright, and faste slepte,
- Til he so ny was, er she mighte espye,4195
- That it had been to late for to crye,
- And shortly for to seyn, they were at on;
- Now pley, Aleyn! for I wol speke of Iohn.
- This Iohn lyth stille a furlong-wey or two,
- And to him-self he maketh routhe and wo:4200
- ‘Allas!’ quod he, ‘this is a wikked Iape;(281)
- Now may I seyn that I is but an ape.
- Yet has my felawe som-what for his harm;
- He has the milleris doghter in his arm.
- He auntred him, and has his nedes sped,4205
- And I lye as a draf-sek in my bed;
- And when this Iape is tald another day,
- I sal been halde a daf, a cokenay!
- I wil aryse, and auntre it, by my fayth!
- “Unhardy is unsely,” thus men sayth.’4210
- And up he roos and softely he wente(291)
- Un-to the cradel, and in his hand it hente,
- And baar it softe un-to his beddes feet.
- Sone after this the wyf hir routing leet,
- And gan awake, and wente hir out to pisse,4215
- And cam agayn, and gan hir cradel misse,
- And groped heer and ther, but she fond noon.
- ‘Allas!’ quod she, ‘I hadde almost misgoon;
- I hadde almost gon to the clerkes bed.
- Ey, benedicite! thanne hadde I foule y-sped:’4220
- And forth she gooth til she the cradel fond.(301)
- She gropeth alwey forther with hir hond,
- And fond the bed, and thoghte noght but good,
- By-cause that the cradel by it stood,
- And niste wher she was, for it was derk;4225
- But faire and wel she creep in to the clerk,
- And lyth ful stille, and wolde han caught a sleep.
- With-inne a whyl this Iohn the clerk up leep,
- And on this gode wyf he leyth on sore.
- So mery a fit ne hadde she nat ful yore;4230
- He priketh harde and depe as he were mad.(311)
- This Ioly lyf han thise two clerkes lad
- Til that the thridde cok bigan to singe.
- Aleyn wex wery in the daweninge,
- For he had swonken al the longe night;4235
- And seyde, ‘far wel, Malin, swete wight!
- The day is come, I may no lenger byde;
- But evermo, wher so I go or ryde,
- I is thyn awen clerk, swa have I seel!’
- ‘Now dere lemman,’ quod she, ‘go, far weel!4240
- But er thou go, o thing I wol thee telle,(321)
- Whan that thou wendest homward by the melle,
- Right at the entree of the dore bihinde,
- Thou shalt a cake of half a busshel finde
- That was y-maked of thyn owne mele,4245
- Which that I heelp my fader for to stele.
- And, gode lemman, god thee save and kepe!’
- And with that word almost she gan to wepe.
- Aleyn up-rist, and thoughte, ‘er that it dawe,
- I wol go crepen in by my felawe;4250
- And fond the cradel with his hand anon,(331)
- ‘By god,’ thoghte he, ‘al wrang I have misgon;
- Myn heed is toty of my swink to-night,
- That maketh me that I go nat aright.
- I woot wel by the cradel, I have misgo,4255
- Heer lyth the miller and his wyf also.’
- And forth he goth, a twenty devel way,
- Un-to the bed ther-as the miller lay.
- He wende have cropen by his felawe Iohn;
- And by the miller in he creep anon,4260
- And caughte hym by the nekke, and softe he spak:(341)
- He seyde, ‘thou, Iohn, thou swynes-heed, awak
- For Cristes saule, and heer a noble game.
- For by that lord that called is seint Iame,
- As I have thryes, in this shorte night,4265
- Swyved the milleres doghter bolt-upright,
- Whyl thow hast as a coward been agast.’
- ‘Ye, false harlot,’ quod the miller, ‘hast?
- A! false traitour! false clerk!’ quod he,
- ‘Thou shalt be deed, by goddes dignitee!4270
- Who dorste be so bold to disparage(351)
- My doghter, that is come of swich linage?’
- And by the throte-bolle he caughte Alayn.
- And he hente hym despitously agayn,
- And on the nose he smoot him with his fest.4275
- Doun ran the blody streem up-on his brest;
- And in the floor, with nose and mouth to-broke,
- They walwe as doon two pigges in a poke.
- And up they goon, and doun agayn anon,
- Til that the miller sporned at a stoon,4280
- And doun he fil bakward up-on his wyf,(361)
- That wiste no-thing of this nyce stryf;
- For she was falle aslepe a lyte wight
- With Iohn the clerk, that waked hadde al night.
- And with the fal, out of hir sleep she breyde—4285
- ‘Help, holy croys of Bromeholm,’ she seyde,
- In manus tuas! lord, to thee I calle!
- Awak, Symond! the feend is on us falle,
- Myn herte is broken, help, I nam but deed;
- There lyth oon up my wombe and up myn heed;4290
- Help, Simkin, for the false clerkes fighte.’(371)
- This Iohn sterte up as faste as ever he mighte,
- And graspeth by the walles to and fro,
- To finde a staf; and she sterte up also,
- And knew the estres bet than dide this Iohn.4295
- And by the wal a staf she fond anon,
- And saugh a litel shimering of a light,
- For at an hole in shoon the mone bright;
- And by that light she saugh hem bothe two,
- But sikerly she niste who was who,4300
- But as she saugh a whyt thing in hir yë.(381)
- And whan she gan the whyte thing espye,
- She wende the clerk hadde wered a volupeer.
- And with the staf she drough ay neer and neer,
- And wende han hit this Aleyn at the fulle,4305
- And smoot the miller on the pyled skulle,
- That doun he gooth and cryde, ‘harrow! I dye!’
- Thise clerkes bete him weel and lete him lye;
- And greythen hem, and toke hir hors anon,
- And eek hir mele, and on hir wey they gon.4310
- And at the mille yet they toke hir cake(391)
- Of half a busshel flour, ful wel y-bake.
- Thus is the proude miller wel y-bete,
- And hath y-lost the grinding of the whete,
- And payed for the soper every-deel4315
- Of Aleyn and of Iohn, that bette him weel.
- His wyf is swyved, and his doghter als;
- Lo, swich it is a miller to be fals!
- And therfore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth.
- ‘Him thar nat wene wel that yvel dooth;4320
- A gylour shal him-self bigyled be.’(401)
- And God, that sitteth heighe in magestee,
- Save al this companye grete and smale!
- Thus have I quit the miller in my tale.
Here is ended the Reves tale.
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