16

THE DAY DAWNS.

159

Allas!" quod she, "I hadde almoost mys

goon;

I hadde almoost goon to the clerkes bed. 4219
Ey, benedicite! thanne hadde I foule y-sped."
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 creepe in-to the clerk;
And lith ful stille and wolde han caught a

sleepe.

4230

With-inne a while this John the clerk up leepe,
And on this goode wyf he leith on soore;
So myrie a fit hadde she nat ful yoore;
He priketh harde and soore as he were mad.
This joly lyf han thise two clerkes lad
Til that the thridde cok1 bigan to synge.

Aleyn wax wery in the dawenynge,
For he had swonken 2 al the longe nyght;

3

And seyde, "Fare weel, Malyne, sweete wight. The day is come, I may no lenger byde;

4

But everemo, wher so I go or ryde,

5

I is thyn awen clerk, swa have I seel." " "Now, deere lemman," quod she, "go, fare

weel!

But, er thow go, o thyng I wol thee telle;

1 An hour before day. ? Worked. Malkin, Molly. Own. Happiness.

4240

4 Walk.

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 heelpe my fader 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,

I wol go crepen in by my felawe ;

And fond the cradel with his hand anon.

4250

"By God!" thoughte he, "al wrang I have

mysgon;

(4250 T.) Myn heed is toty1 of my swynk to nyght, That maketh me that I go 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,2 Un-to the bed ther as the millere lay. He wende have cropen by his felawe John, And by the millere in he crepe anon,

4260

And caughte hym by the nekke, and softe he

spak ;

He seyde, "Thou John, thou swynesheed,*

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

1 Dizzy. Rapidly. Believed. Swine's head.

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, "Thow shalt be deed, by Goddes dignitee! Who dorste be so boold to disparage

4271

My doghter, that is come of swich lynage?" And by the throte bolle he caughte Alayn; 73 And he hente hym despitously agayn,

4280

And on the nose he smoot hym with his fest.
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 millere sporned at a stoon,
And doun he fil bakward up-on his wyf,
That wiste no thyng of this nyce stryf,
For she was falle aslepe a lite1 wight
With John the clerk, that waked hadde al
nyght;

And with the fal out of hir sleepe she breyde.2
"Help, hooly croys of Bromholm," 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!
Ther lyth oon up-on my wombe and on myn

heed.

4290

Helpe, Symkyn, for the false clerkes fighte!"

1 Little. 2 Started.

Bromholme was a Norfolk priory. • Into

thy hands. Belly.

V1 L. I.

II

This John stirte up, as soone as ever he myghte,

And graspeth by the walles to and fro

To fynde a staf, and she stirte up also,

4300

And knewe the estres 1 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,
But sikerly she nyste who was who;
But as she saugh a whit thyng in hir eye,
And whan she gan the white thyng espye,
She wende the clerk hadde wered a volupeer,2
And with the staf she drough ay neer and neer'
And wende han hit this Aleyn at the fulle;
And smoot the millere on the pyled skulle,
And doun he gooth, and cride, "Harrow! I
dye!"
(4305 T.)
Thise clerkes beete hym weel and lete hym lye

4

And greythen hem and tooke hir hors anon, And eek hire mele, and on hir wey they gon, And at the mille yet they tooke hir cake 4311 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

5

Of Aleyn and of John, that bette hym weel; His wyf is swyved, and his doghter als.

1 Passages. 2 Night-cap. 8 Nearer and nearer. 4 Clothed.

Beat.

WORDS OF THE COOK AND THE HOST. 163 Lo swich it is a millere to be fals;

And therfore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth, "Hym thar nat wene wel that yvele dooth," A gylour shal hym self bigyled be, —

And God, that sitteth heighe in Trinitee, 4322
Save al this compaignye, grete and smale.
Thus have I quyt the Millere in my tale. (4322 T.)

Words of Roger, the Cook, and Harry Bailly, the Host.

The Cook of Londoun, whil that the Reve (4323 T.) For joye him thoughte he clawed him on the

spak,

bak;

"Ha, ha!" quod he, "for Cristes passioun
This millere hadde a sharpe conclusioun
Upon his argument of herbergage;2
Wel seyde Salomon, in his langage,

4330

'Ne brynge nat every man in-to thyn hous,'
For herberwynge by nyghte is perilous.

Wel oghte a man avysed for to be
Whom that he broghte in-to his pryvetee.

8

I pray to God, so geve me sorwe and care,
If evere sitthe I highte Hogge of Ware,
Herde I a millere bettre yset a werk.

He hadde a jape of malice in the derk;
But God forbede that we stynte heere,

1 He must not expect good who doeth evil. 2 Lodging. Roger, 1lodge.