The Canterbury Tales [73]
the sleight in their philosophy. The more *quainte knackes* that they make, *odd little tricks* The more will I steal when that I take. Instead of flour yet will I give them bren*. *bran The greatest clerks are not the wisest men, As whilom to the wolf thus spake the mare: <10> Of all their art ne count I not a tare." Out at the door he went full privily, When that he saw his time, softely. He looked up and down, until he found The clerkes' horse, there as he stood y-bound Behind the mill, under a levesell:* *arbour<11> And to the horse he went him fair and well, And stripped off the bridle right anon. And when the horse was loose, he gan to gon Toward the fen, where wilde mares run, Forth, with "Wehee!" through thick and eke through thin. This miller went again, no word he said, But did his note*, and with these clerkes play'd, *business <12> Till that their corn was fair and well y-ground. And when the meal was sacked and y-bound, Then John went out, and found his horse away, And gan to cry, "Harow, and well-away! Our horse is lost: Alein, for Godde's bones, Step on thy feet; come off, man, all at once: Alas! our warden has his palfrey lorn.*" *lost This Alein all forgot, both meal and corn; All was out of his mind his husbandry*. *careful watch over "What, which way is he gone?" he gan to cry. the corn* The wife came leaping inward at a renne*, *run She said; "Alas! your horse went to the fen With wilde mares, as fast as he could go. Unthank* come on his hand that bound him so *ill luck, a curse And his that better should have knit the rein." "Alas!" quoth John, "Alein, for Christes pain Lay down thy sword, and I shall mine also. I is full wight*, God wate**, as is a roe. *swift **knows By Godde's soul he shall not scape us bathe*. *both <13> Why n' had thou put the capel* in the lathe**? *horse<14> **barn Ill hail, Alein, by God thou is a fonne.*" *fool These silly clerkes have full fast y-run Toward the fen, both Alein and eke John; And when the miller saw that they were gone, He half a bushel of their flour did take, And bade his wife go knead it in a cake. He said; I trow, the clerkes were afeard, Yet can a miller *make a clerkes beard,* *cheat a scholar* <15> For all his art: yea, let them go their way! Lo where they go! yea, let the children play: They get him not so lightly, by my crown." These silly clerkes runnen up and down With "Keep, keep; stand, stand; jossa*, warderere. *turn Go whistle thou, and I shall keep* him here." *catch But shortly, till that it was very night They coulde not, though they did all their might, Their capel catch, he ran alway so fast: Till in a ditch they caught him at the last.
Weary and wet, as beastes in the rain, Comes silly John, and with him comes Alein. "Alas," quoth John, "the day that I was born! Now are we driv'n till hething* and till scorn. *mockery Our corn is stol'n, men will us fonnes* call, *fools Both the warden, and eke our fellows all, And namely* the miller, well-away!" *especially Thus plained John, as he went by the way Toward the mill, and Bayard* in his hand. *the bay horse The miller sitting by the fire he fand*. *found For it was night, and forther* might they not, *go their way But for the love of God they him besought Of herberow* and ease, for their penny. *lodging The miller said again," If there be any, Such as it is, yet shall ye have your part. Mine house is strait, but ye have learned art; Ye can by arguments maken a place A mile broad, of twenty foot of space. Let see now if this place may suffice, Or make it room with speech, as is your guise.*" *fashion "Now, Simon," said this John, "by Saint Cuthberd Aye is thou merry, and that is
Weary and wet, as beastes in the rain, Comes silly John, and with him comes Alein. "Alas," quoth John, "the day that I was born! Now are we driv'n till hething* and till scorn. *mockery Our corn is stol'n, men will us fonnes* call, *fools Both the warden, and eke our fellows all, And namely* the miller, well-away!" *especially Thus plained John, as he went by the way Toward the mill, and Bayard* in his hand. *the bay horse The miller sitting by the fire he fand*. *found For it was night, and forther* might they not, *go their way But for the love of God they him besought Of herberow* and ease, for their penny. *lodging The miller said again," If there be any, Such as it is, yet shall ye have your part. Mine house is strait, but ye have learned art; Ye can by arguments maken a place A mile broad, of twenty foot of space. Let see now if this place may suffice, Or make it room with speech, as is your guise.*" *fashion "Now, Simon," said this John, "by Saint Cuthberd Aye is thou merry, and that is