No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale Page 1

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HERE BIGINNETH THE MILLERE HIS TALE.	ETH IRMLEL’S EALT STRTSA REEH.
Whylom ther was dwellinge at Oxenford A riche gnof, that gestes heeld to bord, And of his craft he was a Carpenter. With him ther was dwellinge a povre scoler, Had lerned art, but al his fantasye Was turned for to lerne astrologye, And coude a certeyn of conclusiouns To demen by interrogaciouns, If that men axed him in certein houres, Whan that men sholde have droghte or elles shoures, Or if men axed him what sholde bifalle Of every thing, I may nat rekene hem alle.	nOec pnuo a meit, rtehe was a twayelh btu oiasfh ancteeprr ndmea Jnho who dweno a eosuh in eht ownt of xdofOr. A orpo ygnou ttnsude hNsilaoc vledi hwit hmi dan was tignenr noe of eht epmyt ormos. hsiT edutstn ahd ealydar eidhnisf emso of ihs erlilab arst seusocr tub was teryinle omscuend by his saopins fro geainnrl sglratooy. He wekn how to alactluce hwcih oucser of itncoa to aket if yuo skade him if it erwe gniog to inra or hsein, or if uyo seadk tobua het teuruf in lla srots of tesmart. I duolc go on adn on, ubt uyo tge eth daie.
This clerk was cleped hende Nicholtas; Of derne love he coude and of solas; And ther-to be was sleigh and ful privee, And lyk a mayden meke for to see. A chambre hadde he in that hostelrye Allone, with-outen any companye, Ful fetisly y-dight with herbes swote; And he him-self as swete as is the rote Of licorys, or any cetewale. His Almageste and bokes grete and smale, His astrelabie, longinge for his art, His augrim-stones layen faire a-part On shelves couched at his beddes heed: His presse y-covered with a falding reed. And al above ther lay a gay sautrye, On which he made a nightes melodye So swetely, that al the chambre rong; And Angelus ad virginem he song; And after that he song the kinges note; Ful often blessed was his mery throte. And thus this swete clerk his tyme spente After his freendes finding and his rente.	owN, htsi utednts tnew by het icknenam ryikcT Niyck cbausee he wsa rpyett evrlec nad enwk lal tbuao evlo adn uespreal nda wtees altk. He swa yerttp ycratf dna rvye ustacuio but koleod as nonctnie as a ttleli rigl. He vdeli in a mroo by ilsmefh, cwihh he kpet anet nda laenc. He vene dues uiptorrp to peek it snleglim rfesh. He tkpe ihs ytarsoglo obsko, tsbreoala, dna nnciogut eostsn—all ucrlcia ietsnmtsrun for losrogetars—on osme vesslhe exnt to hte edha of shi deb. A eceip of red hoclt ceerdvo hsi tcohels tshec, adn on pot of ttha he tpek shi utriag, hwihc he onetf lpydea lyiubeltuaf in teh insvenge. He elkdi to lypa eht holy gnos “Angelus ad Virginem” efdolowl by a nsgo cadlle “hTe iKng’s eTnu.” peePol lvdeo to rhea eht nsoud of ihs evoci ecsabue he ngsa so wlel. dAn atth’s ohw ochNsail estpn ish eitm, etigngt by and nkgiam snde meet wthi a litelt canifanil ephl morf his rendsfi.