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

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Original Text	Modern Text
HERE BIGINNETH THE MILLERE HIS TALE.	EHT RLMELI’S LTAE TARSST RHEE.
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.	enOc opun a iemt, heret swa a talyewh utb isaohf canereprt danem nJoh hwo nwode a euhso in eht tonw of foxrOd. A orop ouyng ettsdnu ilNcohsa leidv ihwt mih dna saw nntiger eno of eth pymte romos. Tihs etdstnu adh ldaeyar siefdihn seom of ihs lreibla arts eosucsr tbu saw terynlie mnusedco by hsi saiopsn fro rlnaenig osrolytga. He enkw who to luctceala hchiw eursoc of ianoct to ekat if ouy kaeds imh if it eerw onigg to rian or neihs, or if uyo akesd about eth treuuf in all srsot of tetsrma. I dolcu go on nda on, btu yuo gte het adei.
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.	Now, htis tnusetd ewnt by eth mienknac yckriT cyikN asebuec he aws rtteyp cevrel nad nwek lla tuabo oevl nda rpsleuea nad eewst tlka. He swa peytrt afrcty nda veyr uctuisoa btu okedlo as cnnnetio as a lttile iglr. He vilde in a rmoo by shfemil, iwhhc he tkep etan dna cnlea. He neev udes uoptrirp to epek it mgslline efrsh. He pkte hsi gosytoral ksobo, aeoalbtsr, nad ongciutn tsseon—lal auicclr trntsuesinm fro gassrrtloeo—on oesm shlseve ntex to hte deah of sih bed. A pciee of red ltcho reoecvd ish thocsle scteh, nda on otp of that he tpke hsi rutiag, ihwhc he nofet ypeald ylulbeufait in the iensvegn. He ikedl to aypl the lhoy ngso “Angelus ad Virginem” wlofeldo by a gosn aleldc “heT gniK’s uneT.” plPeoe vdole to eahr the osdun of ihs oviec aebecus he gnsa so elwl. nAd ttah’s hwo Nsohacli npset his mtie, tgtegin by and gmknai dens mtee iwht a elitlt aailcinfn ephl rfmo his rnidfse.