No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale Page 10

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Original Text	Modern Text
‘Iesu Crist, and seynt Benedight,	‘Iesu Crist, and seynt Benedight,
Blesse this hous from every wikked wight,	Blesse this hous from every wikked wight,
For nightes verye, the white pater-noster!	For nightes verye, the white pater-noster!
Where wentestow, seynt Petres soster?’	Where wentestow, seynt Petres soster?’
And atte laste this hende Nicholas Gan for to syke sore, and seyde, ‘allas! Shal al the world be lost eftsones now?’	And atte laste this hende Nicholas Gan for to syke sore, and seyde, ‘allas! Shal al the world be lost eftsones now?’
This carpenter answerde, ‘what seystow? What! thenk on God, as we don, men that swinke.’	This carpenter answerde, ‘what seystow? What! thenk on God, as we don, men that swinke.’
This Nicholas answerde, ‘fecche me drinke; And after wol I speke in privetee Of certeyn thing that toucheth me and thee; I wol telle it non other man, certeyn.’	This Nicholas answerde, ‘fecche me drinke; And after wol I speke in privetee Of certeyn thing that toucheth me and thee; I wol telle it non other man, certeyn.’
This carpenter goth doun, and comth ageyn, And broghte of mighty ale a large quart; And whan that ech of hem had dronke his part, This Nicholas his dore faste shette, And doun the carpenter by him he sette.	This carpenter goth doun, and comth ageyn, And broghte of mighty ale a large quart; And whan that ech of hem had dronke his part, This Nicholas his dore faste shette, And doun the carpenter by him he sette.
He seyde, ‘Iohn, myn hoste lief and dere, Thou shall upon thy trouthe swere me here, That to no wight thou shalt this conseil wreye; For it is Cristes conseil that I seye, And if thou telle it man, thou are forlore; For this vengaunce thou shalt han therfore, That if thou wreye me, thou shalt be wood!’ ‘Nay, Crist forbede it, for his holy blood!’ Quod tho this sely man, ‘I nam no labbe, Ne, though I seye, I nam nat lief to gabbe. Sey what thou wolt, I shal it never telle To child ne wyf, by him that harwed helle!’	He seyde, ‘Iohn, myn hoste lief and dere, Thou shall upon thy trouthe swere me here, That to no wight thou shalt this conseil wreye; For it is Cristes conseil that I seye, And if thou telle it man, thou are forlore; For this vengaunce thou shalt han therfore, That if thou wreye me, thou shalt be wood!’ ‘Nay, Crist forbede it, for his holy blood!’ Quod tho this sely man, ‘I nam no labbe, Ne, though I seye, I nam nat lief to gabbe. Sey what thou wolt, I shal it never telle To child ne wyf, by him that harwed helle!’

Original Text	Modern Text
‘Iesu Crist, and seynt Benedight,	‘Iesu Crist, and seynt Benedight,
Blesse this hous from every wikked wight,	Blesse this hous from every wikked wight,
For nightes verye, the white pater-noster!	For nightes verye, the white pater-noster!
Where wentestow, seynt Petres soster?’	Where wentestow, seynt Petres soster?’
And atte laste this hende Nicholas Gan for to syke sore, and seyde, ‘allas! Shal al the world be lost eftsones now?’	And atte laste this hende Nicholas Gan for to syke sore, and seyde, ‘allas! Shal al the world be lost eftsones now?’
This carpenter answerde, ‘what seystow? What! thenk on God, as we don, men that swinke.’	This carpenter answerde, ‘what seystow? What! thenk on God, as we don, men that swinke.’
This Nicholas answerde, ‘fecche me drinke; And after wol I speke in privetee Of certeyn thing that toucheth me and thee; I wol telle it non other man, certeyn.’	This Nicholas answerde, ‘fecche me drinke; And after wol I speke in privetee Of certeyn thing that toucheth me and thee; I wol telle it non other man, certeyn.’
This carpenter goth doun, and comth ageyn, And broghte of mighty ale a large quart; And whan that ech of hem had dronke his part, This Nicholas his dore faste shette, And doun the carpenter by him he sette.	This carpenter goth doun, and comth ageyn, And broghte of mighty ale a large quart; And whan that ech of hem had dronke his part, This Nicholas his dore faste shette, And doun the carpenter by him he sette.
He seyde, ‘Iohn, myn hoste lief and dere, Thou shall upon thy trouthe swere me here, That to no wight thou shalt this conseil wreye; For it is Cristes conseil that I seye, And if thou telle it man, thou are forlore; For this vengaunce thou shalt han therfore, That if thou wreye me, thou shalt be wood!’ ‘Nay, Crist forbede it, for his holy blood!’ Quod tho this sely man, ‘I nam no labbe, Ne, though I seye, I nam nat lief to gabbe. Sey what thou wolt, I shal it never telle To child ne wyf, by him that harwed helle!’	He seyde, ‘Iohn, myn hoste lief and dere, Thou shall upon thy trouthe swere me here, That to no wight thou shalt this conseil wreye; For it is Cristes conseil that I seye, And if thou telle it man, thou are forlore; For this vengaunce thou shalt han therfore, That if thou wreye me, thou shalt be wood!’ ‘Nay, Crist forbede it, for his holy blood!’ Quod tho this sely man, ‘I nam no labbe, Ne, though I seye, I nam nat lief to gabbe. Sey what thou wolt, I shal it never telle To child ne wyf, by him that harwed helle!’