No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale Page 11

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Original Text	Modern Text
‘Now John,’ quod Nicholas, ‘I wol nat lye; I have y-founde in myn astrologye, As I have loked in the mone bright, That now, a Monday next, at quarter-night, Shal falle a reyn and that so wilde and wood, That half so greet was never Noës flood. This world,’ he seyde, ‘in lasse than in an hour Shal al be dreynt, so hidous is the shour; Thus shal mankynde drenche and lese hir lyf.’	‘Now John,’ quod Nicholas, ‘I wol nat lye; I have y-founde in myn astrologye, As I have loked in the mone bright, That now, a Monday next, at quarter-night, Shal falle a reyn and that so wilde and wood, That half so greet was never Noës flood. This world,’ he seyde, ‘in lasse than in an hour Shal al be dreynt, so hidous is the shour; Thus shal mankynde drenche and lese hir lyf.’
This carpenter answerde, ‘allas, my wyf! And shal she drenche? allas! myn Alisoun!’ For sorwe of this he fil almost adoun, And seyde, ‘is ther no remedie in this cas?’	This carpenter answerde, ‘allas, my wyf! And shal she drenche? allas! myn Alisoun!’ For sorwe of this he fil almost adoun, And seyde, ‘is ther no remedie in this cas?’
‘Why, yis, for gode,’ quod hende Nicholas, ‘If thou wolt werken after lore and reed; Thou mayst nat werken after thyn owene heed. For thus seith Salomon, that was ful trewe, “Werk al by conseil, and thou shalt nat rewe.” And if thou werken wolt by good conseil, I undertake, with-outen mast and seyl, Yet shal I saven hir and thee and me Hastow nat herd how saved was Noë, Whan that our Lord had warned him biforn That al the world with water sholde be lorn?’	‘Why, yis, for gode,’ quod hende Nicholas, ‘If thou wolt werken after lore and reed; Thou mayst nat werken after thyn owene heed. For thus seith Salomon, that was ful trewe, “Werk al by conseil, and thou shalt nat rewe.” And if thou werken wolt by good conseil, I undertake, with-outen mast and seyl, Yet shal I saven hir and thee and me Hastow nat herd how saved was Noë, Whan that our Lord had warned him biforn That al the world with water sholde be lorn?’

Original Text	Modern Text
‘Now John,’ quod Nicholas, ‘I wol nat lye; I have y-founde in myn astrologye, As I have loked in the mone bright, That now, a Monday next, at quarter-night, Shal falle a reyn and that so wilde and wood, That half so greet was never Noës flood. This world,’ he seyde, ‘in lasse than in an hour Shal al be dreynt, so hidous is the shour; Thus shal mankynde drenche and lese hir lyf.’	‘Now John,’ quod Nicholas, ‘I wol nat lye; I have y-founde in myn astrologye, As I have loked in the mone bright, That now, a Monday next, at quarter-night, Shal falle a reyn and that so wilde and wood, That half so greet was never Noës flood. This world,’ he seyde, ‘in lasse than in an hour Shal al be dreynt, so hidous is the shour; Thus shal mankynde drenche and lese hir lyf.’
This carpenter answerde, ‘allas, my wyf! And shal she drenche? allas! myn Alisoun!’ For sorwe of this he fil almost adoun, And seyde, ‘is ther no remedie in this cas?’	This carpenter answerde, ‘allas, my wyf! And shal she drenche? allas! myn Alisoun!’ For sorwe of this he fil almost adoun, And seyde, ‘is ther no remedie in this cas?’
‘Why, yis, for gode,’ quod hende Nicholas, ‘If thou wolt werken after lore and reed; Thou mayst nat werken after thyn owene heed. For thus seith Salomon, that was ful trewe, “Werk al by conseil, and thou shalt nat rewe.” And if thou werken wolt by good conseil, I undertake, with-outen mast and seyl, Yet shal I saven hir and thee and me Hastow nat herd how saved was Noë, Whan that our Lord had warned him biforn That al the world with water sholde be lorn?’	‘Why, yis, for gode,’ quod hende Nicholas, ‘If thou wolt werken after lore and reed; Thou mayst nat werken after thyn owene heed. For thus seith Salomon, that was ful trewe, “Werk al by conseil, and thou shalt nat rewe.” And if thou werken wolt by good conseil, I undertake, with-outen mast and seyl, Yet shal I saven hir and thee and me Hastow nat herd how saved was Noë, Whan that our Lord had warned him biforn That al the world with water sholde be lorn?’