No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale Page 19

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Original Text	Modern Text
‘What, who artow?’ ‘It am I, Absolon.’ ‘What, Absolon! for Cristes swete tree, Why ryse ye so rathe, ey, benedicite! What eyleth yow? som gay gerl, God it woot, Hath broght yow thus upon the viritoot; By sëynt Note, ye woot wel what I mene.’	‘What, who artow?’ ‘It am I, Absolon.’ ‘What, Absolon! for Cristes swete tree, Why ryse ye so rathe, ey, benedicite! What eyleth yow? som gay gerl, God it woot, Hath broght yow thus upon the viritoot; By sëynt Note, ye woot wel what I mene.’
This Absolon ne roghte nat a bene Of al his pley, no word agayn he yaf; He hadde more tow on his distaf Than Gerveys knew, and seyde, ‘freend so dere, That hote culter in the chimenee here, As lene it me, I have ther-with to done, And I wol bringe it thee agayn ful sone.’	This Absolon ne roghte nat a bene Of al his pley, no word agayn he yaf; He hadde more tow on his distaf Than Gerveys knew, and seyde, ‘freend so dere, That hote culter in the chimenee here, As lene it me, I have ther-with to done, And I wol bringe it thee agayn ful sone.’
Gerveys answerde, ‘certes, were it gold, Or in a poke nobles alle untold, Thou sholdest have, as I am trewe smith; Ey, Cristes foo! what wol ye do ther-with?’	Gerveys answerde, ‘certes, were it gold, Or in a poke nobles alle untold, Thou sholdest have, as I am trewe smith; Ey, Cristes foo! what wol ye do ther-with?’
‘Ther-of,’ quod Absolon, ‘be as be may; I shal wel telle it thee to-morwe day’— And caughte the culter by the colde stele. Ful softe out at the dore he gan to stele, And wente unto the carpenteres wal. He cogheth first, and knokketh ther-with-al Upon the windowe, right as he dide er.	‘Ther-of,’ quod Absolon, ‘be as be may; I shal wel telle it thee to-morwe day’— And caughte the culter by the colde stele. Ful softe out at the dore he gan to stele, And wente unto the carpenteres wal. He cogheth first, and knokketh ther-with-al Upon the windowe, right as he dide er.

Original Text	Modern Text
‘What, who artow?’ ‘It am I, Absolon.’ ‘What, Absolon! for Cristes swete tree, Why ryse ye so rathe, ey, benedicite! What eyleth yow? som gay gerl, God it woot, Hath broght yow thus upon the viritoot; By sëynt Note, ye woot wel what I mene.’	‘What, who artow?’ ‘It am I, Absolon.’ ‘What, Absolon! for Cristes swete tree, Why ryse ye so rathe, ey, benedicite! What eyleth yow? som gay gerl, God it woot, Hath broght yow thus upon the viritoot; By sëynt Note, ye woot wel what I mene.’
This Absolon ne roghte nat a bene Of al his pley, no word agayn he yaf; He hadde more tow on his distaf Than Gerveys knew, and seyde, ‘freend so dere, That hote culter in the chimenee here, As lene it me, I have ther-with to done, And I wol bringe it thee agayn ful sone.’	This Absolon ne roghte nat a bene Of al his pley, no word agayn he yaf; He hadde more tow on his distaf Than Gerveys knew, and seyde, ‘freend so dere, That hote culter in the chimenee here, As lene it me, I have ther-with to done, And I wol bringe it thee agayn ful sone.’
Gerveys answerde, ‘certes, were it gold, Or in a poke nobles alle untold, Thou sholdest have, as I am trewe smith; Ey, Cristes foo! what wol ye do ther-with?’	Gerveys answerde, ‘certes, were it gold, Or in a poke nobles alle untold, Thou sholdest have, as I am trewe smith; Ey, Cristes foo! what wol ye do ther-with?’
‘Ther-of,’ quod Absolon, ‘be as be may; I shal wel telle it thee to-morwe day’— And caughte the culter by the colde stele. Ful softe out at the dore he gan to stele, And wente unto the carpenteres wal. He cogheth first, and knokketh ther-with-al Upon the windowe, right as he dide er.	‘Ther-of,’ quod Absolon, ‘be as be may; I shal wel telle it thee to-morwe day’— And caughte the culter by the colde stele. Ful softe out at the dore he gan to stele, And wente unto the carpenteres wal. He cogheth first, and knokketh ther-with-al Upon the windowe, right as he dide er.