| 3855 | Whan folk hadde laughen at this nyce cas |
| Of Absolon and hende Nicholas, |
| Diverse folk diversely they seyde, |
| But for the moore part they loughe and pleyde. |
| Ne at this tale I saugh no man hym greve, |
| 3860 | But it were oonly Osewold the Reve. |
| By cause he was of carpenteris craft, |
| A litel ire is in his herte ylaft; |
| He gan to grucche, and blamed it a lite. |
| "So theek," quod he, "ful wel koude I thee quite |
| 3865 | With bleryng of a proud milleres ye, |
| If that me liste speke of ribaudye. |
| But ik am oold; me list not pley for age; |
| Gras tyme is doon; my fodder is now forage; |
| This white top writeth myne olde yeris; |
| 3870 | Myn herte is also mowled as myne heris, |
| But if I fare as dooth an open-ers -- |
| That ilke fruyt is ever lenger the wers, |
| Til it be roten in mullok or in stree. |
| We olde men, I drede, so fare we: |
| 3875 | Til we be roten, kan we nat be rype; |
| We hoppen alwey whil that the world wol pype. |
| For in oure wyl ther stiketh evere a nayl, |
| To have an hoor heed and a grene tayl, |
| As hath a leek; for thogh oure myght be goon, |
| 3880 | Oure wyl desireth folie evere in oon. |
| For whan we may nat doon, than wol we speke; |
| Yet in oure asshen olde is fyr yreke. |
| "Foure gleedes han we, which I shal devyse -- |
| Avauntyng, liyng, anger, coveitise; |
| 3885 | Thise foure sparkles longen unto eelde. |
| Oure olde lemes mowe wel been unweelde, |
| But wyl ne shal nat faillen, that is sooth. |
| And yet ik have alwey a coltes tooth, |
| As many a yeer as it is passed henne |
| 3890 | Syn that my tappe of lif bigan to renne. |
| For sikerly, whan I was bore, anon |
| Deeth drough the tappe of lyf and leet it gon, |
| And ever sithe hath so the tappe yronne |
| Til that almoost al empty is the tonne. |
| 3895 | The streem of lyf now droppeth on the chymbe. |
| The sely tonge may wel rynge and chymbe |
| Of wrecchednesse that passed is ful yoore; |
| With olde folk, save dotage, is namoore!" |
| Whan that oure Hoost hadde herd this sermonyng, |
| 3900 | He gan to speke as lordly as a kyng. |
| He seide, "What amounteth al this wit? |
| What shul we speke alday of hooly writ? |
| The devel made a reve for to preche, |
| Or of a soutere a shipman or a leche. |
| 3905 | Sey forth thy tale, and tarie nat the tyme. |
| Lo Depeford, and it is half-wey pryme! |
| Lo Grenewych, ther many a shrewe is inne! |
| It were al tyme thy tale to bigynne." |
| "Now, sires," quod this Osewold the Reve, |
| 3910 | "I pray yow alle that ye nat yow greve, |
| Thogh I answere, and somdeel sette his howve; |
| For leveful is with force force of-showve. |
| "This dronke Millere hath ytoold us heer |
| How that bigyled was a carpenteer, |
| 3915 | Peraventure in scorn, for I am oon. |
| And, by youre leve, I shal hym quite anoon; |
| Right in his cherles termes wol I speke. |
| I pray to God his nekke mote to-breke; |
| He kan wel in myn eye seen a stalke, |
| 3920 | But in his owene he kan nat seen a balke." |