I shall tell you all the story of a carpenter and his wife, and how a young Oxford cleric made a complete monkey out of that idiot carpenter.’ My words aren’t coming out properly, so if I say something wrong, put it down to this fine Southwark ale. ‘Go on, then, but may the devil take you, you drunken fool,’ said our host. ‘Either I tell my tale or I leave this company right now.’ Our host could see that he had been swilling back rather too much ale and said: ‘Wait, Robin, my dear friend, let someone a little more sober tell his story, for we want this thing to be a success.’ The miller, however, shouted out, swearing by blood and by bones – for he was somewhat the worse for drink – ‘ I can tell you all a brilliant tale! It will certainly beat the knight’s.’ He was deathly pale, hardly able to stay upright on his horse even, and in no mood to doff his hat or be polite. Let’s see if you can do as well as this knight.’ Our host laughed and swore: ‘By God! That went down very well! And now that the ice has been broken, let’s see who would like to tell another tale for this game has certainly got off to a good start. Certainly all the educated people thought so. Whan that the Knight had thus his tale y-told, in al the route nas ther yong ne old that he ne seyde it was a noble storie – When the knight had finished his tale, there was not a single person amongst us who did not say what a fine story it was and eminently worthy of being memorised and recited.
This tale from the Miller follows the tale from the Knight, and is another of Geoffrey’s Canterbury Tales – a collection of short stories each recounted from the mouth of a pilgrim on the way to Saint Thomas Becket’s shrine in Canterbury Cathedral.Īvailable also to view/download in PDF and DOCX The ending, although crude and farcical, may perhaps serve as a warning from Geoffrey against believing anything an Oxford scholar might tell you, in those religious times. In this tale from the Miller, an Oxford student and a minor cleric vie for the adulterous attentions of a young woman married to an affluent but aging carpenter. Some have seen a steady deterioration in morality as ancient Thebes and Athens gives way to a medieval Christian landscape in the Miller’s tale, the Reeve’s tale and finally the Cook’s. Geoffrey Chaucer Huntington Library, San Marino, California MS EL 26 C 9, the Ellesmere Manuscriptīritish Library, Harley MS 7334, and many other manuscripts and printed editions From The Canterbury Tales
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