Reeve’s Tale Sex Quotes

For, John," seyde he, "als evere moot I thryve,
If that I may, yon wenche wil I swyve.
Som esement has lawe yshapen us,
For, John, ther is a lawe that says thus,
That gif a man in a point be agreved,
That inanother he sal be releved.
Oure corn is stoln, sothly, it is na nay,
And we han had an il fit al this day;
And syn I sal have neen amendement
Agayn my los, I will have esement."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. Alan tells John of his plan to have redress for the miller’s theft of their grain. He will set the scale of justice right again by having sex with the miller’s daughter. There is a law he says, that if a man in one point is injured, then in another he shall be relieved.

And up he rist, and by the wenche he crepte.
This wenche lay uprighte and faste slepte,
Til he so ny was, er she myghte espie,
That it had been to late for to crie,
And shortly for to seyn, they were aton.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. Alan creeps into bed with the miller’s daughter Molly and has revenge sex with her to hit back at the miller. There is a debate on whether or not this was consentual or coerced. Molly was asleep when Alan got in beside her and it was too late for her to cry out, the story says.

"Allas!" quod he, "this is a wikked jape;
Now may I seyn that I is but an ape.
Yet has my felawe somwhat for his harm;
He has the milleris doghter in his arm.
He auntred hym, and has his nedes sped,
And I lye as a draf-sak in my bed;
And when this jape is tald another day,
I sal been halde a daf, a cokenay!
I wil arise and auntre it, by my fayth!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. John calls himself a fool and a weakling after seeing Alan pay back the miller for his thievery by having sex with his daughter. His friend took a risk and accomplished his purpose. Encouraged by this John says he will now arise and chance it too, as he hatches a plan to sleep with the miller’s wife.

Withinne a while this John the clerk up leep,
And on this goode wyf he leith on soore.
So myrie a fit ne hadde she nat ful yoore;
He priketh harde and depe as he were mad.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. John has vigorous revenge sex with the miller’s wife to dish out his form of justice for the miller’s theft of the corn. While it says she has a merry experience, she is tricked into another man’s bed thinking she was laying down beside her husband. The image of John stabbing her hard and deep as if he was mad adds to the repulsive nature of the act, which is without doubt rape.

He seyde, "Thou John, thou swynes-heed, awak,
For Cristes saule, and heer a noble game.
For by that lord that called is Seint Jame,
As I have thries in this shorte nyght
Swyved the milleres doghter bolt upright,
Whil thow hast, as a coward, been agast."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. Alan goes to wake John to boast to him about having had sex with the miller’s daughter three times during the night while his friend was a terrified coward. But he has mistakingly gotten into the wrong bed, beside the furious miller, who hears all this.

Thus is the proude millere wel ybete,
And hath ylost the gryndynge of the whete,
And payed for the soper everideel
Of Aleyn and of John, that bette hym weel.
His wyf is swyved, and his doghter als.
Low, swich it is a millere to be fals!
And therefore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth,
"Hym thar nat wene wel that yvil dooth."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. The reckoning comes for the thieving miller who steals from his customers. His punishment includes a beating by John and Alan, his wife screwed and his daughter screwed. This is how it is when a miller is false, says the Reeve, still smarting at how The Miller’s Tale slandered carpenters.

And therfore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth,
"Hym thar nat wene wel that yvele dooth;"
A gylour shal hymself bigyled be.
Modern English:
And therefore this proverb is said very truly,
"One who does evil should not expect good."
A trickster shall himself be tricked.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. The trickster being tricked is a story device that is used in many of the 24 Canterbury Tales. The miller set out to trick and thieve from John and Alan. He then became the target of deception and tricks by the student pair when they had sex with the miller’s wife and daughter.
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