Canterbury Tales Miller Quotes

And yet he had a thomb of gold parde.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. Here Chaucer is referencing the old proverb, "Every honest miller has a golden thumb". The saying can mean honest millers are as rare as men with gold thumbs, or successful millers have their thumb on the scales to cheat. The Miller in this case grinds grain at the mill for flour and meal, and he is dishonest. He puts a thumb on the scales to cheat his customers, taking more money from them and enriching himself.

The Millere, that for dronken was al pale,
So that unnethe upon his hors he sat,
He nolde avalen neither hood ne hat,
Ne abyde no man for his curteisie,
But in Pilates voys he gan to crie,
And swoor, "By armes, and by blood and bones,
I kan a noble tale for the nones,
With which I wol now quite the Knyghtes tale."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Prologue. When the Host chooses the Monk to tell his tale after the Knight, the Miller drunkenly interrupts, challenging the Host’s social order. He swears on arms, blood and bones that he can tell a story even better than the Knight. The drunken, swearing Miller represents a person of low status and character.

The Millere is a cherl, ye knowe wel this;
So was the Reve eek and othere mo,
And harlotrie they tolden bothe two.
Avyseth yow, and put me out of blame;
And eek men shal nat maken ernest of game.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Prologue. The Narrator Chaucer provides a health warning about the Miller’s and the Reeve’s tales for people who might be offended by their bawdy stories. They are both churls, he says, meaning medieval peasants of low social status. So don’t blame me and don’t take a joke too seriously, the Narrator adds.

This dronke Millere hath ytoold us heer
How that bigyled was a carpenter,
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,
But inhis owene he kan nat seen a balke.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Prologue. At the end of his prologue, the Reeve wishes death on the Miller for his disparaging story about a cuckolded carpenter, which he feels insulted people of the trade. So he decides to repay him by telling a tale about a thieving, dishonest miller.
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