The Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale

287: Oure hooste gan to swere as he were wood; 
288: Harrow! quod he, by nayles and by blood! 
289: This was a fals cherl and a fals justise. 
290: As shameful deeth as herte may devyse 
291: Come to thise juges and hire advocatz! 
292: Algate this sely mayde is slayn, allas! 
293: Allas, to deere boughte she beautee! 
294: Wherfore I seye al day that men may see 
295: That yiftes of fortune and of nature 
296: Been cause of deeth to many a creature. 
297: Hire beautee was hire deth, I dar wel sayn. 
298: Allas, so pitously as she was slayn! 
299: Of bothe yiftes that I speke of now 
300: Men han ful ofte moore for harm than prow. 
301: But trewely, myn owene maister deere, 
302: This is a pitous tale for to heere. 
303: But nathelees, passe over, is no fors. 
304: I pray to God so save thy gentil cors, 
305: And eek thyne urynals and thy jurdones, 
306: Thyn ypocras, and eek thy galiones, 
307: And every boyste ful of the letuarie; 
308: God blesse hem, and oure lady seinte marie! 
309: So moot I theen, thou art a propre man, 
310: And lyk a prelat, by seint ronyan! 
311: Seyde I nat wel? I kan nat speke in terme; 
312: But wel I woot thou doost myn herte to erme, 
313: That I almoost have caught a cardynacle. 
314: By corpus bones! but I have triacle, 
315: Or elles a draughte of moyste and corny ale, 
316: Or but I heere anon a myrie tale, 
317: Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde. 
318: Thou beel amy, thou pardoner, he sayde, 
319: Telle us som myrthe or japes right anon. 
320: it shal be doon, quod he, by seint ronyon! 
321: But first, quod he, heere at this alestake 
322: I wol bothe drynke and eten of a cake. 
323: but right anon thise gentils gonne to crye, 
324: Nay, lat hym telle us of no ribaudye! 
325: Telle us som moral thyng, that we may leere 
326: Som wit, and thanne wol we gladly heere. 
327: I graunte, ywis, quod he, but I moot thynke 
328: Upon som honest thyng while that I drynke.


The Pardoner's Prologue
329: lordynges, quod he, in chirches whan I preche, 
330: I peyne me to han an hauteyn speche, 
331: And rynge it out as round as gooth a belle, 
332: For I kan al by rote that I telle. 
333: My theme is alwey oon, and evere was -- 
334: Radix malorum est cupiditas. 
335: first I pronounce wheenes that I come, 
336: And thanne my bulles shewe I, alle and some. 
337: Oure lige lordes seel on my patente, 
338: That shewe I first, my body to warente, 
339: That no man be so boold, ne preest ne clerk, 
340: Me to destourbe of cristes hooly werk. 
341: And after that thanne telle I forth my tales; 
342: Bulles of popes and of cardynales, 
343: Of patriarkes and bishopes I shewe 
344: And in latyn I speke a wordes fewe, 
345: To saffron with my predicacioun, 
346: And for to stire hem to devocioun. 
347: Thanne shewe I forth my longe cristal stones, 
348: Ycrammed ful of cloutes and of bones, -- 
349: Relikes been they, as wenen they echoon. 
350: Thanne have I in latoun a sholder-boon 
351: Which that was of an hooly jewes sheep. 
352: Goode men, I seye, taak of my wordes keep; 
353: If that this boon be wasshe in any welle, 
354: If cow, or calf, or sheep, or oxe swelle 
355: That any worm hath ete, or worm ystonge, 
356: Taak water of that welle and wassh his tonge, 
357: And it is hool anon; and forthermoore, 
358: Of pokkes and of scabbe, and every soore 
359: Shal every sheep be hool that of this welle 
360: Drynketh a draughte. Taak kep eek what I telle -- 
361: If that the good-man that the beestes oweth 
362: Wol every wyke, er that the cok hym croweth, 
363: Fastynge, drynken of this welle a draughte, 
364: As thilke hooly jew oure eldres taughte, 
365: His beestes and his stoor shal multiplie. 
366: and, sires, also it heeleth jalousie; 
367: For though a man be falle in jalous rage, 
368: Lat maken with this water his potage, 
369: And nevere shal he moore his wyf mystriste, 
370: Though he the soothe of hir defaute wiste, 
371: Al had she taken prestes two or thre. 
372: heere is a miteyn eek, that ye may se. 
373: He that his hand wol putte in this mitayn, 
374: He shal have multipliyng of his grayn, 
375: Whan he hath sowen, be it whete or otes, 
376: So that he offre pens, or elles grotes. 
377: goode men and wommen, o thyng warne I yow -- 
378: If any wight be in this chirche now 
379: That hath doon synne horrible, that he 
380: Dar nat, for shame, of it yshryven be, 
381: Or any womman, be she yong or old, 
382: That hath ymaad hir housbonde cokewold, 
383: Swich folk shal have no power ne no grace 
384: To offren to my relikes in this place. 
385: And whoso fyndeth hym out of swich blame, 
386: He wol come up and offre in goddes name, 
387: And I assoille him by the auctoritee 
388: Which that by bulle ygraunted was to me. 
389: by this gaude have I wonne, yeer by yeer, 
390: An hundred mark sith I was pardoner. 
391: I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet, 
392: And whan the lewed peple is doun yset, 
393: I preche so as ye han herd bifoore, 
394: And telle an hundred false japes moore. 
395: Thanne peyne I me to strecche forth the nekke, 
396: And est and west upon the peple I bekke, 
397: As dooth a dowve sittynge on a berne. 
398: Myne handes and my tonge goon so yerne 
399: That it is joye to se my bisynesse. 
400: Of avarice and of swich cursednesse 
401: Is al my prechyng, for to make hem free 
402: To yeven hir pens, and namely unto me. 
403: For myn entente is nat but for to wynne, 
404: And nothyng for correccioun of synne. 
405: I rekke nevere, whan that they been beryed, 
406: Though that hir soules goon a-blakeberyed! 
407: For certes, many a predicacioun 
408: Comth ofte tyme of yvel entencioun; 
409: Som for plesance of folk and flaterye, 
410: To been avaunced by ypocrisye, 
411: And som for veyne glorie, and som for hate. 
412: For whan I dar noon oother weyes debate, 
413: Thanne wol I stynge hym with my tonge smerte 
414: In prechyng, so that he shal nat asterte 
415: To been defamed falsly, if that he 
416: Hath trespased to my bretheren or to me. 
417: For though I telle noght his propre name, 
418: Men shal wel knowe that it is the same, 
419: By signes, and by othere circumstances. 
420: Thus quyte I folk that doon us displesances; 
421: Thus spitte I out my venym under hewe 
422: Of hoolynesse, to semen hooly and trewe. 
423: but shortly myn entente I wol devyse -- 
424: I preche of no thyng but for coveityse. 
425: Therfore my theme is yet, and evere was, 
426: Radix malorum est cupiditas. 
427: Thus kan I preche agayn that same vice 
428: Which that I use, and that is avarice. 
429: But though myself be gilty in that synne, 
430: Yet kan I maken oother folk to twynne 
431: From avarice, and soore to repente. 
432: But that is nat my principal entente; 
433: I preche nothyng but for coveitise. 
434: Of this mateere it oghte ynogh suffise. 
435: thanne telle I hem ensamples many oon 
436: Of olde stories longe tyme agoon. 
437: For lewed peple loven tales olde; 
438: Swiche thynges kan they wel reporte and holde. 
439: What, trowe ye, that whiles I may preche, 
440: And wynne gold and silver for I teche, 
441: That I wol lyve in poverte wilfully? 
442: Nay, nay, I thoghte it nevere, trewwly! 
443: For I wol preche and begge in sondry landes; 
444: I wol nat do no labour with myne handes, 
445: Ne make baskettes, and lyve therby, 
446: By cause I wol nat beggen ydelly. 
447: I wol noon of the apostles countrefete; 
448: I wol have moneie, wolle, chese, and whete, 
449: Al were it yeven of the povereste page, 
450: Or of the povereste wydwe in a village, 
451: Al sholde hir children sterve for famyne. 
452: Nay, I wol drynke licour of the vyne, 
453: And have a joly wenche in every toun. 
454: But herkneth, lordynges, in conclusioun -- 
455: Youre likyng is that I shal telle a tale. 
456: Now have I dronke a draughte of corny ale, 
457: By god, I hope I shal yow telle a thyng 
458: That shal be reson been at youre likyng. 
459: For though myself be a ful vicious man, 
460: A moral tale yet I yow telle kan, 
461: Which I am wont to preche for to wynne. 
462: Now hoold youre pees! my tale I wol bigynne. 


The Pardoner's Tale
463: in flaundres whilom was a compaignye 
464: Of yonge folk that haunteden folye, 
465: As riot, hasard, stywes, and tavernes, 
466: Where as with harpes, lutes, and gyternes, 
467: They daunce and pleyen at dees bothe day and nyght, 
468: And eten also and drynken over hir myght, 
469: Thurgh which they doon the devel sacrifise 
470: Withinne that develes temple, in cursed wise, 
471: By superfluytee abhomynable. 
472: Hir othes been so grete and so dampnable 
473: That it is grisly for to heere hem swere. 
474: Oure blissed lordes body they totere, -- 
475: Hem thoughte that jewes rente hym noght ynough; 
476: And ech of hem at otheres synne lough. 
477: And right anon thanne comen tombesteres 
478: Fetys and smale, and yonge frutesteres, 
479: Syngeres with harpes, baudes, wafereres, 
480: Whiche been the verray develes officeres 
481: To kyndle and blowe the fyr of lecherye, 
482: That is annexed unto glotonye. 
483: The hooly writ take I to my witnesse 
484: That luxurie is in wyn and dronkenesse. 
485: lo, how that dronken looth, unkyndely, 
486: Lay by his doghtres two, unwityngly; 
487: So dronke he was, he nyste what he wroughte. 
488: herodes, whoso wel the stories soghte, 
489: Whan he of wyn was repleet at his feeste, 
490: Right at his owene table he yaf his heeste 
491: To sleen the baptist john, ful giltelees. 
492: senec seith a good word doutelees; 
493: He seith he kan no difference fynde 
494: Bitwix a man that is out of his mynde 
495: And a man which that is dronkelewe, 
496: But that woodnessse, yfallen in a shrewe, 
497: Persevereth lenger than doth dronkenesse. 
498: O glotonye, ful of cursednesse! 
499: O cause first of oure confusioun! 
500: O original of oure dampnacioun, 
501: Til crist hadde boght us with his blood agayn! 
502: Lo, how deere, shortly for to sayn, 
503: Aboght was thilke cursed vileynye 
504: Corrupt was al this world for glotonye. 
505: adam oure fader, and his wyf also, 
506: Fro paradys to labour and to wo 
507: Were dryven for that vice, it is no drede. 
508: For whil that adam fasted, as I rede, 
509: He was in paradys; and whan that he 
510: Eet of the fruyt deffended on the tree, 
511: Anon he was out cast to wo and peyne. 
512: O glotonye, on thee wel oghte us pleyne! 
513: O, wiste a man how manye maladyes 
514: Folwen of excesse and of glotonyes, 
515: He wolde been the moore mesurable 
516: Of his diete, sittynge at his table. 
517: Allas! the shorte throte, the tendre mouth, 
518: Maketh that est and west and north and south, 
519: In erthe, in eir, in water, men to swynke 
520: To gete a glotoun deyntee mete and drynke! 
521: Of this matiere, o paul, wel kanstow trete -- 
522: Mete unto wombe, and wombe eek unto mete, 
523: Shal God destroyen bothe, as paulus seith. 
524: Allas! a foul thyng is it, by my feith, 
525: To seye this word, and fouler is the dede, 
526: Whan man so drynketh of the white and rede 
527: That of his throte be maketh his pryvee, 
528: Thurgh thilke cursed superfluitee. 
529: the apostel wepyng seith ful pitously, 
530: Ther walken manye of whiche yow toold have I -- 
531: I seye it now wepyng, with pitous voys -- 
532: That they been enemys of cristes croys, 
533: Of whiche the ende is deeth, wombe is hir god! 
534: O wombe! o bely! o stynkyng cod, 
535: Fulfilled of dong and of corrupcioun! 
536: At either ende of thee foul is the soun. 
537: How greet labour and cost is thee to fynde! 
538: Thise cookes, how they stampe, and streyne, and grynde, 
539: And turnen substaunce into accident, 
540: To fulfille al thy likerous talent! 
541: Out of the harde bones knokke they 
542: The mary, for they caste noght awey 
543: That may go thurgh the golet softe and swoote. 
544: Of spicerie of leef, and bark, and roote 
545: Shal been his sauce ymaked by delit, 
546: To make hym yet a newer appetit. 
547: But, certes, he that haunteth swiche delices 
548: Is deed, whil that he lyveth in tho vices. 
549: a lecherous thyng is wyn, and dronkenesse 
550: Is ful of stryvyng and of wrecchednesse. 
551: O dronke man, disfigured is thy face, 
552: Sour is thy breeth, foul artow to embrace, 
553: And thurgh thy dronke nose semeth the soun 
554: As though thou seydest as sampsoun, sampsoun! 
555: And yet, God woot, sampsoun drank nevere no wyn. 
556: Thou fallest as it were a styked swyn; 
557: Thy tonge is lost, and al thyn honeste cure; 
558: For dronkenesse is verray sepulture 
559: Of mannes wit and his discrecioun. 
560: In whom that drynke hath dominacioun 
561: He kan no conseil kepe, it is no drede. 
562: Now kepe yow fro the white and fro the rede, 
563: And namely fro the white wyn of lepe, 
564: That is to selle in fysshstrete or in chepe. 
565: This wyn of spaigne crepeth subtilly 
566: In othere wynes, growynge faste by, 
567: Of which ther ryseth swich fumositee 
568: That whan a man hath dronken draughtes thre, 
569: And weneth that he be at hoom in chepe, 
570: He is in spaigne, right at the toune of lepe, -- 
571: Nat at the rochele, ne at burdeux toun; 
572: And thanne wol he seye sampsoun, sampsoun! 
573: but herkneth, lordynges, o word, I yow preye, 
574: That alle the sovereyn actes,dar I seye, 
575: Of victories in the olde testament, 
576: Thurgh verray god, that is omnipotent, 
577: Were doon in abstinence and in preyere. 
578: Looketh the bible, and ther ye may it leere. 
579: looke, attila, the grete conquerour, 
580: Deyde in his sleep, with shame and dishonour, 
581: Bledynge ay at his nose in dronkenesse. 
582: A capitayn sholde lyve in sobrenesse. 
583: And over al this, avyseth yow right wel 
584: What was comaunded unto lamuel -- 
585: Nat samuel, but lamuel, seye I; 
586: Redeth the bible, and fynde it expresly 
587: Of wyn-yevyng to hem that han justise. 
588: Namoore of this, for it may wel suffise. 
589: and now that I have spoken of glotonye, 
590: Now wol I yow deffenden hasardrye. 
591: Hasard is verray mooder of lesynges, 
592: And of deceite, and cursed forswerynges, 
593: Blaspheme of crist, manslaughtre, and wast also 
594: Of catel and of tyme; and forthermo, 
595: It is repreeve and contrarie of honour 
596: For to ben holde a commune hasardour. 
597: And ever the hyer he is of estaat. 
598: The moore is he yholden desolaat. 
599: If that a prynce useth hasardrye. 
600: In alle governaunce and policye 
601: He is, as by commune opinioun, 
602: Yholde the lasse in reputacioun. 
603: stilboun, that was a wys embassadour, 
604: Was sent to corynthe, in ful greet honour, 
605: Fro lacidomye, to make hire alliaunce. 
606: And whan he cam, hym happede, par chaunce, 
607: That alle the gretteste that were of that lond, 
608: Pleyynge atte hasard he hem fond. 
609: For which, as soone as it myghte be, 
610: He stal hym hoom agayn to his contree, 
611: And seyde, ther wol I nat lese my name, 
612: Ne I wol nat take on me so greet defame, 
613: Yow for to allie unto none hasardours. 
614: Sendeth othere wise embassadours; 
615: For, by my trouthe, me were levere dye 
616: That I yow sholde to hasardours allye. 
617: For ye, that been so glorious in honours, 
618: Shul nat allyen yow with hasadours 
619: As by my wyl, ne as by my tretee. 
620: This wise philosophre, thus seyde hee. 
621: looke eek that to the kyng demetrius, 
622: The kyng of parthes, as the book seith us, 
623: Sente him a paire of dees of gold in scorn, 
624: For he hadde used hasard ther-biforn; 
625: For which he heeld his glorie or his renoun 
626: At no value or reputacioun. 
627: Lordes nay fynden oother maner pley 
628: Honest ynough to dryve the day awey. 
629: now wol I speke of othes false and grete 
630: A word or two, as olde bookes trete. 
631: Gret sweryng is a thyng abhominable, 
632: And fals sweryng is yet moore reprevable. 
633: The heighe God forbad sweryng at al, 
634: Witnesse on mathew; but in special 
635: Of sweryng seith the hooly jeremye, 
636: Thou shalt swere sooth thyne othes, and nat lye, 
637: And swere in doom, and eek in rightwisnesse; 
638: But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse. 
639: Bihoold and se that in the firste table 
640: Of heighe goddes heestes honurable, 
641: Hou that the seconde heeste of hym is this -- 
642: Take nat my name in ydel or amys. 
643: Lo, rather be forbedeth swich sweryng 
644: Than homycide or many a cursed thyng; 
645: I seye that, as by ordre, thus it stondeth; 
646: This knoweth, that his heestes understondeth, 
647: How that the seconde heeste of God is that. 
648: And forther over, I wol thee telle al plat, 
649: That vengeance shal nat parten from his hous 
650: That of his othes is to outrageous. 
651: By goddes precious herte, and by his nayles, 
652: And by the blood of crist that is in hayles, 
653: Sevene is my chaunce, and thyn is cynk and treye! 
654: By goddes armes, if thou falsly pleye, 
655: This daggere shal thurghout thyn herte go! -- 
656: This fruyt cometh of the bicched bones two, 
657: Forsweryng, ire, falsnesse, homycide. 
658: Now, for the love of crist, that for us dyde, 
659: Lete youre othes, bothe grete and smale. 
660: But, sires, now wol I telle forth my tale. 
661: thise riotoures thre of which I telle, 
662: Longe erst er prime rong of any belle, 
663: Were set hem in a taverne for to drynke, 
664: And as they sat, they herde a belle clynke 
665: Biforn a cors, was caried to his grave. 
666: That oon of hem gan callen to his knave -- 
667: Go bet, quod he, and axe redily 
668: What cors is this that passeth heer forby; 
669: And looke that thou reporte his name weel. 
670: sire, quod this boy, it nedeth never-a-deel; 
671: It was me toold er ye cam heer two houres. 
672: He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres; 
673: And sodeynly he was yslayn to-nyght, 
674: Fordronke, as he sat on his bench upright. 
675: Ther can a privee theef men clepeth deeth, 
676: That in this contree al the peple sleth, 
677: And with his spere he smoot his herte atwo, 
678: And wente his wey withouten wordes mo. 
679: He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence. 
680: And, maister, er ye come in his presence. 
681: Me thynketh that it were necessarie 
682: For to be war of swich an adversarie. 
683: Beth redy for to meete hym everemoore; 
684: Thus taughte me my dame; I sey namoore. 
685: By seinte marie! seyde this taverner, 
686: The child seith sooth, for he hath slayn this yeer, 
687: Henne over a mile, withinne a greet village, 
688: Bothe man and womman, child, and hyne, and page; 
689: I trowe his habitacioun be there. 
690: To been avysed greet wysdom it were, 
691: Er that he dide a man a dishonour. 
692: ye, goddes armes! quod this riotour, 
693: Is it swich peril with hym for to meete? 
694: I shal hym seke by wey and eek by strete, 
695: I make avow to goddes digne bones! 
696: Herkneth, felawes, we thre been al ones; 
697: Lat ech of us holde up his hand til oother, 
698: And ech of us bicomen otheres brother. 
699: And we wol sleen this false traytour deeth. 
700: He shal be slayn, he that so manye sleeth, 
701: By goddes dignitee, er it be nyght! 
702: togidres han thise thre hir trouthes plight 
703: To lyve and dyen ech of hem for oother, 
704: As though he were his owene ybore brother. 
705: And up they stirte, al dronken in this rage, 
706: And forth they goon towardes that village 
707: Of which the taverner hadde spoke biforn. 
708: And many a grisly ooth thanne han they sworn, 
709: And cristes blessed body al torente -- 
710: Deeth shal be deed, if that they may hym hente! 
711: whan they han goon nat fully half a mile, 
712: Right as they wolde han troden over a stile, 
713: An oold man and a povre with hem mette. 
714: This olde man ful mekely hem grette, 
715: And seyde thus, now, lordes, God yow see! 
716: the proudeste of thise riotoures three 
717: Answerde agayn, what, carl, with sory grace! 
718: Why artow al forwrapped save thy face? 
719: Why lyvestow so longe in so greet age? 
720: this olde man gan looke in his visage, 
721: And seyde thus -- for I ne kan nat fynde 
722: A man, though that I walked into ynde, 
723: Neither in citee ne in no village, 
724: That wolde chaunge his youthe for myn age; 
725: And therfore moot I han myn age stille, 
726: As longe tyme as it is goddes wille. 
727: Ne deeth, allas! ne wol nat han my lyf 
728: Thus walke I, lyk a restelees kaitif, 
729: And on the ground, which is my moodres gate, 
730: I knokke with my staf, bothe erly and late, 
731: And seye leeve mooder, leet me in! 
732: Lo how I vanysshe, flessh, and blood, and skyn! 
733: Allas! whan shul my bones been at reste? 
734: Mooder, with yow wolde I chaunge my cheste 
735: That in my chambre longe tyme hath be, 
736: Ye, for an heyre clowt to wrappe in me! 
737: But yet to me she wol nat do that grace, 
738: For which ful pale and welked is my face. 
739: but, sires, to yow it is no curteisye 
740: To speken to an old man vileynye, 
741: But he trespasse in word, or elles in dede. 
742: In hooly writ ye may yourself wel rede -- 
743: Agayns an oold man, hoor upon his heed, 
744: Ye sholde arise; wherfore I yeve yow reed, 
745: Ne dooth unto an oold man noon harm now, 
746: Namoore than that ye wolde men did to yow 
747: In age, if that ye so longe abyde. 
748: And God be with yow, where ye go or ryde! 
749: I moot go thider as I have to go. 
750: nay, olde cherl, by god, thou shalt not so, 
751: Seyde this oother hasardour anon; 
752: Thou partest nat so lightly, by seint john! 
753: Thou spak right now of thilke traytour deeth, 
754: That in this contree alle oure freendes sleeth. 
755: Have heer my trouthe, as thou art his espye, 
756: Telle where he is, or thou shalt it abye, 
757: By god, and by the hooly sacrement! 
758: For soothly thou art oon of his assent 
759: To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef! 
760: now, sires, quod he, if that yow be so leef 
761: To fynde deeth, turne up this croked wey, 
762: For in that grove I lafte hym, by my fey, 
763: Under a tree, and there he wole abyde; 
764: Noght for youre boost he wole him no thyng hyde. 
765: Se ye that ook? right there ye shal hym fynde. 
766: God save yow, that boghte agayn mankynde, 
767: And yow amende! thus seyde this olde man; 
768: And everich of thise riotoures ran 
769: Til he cam to that tree, and ther they founde 
770: Of floryns fyne of gold ycoyned rounde 
771: Wel ny an eighte busshels, as hem thoughte. 
772: No lenger thanne after deeth they soughte, 
773: But ech of hem so glad was of that sighte, 
774: For that the floryns been so faire and brighte, 
775: That doun they sette hem by this precious hoord. 
776: The worste of hem, he spak the firste word. 
777: bretheren, quod he, taak kep what that I seye; 
778: My wit is greet, though that I bourde and pleye. 
779: This tresor hath fortune unto us yiven, 
780: In myrthe and joliftee oure lyf to lyven, 
781: And lightly as it comth, so wol we spende. 
782: Ey! goddes precious dignitee! who wende 
783: To-day that we sholde han so fair a grace? 
784: But myghte this gold be caried fro this place 
785: Hoom to myn hous, or elles unto youres -- 
786: For wel ye woot that al this gold is oures -- 
787: Thanne were we in heigh felicitee. 
788: But trewely, by daye it may nat bee. 
789: Men wolde seyn that we were theves stronge, 
790: And for oure owene tresor doon us honge. 
791: This tresor moste ycaried be by nyghte 
792: As wisely and as slyly as it myghte. 
793: Wherfore I rede that cut among us alle 
794: Be drawe, and lat se wher the cut wol falle; 
795: And he that hath the cut with herte blithe 
796: Shal renne to the toun, and that ful swithe, 
797: And brynge us breed and wyn ful prively. 
798: And two of us shul kepen subtilly 
799: This tresor wel; and if he wol nat tarie, 
800: Whan it is nyght, we wol this tresor carie, 
801: By oon assent, where as us thynketh best. 
802: That oon of hem the cut broghte in his fest, 
803: And bad hem drawe, and looke where it wol falle; 
804: And if fil on the yongeste of hem alle, 
805: And forth toward the toun he wente anon. 
806: And also soone as that he was gon, 
807: That oon of hem spak thus unto that oother -- 
808: Thou knowest wel tho art my sworen brother; 
809: Thy profit wol I telle thee anon. 
810: Thou woost wel that oure felawe is agon. 
811: And heere is gold, and that ful greet plentee, 
812: That shal departed been among us thre. 
813: But nathelees, if I kan shape it so 
814: That it departed were among us two, 
815: Hadde I nat doon a freendes torn to thee? 
816: that oother answerde, I noot hou that may be. 
817: He woot wel that the gold is with us tweye; 
818: What shal we doon? what shal we to hym seye? 
819: shal it be conseil? seyde the firste shrewe, 
820: And I shal tellen in a wordes fewe 
821: What we shal doon, and brynge it wel aboute. 
822: I graunte, quod that oother, out of doute, 
823: That, by my trouthe, I wol thee nat biwreye. 
824: now, quod the firste, thou woost wel we be tweye; 
825: And two of us shul strenger be than oon. 
826: Looke whan that he is set, that right anoon 
827: Arys as though thou woldest with hym pleye, 
828: And I shal ryve hym thurgh the sydes tweye 
829: Whil that thou strogelest with hym as in game, 
830: And with thy daggere looke thou do the same; 
831: And thanne shal al this gold departed be, 
832: My deere freend, bitwixen me and thee. 
833: Thanne may we bothe oure lustes all fulfille, 
834: And pleye at dees right at oure owene wille. 
835: And thus acorded been thise shrewes tweye 
836: To sleen the thridde, as ye han herd me seye. 
837: this yongeste, which that wente to the toun, 
838: Ful ofte in herte he rolleth up and doun 
839: The beautee of thise floryns newe and brighte. 
840: O lord! quod he, if so were that I myghte 
841: Have al this tresor to myself allone, 
842: Ther is no man that lyveth under the trone 
843: Of God that sholde lyve so murye as i! 
844: And atte laste the feend, oure enemy, 
845: Putte in his thought that he sholde poysen beye, 
846: With which he myghte sleen his felawes tweye; 
847: For-why the feend foond hym in swich lyvynge 
848: That he hadde leve him to sorwe brynge. 
849: For this was outrely his fulle entente, 
850: To sleen hem bothe, and nevere to repente. 
851: And forth he gooth, no lenger wolde he tarie, 
852: Into the toun, unto a pothecarie, 
853: And preyde hym that he hym wolde selle 
854: Som poyson, that he myghte his rattes quelle; 
855: And eek ther was a polcat in his hawe, 
856: That, as he seyde, his capouns hadde yslawe, 
857: And fayn he wolde wreke hym, if he myghte, 
858: On vermyn that destroyed hym by nyghte. 
859: the pothecarie answerde, and thou shalt have 
860: A thyng that, also God my soule save, 
861: In al this world ther is no creature, 
862: That eten or dronken hath of this confiture 
863: Noght but the montance of a corn of whete, 
864: That he ne shal his lif anon forlete; 
865: Ye, sterve he shal, and that in lasse while 
866: Than thou wolt goon a paas nat but a mile, 
867: This poysoun is so strong and violent. 
868: this cursed man hath in his hond yhent 
869: This poysoun in a box, and sith he ran 
870: Into the nexte strete unto a man, 
871: And borwed of hym large botelles thre; 
872: And in the two his poyson poured he; 
873: The thridde he kepte clene for his drynke. 
874: For al the nyght he shoop hym for to swynke 
875: In cariynge of the gold out of that place. 
876: And whan this riotour, with sory grace, 
877: Hadde filled with wyn his grete botels thre, 
878: To his felawes agayn repaireth he. 
879: what nedeth it to sermone of it moore? 
880: For right as they hadde cast his deeth bifoore, 
881: Right so they han hym slayn, and that anon. 
882: And whan that this was doon, thus spak that oon -- 
883: Now lat us sitte and drynke, and make us merie, 
884: And afterward we wol his body berie. 
885: And with that word it happed hym, par cas, 
886: To take the botel ther the poyson was, 
887: And drank, and yaf his felawe drynke also, 
888: For which anon they storven bothe two. 
889: but certes, I suppose that avycen 
890: Wroot nevere in no canon, ne in no fen, 
891: Mo wonder signes of empoisonyng 
892: Than hadde thise wrecches two, er hir endyng. 
893: Thus ended been thise homycides two, 
894: And eek the false empoysonere also. 
895: o cursed synne of alle cursednesse! 
896: O traytours homycide, o wikkednesse! 
897: O gloronye, luxurie, and hasardrye! 
898: Thou blasphemour of crist with vileynye 
899: And othes grete, of usage and of pride! 
900: Allas! mankynde, how may it bitide 
901: That to thy creatour, which that the wroghte, 
902: And with his precious herte-blood thee boghte, 
903: Thou art so fals and so unkynde, allas? 
904: now goode men, God foryeve yow youre trespas, 
905: And ware yow fro the synne of avarice! 
906: Myn hooly pardoun may yow alle warice, 
907: So that ye offre nobles or sterlynges, 
908: Or elles silver broches, spoones, rynges. 
909: Boweth youre heed under this hooly bulle! 
910: Cometh up, ye wyves, offreth of youre wolle! 
911: Youre names I entre heer in my rolle anon; 
912: Into the blisse of hevene shul ye gon. 
913: I yow assoile, by myn heigh power, 
914: Yow that wol offre, as clene and eek as cleer 
915: As ye were born. -- and lo, sires, thus I preche. 
916: And jhesu crist, that is oure soules leche, 
917: So graunte yow his pardoun to receyve, 
918: For that is best; I wol yow nat deceyve. 
919: but, sires, o word forgat I in my tale -- 
920: I have relikes and pardoun in my male, 
921: As faire as any man in engelond. 
922: Whiche were me yeven by the popes hond. 
923: If any of yow wole, of devocion, 
924: Offren, and han myn absolucion, 
925: Com forth anon, and kneleth heere adoun, 
926: And mekely receyveth my pardoun; 
927: Or elles taketh pardoun as ye wende, 
928: Al newe and fressh at every miles ende, 
929: So that ye offren, alwey newe and newe, 
930: Nobles or pens, whiche that be goode and trewe. 
931: It is an honour to everich that is heer 
932: That ye mowe have a suffisant pardoneer 
933: T'assoile yow, in contree as ye ryde, 
934: For aventures whiche that may bityde. 
935: Paraventure ther may fallen oon or two 
936: Doun of his hors, and breke his nekke atwo. 
937: Looke which a seuretee is it to yow alle 
938: That I am in youre felaweshipe yfalle, 
939: That may assoille yow, bothe moore and lasse, 
940: Whan that the soule shal fro the body passe. 
941: I rede that oure hoost heere shal bigynne, 
942: For he is moost envoluped in synne. 
943: Com forth, sire hoost, and offre first anon, 
944: And thou shalt kisse the relikes everychon, 
945: Ye, for a grote! unbokele anon thy purs. 
946: nay, nay! quod he, thanne have I cristes curs! 
947: Lat be, quod he, it shal nat be, so theech! 
948: Thou woldest make me kisse thyn olde breech, 
949: And swere it were a relyk of a seint, 
950: Though it were with thy fundement depeint! 
951: But, by the croys which that seint eleyne fond, 
952: I wolde I hadde thy coillons in myn hond 
953: In stide of relikes or os seintuarie. 
954: Lat kutte hem of, I wol thee helpe hem carie; 
955: They shul be shryned in an hogges toord! 
956: this pardoner answerde nat a word; 
957: So wrooth he was, no word ne wolde he seye. 
958: now, quod oure hoost, I wol no lenger pleye 
959: With thee, ne with noon oother angry man. 
960: But right anon the worthy knyght bigan, 
961: Whan that he saugh that al the peple lough, 
962: Namoore of this, for it is right ynough! 
963: Sire pardoner, be glad and myrie of cheere; 
964: And ye, sire hoost, that been to me so deere, 
965: I prey yow that ye kisse the pardoner. 
966: And pardoner, I prey thee, drawe thee neer, 
967: And, as we diden, lat us laughe and pleye. 
968: Anon they kiste, and ryden forth hir weye. 

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