Start of the Prologue being read aloud in Middle English (MP3 format) 1: Whan that aprill with his shoures soote 2: The droght of march hath perced to the roote, 3: And bathed every veyne in swich licour 4: Of which vertu engendred is the flour; 5: Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth 6: Inspired hath in every holt and heeth 7: Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne 8: Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne, 9: And smale foweles maken melodye, 10: That slepen al the nyght with open ye 11: (so priketh hem nature in hir corages); 12: Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, 13: And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, 14: To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; 15: And specially from every shires ende 16: Of engelond to caunterbury they wende, 17: The hooly blisful martir for to seke, 18: That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke. 19: Bifil that in that seson on a day, 20: In southwerk at the tabard as I lay 21: Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage 22: To caunterbury with ful devout corage, 23: At nyght was come into that hostelrye 24: Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye, 25: Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle 26: In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle, 27: That toward caunterbury wolden ryde. 28: The chambres and the stables weren wyde, 29: And wel we weren esed atte beste. 30: And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste, 31: So hadde I spoken with hem everichon 32: That I was of hir felaweshipe anon, 33: And made forward erly for to ryse, 34: To take oure wey ther as I yow devyse. ...[Portrait of the Pardoner]
669: With hym ther rood a gentil pardoner 670: Of rouncivale, his freend and his compeer, 671: That streight was comen fro the court of rome. 672: Ful loude he soong com hider, love, to me! 673: This somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun; 674: Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun. 675: This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex, 676: But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex; 677: By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde, 678: And therwith he his shuldres overspradde; 679: But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon. 680: But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon, 681: For it was trussed up in his walet. 682: Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet; 683: Dischevelee, save his cappe, he rood al bare. 684: Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare. 685: A vernycle hadde he sowed upon his cappe. 686: His walet lay biforn hym in his lappe, 687: Bretful of pardoun, comen from rome al hoot. 688: A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot. 689: No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have; 690: As smothe it was as it were late shave. 691: I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare. 692: But of his craft, fro berwyk into ware, 693: Ne was ther swich another pardoner 694: For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer, 695: Which that he seyde was oure lady veyl: 696: He seyde he hadde a gobet of the seyl 697: That seint peter hadde, whan that he wente 698: Upon the see, til jhesu crist hym hente. 699: He hadde a croys of latoun ful of stones, 700: And in a glas he hadde pigges bones. 701: But with thise relikes, whan that he fond 702: A povre person dwellynge upon lond, 703: Upon a day he gat hym moore moneye 704: Than that the person gat in monthes tweye; 705: And thus, with feyned flaterye and japes, 706: He made the person and the peple his apes. 707: But trewely to tellen atte laste, 708: He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste. 709: Wel koude he rede a lessoun or a storie, 710: But alderbest he song an offertorie; 711: For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe, 712: He moste preche and wel affile his tonge 713: To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude; 714: Therefore he song the murierly and loude. ...
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 syposition: relative; right: 0px;des 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 glotonye, 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.