The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 149v
3 of 19 folios
Al hadde she taken prestes two or thre
¶ Here is a myteyn ek as ye may se
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He that his hond wole put in this myteyn
He shal haue multiplying of his greyn
Whan he hath sowen be it whete or otes
So that he offre pens or elles grotes
¶ Good men an wommen o thing warne I yow
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If any wight be in this cherche now
That hath doon synne horrible that he
Dar nat for shame of it I shryuen be
Or eny womman be she yonge or olde
That hath I made hir husbond Cokewolde
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Swich folk shul han no power ne no gace
To offre to my Reliques in this place
And who so that fyndeth him out of swich blame
Vngiltif come vp and offre a goddes name
And I assoile him bi the auctorite
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Which that my bulle graunted was to me
¶ Bi this gaude haue I wommen euery yer
An .C. marke syn I was pardoner
I stande lik a Clerk in my pulpet
And whan the lewde peple is doun Iset
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I preche so as ye han herd bifore
And telle an .C. fals iapes more
Than peyne I me to strecche forth my nekke
And Est and West vpon the peple I bekke
As doth a dowue sittyng on a berne
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My handes and my tonge gon so yerne
That it is ioy to se my bisinesse
Of auarice and of swich cursednesse
Is al my preching for to make hem fre
To yeue hir pens and namely vnto me
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For myn entente is nat but for to wynne
And nothing for correccion of synne
I rekke neuere whan that thei be beried
Thogh that ther soules goon a blakeberied
For certes many a predicacioun
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Comth often tyme of il encencioun