The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 152r
8 of 19 folios
Thi tonge is lost and al thyn honest cure
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For dronkunnesse is verry Sepulture
Of mannes wit and his discrecioun
In whom that drynke hath dominacyoun
He can no counseil kepen out of drede
Now kepe yow fro the white and fro the rede
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And namely from the white wyne of lepe
That is to selle in fisshestrete or in chepe
This wyn of spayn crepith sotelly
In other veynes growyng fast by
Of which ther riseth swich fumosite
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That whan aman hath dronken draghtes thre
And weneth that he be at hoom in chepe
He is in spayn at the toun of lepe
Nat at the Rochel ne at burdeux toun
And than wol he seyn Sampsoun sampsoun
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¶ But herkeneth lordynges . o word I yow prey
That alle the souereigne actes dar I seye
Of victories in the olde testament
Thurgh verry god that is omnipotent
Were doon in abstinence and prayere
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Loketh the bible and there ye may it lere
¶ Look attila the gret conquerour
Deide in his sleep with shame and dishonour
Bledyng at his nose ay in dronkenesse
A Capitayn shold lyue in sobrenesse
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And ouer al this auyseth yow right wel
What was commaunded vnto lamuel
Nat Samuel but lamuel sey I
Redith the bible and fynd it experssly
Of wyn yeuyng to hem that han Iustice
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No more of this for it may wel suffice
And now that I haue spoke of glotonye
Now wole I yow deffende hazardye
Hazard is verray modre of lesynges
And of deceit and cursed forswerynges