The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 155r
14 of 19 folios
Bretheren quod he take kepe what that I sey
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Mi witte is gret though that I borde or pley
This tresour hath fortune vnto vs yeuen
In myrthe and Iolyte our lif to lyuen
And lightly as it comth so wol we spende
Ey goddes percious dignite who wende
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To day that we sholde han so fayr a gace
But myght this gold be caried fro this place
Hoom to myn hous or elles vnto youres
For wel ye wot that al this gold is oures
Thanne were we in hie felicite
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But truly bi day it may nat be
Men wolden seyn that we were theues stronge
And for our awne tresour doon vs honge
This tresor moste y caried be bi nyght
As wisely and as slily as it myght
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Wherfore I rede that cut among vs alle
Be draw and let se where that cut wol falle
And he that hath the cut with hert blithe
Shal renne vnto the toun and that ful swithe
And brynge vs bred and wyn ful piuely
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And two of vs shul kepen sotelly
This tresor wel and yif he wol nat tarye
Whan it is nyght we wol this tresor carye
By on assent where as vs thinketh best
That on of hem the cut broght in his fest
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And bad hem drawe and look where it wold falle
And it fel on the yongest of hem alle
And forth toward the toun he went anon
And also sone as he was agon
That on of hem spak thus vnto that other
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Thow knowest wel thow art my sworen brothir
Thi profit wol I telle the anon
Thow wost wel that our felaw is agoon
And heer is gold and that gret plente
That shal departed ben among vs thre
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But nathales yif I can shape so
That it departed were among vs two