The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 199v
10 of 19 folios
For he hadde vsed hasardye þer byforn
For which he helde his glorie and his renoū
At no value of reputacioū
Lordes mighten fynden oþer maner pley
300
Honeste ynougħ to dryue þe day awey
NOw wol I speke of oþes false and grete
A word or tuo as oþer bookes entrete
Gret sweryng is a þing abhominable
And fals swerynge is more reprouable
305
Þe hihe god forbad sweryng at al
Witnesse at Mattheu but in special
Of sweryng saiþ þe holy Ieromie
Þou schalt swere soþ þin oþes and nougħt lye
And swere in doome and eek in rightwisnesse
310
But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse
Bihold and see þat in þe ferste table
Of heyhe goddes hestes honurable /
How þat þe secounde heste of him is þis /
Take nougħt my name in ydelnesse amys /
315
Lo raþer he forbedeþ such sweryng
Or Omycyde or eny oþer cursed þing
I say as by ordre þus it standeþ
This knoweþ þat his hestes vnderstandeþ
How þat þe secounde heste of god is þat
320
And forþermore I wol þe telle al plat
Þat vengeaunce schal nouȝt parte fro his hous
Þat of his othis is so outrageous
By goddes precious herte and his nayles
And by his blood þat is in hayles
325
Seuen is my chaunce and þin is fyue and þre
By goddes armes if þou falsly pleye me
Þis dagger schal þurgh þin herte go
Þis fruyt comeþ of þe bicched bones tuo
Forsweryng Ire falsnes homicyde
330
Now for þe loue of crist þat for vs dyde
Leueþ ȝoure oþes boþe grete and smale