The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 142v
9 of 16 folios
¶ The Pardoners owyn Prologe
Lordynges quod he / in chirches whan I preche
I peyne me / to haue / an hauteyn speche
And rynge out / as round / as gootħ a belle
For I can al by rote / that I telle
5
This is my Teme / and shal / and euere was
Radix malorum/ est Cupiditas
First I pronounce / whennes that I come
And thanne myne Bulles shewe I / alle and some
Oure liege lordes seel / on my patente
10
I shewe first / my body to warente
That no man be so bold / ne preest ne Clerk
Me to distourbe / of Cristes holy werk
And after that / than telle I fortħ my tales
Bulles of Popes / and of Cardynales
15
Of Patriarkes / and of Busshopes I shewe
And in latyn speke I / wordes fewe
To Saffron witħ / my predicacioun
In euery village / and in euery toun
Thanne shewe I fortħ / my longe cristal stones
20
I crammed ful of cloutes / and of bones
Relikes ben they / as wenen they ichon
Thāne haue I in a lotoū / a shulder boñ
Whicħ that was / of an holy Iewes Sheepe
Goode men I seye / take of my wordes keepe
25
If that this bon / be wasshe in any welle
If Cow or Calf or Oxe / or Sheepe swelle
That any worm hatħ ete / or worm I stonge
Take water of that welle / and wasshe his tonge
And it is hool a noon / and forthere more
30
Of pokkes and of Scabbe / and euery sore
Shal euery Sheepe be hool / that of this welle
Drynketħ a draugħte / take kepe eke what I telle
If that the goode man / that the bestes owetħ
Wol euery wyke / er that the Cok hi crowetħ
35
Fastyng drynken / of this welle a draugħte
As thilke holy Iew / oure eldres taugħte
His bestes and his stoor / shal multiplie
And Sire also / it heletħ Ialousie
For thougħ a man be falle / in Ialous rage
40
Lat maken witħ this water / his potage
And neuere shal he more / his wyf mys triste
Thougħ he the Sothe / of hire defaute wiste
Al hadde she taken Preestes / two or thre
¶ Heere is a Miteyn eke / that ȝe may se