The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 141v
4 of 14 folios
And ligħtly as it comtħ / so wol we spende
Ey goddes percious dignitee / who wende
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To day / that we sholde han so fair a grace
But mygħte this gold / be caried fro this place
Hoom to myn hous / or elles vn to youres
For wel ye woot þt al this gold is oures
Thanne were we / in heigħ felicitee
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But trewely / by daye it may nat bee
Men wolde seyn / þt \we/ were theues stronge
And for oure owene tresor / doon vs honge
This tresor / moste ycaried be by nygħte
As wisely / and as slyly / as it mygħte
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Wherfore I rede / þt Cut among vs alle
Be drawe / and lat se / wher the Cut wol falle
And he þt hath the Cut with herte blithe
Shal renne to towne / and that ful swithe
And brynge vs breed and wyn / ful piuely
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And two of vs / shul kepen subtilly
This tresor wel / and if he wol nat tarie
Whan it is nygħt we wol this tresor carie
By oon assent / wher as vs thynketh best
That oon of hem / the Cut brogħte in his fest
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And bad hym drawe / and looke wher it wol falle
And it fil / on the yongeste of hem alle
And fortħ toward the toun / he wente anon
And also soone / as that he was gon
That oon spak thus / vn to that oother
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Thow knowest wel / thou art my sworn brother
Thy profit wol I telle thee anon
Thou woost wel / that oure felawe is agon
And heere is gold / and that ful greet plentee
That shal departed been / among vs thre
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But nathelees / if I kan shape it so
That it departed were / among vs two
Hadde I nat doon / a freendes torn to thee ;
¶ That oother answerde / I noot hou that may be
He woot how that the gold is with vs tweye
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Whal we doon / what shal we to hym seye ;
¶ Shal it be conseil / seyde the firste shrewe ;
And I shal tellen / in a wordes fewe
What we shal doon / and bryngen it wel aboute
¶ I graunte quod that oother / out of doute
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That by my trouthe / I shal thee nat bi wreye
¶ Now quod the firste / thou woost wel we be tweye
And two of vs / shul strenger be than oon
Looke whan þt he is set that rigħt anoon
Arys / as thougħ thou woldest w hym pleye
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And I shal / ryue hym / thurgħ the sydes tweye