The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 309v
10 of 16 folios
And crystis blyssede body they to rente
Deth schal ben ded ȝif they may hȳ hēte
Whan they han goon nat fully half a myle
Ryght as they woldyn a trodyn ouyr a style
385
An old man & a poure wt hem mette
This olde man ful mekely hem grette
And seydyn thus now lordis god ȝow see
The proudeste of these ryotourys three
Answerede a gayn what cherl with sory grace
390
Why art thow for wrappid saue thyn face
Why lyggist thow so longe in so greet age
This olde man gan lokyn in his visage
And seyde thus for I ne can nat fynde
A man thow I walkede in to ynde
395
Neythir in cete me in nō village
That wolde chaūge his ȝouthe for mȳ age
And therfore mote I holde myn age stylle
As long tyme as it is godys wille
Ne deth allas wele nat han mȳ lyf
400
Thus walke I lych a recheles caytyf
And on the ground whiche is myn moderys gate
I knokke with myn staf bothe erly & late
And seye leue modyr lete me in
Lo how I vanyche bothe flesch & blood & skyn
405
Allas whāne schal myne bonys been at reste
Modyr with ȝow wolde I schaūge myn cheste
That in myn chaumbre long tyme hath be
Ȝa for an heyre clout to wrappe me
But ȝit to me ȝe wele nat do that grace
410
For which ful pale & welkid is myn face
But syrys to ȝow it is no curteysye
To spekyn to an old man vilanye
But he trespace in word or ellis in dede
In holy wryt ye may youre seluyn weel reede
Ne doth vn to an old man noon harm now
Na more than ȝe wolde men dede to ȝow
In age ȝif that ȝe so longe a byde
420
And god be wyth ȝow where ȝe go or ryde