The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 189v
9 of 18 folios
275
Stilbon þat was I holde a wis embasitor
Was sent in to Corinthe with gret honor
Fro lacidome to make hir alliaunce
And whan him cam him happede par chaunce /
That alle þe grettest þat were of þat lond
280
Playing atte hasard he hem fond
For which as soone as it mighte be
He stal him hoom aȝein to his contre
And saide ther I nyl nouȝt lese my name
I nyl not take on me so gret diffame /
285
Ȝow for to allie vnto noon hasardoures /
Sendeth oþerwise embasitoures
For by my trouþe me wer leuer dye
Than I ȝow scholde / to hasardours allye
For ȝe þat ben so glorious in honoures
290
Schal not allie ȝow with hasardoures
As by my wil / ne as by my trete
This wise philosophre þus sayd he
Lo eek þat þe king Demetrius
The king of Parthes as þe saith vs
295
Sent him a paire dees of gold in scorn
For he had vsed tauern þer toforn
For which he hield his gloir and his renoun
At no valieu or reputaciou~
Lordes may fynde oþer maner play
300
Honest ynougħ to dryue away þe day
Now wol I speke of oþes fals and grete /
A word or tuo as oþer bookes entrete
Gret swering is / a þing abhominable
And fals swering is more reprouable
305
The hyhe god forbad sweryng at al /
Witnes on Mathew but in special
Of sweryng saith þe holy Ieremye
Thou schalt say soth þin oþes and not lye
And swere in doom and eek in rightwisnes
310
But ydel sweryng is a cursednes
Bihold and se þer in þe firste table
Of hihe goddes heste honurable /