The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 190v
11 of 18 folios
He haþ a þousand slayn þis pestilence
And maister er ȝe come in his persence /
Me þinkeþ þat it is ful necessarie /
For to be war of such an aduersarie
355
Beþ redy for to meete him euermore
Thus taughte me my dame I say nomore
By seinte mary sayde þe tauerner
The child saiþ soþ for he haþ slayn þis ȝeer
Hens ouer a myle wiþinne a gret village
360
Boþe man and wōman . child and page
I trowe his habitacioū be þere
To ben auysed gret wisdom it were
Er þat he dede a man þat dishonour
Ȝe goddis armes quod þis ryottour
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Is it such peril with him for to meete /
I schal him seeke by way and eek by strete
I make avow to goddis digne boones
Herkneþ felaws we þre ben al oones
Let ech of vs hold vp his hond to other
370
And ech of vs bycome oþeres broþer
And we wil slee þis false traitour deth
He schal be slayne that so many sleeth
By goddis dignete er it be night
Togideres han þese þre here trouþes plight
375
To lyue and deye ech of he wiþ oþer
As þough he were his oughne sworne broþer
And vp þai startyn al dronke in þis rage /
And forþ þai goon towardes þat village
Of which þe tauerner haþ spoke biforn
380
And many a grisly oth þan han þay sworn
And cristes blessed body þay torent
Deth schal be deed if þat þay may him hent
Whan þai han goon nought fully a myle
Rigħt as þay wolde haue torned ouer a style
385
An old man and a pore with hem mette
This olde man ful mekely hem grette /
And saide þus lordynges god ȝow se
The proudest of þe ryotoures þre /