The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 193r
16 of 18 folios
The poysoun is so strong and violent
540
This cursed man haþ in his hond I hent
This poysoun in a box & sins he ran
In to þe nexte stret vnto a man
And borwed him large botels þre
And in þe two þis poysoun poured he
545
The þrid he keped clene for his drynke
For al þe night he schop him for to swynke
In carying the golde out of þat place
And whan þis riotour with sory grace
Had fillid with wyn his botels þre
550
To his felaws aȝein repaireth he
What nedith it to sermoū it more
For right as þay had cast his deth bifore
Right so þay han him slayn and þat anoon
And whan þis was I doon þan spak þat oon
555
Now let vs drynk and sitte and make vs mery
And siþþen we wil his body bery
And afterward it happed hem par cas
To take þe botel þer þe poysoun was
And drank and ȝaf his felaw drink also
560
For which þay sterued boþe tuo
But certes I suppose þat amycen
Wrot neuer in Canoū ne in non fen
Mo wonder sorwes of empoisonyng
Thus hadde þese wrecches tuo here endyng
565
Thus endid been þese homicides tuo
And eek þe fals empoysoner also /
O cursed synne ful of cursednesse
O traytorous homicidy o wikkednesse
O glotony luxurie and hasardye /
570
Thou blasphemour of crist with vilanye
And oþes grete of vsage and of pryde
Allas mankynde how may it bytyde
Ther to þy creatour which þat þe wrougħt
And wiþ his precious herte blood þe bougħt
575
Thou art so fals and so vnkynde allas
Now good men god forȝeue ȝow ȝour trespas