The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 150v
5 of 19 folios
I wole non of thapostles contrefete
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I wole haue money . wolle . and chese and whete
Al were it yeuen of the porest page
Or of the porest widow in a vilage
Al sholde hir children sterue for famyne
Nay I wol drynke likour of the vyne
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And haue a Ioly wenche in the toun
But herkeneth lordes in conclusioun
Your likyng is that I shal telle a tale
Now haue I dronken a draght of corny ale
By god I hope I shal yow telle a thing
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That shal bi resoun be at your likyng
For though my self be a ful vicious man
A moral tale yit I yow telle can
Which I am wont to preche for to wynne
Now holde your pees my tale I wole bygynne
Here bigynneth the pardoners tale
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IN flaundre whilom was a compaignye
Of yonge folk that haunted folye
As riot hazard stewes and tauernes
Wher as with harpes lutes and gyternes
Thei daunce and pley at dees both day and nyght
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And ete also and drynke ouer hir myght
Thurgh which thei doon the deuel Sacrifice
Wyth Inne the deuels temple in cursed wyse
By superfluytee abhominable
Hir othes ben so grete and so dampnable
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That it is grisly for to here hem swere
Our blisful lordes sides thei to tere
Hem thoght Iewes rent him noght ynogh
And eche of hem at otheres synne logh
And right anon in comen tumsteres
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Fetise and smale and yonge frutesteres
Syngers with harpes baudes waufereres
Which ben the verry deueles officers
To kyndil and blow the fir of leccherye