The General Prologue
Folio 10v
17 of 21 folios
685
A vernicle hadde he sewid on his cappe
His walet biforn him in his lappe /
Bret ful of pardoū comen fro Rome al hoot
A voys he hadde as smal as a goot
No berd ne hadde he ne neuer schulde haue
690
As smothe it was as it ware late schaue
I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare
But of his craft fro Berwik in to ware
Ne was þer such anoþer pardoner
For in his male he hadde a pilewber
695
Which þat he sayde was oure lady veyle
He seide he hadde a gobet of þe seyle
That seint petir hadde whan þat he wente
Vpon þe see til iħu crist him hente
He hadde a Croys of latoū ful of stones
700
And in a glas he hadde pigges boones
But with þese reliqes whan þat he fonde
A poure persoū dwellyng vpon londe /
Vpon a day he gat him more moneye
Than þat þe persoū gat in monþes tweye
705
And þus with feyned flatering and Iapes
He made þe persoū and þe poeple his apes
But trewely to tellen atte þe laste
He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste
Wel couþe he rede a lessoun or a story
710
But alþer best he song an offertory
For wel he wiste whan þat song was songe
He moste preche and welaffile his tonge
To wynne seluer as he wel cowde
Ther fore he song so meriely and lowde /
715
Now haue I told ȝow soþly in a clause
The estat . the array þe nombre and eeke þe cause
Whi þat assembled was þis companie
In Suthwerk at þis gentil hostelrie /
That highte þe Tabbard faste by þe belle
720
But now is tyme to yow for to telle /