The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 196r
17 of 19 folios
Heer is a myteyn eek as ȝe may see
45
He þat his hond wol putte in þat myteyne
He schal haue multiplyyng of his greyne
When he haþ sowen be it whete or ootes
So þat of pens oþer elles of grootes
And men and wōmen oþing warne I ȝou
50
If any wigħt be in þis chirche now
That haþ don synne orrible þat he
Dar nougħt for schame schriuen be
Or eny wōman be sche ȝong or old
Þat haþ y maad hire housbonde kokewold
55
Such folk schuln haue no power ne grace
To offre to my relikes in þis place
And who so fyndeþ him out of such blame
Þey wole come vp and offre in goddes name
And I assoile him by þe auctorite
60
Which þat by bulle was y gaunted me
By þis gaude haue I wonne euery ȝere
An hundred mark seþenes I was pardonere
I stande lik a clerk in many a pulpette
And schewe lewed poeple and doun þey sette
65
I preche so as ȝe haue herd byfore
And telle an hundred Iapes more /
Þenne peyne I me to strecche forþ my nekke
And Est and West vpon þe poeple I bekke
As doþ a dowfe sittyng vpan a berne
70
Myn handes and my tonge gon so ȝerne
Þat is it ioye to se my busynes
Of auarice and such oþer cursednes
Is al my prechinge to make hem fre
To ȝiue here pans and namely vnto me
75
For myn entent is nouȝt but for to wynne
And noþing for correccioū of synne
I rekke neuer whan þat þey ben beried
Þougħ þat here soules gon a blake beryed
For certes many a predicacioū