The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 144v
13 of 16 folios
180
For whil that Adam fasted / as I rede
He was in Paradys / and whan that he
Ete of the fruyt / defended / on a tree
A noon he was out cast / to woo & peyne
O glotonye / on the wel ougħt vs pleyne
185
O wiste a man / how many maladies
Folwen of excesse / and of glotonyes
He wolde ben / the more mesurable
Of his diete / sittyng at his table
Allas the shorte throte / the tendre moutħ
190
Maketħ that Est and West / and Nortħ & Soutħ
In Erthe in Eyr in water / man to Swynke
To gete a gloton / deyntee mete and drynke
Of this matere / o Poule / wel kanstow trete
Mete vn to wombe / & wombe eke vn to mete
195
Shal god destroyen bothe / as Paulus seitħ
Allas / a foul thyng is it / by my feitħ
To seye this worde / and foulere is the dede
Whan man so drynketħ / of the white and rede
That of his throte / he maketħ his pryuee
200
Thurgħ thilke cursed / superfluitee
The Apostle wepyng / seitħ ful pitously
There walken manye / of whicħ ȝow told haue I
I seye it now wepyng / witħ pitous vois
There ben enmys / of Cristes crois
205
Of whicħ the ende is detħ / wombe is here god
O wombe o bely / o stynkyng Cod
Fulfild of donge / and of corrupcioun
At either ende of thee / foule is the soun
How gret labour and cost / is the to fynde
210
Theise Cookes / how they stampe & streyne & grynde
To tornen substaunce / in to Accident
To fulfille / al thy lykerous talent
Out of the harde bones / knokke they
The mary / for they caste nougħt a wey
215
That may goo thurgħ the golet / softe and swote
Of Spicerie / of leef of bark and roote
Shal ben his sause / I maked be delyt
To maken hī ȝet / a newere appetit
But certes / he that hauntetħ swicħ delices
220
Is ded / whil that he lyuetħ in tho vices
¶ A lecherous thyng is wyn / and dronkenesse
Is ful of stryuyng / and of wrecchednesse
O dronke man / disfigured is thy face
Sour is thy bretħ / foul artow to embraceAnd thurgħ thy dronke nose :