The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 137v
11 of 14 folios
Is al my perchyng for to make hem free
To yeuen hir pens / and namely vn to me
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For myn entente / is nat but for to wynne
And no thyng for correccioū of synne
I rekke neuere / whan they been beryed
Thougħ þt hir soules / goon a blakeberyed
For certes / many a perdicacioū
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Comth ofte tyme / of yuel entencioū
Som for plesance of folk and flaterye
To been auaunced / by ypocrisye
And som for veyne glorie / and som for hate
For whan / I dar noon oother weyes debate
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Thanne wol I stynge hym / w my tonge smerte
In perchyng / so that he shal nat asterte
To been defamed falsly / if that he ;
Hath trespased / to my bretheren / or to me
For thougħ / I telle nogħt / his propre name
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Men shal wel knowe / that it is the same
By signes / and by othere circumstances
Thus quyte I folk that doon vs displesances
Thus spitte I out my venym / vnder hewe
Of hoolynesse / to semen hooly and trewe
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¶ But shortly / myn entente I wol deuyse
I perche of no thyng but for coueityse
Therfore / my theme is yet and euere was
Radix malorum est Cupiditas
Thus kan I perche / agayn that same vice
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Which þt I vse / and that is Auarice
But though my self / be gilty in that synne
Yet kan I maken / oother folk to twynne
From Auarice / and soore to repente
But that is nat my principal entente
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I perche no thyng but for coueitise
Of this mateere / it ogħte ynogħ suffise
¶ Thanne telle I hem / ensamples many oon
Of olde stories / longe tyme agoon
For lewed peple / louen tales olde
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Swiche thynges / kan they wel reporte & holde
What trowe ye / the whiles I may perche
And wynne / gold and siluer / for I teche
That I wol lyue in pouerte wilfully
Nay nay / I thogħte it neuere trewely
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For I wol perche / and begge in sondry landes
I wol nat do no labour / with myne handes
Ne make baskettes / and lyue therby
By cause / I wol nat beggen ydelly
I wol noon / of the Apostles countrefete
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I wol haue moneie / wolle chese and whete