The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 307v
6 of 16 folios
Thyn tunge is lost & al thȳ honeste cure
230
For drunkenesse is verray sepulture
Oof mānys wit & his discrecioun
In whō that drynk hath dominacioū
He can no conseyl kepe it is no drede
Now kepe ȝow frō the white & frō the reede
235
And namely frō the white wyn of lepe
That is to selle in fiche streete or ī Chepe
This wyn of spayne crepyth subtily
In othere wynys growynge fasteby
Of which there rysith swich fumosite
240
That whā a man haue drōkyn drauȝtis thre
And weneth that he be at hō in chepe
He is in spayne ryȝt at the toū of leepe
Nat at rochel / ne at burdeux toun
And thāne wele he seye sampsoū sampsoū
245
But herkenyth lordyngis o word I ȝow preye
That alle the souereyn actis dar I seye
Of victoryis in the olde testament
Thurgħ verray god that is omnypotent
Were don in abstinence & in preyere
250
Lokyth the bible & there ȝe may it leere
Loke attilla the greete conquerour
Deyede in his slep / with schame & dishonour
Bledynge at his nose in dronkenesse
A Capitayn schulde leue in soberenesse
255
And ouyral this / a viseth ȝow ryȝt weel
What was comaūdit to Lamuel
Nat Samuel but lamuel seye I
Redyth the byble / & fynde it expresly
Of wyn ȝeuynge to hē that han iustise
260
Namore of this for it may I nough suffyse
And now that I haue spokyn of glotenye
Now wele I ȝow defende hasarderye
Hasard is verray modyr of lesyngis
And of disseyd & cursede forsweryngis
265
Blaspheme of Cryst manslauȝt & wast also
Of catel of tyme / & ferthere mo