The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 311v
14 of 16 folios
535
Nat but the mountenaūce of a corn of wheete
That he schal his lyf a noon for leete
Ya sterue he schal and that in lasse while
Thā thow wylt gon a pas nat but a myle
The poysoun is so strong & violent
540
¶ This cursede man hath in his hond I hent
This poysoū in a box & sythe he ran
In to the nexte streete vn to a man
And borwede hȳ large botellys tre
And in the two his pousoū pourede he
545
The thredde he kepte clene for his drynk
For al the nygh he schop hȳ for to swynk
And whan this ryotor with sory grace
Hadde fylled wyth wyn hise greete botellis thre
550
To hise felas a geyn repayrede hee
¶ What neede of it to sarmone moore
For ryȝt as they hadde cast his deth byfore
Rygh so they han hȳ slayn & that a noon
And whan this was doon thus spak that oon
555
Now lat vs sitte & drynke & make vs merye
And aftyr that we wele his body berye
And with that word it happede hȳ par cas
To take the botel there the poysoū was
And drank & ȝaf his felawe dynke also
560
For whiche a noon they storvē bothe two
¶ But certys I suppose that Auycen
Wrot neuere in no canoun ne in no feū
Mo wondere sygnys of enpoysoūnynge
Than hadde these wrechis two er hire endynge
565
Thus endede been these homycidis two
And ek the false enpoysonere also
¶ O cursede synne of alle cursedenesse
O traytourys homycyde / o w\i/kkedenesse
O glotonye / luxurye / & hasarderye
570
Thow blasphemere of cryst wt vilonye
And othis greete of vsage & of pryde
Allas mankynde how may it betyde