The General Prologue
Folio 10r
19 of 23 folios
685
A vernicle hadde he sowed on his cappe
His walet lay byforn him in his lappe
Bret ful of pardoū come from Rome al hoot
A voys he hadde as smal as eny goot
No berd ne hadde he ne neuer scholde haue
690
As smothe it was as it ware late I schaue /
I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare
But of his craft fro Berwyk vnto ware
Ne was þer such another pardoner
For in his male he hadde a pilwebeer
695
Which þat he saide was oure lady veyl
He seide he hadde a gobet of þe seyl
That seynt Petur hadde whan he wente
Vppon þe see til ihū crist him hente
He hadde a cros of latoun ful of stones
700
And in a glas he hadde pigges bones
But with þise reliqes whanne þat he fand
A pore persoun dwellyng vppon land
Vpon a day he gat him more moneye
Than þat þe persoun gat in monthes tweye
705
And þus with feyned flaterie and Iapes
He made þe persoun and þe poeple his apes
But trewely to tellen atte laste
He was in churche a noble ecclesiaste
Wel cowde he rede a lessoun or a storye
710
But altherbest he sang an offertorie
For wel he whan þat song was songe
He moste preche and wel affyle his tunge
To wynne siluer as he right wel cowde
Therfore he sang ful meriely and lowde
715
NOW haue I told ȝou schortly in a clause
Thestat þarray þe nombre and eek þe cause ./
Why þat assembled was þis companye
In Southwerk at þis gentil Ostelrie
That highte þe Tabbard faste by þe belle
720
But now is tyme to ȝow for to telle
How þat we bare vs in ilke nigħt
Whan we were in that Ostelrie aligħt