Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale
Folio 195v
2 of 2 folios
Seyde I nat wel / I kan nat speke in terme
But wel I woot thow doost myn herte to erme
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That I almoost haue caught a Cardynacle
By corpus bones / but if I haue triacle
Or ellis a draghte / of moyste and corny ale
Or but I heere anon / a murye tale
Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde
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¶ Thow beel amy / thow Pardoner he sayde
Tel vs som myrthe / or Iapes right anon
¶ It shal be doon quod he / by Seint Ronyon
But first quod he / heere at this ale stake
I wol bothe drynke / and eten of a Cake
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¶ And right anon / thise gentils gonne to crye
Nay lat hym telle vs / of no ribawdye
Tel vs som moral thyng / þt we may leere
Som wit / and thanne wol we gladly heere
¶ I graunte ; ywis quod he / but I moot thynke
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Vp on som honeste thyng whil þt I drynke
¶ Here bigynneth the \prologe of the/ Pardoners tale ~
¶ Radix omnium malorum est Cupiditas // Ad Thimotheū .6o. ~
LOrdynges quod he / in chirches whan I perche
I peyne me / to han an hauteyn speche
And rynge it out as round as gooth a belle
For I kan / al by rote that I telle
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My theme is alwey oon / and euere was
Radix malorum / est cupiditas
¶ First I pronounce / whennes þt I come
And thanne my bulles / shewe I alle & some
Oure lige lordes seel / on my patente
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That shewe I first my body to warente
That no man be so boold / ne preest ne clerk
Me to destourbe / of Cristes holy werk
And after that thanne telle I forth my tales
Bulles of Popes / and of Cardynales