The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 196r
6 of 17 folios
15
Of Patriarkes / and Bisshopes I shewe
And in latyn / I speke a wordes fewe
To saffron with / my perdicacioū
And for to stire hem / to deuocioū
¶ Thanne shewe I forth / my longe cistal stones
20
Ycrammed ful / of cloutes and of bones
Relikes been they / as wenen they echon
Thanne haue I in a latoū / a shulder bon
Which þt was / of an holy Iewes sheepe
Goode men I seye / tak of my wordes keepe
25
If þt this boon be wasshe / in any welle
If cow / or calf or sheepe / or Oxe swelle
That any worm hath ete / or worm ystonge
Taak water of that welle / and wassħ his tonge
And it is hool anoon / and forther moor
30
Of pokkes / and of Scabbe / and euery soor
Shal euery sheepe be hool / þt of this welle
Drynketh a draughte / taak kepe eek what I telle
¶ If þt the goode man / þt the bestes oweth
Wol euery wike / er þt the cok hym croweth
35
Fastynge / drynken of this welle a draghte
As thilke holy Iew / oure eldres taghte
Hise bestes and his stoor / shal multiplie
And sire also / it heeleth Ialousie
For thogh a man / be falle in Ialous rage
40
Lat maken with this water / his potage
And neuere shal he moore / his wyf mystriste
Thogh he the soothe / of hir defaute wiste
Al hadde she / taken preestes / two or thre
¶ Heere is a Miteyn eek / þt ye may se
45
He þt his hand / wol putte / in this Mitayn
He shal haue / multiplyyng of his grayn
Whan he hath sowen / be it whete or Otes
So þt / he / offre pens / or ellis grotes
¶ Goode men and wommen / o thyng warne I yow
50
If any wight be in this chirche now
That hath doon synne horrible / that he
Dar nat for shame / of it yshryuen be
Or any womman / be she yong or old
That hath ymaked / hir housbond Cokewold