The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 197r
7 of 17 folios
95
But shortly / myn entente I wol deuyse
I perche of no thyng but for coueitise
Ther fore my theme is yet and euere was
Radix malorum / est Cupiditas
¶ Thus kan I perche / agayn that same vice
100
Which þt I vse / and that is Auarice
But though my self be gilty in that synne
Yet kan I make / oother folk to twynne
From Auarice / and soore to repente
But that is nat my principal entente
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I perche no thyng but for coueitise
Of this matere / it oghte ynow suffise
¶ Thanne telle I hem / ensamples many oon
Of olde stories / longe tyme agoon
For lewed peple / louen tales olde
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Swiche thynges / kan they wel reporte & holde
What trowe ye / þt whiles I may perche
And wynne / gold and siluer / for I teche
That I wol lyue in pouerte / wilfully
Nay nay / I thoghte it neuere trewely
115
For I wol perche / and begge / in sondry landes
I wol nat do no labour / w myne handes
Ne make baskettes / and lyue ther by
By cause / I wol nat beggen ydelly
I wol / none of the Apostles countrefete
120
I wol haue moneye / wolle / chese / and whete
Al were it yeuen / of the pouerest page
Or of the pouereste widwe / in a village
Al sholde hir children / sterue for famyne
Nay I wol drynke / licour of the vyne
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And haue a ioly wenche / in euery toun
But herkneth lordynges / in conclusioun
¶ Youre likyng is / þt I shal telle a tale
Now haue I dronke / a draghte of corny Ale
By god I hope / I shal yow telle a thyng
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That shal by resoū / been at youre likyng
For thogh my self be / a ful vicious man
A moral tale / yet I yow telle kan
Which I am wont to perche / for to wynne
Now holde youre pees / my tale I wol bigynne