The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 198r
16 of 17 folios
175
Aboght was / thilke cursed vileynye
Corrupt was al this world for glotonye
Adam oure fader and his wyf also
Fro Paradys / to labour and to wo
Were dryuen for that vice / it is no drede
180
For whil þt Adam fasted / as I rede
He was in Paradys / and whan þt he
Eet of the frut defended on a tree
Anon he was out cast to wo and peyne
O glotonye / on thee wel oghte vs pleyne
185
¶ O wiste a man / how manye maladies
Folwen of excesse / and of glotonyes
He wolde been / the moore mesurable
Of his diete / sittyng at his table
Allas the shorte throte / the tendre mouth
190
Maketh / þt Est and West and Nortħ and Soutħ
In erthe / in Eyr / in Water / men to swynke
To gete a gloton / deyntee mete and drynke
Of this matere / o Paul / wel kanstow trete
Mete vn to wombe / and wombe eek vn to mete
195
Shal god destroyen bothe / as Paulus seith
Allas a foul thyng is it by my feith
To seye this word / and fouler is the dede
Whan man so drynketh / of the white & rede
That of his throte / he maketh his pryuee
200
Thurgh / thilke cursed superfluite
¶ The Apostle wepyng seith ful pitously
Ther walken manye / of whiche yow toold haue I
I seye it now wepyng with pitous voys
Ther been enemys / of Cristes croys
205
Of whiche the ende is deth / wombe is hir god
O wombe / o bely / o stynkyng cod
Fulfilled of dong and of corrupcioun
At either ende of thee / foul is the soun
How greet labour / and cost is thee to fynde
210
Thise Cokes / how they stampe / & streyne / & grynde
And turnen substance / in to accident
To fulfillen al / the likerous talent
Out of the harde bones / knokke they
The mary / for they caste nat awey