The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 203r
2 of 17 folios
575
Thow art so fals / and so vnkynde allas
¶ Now goode men / god foryeue yow youre terspas
And ware yow / fro the synne of Auarice
Myn holy pardoū / may yow alle warisse
So that ye offre nobles / or starlynges
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Or ellis siluer broches / spones / rynges
Boweth your heed / vnder this holy bulle
Cometh vp ye wyues / offreth of youre wolle
Youre name I entre / \here/ in my rolle anon
In to the blisse of heuene / shul ye gon
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I yow assoille / by myn heigh power
Ye þt wol offre / as clene and eek as cler
As ye were born / and lo sires thus I perche
And Iħu crist that is oure soules leche
So graunte yow / his pardoū to receyue
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For that is best I wol yow nat deceyue
¶ But sires / o word / forgat I in my tale
I haue Relikes / and pardon in my male
As faire / as any man in Engelond
Whiche were me yeuen / by the Popes hond
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If any of yow / wol of deuocioū
Offren / and han myn absolucioū
Com forth anon / and kneleth here adoun
And mekely / receyueth my pardoun
Or ellis / taketh pardoū as ye wende
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Al newe and fressħ / at euery myles ende
So þt ye offren alwey / newe and newe
Nobles / or pens / whiche þt been goode & trewe
It is an honour / to euerich that is heer
That ye mowe haue / a suffisant pardoner
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Tassoille yow / in contree as ye ryde
For auentures / whiche þt may bityde
Parauenture / ther may falle oon or two
Doun of his hors / and breke his nekke atwo
Looke which a seuretee is it to yow alle
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That I am / in your felaweship yfalle
That may assoille yow / bothe moore & lasse
Whan þt the soule / shal fro the body passe
I rede / that oure hoost shal bigynne
For he is moost envoluped in synne