The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 175v
6 of 15 folios
Anone he was out cast to woo & pyne
O glotonye on þe wele ouht vs to pleine
185
O wist a man howe many maladies
Foloweþ of excesse & of glotonies
He schold be þe more mesurable
Of his Diet sittinge att þe table
Alas þe schort þrote þe tender mouþe
190
Makeþ þat est & west Norþe & souþe
In erþe in eyre in water men to swynke
To gette a gloton Mete & drinkge
Of þis matiere o paule wele cans þou entrete
Metee vn to wome & wombe eke vn to mete
195
Schal god discriuen boþe as poule seiþe
Alas a foule þinge is it be my feiþe
To seie þis worde & fouler is þe dede
When men so drenken of þe white & of þe rede
Þat of his þrote he maad his piuetee
200
Þoruhe þilke cursed superfluyte
Þe Appostell wepeinge seiþe ful pitously
Þere walken mony of whiche ȝoue tolde haue .I.
.I. saye it nowe wepeinge wiþ pitous voice
There bien enmyes of cristes croice
205
Of whiche þe ende is deþe þe wombe is hire god
O wombe o holy o stinkinge cod
Fulfilled of donge & of corrupcione
Att eyþe ende of þe foule is þe sonne
Howe grete cost & laboure is to finde
210
Þes cokes howe þaie stame & striue & grinde
And turne substance in to accident
To fulfil al þi lykorous talent
Oute of þe harde bones knoke þeie
Þe mery for þei cast nouht aweie
215
Þat maie go þoruh þe golet soft & swote
Of spicere of leues barke & rote
Schal be his sauce be maade be delite
To maak him ȝitt a newer appetite
Bot certes he þat haunteþ suche delices
220
Is dede whiles þat he leueþ in þe vices
A lycherous þinge is wyne & dronkennesse
Is ful of stryueynge & of wrechednesse
O dronken man disfigured is þi face .
Foul is þi breþ . foule ert þou to embrace