The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 176v
15 of 15 folios
It is repreue & contrarie to honour
For to be holde a cōmune hasardour
And euer þe hiher he his of state
270
Þe more yhalden is he dissolate
If þat a pince vse hasardie
In al gouernance & al policie
He is as be cōmune opinioū
.I. halde þe lasse in reputacioū
Fro Calidonye to maken him alleaūce
And whan he cam him happed þis chaunce
That al þe grettest þat were of þis lande
280
Pleynge att þe hasard he hem fande
For whiche as sone as þat miht be
He stale him home aȝeine to his contre
And seide þere .I wold nouht lese my name
.I. wil nouht take on me so grete defame
285
Ȝowe for to alleye to none hasardoures
Sendeþ oþere wise embassadoures
For be my trouþe me were leuer deye
Þan .I. to ȝowe hasadoures scholde alleye
For ȝe þat bien so glorious in honoures
290
Scha nouȝt alleye ȝowe wiþ asardoures
As be my wi ne as be my trete
This wise philosophre þus seide to me
Looke eke þat þe kinge demetrius
Looke þou vse no pleie of dees in þin house
295
Sent him a paire of dees of golde in scoren
For he hadd vsed hasardry þer beforne
For whiche he held his glorie & renoune
And no valewe of reputacione
Lordes myhten finde oþere manere pleie
300
Honest ynouhe to driue þe daie aweie
Nowe wol .I. speke of othes fals & grete
A worde or tuo as oþere bokes trete
Grete swereynge is a þinge abhominable
And fals swereinge is more repreueable
305
The hihe god for bad swereinge att al
Wittenesse of Mathewe bot in special
Of swere\inge/ seiþe holy Ieromye
Thowe schalt swere soþe þine oþes & nouht lye
And swere in dome & eke in rihtwisnesse
310
Bot Idel swereinge is a cursedenesse