The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 177r
10 of 15 folios
Be holde & see þat in þe first table
Of hihe goddes hestes honurable
How þat þe secunde hest of him is þis
Take nouht my name in Idelnesse amys
315
Lo raþer he for bedes suche suereinge
Or Omyside or any oþer Cursed þinge
.I. seie as be order þus it standeþ
Howe þat þe secunde hest of god is þat
320
And forþermore .I. wil þe tel al plat
Þat vengeance schal nouht parte fro his hous
Þat of his oþes is so outrageous
Be goddes percious hert & his nayles
And be his blode þat is in hayles
325
Seuen is myn chaunce & þine is fyue & þre
Be goddes armes if þou falsly pleie me
This dagger schal þoruhe þine hert go
This fruyte cōmeþ of þe becched bones tuo
For swereynge . Ire . falsenes . Omycide
330
Now for þe loue of criste þat for us deide
Leueþ ȝoure oþes boþe grete & smale
And wiþe good entent herkeneþ my tale
Thes ryetoures þre of whiche .I. telle
Longe ar prime ronge any beƚƚ
335
Weresett hem in a tauerne to drinke
And as þei satt þei herde a beƚƚ klynke
Be forne a cors was cariede to his graue
Þat one of hem gan cal vnto his knaue
Go bette qd he & axe redelye
340
What corps it is þat passeþ fast bye
And loke þat þoue reporte his name wele
Sir qd þis boye it nedeþ neuer a dele
It was me tolde ar ȝe cam here tuo owres
He was perde an olde felawe of ȝoures
345
Al sodenly was he sleine to nyht
For dronke as he satt vp his benche vpriht
Ther cam a piue þefe þat men clepen deþe
That in his contre al þe peple sleþe
And wiþ his spere he smot his hert a tuo
350
And went is waie wiþ outen worde\s/ mo
He haþe a þousande sleine þis pestelence
And Maister ar ȝe com in his persence
Me þinkeþ it were necessarie