The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 178v
13 of 15 folios
God saue ȝowe þat bouht ȝeine mankinde
And ȝowe amend þus seide þis olde manne
440
And euery of þes ryetours ranne
Til þei came to þe tree & þere þei fonde
Of flerens fyne of gold y koyned rounde
Wele nyhe a .vij. buschels as hem þouht
No longer þan after deþe þei souht
445
Bot iche of hem was so gladde of þe siht
For þat þe floreyns so faire bien & briht
Þat doune þei sett hem be þe percious horde
The werst of hem þo spak þe first worde
Breþerne qd he takeþ kepe whatt .I. seie
450
My witte is grete þouhe þat .I. bourde & pleie
This tresor haþe fortun to vs ȝeuen
In merþe & Iolite oure lif to leuen
And lihtly as it cōmeþ so wil we spende
Ey goddes percious dignite who wende
455
To daie þat we scholde haue so faire a grace
Bot myht þis golde be caried fro þis place
Home to my hous oþer elles vnto ȝoures
Þan myht we seie þat it were al oures
Þan were we in hihe felicite
460
Bott trewly be daie it maie nouht be
Men wold seie þat we were þeues stronge
And for owre owen tresoure done vs honge
This tresore most . ykaride be by nyht
As wisely & as slely as it miht
465
Wherefor .I. rede lette loke amonge vs al
Be drawe & latte see where þe cutt wiƚƚ fal
And he þat haþe þe cutte wiþ hert bliþe
Schal renne to þe toune & þat ful swyþe
To bringe vs brede & wyne ful piuely
470
And tuo of vs schal kepe ful subtelly
Þis tresoure wele & if he wil nouht tarieñ
Whāne þat it is nyht we wollen þis a tresor karieñ
Be one assent where as vs lust beste
An kuttes one of hem brouht in his fiste
475
And badde hem drawe & loke on whome it wolde faƚƚ
And it feƚƚ oñ þe ȝongest of hem aƚƚ
And forþe towarde þe toune he went anone
And also sone as he was gone
The tone of hem spake þus vnto þe toþere