The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 179r
8 of 15 folios
480
Thou wost wele þat þou ert myn owen sworne broþere
Thin profite wil .I. tel þe anone
Thou woste wele þat oure felawe is gone
And here is golde & þat ful grete plente
Þat it schal departed be amonges vs þre
485
Bot naþeles if .I. can schape it so
Þat it departed weere a monge vs tuo
Hadd .I. nouȝt done a frendes torne to þe
That oþere answerde .I. note howe þat myht be
.I. wote þat þe golde is owre tuo
490
What schol we seie what schold we do
Schaƚƚ it be coūseile seide þe first schrewe
And .I. schal tel in wordes fewe
That we schal done & bringe it wele aboute
.I. gant qd þat oþere oute of doute
495
Þat be my treuþe .I. wiƚƚ þe nouht be wreye
Now qd þe first þou woste wele we be tueye
And tueyne of vs schal stronger bien þan one
Looke whan he is sett & þat anone
Arise as þou woldest wiþ him pleye
500
And .I. schal renne him þoruhe þe sides tueye
Whiles þat þou straglest wiþ him in game
And wiþ þi dagger loke þou do þe same
And þanne schal al þis golde departed be
My dere frende be tuex me & þe
505
Than maie we boþe oure lustes fulfille
And pleie att dees riht att oure owen wiƚƚ
And þus accorded bien þe schrewes tueye
To sle þe þredde as ȝe herd me seie
Þis ȝongest whiche þat went to þe toune
510
Ful oft in hert he rolleþ vpe & doune
Þe bewte of þes floreines newe & briht
O lorde qd he if so were þat .I. myht
Al þis tresore winne to my self alone
Þere is noman þat leueþ vnder þe throne
515
Of god þat schold leue as mery as .I.
And att þe last þe fende oure enemye
Put in his þouht þat he scholde poysoū bye
W whiche he miht sleyne his felawes tueye
For whi þe fend fonde him in suche leueynge
520
That hadde leue him to sorwe bringe
For þis was vtterly his entent