The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 179v
7 of 15 folios
To slene hem boþe & neuer to repent
And forþe he goþe No longer wold he tarye
In to þe toune vnto apotecarie
525
And preide him þat he wold him seƚƚ
Sum poyson þat he myht his rattes qweƚƚ
And eke þere was apolkat in his hawe
Þat as he seide his capons hadd y slawe
And seide he wold wreken him if he myht
530
Of vermyn þat destruyed him be nyht
The potecary anseward þou schalt haue
A þinge þat als god my soule saue
In al þis werlde þernys no creature
Þat eten or drunke haþ of þis confecture
535
Not bot þe moūtance of a corne of whete
Þat he ne schal a none his lif for lete
Ȝe sterue he schal & þat in lesse while
Þan þou wolt gone bot a pace not bot a myle
This poyson is so stronge & so violent
540
This cursed man haþ in his hande yhente
Þis poysen in a box & seþen he ranne
In to þe next strete vnto a man
And borwed him large botels þre
& in þe tueyne þis poyson poured he
545
Þe þredde he keped clen for his drinke
For al þe nyht he schop him to swynke
And whan þis ryetoure wiþ sory grace
Hadde filled wiþ him his grete boteles þre
550
To his felawes aȝeine repaireþ he
What nedeþ it to sermon þer of more
For riht as þei had kast his deþe to fore
Riht so þei haue him sleyne & þat anone
And whan þat þis was done þan spak þe tone
555
Nowe lat vs drinke & sitte & make vs merye
And afterward we wollen his body berye
And efteward it happed hem percas
To take þe botel þer in þe poyson was
And drange & ȝaue his felawe drinke also
560
For whiche anone þei storuen boþe tuo
Bott certes .I. suppose þat Auycenne
Wrote neuer in no canon ne in no fenne
Mo wonder sorwes of enpoysonynge .