Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale Folio 142r 1 of 1 folios
Oure hoost bygan to swere / as he were wood
The prologue begins without incipit or an indication to its inclusion on fol. 142r.
Harrowe qd he / by nayles and by blood
This was a fals cherl / a fals Iustise
As shameful deetħ / as herte kan deuyse
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Come to theise Iuges / and here Aduocates
Algate this sely mayde / is slayn / allas
Wherfore I seye alday / that men moun se
That ȝiftes of fortune / and of nature
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Ben cause of deetħ / to many a creature
Of bothe ȝiftes / that I speke of now
Men han ful ofte / more for harm than prow
This is a pitous tale / for to heere
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But nathelees / passe ouer / is no fors
And eke thyne vrynals / and thyne Iurdones
Thyn Ypocras / and eke thy Galiones
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God blisse hē / and oure lady Seynt Marie
So mote I then / thow art a propre man
And lyke a prelat / by Seynt Ronyan
Seyde I nat wel / I kan nat speke in ter me
But wel I woot / thow doost myn herte to erme
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That I almost haue caugħ t / a Cardynacle
By Corpus bones / but I haue tryacle
Or elles a draugħ t of moiste / and corny ale
Or but I heere a noon / a murie tale
Myn herte is loste / for pitee of this mayde
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Thow beal amy / thow Pardoner he sayde
Telle vs sum myrthe / of Iapes rigħ t a noon
But first qd he / heere at this Ale stake
I wol bothe drynke and eten / of a Cake
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But rigħ t a noon / theise gentils gonne to crie
Nay lat hī nat Corrected from: tl<nothing> tl telle vs / of no ribaudie
Telle vs som moral thyng
Som wyt / and thanne wol we gladly heere
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Vp on som honest thyng