The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 149r
7 of 16 folios
575
Thow art so fals / and so vnkynde allas
Now goodemen / god for ȝeue ȝow ȝoure trespas
And ware ȝow fro the synne / of Auarice
Myn holy pardoū / may ȝow alle waryce
So that ȝe offre nobles / or starlynges
580
Or elles / siluer / broches / spones / Rynges
Bowetħ ȝoure hed / vnder this holy bulle
Come vp ȝe wyues / and offritħ of ȝoure wolle
Ȝoure names I entre / heere in my rolle a noon
In to the blisse of heuene / shuln ȝe gon
585
I ȝow assoile / be myn heigħ powere
Ȝe that wyln offre / as clene and eke as clere
As ȝe were borñ / and loo sires thus I preche
And Iesu Crist / that is oure soules leche
So graunte ȝow / his pardoū to resseyue
590
For that is best
/ I wol
ȝow nat disseyue
There is a one-line gap after this line, and a pricking on the left side next to b .ODR
But Sires a word / forgat I in my tale
I haue Relikes / and pardoū in my male
As faire / as any man / in Engelond
Whicħ were me ȝeuen / by the Popes hond
595
If any of ȝow / wol of deuocioun
Offryn / and han myn absolucioun
Come fortħ a noon / and knelitħ heere a doun
And mekely receyuetħ / myn pardoun
Or elles takitħ pardoun / as ȝe wende
600
Al newe and fressħ / at euery myles ende
So that ȝe offren alwey / newe and newe
Nobles or pans / whicħ that ben goode & trewe
It is an honox / to euerycħ that is heere
That ȝe moun haue / a suffisaunt Pardonere
605
To assoile ȝow / in contre as ȝe ride
For auentures / whicħ that moun betide
Parauenture there moun falle / on or two
Doun of his hors / & breke his nekke a two
Loke whicħ a seurte / is it to ȝow alle
610
That I am in ȝoure felaweshipe / I falle
That may assoile ȝow / bothe more and lasse
Whan that the soule / shal fro the body passe
I rede that oure hoost / shal begynne
For he is moost envoluped / in Synne
615
Come fortħ Sire hoost / and offre first a noon