The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 153v
11 of 19 folios
And as thei sat thei herd a belle clynke
By forn a corps was caried to his graue
That on of hem gan callen to his knaue
Go bet quod he and axe redily
340
What corps is this that passed here for bi
And loke that thow report his name wel
¶ Syr quod this boy it nedeth neuer a del
It was me told or ye cam he two houres
He was pardee an olde felaw of youres
345
And Sodeynly he was I slayn to nyght
For dronke as he sat on his benche vpright
Ther cam a pryue theef men clepen deth
That in this contre al the peple sleeth
And wyth his spere he smote his herte atwo
350
And went his wey wyth owten wordes mo
He hath .a. M. slayn this pestilence
And Maister er ye come in his persence
Me thinketh that it were necessarie
For to be war of swich an aduersarie
355
Beth redy for to mete him euer more
Thus taught me my dame I sey no more
¶ Be seint Marie quod this tauener
The childe seith sooth for he hath slayn this yer
Henne ouer a Mile with Inne a gret vilage
360
Bothe man and womman and childe and hine and page
I trow his habitacioun be there
To ben auysed gret wisdom it were
Or that he dide aman a dishonour
¶ Ye goddes armes quod this Riatour
365
Is it swich peril wyth him for to mete
I shal him seke bi wey and eke bi strete
I make avow bi goddes digne bones
Herkene felawes we thre ben al ones
Lat eche of vs holde vp his hond til other
370
And eche of vs bicom othirs brother
And we wol slee this fals treytour deth
He shal be slayn he that so many sleth
Bi goddes dignytee or it be nyght .