The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 305r
1 of 16 folios
And I assolie hȳ be the autorite
60
Which that by bulle is grantid on to me
By this gaude haue I wonne ȝeer be ȝeer
An hūderede mark sythe I was pardoūneer
I stonde lyk a clerk in myn pulpet
And whan that the lewede peple is doū I set
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I preche so as ȝe hand herd by fore
And telle an hūderede false Iapis more
Thāne peyne I me to streche forth myn nekke
And est & west vp on the peple I bekke
As doth a douue syttȳge on a berne
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Mȳne hādys & myn tunge goon so ȝerne
That it is Ioye to se myn besynesse
Of auarice & of swich cursedenesse
Is al myn prechyng for to makyn hē fre
To ȝeuyn here penys & nameli on to me
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For myn entent is not but for to wȳne
And no thyng for correccioū of sȳne
I rekke neuere whāne that they been beryed
Thow tha\t/ here soulis goon a blakeberyed
For certis manye a perdicacioū
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Comyth ofte of euele entencioū
Some for plesaūce of folk & flaterye
To been a vansed be ypocrysie
And some for veynglorie & some for hate
And whāne I dar non othere woyis debate
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Thāne wele I stȳge mē wt mȳ tūge smerte
In prechȳge so that I schal nat a sterte
To been defamyd falsely that he
Hath trespased to myne brothir or to me
For thow I telle nat his propername
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Men schal wel knowe þt it is the same
By sygnys & be othere circūstaūcis
Thus quyte I folk that don vs displesaūcis
Thus spitte I out myn venym vndyr hewe
Of holynesse to semyn holy & trewe
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But schortely myn entent I wele deuyse
I preche of no thyng but of coueytyse