The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 308r
7 of 16 folios
¶ It is repref & contrarye of honour
For to ben holdȳ a comoū hasardor
And euere the heyere he is of \estat/
270
The moore is he holdȳ desolat
Ȝif that a prynce vseth hasarderye
In alle gouernaūce & polycie
He is as be comune opinioun
I holde the lesse in reputacioū
275
Stilboū þt was a wys Embassadour
Was sent to Corenthe in ful greet honor
Frō latidomye to makyn hire allyaūce
And whā he cā hȳ happede par chaūce
That alle the gretteste that were of that lond
280
Pleyinge at the hasard he hē fond
For which as soone as it myghte be
He stal hȳ hō a geyn in to his cuntre
¶ And seyde there wel I nat leese myn name
Nay wil nat take on me so greet diffame
285
Ȝow for to a lye vn to none hasardourys
Sendyth othere wyse embassadourys
For be myn trouthe me were leuere dye
Than I ȝow schulde to hasardourys alye
For ȝe that been so gloryous in honourys
290
Schal not a lye ȝow with hasardourys
By myn wil ne as bi myn tretee
This wyse philosophere thus seyde he
Loke ek that to the kyng demetryus
The kyng of Parthes as the bok seyth vs
295
Sente hȳ a payre of deis of gold in scorn
For he hadde vsed hasard there by forn
For which he held his glorye or his renoun
At no valu or reputacioun
¶ Lordis may fynde othermaner pley
300
Honeste I now to dryue the day a wey
Now wele I speke of othes false & greete
A word or two as olde bokys trete
Greet swerynge is a thyng abhominable
And fals sweryng\/ is ȝit more repreuable