The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 308v
8 of 16 folios
305
The hye go\o/d forbad swerynge at al
Witnesse of Mathew but in special
Of swerynge seyth the holy Ieremye
Thow schalt swere soth thȳne othis & not lye
And swere in dom & ek in ryghtwysnesse
310
But ydele swerynge is a cursedenesse
Bi hold & se that in the ferste table
Of heye goddys hestis honurable
How that the secounde heste of hȳ is this
Take nat myn name in idil or a mys
315
Lo rathere he forbedyth sweche swerȳge
Than homyside or manye a cursede thyng
I seye that as by ordere thus it stādith
This knowith that his bokys vndirstonde
How that the secunde heste of god is that
320
And ferthere ouyr / I wele the telle al plat
That vengeaūce schal nat passe frō his hous
That of hise othis is to outrageous
By godys precyƫ herte & by hise naylys
And by the blod o cist that is in haylys
325
Seuene is myn chaūce / & thyn is synk & treye
By godys armys ȝif thow falsely pheye
This daggar schal thorgh out thȳ herte go
This freut comyth of þe birche bonys two
Forswerynge Ire falsenesse homysyde
330
Now for the loue of cryst þt for vs deyede
Leveth ȝoure swerynge bothe greete and smale
But serys now wele I telle forth myn tale
Theise riotourys thre of whiche I telle
Longe erst er pryme rong the belle
335
Were sett hē in a tauerne to drynke
And as the sat / they herde a belle clynke
By forn a cors was caryed to his graue
That on of hem gan callyn to his knaue
Go bet quod he and axe redyly
340
What cors is this that caryed is forby
And loke that thow reporte his name wel
Sere quod this boy it nedyth neuere a deel