The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
Folio 310r
11 of 16 folios
I mot go thedyr there I haue to go
¶ Nay olde cherl by god thow schat nat so
Seyde this othir hasardour a non
Thow partist nat so lyȝtely by seynt Ioħn
425
Thow speke ryȝt now of thilke traytor deth
That in oure cuntre alle oure frendys sleth
Haue here myn treuthe as thow art his espie
Telle where he is / or / thow schalt it a bye
By god & by holye sacrement
430
For sothly thow art of his assent
To sleen vs ȝonge folk thow false thef
Now seris quod he syn that ye be so lef
To fynde deth turne vp this crokede wey
For in that groue I lefte hȳ by myn fey
435
Vndyr a tre & there he wolde a byde
Nat for youre bost he wele hȳ nat hyde
Se ye that ook ryȝt there ye schul hȳ fyñde
God saue yow that boughte a ȝen man kynde
And ȝow a mende thus seyde this olde man
440
¶ And eueryche of these ryotourys ran
Til they come to that tre & there they founde
Of floreynys fyne of gold I coynede roūde
Wel nygh an viij buschellis as hem thouȝte
No lengere thāne aftyr deth they souȝte
445
But eche of hē so glad was of the syght
For that floreynys been so fayre & bryȝt
That doū they sette hē by this precious hord
The werste of hē spak the ferste word
Bretheryn quod he thyng what that I schal seye
450
Myn wit is greet thow that I borde & pleye
This tresore hath fortune vn to vs ȝeuyn
In myrthe & Iolyte oure lyf to leuyn
And lyghtely as it comyth so wele we spende
Ey godys percyous dignetee ho wende
455
To day that we schuldȳ han so fayr grace
But myghte this gold been caryed frō this place
Hom to myn hous or ellys vn to ȝourys
For weel ȝe wot that al this gold is ourys