The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 318]

¶ Heere bigynneth the Pardoners tale. [on leaf 142]

IN fflaundres whilom was a compaignye Of yonge folk/ that haunteden folye Line 464 As Riot hasard / stywes / and Tauernes Where / as / with harpes / lutes and Gyternes They daunce / and pleyen at dees / bothe day and nyght And eten also / and drynken ouer hir myght / Line 468 Thurgh which / they doon the deuel sacrifise [[Painting of the Pardoner on Horseback.]] With-Inne that deueles temple in cursed wise By superfluytee abhomynable Hir othes / been so grete and so dampnable Line 472 That it is grisly / for to heere hem swere Oure blissed lordes body / they to-tere Hem thoughte / þat Iewes / rente hym noght ynough And ech of hem / at otheres synne lough Line 476 And right anon / thanne comen Tombesteres ffetys and smale / and yonge ffrutesteres Syngeres with harpes / Baudes / wafereres Whiche been / the verray deueles Officeres Line 480 To kyndle and blowe / the fyr of lecherye That is annexed vn-to glotonye The hooly writ/ take I to my witnesse That luxurie / is in wyn and dronkenesse Line 484

Lo how þat dronken Looth vnkyndely [‖ Nolite inebriari vino / in quo est/ luxuria] Lay by hise doghtres two vnwityngly So dronke he was / he nyste what he wroghte ¶ Herodes / who so / wel the stories soghte Line 488 . . . . . [no spurious lines in this MS.] Line 489

[6-text p 319] Whan he of wyn / was repleet at his feeste Line 489 Right at his owene table / he yaf his heeste To sleen the Baptist Iohn / ful giltelees ¶ Senec seith a good word doutelees [¶ Seneca] Line 492 He seith / he kan no difference fynde [folio 142b] Bitwix a man / that is out of his mynde And a man / which that is dronkelewe But that woodnesse / fallen in a shrewe Line 496 Perseuereth lenger/ than dooth dronkenesse O glotonye / ful of cursednesse O cause first of oure confusion O original / of oure dampnacion Line 500 Til Crist/ hadde boght vs / with his blood agayn Lo / how deere / shortly for to sayn Aboght was / thilke cursed vileynye Corrupt was al this world for glotonye Line 504 ¶ Adam oure fader / and his wyf also ffro Paradys / to labour and to wo Were dryuen for that vice / it is no drede Line 507 ffor whil þat Adam fasted / as I rede [¶ Ieronimus contra Ioui|nianum ‖ Quamdiu ieiu|nauit Adam / in Paradiso fuit/ comedit & eiectus est/ statim duxit vxorem] He was in Paradys / and whan þat he? Eet of the fruyt/ deffended on the tree Anon he was out cast to wo and peyne O glotonye / on thee wel oghte vs pleyne Line 512 O wiste a man / how manye maladyes ffolwen of excesse / and of glotonyes He wolde been / the moore mesurable Of his diete / sittynge at his table Line 516 Allas / the shorte throte / the tendre mouth Maketh þat Est and West and North and South In Erthe / in Eir / in water/ man to swynke To gete a gloton / deyntee mete and drynke Line 520 Of this matiere / o Paul wel kanstow trete Mete vn-to wombe / and wombe eek vn-to mete [¶ Esca ventri & venter escis. deus autem & hunc & illam destruet /] Shal god destroyen bothe / as Paulus seith Allas / a foul thyng is it/ by my feith Line 524

[6-text p 320] Line 524 To seye this word / and fouler is the dede Whan man so drynketh / of the white and rede That of his throte / he maketh his pryuee Thurgh thilke cursed superfluitee Line 528 ¶ The Apostel wepyng seith ful pitously [¶ Ad Philipenses capitulo .3^o.] Ther walken manye / of whiche yow toold haue I I seye it now wepyng with pitous voys Ther been enemys of Cristes croys Line 532 Of whiche the ende is deeth / wombe is hir god O wombe / o. bely / o. stynkyng Cod ffulfilled of donge / and of corrupcioun At either ende of thee / foul is the soun Line 536 How greet labour/ and cost is thee to fynde Thise Cookes / how they stampe / and streyne and grynde And turnen substaunce in-to Accident To fulfillen / al thy likerous talent Line 540 Out of the harde bones knokke they [folio 143a] The mary / for they caste noght a-wey That may go thurgh the golet softe and swoote Of spicerie / of leef / and bark and roote Line 544 Shal been his sauce ymaked by delit To make hym yet a newer appetit But certes / he that haunteth swiche delices [¶ Qui autem in de|licijs est viuens mortuus est] Is deed / whil þat he lyueth in tho vices Line 548 ¶ A lecherous thyng is wyn and dronkenesse [¶ luxuriosa res vinum / et con|tumeliosa ebrietas] Is ful of stryuyng and of wrecchednesse O dronke man / disfigured is thy face Sour is thy breeth / foul artow to embrace Line 552 And thurgh thy dronke nose / semeth the soun As though thou seydest ay Sampsoun Sampsoun And yet god woot Sampsoun drank neuere no wyn Thou fallest/ as it were a styked swyn Line 556 Thy tonge is lost/ and al thyn honeste cure ffor dronkenesse / is verray sepulture Of mannes wit and his discrecion In whom þat drynke hath dominacion Line 560

[6-text p 321] Line 560 He kan no conseil kepe / it is no drede Now kepe yow / fro the white and fro the rede And namely / fro the white wyn of lepe That is to selle / in ffysshstrete / or in Chepe Line 564 This wyn of Spaigne / crepeth subtilly In othere wynes / growynge faste by Of which ther ryseth swich fumositee That whan a man hath dronken draughtes thre Line 568 And weneth / that he be at hoom in Chepe He is in Spaigne / right at the toune of lepe Nat at the Rochele / ne at Burdeux toun And thanne wol he seye / Sampsoun Sampsoun Line 572 ¶ But herkneth lordes / o word I yow preye That alle the souereyn Actes dar I seye Of victories / in the olde testament Thurgh verray god / þat is omnipotent Line 576 Were doon in Abstinence / and in preyere Looketh the Bible / and ther ye may it leere ¶ Looke Attilla the grete Conquerour Deyde in his sleepe / with shame and dishonour Line 580 Bledynge ay at his nose in dronkenesse A Capitayn / sholde lyue in sobrenesse And ouer al this / auyseth yow right wel What was comaunded / vn to Lamwel [¶ Noli vinum dare] Line 584 Nat Samuel / but Lamwel seye I Redeth the Bible / and fynde it expresly Of wyn yeuyng to hem þat han Iustise Namoore of this / for it may wel suffise Line 588

ANd now I haue spoken of Glotonye [folio 143b] Now wol I yow / deffenden hasardrye [¶ Of Hasardrye] Hasard / is verray mooder of lesynges [¶ Policratici [Ioannis Saris|buriensis] libro .1^o. / Menda|ciorum & periuriarum mater est Alea.] And of deceite / and cursed forswerynges Blasphemyng of crist manslaughtre and wast also Of catel and of tyme / and forthermo It is repreeue / and contrarie of honour ffor to ben holde / a commune hasardour Line 596

[6-text p 322] Line 596 And euer the hyer/ he is of estaat The moore / is he holden desolaat If that a Prynce / vseth hasardrye In alle gouernance and policye Line 600 He is / as by commune opinion Yholde the lasse / in reputacion ¶ Stilbon / that was a wys embassadour Was sent to Corynthe / in ful greet honour Line 604 ffro Lacidomye / to maken hire Alliaunce And whan he cam / hym happed[e] par chaunce That alle the gretteste / that were of that lond Pleyynge atte hasard / he hem fond Line 608 ffor which / as soone / as it myghte be He stal hym hoom agayn / to his contree And seyde / ther wol I nat lese my name Ne I wol nat take on me so greet defame Line 612 Yow for to allie / vn-to none hasardours Sendeth / othere wise Embassadours ffor by my trouthe / me were leuere dye Than I yow sholde / to hasardours allye Line 616 ffor ye that been / so glorious in honours Shul nat allyen yow / with hasardours As by my wyl / ne as by my tretee This wise Philosophre / thus seyde hee Line 620 ¶ Looke eek that the kyng Demetrius The kyng of Parthes as the book seith vs Sente him / a paire of dees of gold in scorn ffor he hadde vsed / hasard ther-biforn Line 624 ffor which / he heeld his glorie / or his renoun At no value / or reputacioun Lordes may fynden / oother maner pley Honeste ynough / to dryue the day awey Line 628

Now wol I speke / of othes false and grete [¶ Of sweryng & forsweryng] A word or two / as olde bookes trete Gret sweryng is a thyng abhominable And fals sweryng is yet moore repreuable Line 632

[6-text p 323] Line 632 The heighe god / forbad sweryng at al [¶ Nolite omnino Iurare] Witnesse on Mathew / but in special Of sweryng seith the hooly Ieremye [¶ Ieremie .4^o. ‖. Iurabis in veri|tate in Iudicio & Iusticia] Thou shalt seye sooth thyne othes and nat lye Line 636 And swere in doom / and eek in rightwisnesse [folio 144a] But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse Bihoold and se / that in the firste table Of heighe goddes heestes honurable Line 640 Hou / that the seconde heeste / of hym / is this Take nat my name / in ydel or amys Lo rather he forbedeth swich sweryng Than homycide / or any cursed thyng Line 644 I seye / that as by ordre / thus it stondeth This knowen / that hise heestes vnderstondeth How þat / the seconde heeste of god is that And forther ouer / I wol thee telle al plat Line 648 That vengeance / shal nat parten from his hous That of hise othes / is to outrageous By goddes precious herte / and by his nayles And by the blood of Crist that is in Hayles Line 652 Seuene is my chaunce / and thyn is cynk and treye By goddes Armes / if thou falsly pleye This daggere / shal thurgh-out thyn herte go This fruyt cometh / of the bicched bones two Line 656 fforsweryng Ire / falsnesse / Homycide Now for the loue of Crist þat for vs dyde Lete youre othes / bothe grete and smale But sires / now wol I telle forth my tale Line 660

THise Riotours thre / of whiche I telle Longe erst er prime rong of any belle Were set hem / in a Tauerne to drynke And as they sat they herde a belle clynke Line 664 Biforn a cors / was caried / to his graue That oon of hem / gan callen to his knaue Go bet quod he / and axe redily What cors is this / þat passeth heer forby Line 668

[6-text p 324] Line 668 And looke / þat thou reporte his name weel ¶ Sire quod this boy / it nedeth neueradeel It was me toold / er ye cam heer two houres He was pardee / an old felawe of youres Line 672 And sodeynly / he was yslayn to-nyght ffor-dronke / as he sat on his bench vpright Ther cam a priuee theef/ men clepeth deeth That in this contree / al the peple sleeth Line 676 And with his spere / he smoot his herte atwo And wente his wey / with-outen wordes mo He hath / a thousand slayn this pestilence And maister / er ye come in his presence Line 680 Me thynketh / that it were necessarie ffor to be war / of swich an Aduersarie Beth redy / for to meete hym eueremoore Thus taughte me my dame / I sey namoore Line 684 By seinte Marie seyde this Tauerner [folio 144b] The child seith sooth / for he hath slayn this yeer Henne ouer a Mile / with-Inne a greet village Bothe man and womman / child and hyne / and page I trowe / his habitacion be there Line 689 To been auysed / greet wysdom it were Er that he dide a man / a dishonour ¶ Ye goddes Armes / quod this Riotour Line 692 Is it swich peril / with hym for to meete? I shal hym seke / by wey and eek by strete I make auow / to goddes digne bones Herkneth felawes / we thre been al ones Line 696 Lat ech of vs / holde vp his hand til oother And ech of vs / bicomen otheres brother And we wol sleen / this false traytour deeth He shal be slayn / which þat so manye sleeth Line 700 By goddes dignitee / er it be nyght/ ¶ Togidres han thise thre / hir trouthes plight To lyue and dyen / ech of hem for oother As though he were / his owene yborn brother Line 704

[6-text p 325] Line 704 And vp they stirte / and dronken in this rage And forth they goon / towardes that village Of which the Tauerner/ hadde spoke biforn And many a grisly ooth / thanne han they sworn Line 708 And Cristes blessed body / they to-rente Deeth shal be deed / if that they may hym hente ¶ Whan they han goon / nat fully half a Mile Right as they wolde / han troden ouer a stile Line 712 An oold man and a poure / with hem mette This olde man / ful mekely hem grette And seyde thus / now lordes / god yow see ¶ The proudeste / of thise Riotours three Line 716 Answerde agayn / what carl with sory grace Why artow / al forwrapped saue thy face? Why lyuestow so longe / in so greet age? ¶ This olde man / gan looke in his visage Line 720 And seyde thus / for I ne kan nat fynde A man / though þat I walked in to ynde Neither in Citee / nor in no Village That wolde chaunge / his youthe for myn Age Line 724 And therfore / moot I han myn Age stille As longe tyme / as it is goddes wille ¶ Ne deeth allas / ne wol nat han my lyf Thus walke I / lyk a restelees kaityf Line 728 And on the ground / which is my moodres gate I knokke with my staf / bothe erly and late And seye / leeue mooder/ leet me In Lo how I vanysshe / flessh and blood and skyn Line 732 Allas / whan shul / my bones been at reste [folio 145a] Mooder / with yow / wolde I chaunge my cheste That in my chambre / longe tyme hath be Ye for an heyre clowt to wrappe me Line 736 But yet to me / she wol nat do that grace ffor which / ful pale / and welked is my face ¶ But sires to yow / it is no curteisye To speken / to an old man vileynye Line 740

[6-text p 326] Line 740 But he trespasse / in word / or elles in dede In hooly writ ye may your self wel rede Agayns an oold man / hoor vpon his heed [¶ coram canuto capite consurge] Ye sholde arise / wherfore I yeue yow reed Line 744 Ne dooth vn-to an oold man / noon harm now Namoore than þat ye wolde / men did to yow In age / if that ye so longe abyde And god be with yow / where ye go or ryde Line 748 I moote go thider / as I haue to go ¶ Nay olde cherl / by god thou shalt nat so Seyde this oother hasardour anon Thou partest nat so lightly / by Seint Iohn Line 752 Thou spak right/ now / of thilke traytour deeth That in this contree / alle oure freendes sleeth Haue heer my trouthe / as thou art his espye Telle where he is / or thou shalt it abye Line 756 By god / and by the hooly sacrement ffor soothly / thou art oon of his assent To sleen vs yonge folk / thou false theef ¶ Now sires quod he / if þat ye be so leef Line 760 To fynde deeth / turne vp this croked wey ffor in that groue / I lafte hym by my fey Vnder a tree / and there he wole abyde Noght for youre boost he wole him no thyng hyde Line 764 Se ye that ook right there ye shal hym fynde God saue yow þat boghte agayn mankynde And yow amende / thus seyde this olde man And euerich / of thise Riotours ran Line 768 Til he cam to that tree / and ther they founde Of floryns fyne of gold ycoyned rounde Wel ny an .viij. busshels / as hem thoughte No lenger thanne / after deeth they soughte Line 772 But ech of hem / so glad was of that sighte ffor þat the floryns / been so faire and brighte That doun they sette hem / by this precious hoord The worste of hem / he spak the firste word Line 776

[6-text p 327] Line 776 ¶ Bretheren quod he / taak kepe what I seye My wit is greet though þat I bourde and pleye This tresor / hath ffortune vn-to vs yeuen In myrthe and Ioliftee / oure lyf to lyuen Line 780 And lightly as it comth / so wol we spende [folio 145b] Ey goddes precious dignitee / who wende To-day / that we sholde han so fair a grace But myghte this gold / be caried fro this place Line 784 Hoom to myn hous / or elles vn-to youres ffor wel ye woot þat al this gold is oures Thanne were we / in heigh felicitee But trewely / by daye it may nat bee Line 788 Men wolde seyn / þat we were theues stronge And for oure owene tresor/ doon vs honge This tresor / moste ycaried be by nyghte As wisely / and as slyly / as it myghte Line 792 Wherfore I rede / þat Cut among vs alle Be drawe / and lat se / wher the Cut wol falle And he þat hath the Cut with herte blithe Shal renne to towne / and that ful swithe Line 796 And brynge vs breed and wyn / ful priuely And two of vs / shul kepen subtilly This tresor wel / and if he wol nat tarie Whan it is nyght we wol this tresor carie Line 800 By oon assent / where as vs thynketh best That oon of hem / the Cut broghte in his fest And bad hym drawe / and looke where it wol falle And it fil / on the yongeste of hem alle Line 804 And forth toward the toun / he wente anon And al so soone / as that he was gon That oon spak thus / vn-to that oother Thow knowest wel / thou art my sworn brother Line 808 Thy profit wol I telle thee anon Thou woost wel / that oure felawe is agon And heere is gold / and that ful greet plentee That shal departed been / among vs thre Line 812

[6-text p 328] Line 812 But nathelees / if I kan shape it so That it departed were / among vs two Hadde I nat doon / a freendes torn to thee? ¶ That oother answerde / I noot hou that may be Line 816 He woot how that the gold is with vs tweye Wha[t sha]l we doon / what shal we to hym seye? ¶ Shal it be conseil / seyde the firste shrewe? And I shal tellen / in a wordes fewe Line 820 What we shal doon / and bryngen it wel aboute ¶ I graunte quod that oother / out of doute That by my trouthe / I shal thee nat biwreye ¶ Now quod the firste / thou woost wel we be tweye Line 824 And two of vs / shul strenger be than oon Looke whan þat he is set that right anoon Arys / as though thou woldest with hym pleye And I shal / ryue hym / thurgh the sydes tweye Line 828 Whil that thou strogelest with hym / as in game [folio 146a] And with thy daggere / looke thou do the same And thanne / shal al this gold / departed be My deere freend / bitwixen me and thee Line 832 Thanne may we / bothe oure lustes all fulfille And pleye at dees / right at oure owene wille And thus / acorded been thise shrewes tweye To sleen the thridde / as ye han herd me seye Line 836 ¶ This yongeste / which þat wente vn-to the toun fful ofte in herte / he rolleth vp and doun The beautee of thise floryns / newe and brighte O lord quod he / if so were þat I myghte Line 840 Haue al this tresor / to my self allone Ther is no man / þat lyueth vnder the trone Of god / that sholde lyue so murye as I And atte laste / the feend oure enemy Line 844 Putte in his thought þat he sholde poyson beye With which / he myghte / sleen hise felawes tweye ffor why / the feend foond hym in swich lyuynge That he hadde leue / hem to sorwe brynge Line 848

[6-text p 329] Line 848 ffor this was outrely / his fulle entente To sleen hem bothe / and neuere to repente And forth he gooth / no lenger wolde he tarie Into the toun / vn-to Apothecarie Line 852 And preyde hym / þat he hym wolde selle Som poyson / þat he myghte hise rattes quelle And eek ther was / a polcat in his hawe That as he seyde / hise capons hadde yslawe Line 856 And fayn he wolde / wreke hym / if he myghte On vermyn / þat destroyed hym by nyghte ¶ The Pothecarie answerde / and thou shalt haue A thyng that al so god my soule saue Line 860 In al this world / ther is no creature That eten or dronken hath / of this confiture Noght/ but the montance of a corn of whete That he ne shal / his lif anon forlete Line 864 Ye sterue he shal / and that in lasse while Than thou wolt goon a paas / nat but A Mile This poyson / is so strong and violent ¶ This cursed man / hath in his hond yhent Line 868 This poyson in a box / and sith he ran In-to the nexte strete / vn-to a man And borwed hym / large botels thre And in the two / his poyson poured he Line 872 The thridde he kepte clene / for his owene drynke ffor al the nyght/ he shoope hym for to swynke In cariynge of the gold / out of that place And whan this Riotour/ with sory grace Line 876 Hadde filled with wyn / hise grete botels thre [folio 146b] To hise felawes / agayn repaireth he ¶ What nedeth it to sermone of it moore ffor right so / as they hadde cast his deeth bifoore Line 880 Right so they han hym slayn / and that anon And whan þat this was doon / thus spak that oon Now lat vs sitte and drynke / and make vs merie And afterward / we wol his body berie Line 884

[6-text p 330] Line 884 And with that word / it happed hym par cas To take the botel / ther the poyson was And drank and yaf his felawe drynke also ffor which anon / they storuen bothe two Line 888 ¶ But certes I suppose / that Auycen Wroot neuere in no Canon / ne in no fen Mo wonder signes / of empoisonyng Than hadde thise wrecches two / er hir endyng Line 892 Thus ended been / thise homycides two And eek the false empoysonere also ¶ O cursed synne / of alle cursednesse [¶ Auctor] O traytours homycide .o. wikkednesse Line 896 O glotonye / luxurie / and hasardrye Thou blasphemour of Crist with vileynye And othes grete / of vsage / and of pride Allas mankynde / how may it bitide Line 900 That to thy creatour / which þat the wroghte And with his precious herte-blood thee boghte Thou art so fals / and so vnkynde allas ¶ Now goode men / god foryeue yow youre trespas Line 904 And ware yow / fro the synne of Auarice Myn hooly pardon / may yow alle warice So þat ye offre / nobles / or sterlynges Or elles siluer broches / spoones / rynges Line 908 Boweth youre heed / vnder this hooly bulle Com vp ye wyues / offreth of youre wolle Youre names / I entre heer/ in my rolle anon In-to the blisse of heueue / shul ye gon Line 912 I yow assoille / by myn heigh power Yow þat wol offre / as clene and eek as cleer As ye were born / and lo sires thus I preche And Ihesu crist that is oure soules leche Line 916 So graunte yow / his pardon to receyue ffor that is best I wol yow nat deceyue

But sires / o. word / forgat I in my tale I haue Relikes / and pardon in my male Line 920

[6-text p 331] Line 920 As faire / as any man in Engelond Whiche were me yeuen / by the popes [[half scratcht out of the MS]] hond If any of yow / wole of deuocion Offren / and han myn Absolucion Line 924 Com forth anon / and kneleth heere adoun [folio 147a] And mekely / receyueth my pardoun Or elles / taketh pardon / as ye wende Al newe and fressh / at euery Miles ende Line 928 So þat ye offren / alwey newe and newe Nobles or pens / whiche þat be goode and trewe It is an honour / to euerich that is heer That ye mowe haue / a suffisant Pardoneer Line 932 Tassoille yow / in contree as ye ryde ffor auentures / whiche þat may bityde Parauenture / ther may fallen / oon or two Doun of his hors / and breke his nekke atwo Line 936 Looke which a seuretee / is it to yow alle That I am / in youre felaweshipe yfalle That may assoille yow / bothe moore and lasse Whan þat the soule / shal fro the body passe Line 940 I rede / þat oure hoost heere shal bigynne ffor he is / moost envoluped in synne Com forth sire hoost and offre first anon And thou shalt kisse / my Relikes euerychon Line 944 Ye for a grote / vnbokele anon thy purs

Nay nay quod he / thanne haue I cristes curs Lat be quod he / it shal nat be so theech Thou woldest make me / kisse thyn olde breech Line 948 And swere / it were a relyk of a seint Though it were / with thy fundement depeint But by the croys / which þat seint Eleyne fond [[fond in a later hand]] I wolde / I hadde / thy coillons in myn hond Line 952 In stide of Relikes / or of seintuarie Lat kutte hem of / I wol with thee hem carie They shul be shryned / in an hogges toord ¶ This Pardoner/ answerde nat a word Line 956

[6-text p 332] Line 956 So wrooth he was / no word ne wolde he seye ¶ Now quod oure hoost I wol no lenger pleye With thee / ne with noon oother angry man But right anon / the worthy knyght bigan Line 960 Whan þat he saugh / þat al the peple lough Namoore of this / for it is right ynough Sire Pardoner / be glad and myrie of cheere And ye sir hoost þat been to me so deere Line 964 I prey yow / þat ye kisse the Pardoner And Pardoner / I prey thee / drawe thee neer And as we diden / lat vs laughe and pleye Anon they kiste / and ryden forth hir weye Line 968

¶ Heere is ended the Pardoners tale.