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

[6-text p 303]

GROUP C. FRAGMENT IV.

§ 1. THE DOCTOR'S TALE.

ELLESMERE MS.

¶ Heere folweth / the Phisiciens tale

Ther was / as telleth Titus Liuius A knyght that was called Virginius ffulfild / of honour / and of worthynesse And strong of freendes / and of greet richesse Line 4 ¶ This knyght a doghter hadde by his wyf / No children hadde he mo in al his lyf ffair was this mayde / in excellent beautee Abouen euery wight that man may see Line 8 ffor Nature / hath with souereyn diligence Yformed hire / in so greet excellence As though she wolde seyn / lo I Nature Thus kan I forme / and peynte a creature Line 12 Whan that me list who kan me countrefete Pigmalion noght / though he ay forge and bete Or graue / or peynte / for I dar wel seyn Apelles Zanzis / sholde werche in veyn Outher to graue / or peynte / or forge / or bete If they presumed / me to countrefete ffor he that is the formere principal Hath maked me / his vicaire general Line 20 To forme and peynten erthely creaturis Right as me list and ech thyng in my cure is Vnder the Moone / þat may wane and waxe And for my werk right no thyng wol I axe Line 24

[6-text p 304] Line 24 My lord and I / been ful of oon accord I made hire / to the worshipe of my lord So do I / alle myne othere creatures What colour that they han / or what figures Line 28 Thus semeth me / that Nature wolde seye [folio 137b] ¶ This mayde of Age .xij. yeer was and tweye In which þat Nature / hadde swich delit ffor right as she kan peynte a lilie whit Line 32 And reed a Rose / right with swich peynture She peynted hath this noble creature Er she were born / vp-on hir lymes fre Where as by right / swiche colours sholde be Line 36 And Phebus dyed hath / hire treses grete Lyk to the stremes / of his burned heete And if þat excellent was hire beautee A thousand foold / moore vertuous was she Line 40 In hire / ne lakked no condicion That is to preyse / as by discrecion As wel in goost as body / chast was she ffor which / she floured in virginitee Line 44 With alle humylitee / and Abstinence With alle attemperaunce and pacience With mesure eek / of beryng and array Discreet she was / in answeryng alway Line 48 Though she were wise Pallas dar I seyn Hir facound eek / ful wommanly a pleyn No countrefeted termes / hadde she To seme wys / but after hir degree Line 52 She spak / and alle hire wordes moore and lesse Sownynge in vertu / and in gentillesse Shamefast she was / [in] maydens shamefastnesse Constant in herte / and euere in bisynesse Line 56 To dryue hire / out of ydel slogardye Bacus hadde of hire mouth / right no maistrie ffor wyn and youthe / dooth Venus encresse As man in fyr / wol wasten oille or greesse Line 60

[6-text p 305] Line 60 And of hir owene vertu / vnconstreyned She hath ful ofte tyme syk hire feyned ffor that she wolde fleen the compaignye Where likly was / to treten of folye Line 64 As is at feestes / reuels / and at daunces That been / occasions of daliaunces Swich thyng / maken children for to be To soone rype and boold / as men may se Line 68 Which is ful perilous / and hath been yoore ffor al to soone / may they lerne loore Of booldnesse / whan she woxen is a wyf ¶ And ye maistresses / in youre olde lyf Line 72 That lordes doghtres / han in gouernance Ne taketh of my wordes no displesance Thenketh / that ye been set in gouernynges Of lordes doghtres / oonly for two thynges Line 76 Outher / for ye han kept youre honestee [folio 138a] Or elles / ye han falle in freletee And knowen wel ynough the olde daunce And han forsaken / fully swich meschaunce Line 80 ffor eueremo / therfore for Cristes sake To teche hem vertu / looke þat ye ne slake ¶ A theef of venyson / that hath forlaft His likerousnesse / and al his olde craft Line 84 Kan kepe a fforest best of any man Now kepeth wel / for if ye wolde ye kan Looke wel / þat ye / vn-to no vice assente Lest ye be dampned / for youre wikke entente Line 88 ffor who so dooth / a traitour is certeyn And taketh kepe / of that þat I shal seyn Of alle tresons / souereyn pestilence Is / whan a wight bitrayseth Innocence Line 92 ¶ Ye fadres and ye moodres / eek also Though ye han children / be it oon or two Youre is the charge / of al hir surueiance Whil þat they been / vnder youre gouernance Line 96

[6-text p 306] Line 96 Beth war / if by ensample / of youre lyuynge Or by youre necligence / in chastisynge That they perisse / for I dar wel seye If þat they doon / ye shul it deere abeye Line 100 Vnder a shepherde / softe and necligent The wolf / hath many a sheepe and lamb to-rent . . . . . . . . . . Line 104

This mayde / of which I wol this tale expresse So kepte hir self hir neded no maistresse ffor in hir lyuyng maydens myghten rede As in a book/ euery good word or dede Line 108 That longeth to a mayden vertuous She was so prudent and so bounteuous ffor which / the fame / out sprong on euery syde Bothe of hir beautee and hir bountee wyde Line 112 That thurgh that land / they preised hire echone That loued vertu / saue Enuye allone That sory is / of oother mennes wele And glad is of his sorwe / and his vnheele Line 116 The doctour / maketh this descripcioun This mayde vp-on a day / wente in the toun Toward a temple / with hire mooder deere As is / of yonge maydens the manere Line 120 ¶ Now was ther thanne / a Iustice in that toun That gouernour was / of that Regioun And so bifel / this Iuge / hise eyen caste Vp-on this mayde / auysynge hym ful faste Line 124 As she cam forby / ther as this Iuge stood Anon / his herte chaunged and his mood So was he caught with beautee of this mayde [folio 138b] And to hym self / ful pryuely he sayde Line 128 This mayde / shal be myn / for any man ¶ Anon the feend / in-to his herte ran And taughte hym sodeynly / þat he by slyghte The mayden / to his purpos wynne myghte Line 132

[6-text p 307] Line 132 ffor certes by no force / ne by no meede Hym thoughte / he was nat able for to speede ffor she was strong of freendes / and eek she Confermed was / in swich souerayn bountee Line 136 That wel he wiste / he myghte hire neuere wynne As for to maken hire / with hir body synne ffor which / by greet deliberacioun He sente after a cherl / was in the toun Line 140 Which þat he knew / for subtil and for boold This Iuge / vn-to this cherl / his tale hath toold In secree wise / and made hym to ensure He sholde telle it to no creature Line 144 And if he dide / he sholde lese his heed Whan þat assented was / this cursed reed Glad was this Iuge / and maked him greet cheere And yaf hym yiftes / preciouse and deere Line 148 ¶ Whan shapen was / al hire conspiracie ffro point to point how þat his lecherie Parfourned sholde been ful subtilly As ye / shul heere it after openly Line 152 Hoom gooth the cherl / þat highte Claudius This false Iuge / that highte Apius So was his name / for this is no fable But knowen / for historial thyng notable Line 156 The sentence of it sooth is out of doute This false Iuge / gooth now faste aboute To hasten his delit al that he may And so bifel / soone after on a day Line 160 This false Iuge / as telleth vs the storie As he was wont sat in his Consistorie And yaf his doomes / vp-on sondry cas This false cherl / cam forth / a ful greet pas Line 164 And seyde lord / if þat it be youre wille As dooth me right/ vp-on this pitous bille In which I pleyne / vp-on Virginius And if þat he wol seyn / it is nat thus Line 168

[6-text p 308] Line 168 I wol it preeue / and fynde good witnesse That sooth is / that my bille wol expresse ¶ The Iuge answerde / of this in his absence I may nat yeue / diffyny[ty]ue sentence Line 172 Lat do hym calle / and I wol gladly heere Thou shalt haue al right and no wrong heere ¶ Virginius / cam to wite the Iuges wille [folio 139a] And right anon / was rad this cursed bille Line 176 The sentence of it / was as ye shul heere ¶ To yow my lord / sire Apius so deere Sheweth youre poure seruant Claudius How that a knyght / called Virginius Line 180 Agayns the lawe / agayn al equitee Holdeth expres / agayn the wyl of me My seruant. which þat is my thral by right Which fro myn hous / was stole vp-on a nyght Line 184 Whil þat she was ful yong this wol I preeue By witnesse lord / so þat it nat yow greeue She nys his doghter nat what so he seye Wherfore / to yow / my lord the Iuge I preye Line 188 yeld me my thral / if þat it be youre wille Lo / this was / al the sentence of his bille ¶ Virginius / gan vp-on the cherl biholde But hastily / er he his tale tolde Line 192 And wolde haue preeued it as sholde a knyght And eek by witnessyng of many a wight That it was fals / that seyde his Aduersarie This cursed Iuge / wolde no thyng tarie Line 196 Ne heere a word moore of Virginius But yaf his Iuggement and seyde thus ¶ I deeme anon / this cherl his seruant haue Thou shalt no lenger / in thyn hous hir saue Line 200 Go bryng hire forth / and put hire in oure warde The cherl shal haue his thral / this I awarde ¶ And whan this worthy knyght Virginius Thurgh sentence / of this Iustice Apius Line 204

[6-text p 309] Line 204 Moste by force / his deere doghter yeuen Vn-to the Iuge / in lecherie to lyuen He gooth hym hoom / and sette him in his halle And leet anon / his deere doghter calle Line 208 And with a face deed / as asshen colde Vpon hir humble face / he gan biholde With fadres pitee / stikynge thurgh his herte Al wolde he / from his purpos nat conuerte Line 212

Doghter quod he / Virginia / by thy name Ther been two weyes / outher deeth or shame That thou most / suffre / allas þat I was bore ffor neuere / thou deseruedest wherfore Line 216 To dyen / with a swerd / or with a knyf O deere doghter / endere of my lyf Which I haue fostred vp / with swich plesance That thou were neuere / out of my remembrance Line 220 O doghter / which þat art my laste wo And in my lyf my laste ioye also O gemme o Chastitee in pacience [folio 139b] Take thou thy deeth / for this is my sentence Line 224 ffor loue and nat for hate / thou most be deed My pitous hand / moot smyten of thyn heed Allas / that euere Apius the say Thus hath he falsly / Iugged the to day Line 228 And tolde hire al the cas / as ye bifore Han herd / nat nedeth for to telle it moore ¶ O mercy deere fader / quod this mayde And with that word / she both hir Armes layde Line 232 About his nekke / as she was wont to do The teeris / bruste out of hir eyen two And seyde / goode fader shal I dye Is ther no grace / is ther no remedye Line 236 ¶ No certes / deere doghter myn quod he ¶ Thanne yif me leyser / fader myn quod she My deeth for to compleyne / a litel space ffor pardee Iepte yaf his doghter grace Line 240

[6-text p 310] Line 240 ffor to compleyne / er he hir slow allas And god it woot no thyng was hir trespas But for she ran / hir fader for to see To welcome hym / with greet solempnitee Line 244 And with that word / she fil aswowne anon And after/ whan hir swownyng is agon She riseth vp / and to hir fader sayde Blissed be god / that I shal dye a mayde Line 248 Yif me my deeth / er that I haue a shame Dooth with youre child / youre wyl a goddes name ¶ And with that word / she preyed hym ful ofte That with his swerd / he wolde smyte softe Line 252 And with that word / aswowne doun she fil Hir fader / with ful sorweful herte and wil Hir heed of smoot and by the tope it hente And to the Iuge / he gan it to presente Line 256 As he sat yet in doom in Consistorie And whan the Iuge it saugh / as seith the storie He bad to take hym / and anhange hym faste But right anon / a thousand peple in thraste Line 260 To saue the knyght for routhe and for pitee ffor knowen was / the false Iniquitee The peple anon / hath suspect of this thyng By manere / of the cherles chalangyng Line 264 That it was / by the assent of Apius They wisten wel / that he was lecherus ffor which / vn-to this Apius they gon And caste hym in a prison right anon Line 268 Ther as he slow hym self and Claudius That seruant was / vn-to this Apius And demed / for to hange vpon a tree [folio 140a] But that Virginius / of his pitee Line 272 So preyde for hym / that he was exiled And elles certes / he had been bigyled The remenant were anhanged moore and lesse That were consentant of this cursednesse Line 276

[6-text p 311] Line 276

Heere men may seen / how synne hath his merite Beth war / for no man woot whom god wol smyte In no degree / ne in which manere wyse The worm of conscience / may agryse Line 280 Of wikked lyf though it so pryuee be That no man / woot ther-of but god and he ffor be he lewed man / or ellis lered He noot how soone / þat he shal been afered Line 284 Therfore I rede yow / this conseil take fforsaketh synne / er synne yow forsake

¶ Heere endeth / the Phisiciens tale.

[6-text p 312]

¶ The wordes of the Hoost to the Phisicien and the Pardoner.

Ovre Hoost gan to swere / as he were wood Harrow quod he / by nayles and by blood Line 288 This was a fals cherl and a fals Iustise As shameful deeth / as herte may deuyse Come to thise false Iuges / and hire Aduocatz Algate / this sely mayde / is slayn allas Line 292 Allas / to deere boughte she beautee Wherfore I seye / al day / as men may see That yiftes of ffortune and of Nature Been cause of deeth / to many a creature Line 296 . . . . . . . . . . Of bothe yiftes / that I speke of now Men han ful ofte / moore for harm than prow Line 300 ¶ But trewely / myn owene maister deere This is / a pitous tale for to heere But nathelees / passe ouer / is no fors I pray to god / so saue thy gentil cors Line 304 And eek/ thyne vrynals / and thy Iurdones Thyn ypocras / and eek thy Galiones And euery boyste / ful of thy letuarie God blesse hem / and oure lady Seint Marie Line 308 So moot I theen / thou art a propre man And lyk a prelat by Seint Ronyan Seyde I nat wel / I kan nat speke in terme But wel I woot thou doost myn herte to erme Line 312 That I almoost/ haue caught a Cardynacle [folio 140b] By corpus bones / but I haue triacle Or elles a draughte / of moyste and corny Ale Or but I heere anon / a myrie tale Line 316

[6-text p 313] Line 316 Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde Thou beel amy / thou Pardoner he sayde Telle vs som myrthe / or Iapes right anon ¶ It shal be doon quod he / by Seint Ronyon Line 320 But first quod he / heere at this Ale stake I wol bothe drynke / and eten of a Cake ¶ And right anon / the gentils gonne to crye Nay / lat hym telle vs of no ribaudye Line 324 Telle vs som moral thyng þat we may leere Som wit and thanne wol we gladly heere ¶ I graunte ywis quod he / but I moot thynke Vp-on som honeste thyng while þat I drynke Line 328

[6-text p 314]

¶ Heere folweth the Prologe of the Pardoners tale

¶ Radix malorum est Cupiditas Ad Thimotheum .6^o.

LOrdynges quod he / in chirches / whan I preche I peyne me / to han an hauteyn speche And rynge it out as round as gooth a belle ffor I kan / al by rote that I telle Line 332 My theme is alwey oon / and euere was Radix malorum est Cupiditas

First I pronounce / whennes þat I come And thanne my bulles / shewe I alle and some Line 336 Oure lige lordes seel / on my patente That shewe I first my body to warente That no man be so boold / ne preest ne clerk Me to destourbe / of Cristes hooly werk Line 340 And after that thanne telle I forth my tales ¹Bulles of popes¹ and of Cardynales Of Patriarkes / and bishoppes I shewe And in latyn / I speke a wordes fewe Line 344 To saffron with my predicacion And for to stire hem / to deuocion Thanne shewe I forth / my longe cristal stones Ycrammed ful of cloutes and of bones Line 348 Relikes been they / as wenen they echoon Thanne haue [I] in laton a sholder boon Which that was / of an hooly Iewes sheepe Goode men I seye / taak of my wordes keepe Line 352 If that this boon / be wasshe in any welle [folio 141a] If Cow / or Calf or Sheepe / or Oxe swelle That any worm hath ete / or worm ystonge Taak water of that welle / and wassh his tonge Line 356

[6-text p 315] Line 356 And it is hool anon / and forthermoor Of pokkes / and of scabbe / and euery soor Shal euery sheepe be hool / þat of this welle Drynketh a draughte / taak kepe eek what I telle Line 360 ¶ If that the goode man / that the beestes oweth Wol euery wyke / er that the Cok hym croweth ffastynge drinke / of this welle a draughte As thilke hooly Iew / oure eldres taughte Line 364 Hise beestes and his stoor shal multiplie ¶ And sire / also / it heeleth Ialousie ffor though a man / be falle in Ialous rage Lat maken / with this water his potage Line 368 And neuere shal he moore / his wyf mystriste Though he the soothe / of hir defaute wiste Al had she / taken preestes / two or thre ¶ Heere is a Miteyn eek/ that ye may se Line 372 He þat his hand wol putte in this Mitayn He shal haue / multipliyng of his grayn Whan he hath sowen / be it whete or Otes So þat he offre / pens / or elles grotes Line 376 ¶ Goode men and wommen / o thyng warne I yow If any wight / be in this chirche now That hath doon synne horrible þat he? Dar nat for shame / of it yshryuen be Line 380 Or any womman / be she yong or old That hath ymaked / hir housbonde Cokewold Swich folk shal haue no power ne no grace To offren / to my relikes in this place Line 384 And who so fyndeth hym / out of swich fame They wol come vp / and offre on goddes name And I assoille hem / by the Auctoritee Which that by bulle / ygraunted was to me Line 388 ¶ By this gaude / haue I wonne / yeer by yeer An hundred mark sith I was Pardoner I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet And whan the lewed peple / is doun yset Line 392

[6-text p 316] Line 392 I preche so / as ye han herd bifoore And telle / an hundred false Iapes moore Thanne peyne I me / to strecche forth the nekke And Est and West vp-on the peple I bekke Line 396 As dooth a dowue / sittynge / on a berne Myne handes and my tonge goon so yerne That it is ioye / to se my bisynesse Of Auarice / and of swich cursednesse Line 400 Is al my prechyng for to make hem free [folio 141b] To yeuen hir pens / and namely vn-to me ffor myn entente / is nat but for to wynne And no thyng for correccion of synne Line 404 I rekke neuere / whan they been beryed Though þat hir soules / goon a blakeberyed ffor certes / many a predicacion Comth ofte tyme / of yuel entencion Line 408 Som for plesance of folk/ and flaterye To been auaunced / by ypocrisye And som for veyne glorie / and som for hate ffor whan / I dar noon oother weyes debate Line 412 Thanne wol I stynge hym / with my tonge smerte In prechyng / so that he shal nat asterte To been defamed falsly / if that he? Hath trespased / to my bretheren / or to me Line 416 ffor though I telle noght / his propre name Men shal wel knowe / that it is the same By signes / and by othere circumstances Thus quyte I folk that doon vs displesances Line 420 Thus spitte I out my venym / vnder hewe Of hoolynesse / to semen hooly and trewe ¶ But shortly myn entente I wol deuyse I preche of no thyng but for coueityse Line 424 Therfore / my theme is yet and euere was Radix malorum est Cupiditas Thus kan I preche / agayn that same vice Which þat I vse / and that is Auarice Line 428

[6-text p 317] Line 428 But though my self/ be gilty in that synne Yet kan I maken / oother folk to twynne ffrom Auarice / and soore to repente But that is nat/ my principal entente Line 432 I preche no thyng but for coueitise Of this mateere / it oghte ynogh suffise ¶ Thanne telle I hem / ensamples many oon Of olde stories / longe tyme agoon Line 436 ffor lewed peple / louen tales olde Swiche thynges / kan they wel reporte and holde What trowe ye / the whiles I may preche And wynne / gold and siluer / for I teche Line 440 That I wol lyue in pouerte wilfully Nay nay / I thoghte it neuere trewely ffor I wol preche / and begge in sondry landes I wol nat do no labour/ with myne handes Line 444 Ne make baskettes / and lyue therby By cause / I wol nat beggen ydelly I wol noon / of the Apostles countrefete I wol haue moneie / wolle chese and whete Line 448 Al were it yeuen / of the pouereste page [folio 142a] Or of the pouereste wydwe / in a village Al sholde hir children sterue / for famyne Nay / I wol drynke / licour of the vyne Line 452 And haue a ioly wenche / in euery toun But herkneth lordynges in conclusioun ¶ Youre likyng is / that I shal telle a tale Now / haue I dronke a draughte of corny ale Line 456 By god / I hope / I shal yow telle a thyng That shal by reson / been at youre likyng ffor though my self be a ful vicious man A moral tale / yet I yow telle kan Line 460 Which I am wont to preche / for to wynne Now hoold youre pees / my tale I wol bigynne

[6-text p 318]

¶ Heere bigynneth the Pardoners tale.

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 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 Lay by hise doghtres two vnwityngly So dronke he was / he nyste what he wroghte ¶ Herodes / who so / wel the stories soghte Line 488 . . . . . 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 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 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 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 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 Is deed / whil þat he lyueth in tho vices Line 548 ¶ A lecherous thyng is wyn and dronkenesse 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 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 Hasard / is verray mooder of lesynges 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 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 Witnesse on Mathew / but in special Of sweryng seith the hooly Ieremye 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 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 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 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 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.

Notes

• on leaf 137
• [Painting of the Physician]
• ¶ Quere in Metha|morphosios
• ¶ Apelles fecit mira|bile opus in tumulo Darii / Vide in Alex|andro libro .I^o. de Zanze in libro Tulij.
• Nota
• no gap in the MS.
• ¶ Augustinus
• audire
• hic
• ¶ Iudicum capitulo .xj.^o
• ‖ ffuit illo tempore Iepte Galaandes
• no gap in the MS.
• on leaf 140, back
• [^1_1 nearly scratcht out of the MS]
• on leaf 142
• [Painting of the Pardoner on Horseback.]
• ‖ Nolite inebriari vino / in quo est/ luxuria
• no spurious lines in this MS.
• ¶ Seneca
• ¶ Ieronimus contra Ioui|nianum ‖ Quamdiu ieiu|nauit Adam / in Paradiso fuit/ comedit & eiectus est/ statim duxit vxorem
• ¶ Esca ventri & venter escis. deus autem & hunc & illam destruet /
• ¶ Ad Philipenses capitulo .3^o.
• ¶ Qui autem in de|licijs est viuens mortuus est
• ¶ luxuriosa res vinum / et con|tumeliosa ebrietas
• ¶ Noli vinum dare
• ¶ Of Hasardrye
• ¶ Policratici [Ioannis Saris|buriensis] libro .1^o. / Menda|ciorum & periuriarum mater est Alea.
• ¶ Of sweryng & forsweryng
• ¶ Nolite omnino Iurare
• ¶ Ieremie .4^o. ‖. Iurabis in veri|tate in Iudicio & Iusticia
• ¶ coram canuto capite consurge
• ¶ Auctor
• [half scratcht out of the MS]
• [fond in a later hand]