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

[6-text p 303]

GROUP C. FRAGMENT IV.

§ 1. THE DOCTOR'S TALE.

HENGWRT MS.

¶ Here bigynneth / the Phisiciens tale. [folio 191b]

THer was / as telleth Titus Liuius A knyght/ that called was Virginius ffulfild of honour / and of worthynesse And strong of freendes / and of greet richesse Line 4 ¶ This knyght a doghter hadde by his wif Ne children hadde he mo / in al his lif ffair was this mayde / in excellent beautee Abouen euery wight þat man may see Line 8 ffor Nature hath / with souereyn diligence Yformed hire / in so greet excellence As thogh she wolde seyn / lo I nature Thus kan I forme / and peynte a creature Line 12 Whan þat me list who kan me countrefete Pigmalion noght thogh 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 presumeden / 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 / that 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 acord I made hire / to the worshipe of my lord So do I / alle myne othere creatures What colour þat they han / or what figures Line 28 Thus semeth me / that nature wolde seye This mayde of age / xij. yeer was and tweye In which þat nature / hadde swich delit ffor / right as she kan peynte a lilye 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 free Wher as by right swiche colours sholden be Line 36 And Phebus / dyed hath hir tresses grete [folio 192a] Lyk to the stremys / of his burned hete And if þat excellent was hir beautee A thousand fold / 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 / chaast was she ffor which / she floured in virginitee Line 44 With all humilitee / and abstinence With all atemperance / and pacience With mesure eek / of beryng and array Discreet she was / in answeryng alway Line 48 Thogh she were wise Pallas / dar I seyn Hir facound eek / ful wommanly and pleyn No countrefeted termes / hadde she To seme wys / but after hir degree Line 52 She spak/ and alle hir wordes / moore and lesse Sownynge in vertu / and in gentilesse 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 hir mouth / right no maistrye ffor wyn and youthe / dooth Venus encresse As men in fyr / wil casten oille / or gresse Line 60

[6-text p 305] Line 60 And of hir owene vertu / vnconstreyned She hath ful ofte tyme / syk hir feyned ffor þat she wolde / fleen the compaignye Where likly was / to treten of folye Line 64 As is at festes / 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 be yoore ffor al to soone / may they lerne loore Of boldnesse / whan she woxe 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 / þat ye been set in gouernynges Of lordes doghtres / oonly for two thynges Line 76 ¶ Owther / for ye han kept youre honestee [folio 192b] Or ellis / ye han falle in freletee And knowen wel ynow / the olde daunce And han forsaken fully / swich meschaunce Line 80 ffor euere mo / 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 wole 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 traytour is certeyn And taketh kepe / of that þat I shal seyn Of alle treson / souerayn pestilence Is / whan a wight bitrayseth Innocence Line 92 ¶ Ye fadres / and ye modres eek also Thogh ye han children / be it oon or mo Youre is the charge / of al hir surueance 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 lomb to-rent Suffiseth oon ensample / now as heere ffor I moot turne agayn to my matere 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 sproong on euery syde Bothe of hir beautee / and hir bountee / wyde Line 112 That thurgh that land / they preysed 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 doctor / maketh this discripcioun [folio 193a] This mayde / vp-on a day / wente in the toun Toward a temple / with hir moder 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 Anoon his herte chaunged / and his mood So was he caught with beautee of this mayde 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 This 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 hir neuere wynne As for to make hire / with hir body synne ffor which / by greet deliberacioun He sente after a cherl / was in the town Line 140 Which þat he knew / for subtil and for bold This Iuge vn-to this cherl / his tale hath told 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 hym gret cheere And yaf hym yiftes / preciouse and deere Line 148 ¶ Whan shapen was / al hir conspiracie ffro point to point how þat his lecherie Parfourned sholde been / ful subtilly As ye shul heere it after openly Line 152 ¶ Hom goth the cherl / that 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 [folio 193b] 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 domes / vp-on sondry cas ¶ This false cherl cam forth / a ful gret 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 preue / and fynde good witnesse That sooth is / that my bille wol expresse ¶ This Iuge answerde / of this in his absence I may nat yeue / diffynytif sentence Line 172 Lat do hym calle / and I wol gladly heere Thow shalt haue al right and no wrong heere Virginius cam to wite / the Iuges wille 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 þat 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 that she was ful yong this wol I preue By witnesse lord / so þat it nat yow greue She nys his doghter nat what so he seye Wher 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 proued it as sholde a knyght And eek by witnessynge / of many a wight That it was fals / that seyde his Aduersarie This cursed Iuge / wolde no thyng tarie Line 196 Ne here a word / moore of Virginius [folio 194a] But yaf his Iuggement and seyde thus / ¶ I deme anon / this cherl / his seruant haue Thou shalt no lenger / in thyn hous hir saue Line 200 Go bryng hir forth / and put hire in oure warde The cherl shal han 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 goth hym hom / and sette hym in his halle And leet anoon / his deere doghter calle Line 208 And with a face deed / as asshen colde Vp-on hir humble face / he gan biholde With fadres pitee / stikyng 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 thow most suffre / allas þat I was bore ffor neuere / thow 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 thow were neuere / out of my remembrance Line 220 O doghter / which that art my laste wo And in my lyf my laste ioye also O gemme of chastitee / in pacience Tak thow thy deeth / for this is my sentence Line 224 ffor loue / and nat for hate / thow most be deed My pitous hand / moot smyten of thyn heed Allas / þat euere Apius thee say Thus hath he falsly / Iugged thee 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 bothe hir armes layde Line 232 Aboute his nekke / as she was wont to do The teeris borste / 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 [folio 194b] ¶ Thanne yif me leyser / fader myn quod she My deeth for to compleyne / a litel space Line 239 ffor pardee Iepte / yaf his doghter grace

[6-text p 310] ffor to compleyne / er he hir slowe allas And god it woot no thyng was hir trespas But for she ran / hir fader for to se To welcome hym / with greet solempnytee 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 Blessed be god / þat I shal dye a mayde Line 248 Yif me my deeth / er þat 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 saw / 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 / hadde suspect in this thyng By manere / of the cherles chalangyng Line 264 That it was / by the assent of Apius They wisten wel / þat 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 Was demed / for to hange vp on a tree But that Virginius / of his pitee Line 272 So preyde for hym / that he was exiled And ellis certes / he hadde been bigyled The remenant were anhanged / moore and lesse That were consentant of this cursednesse Line 276

[6-text p 311] Line 276 ¶ Heere may men seen / how synne hath his merite [folio 195a] Beth war / for no man woot whom god wol smyte In no degree / ne in which manere wise The worm of conscience / may agrise Line 280 Of wikked lyf / thogh 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 / that he shal been afered Line 284 Ther-fore I rede yow / this conseil take fforsaketh synne / er synne yow forsake [6-text p 312]

¶ Here endeth the Phisiciens tale.

¶ The myry talkyng of the Hoost to the Phisicien and the Pardoner.

Oure 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 Iuges / and hir Aduocatz Algate this sely made / is slayn allas Line 292 Allas / to deere boghte she beautee Wherfore I seye alday / þat men may se That yiftes of ffortune / and of nature Been cause of deeth / to many a creature Line 296 . . . . . . . . . . Of bothe yiftes / þat 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 galyones And euery boyste / ful of thy letuarie God blesse hem / and oure lady Seinte Marie Line 308 So mote I then / thow art a propre man And lyk a prelat / by Seint Ronyan Seyde I nat wel / I kan nat speke in terme [folio 195b] But wel I woot thow doost myn herte to erme Line 312 That I almoost haue caught a Cardynacle By corpus bones / but if I haue triacle Or ellis a draghte / of moyste and corny ale Or but I heere anon / a murye tale Line 316

[6-text p 313] Line 316 Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde ¶ Thow beel amy / thow Pardoner he sayde Tel 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 / thise gentils gonne to crye Nay lat hym telle vs / of no ribawdye Line 324 Tel 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 Vpon som honeste thyng whil þat I drynke Line 328

[6-text p 314]

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

¶ Here bigynneth the Prologe of the Pardoners tale.

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 ¶ ffirst I pronounce / whennes þat I come And thanne my bulles / shewe I alle & 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 holy werk Line 340 And after that thanne telle I forth my tales Bulles of Popes / and of Cardynales Of Patriarkes / and Bisshopes I shewe [folio 196a] 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 Yerammed ful / of cloutes and of bones Line 348 Relikes been they / as wenen they echon Thanne haue I in a laton / a shulder bon Which þat was / of an holy Iewes sheepe Goode men I seye / tak of my wordes keepe Line 352 If þat this boon be wasshe / in any welle If cow / or calf or sheepe / or Oxe swelle That any worm hath ete / or worm ystonge Taak water of that welle / and wasshe his tonge Line 356

[6-text p 315] Line 356 And it is hool anoon / and forther moor 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 þat the goode man / þat the bestes oweth Wol euery wike / er þat the cok hym croweth ffastynge / drynken of this welle a draghte As thilke holy Iew / oure eldres taghte Line 364 Hise bestes and his stoor / shal multiplie And sire also / it heeleth Ialousie ffor thogh a man / be falle in Ialous rage Lat maken with this water / his potage Line 368 And neuere shal he moore / his wyf mystriste Thogh he the soothe / of hir defaute wiste Al hadde she / taken preestes / two or thre ¶ Heere is a Miteyn eek / þat ye may se Line 372 He þat his hand / wol putte / in this Mitayn He shal haue / multiplyyng of his grayn Whan he hath sowen / be it whete or Otes So þat / he / offre pens / or ellis 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 / that he Dar nat for shame / of it yshryuen be Line 380 Or any womman / be she yong or old That hath ymaked / hir housbond Cokewold Swich folk/ shal haue no power / ne no grace [folio 196b] To offren to my Relikes / in this place Line 384 And who so fyndeth hym / out of swich blame He wol come vp / and offre a goddes name And I assoille hym / by the auctoritee Which þat by bulle / ygraunted was to me Line 388 ¶ By this gaude / have I wonne / yeer by yeer An hundred mark sith I was Pardoner I stonde lyk a Clerk/ in my pulpet And whan that lewed peple / is doun yset Line 392

[6-text p 316] Line 392 I preche so / as ye han herd bifore And telle / an hundred false Iapes more 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 / sittyng 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 To yeuen hir pens / and namely vn-to me ffor myn entente is nat but for to wynne And no thyng for correccioun of synne Line 404 I rekke neuere / whan þat they been beryed Thogh 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 auanced / by ypocrisie 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 þat he shal nat asterte To been diffamed falsly / if þat 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 spete I out my venym vnder hewe Of holynesse / to seme holy and trewe But shortly / myn entente I wol deuyse [folio 197a] I preche of no thyng but for coueitise Line 424 Ther-fore 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 make / 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 matere / it oghte ynow 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 & holde What trowe ye / þat 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 ther by By cause / I wol nat beggen ydelly I wol / none of the Apostles countrefete I wol haue moneye / wolle / chese / and whete Line 448 Al were it yeuen / of the pouerest page Or of the pouereste widwe / 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 / þat I shal telle a tale Now haue I dronke / a draghte of corny Ale Line 456 By god I hope / I shal yow telle a thyng That shal by reson / been at youre likyng ffor thogh 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 holde youre pees / my tale I wol bigynne

[6-text p 318]

[H]ere bigynneth / the Pardoners tale.

IN fflandres / whilom was a compaignye [folio 197b] Of yonge folk that haunteden folye Line 464 As Riot hasard / Stewes / and Tauernes Where as with harpes / lutes / and gyternes They daunce / and pleyen at dees / bothe day & nyght And ete also and drynke / 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 / that Iewes / rente hym noght ynough And eech of hem / at otheres synne lough Line 476 And right anon / thanne coomen Tombesteres ffetys and smale / and yonge ffrutesteres Syngeris with harpes / Baudes / waufereres Whiche been / the verray deueles Officers Line 480 To kyndle and blowe / the fyr of lecherye That is annexed / vn-to glotonye The holy writ take I / to my witnesse That luxure / is in wyn / and dronkenesse ¶ Lo how þat dronken loth / vnkyndely Lay by his doghtres two / vnwityngly So dronke he was / he nyste what he wroghte Herodes / who so wel the stories soghte Line 488 [. . . . . . . . . .

[6-text p 319] Whan he of wyn was replet at his feste Line 489 Right at his owene table / he yaf his heste To sleen the Baptist Iohn / ful giltelees Senec seith a good word doutelees Line 492 ¶ He seith / he kan no difference fynde Bitwix a man / that is out of his mynde And a man / which þat is dronkelewe But that woodnesse / yfallen in a sherewe 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 [folio 198a] Corupt 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 ffor whil þat Adam fasted / as I rede Line 508 He was in Paradys / and whan þat he Eet of the frut defended on a 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 maladies ffolwen of excesse / and of glotonyes He wolde been / the moore mesurable Of his diete / sittyng at his table Line 516 Allas the shorte throte / the tendre mouth Maketh / þat Est and West and North and South In erthe / in Eyr / in Water / men to swynke To gete a gloton / deyntee mete and drynke Line 520 Of this matere / 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

[6-text p 320] To seye this word / and fouler is the dede Line 525 Whan man so drynketh / of the white & rede That of his throte / he maketh his pryuee Thurgh / thilke cursed superfluite Line 528 ¶ The Apostle 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 deth / wombe is hir god O wombe / o bely / o stynkyng cod ffulfilled of dong and of corrupcioun At either ende of thee / foul is the soun Line 536 How greet labour / and cost is thee to fynde Thise Cokes / how they stampe / & streyne / & grynde And turnen substance / in-to accident To fulfillen al / the likerous talent Line 540 Out of the harde bones / knokke they The mary / for they caste nat awey That may go thurgh the golet softe and soote [folio 198b] Of Spicerie / of lief / 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 ¶ 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 thogh thou seydest ay / Sampsoun Sampsoun And yet god woot Sampson drank neuere no wyn Thou fallest as it were a stiked swyn Line 556 Thy tonge is lost and al thyn honest cure ffor dronkenesse / is verray sepulture Of mannes wit and his discrecion In whom þat drynke / hath domynacion 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 ffisshstrete / or in Chepe Line 564 This wyn of Spaigne / crepeth subtilly In othere wynes / growynge faste by Of which / ther riseth swich fumositee That whan a man / hath dronken draghtes thre Line 568 And weneth þat he be / at hom in Chepe He is in Spaigne / right at the toune of lepe Nat at the Rochel / ne at Burdeux toun And thanne wol he seyn / Sampson Sampsoun Line 572 ¶ But herkneth lordynges / o word I yow preye That alle the souereyn actes / dar I seye Of victories / in the olde testament Thurgh verray god / that is omnipotent Line 576 Were doon in abstinence / and in prayere Looketh the Bible / and ther ye may it leere ¶ Looke Attilla / the grete conquerour Deyde in his sleepe / with shame and dishonour Line 580 Bledyng at his nose / in dronkenesse A Capitayn / sholde lyue in sobrenesse ¶ And ouer al this / auyseth yow right wel [folio 199a] What was comaunded / vn-to Lamwel Line 584 Nat Samuel / but Lamwel seye I Redeth the Bible / and fynd it expresly Of wyn yeuynge / to hem þat han Iustise Namoore of this / for it may wel suffise Line 588 ¶ And now / that I haue spoken of glotonye Now wol I / yow defende hasardrye Hasard / is verray moder of lesynges And of deceite / and cursed forswerynges Blaspheme of Crist manslaughtre / and wast also Of catel / and of tyme / and forthermo It is reproue / and contrarie of honour ffor to ben holden / a commune hasardour Line 596

[6-text p 322] Line 596 And euere the hyer / he is of estaat The moore is he holden desolat If þat a Prynce / vseth hasardrye In alle gouernance / and policye Line 600 He is / as by commune opynyon Yholde / the lasse in reputacion ¶ Stilbon / that was a wys Embassadour Was sent to Corynthe / in ful gret honour Line 604 ffro lacedomye / to make hire alliaunce And whan he cam / hym happed par chaunce That alle the gretteste / þat were of that lond Pleiynge at the hasard / he hem fond Line 608 ffor which as soone / as it myghte be He stal hym hom agayn / to his contree And seyde / ther wol I nat lese my name Ny 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 Shal nat allye yow / with hasardours As by my wyl / ne as by my tretee This wise Philosophre / thus seyde he Line 620 ¶ Looke eek / that to the kyng Demetrius The kyng of Parthes / as the book seith vs Sente hym a paire of dees / of gold in scorn [folio 199b] 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 manere pley Honeste ynow / to dryue the day awey Line 628 ¶ Now wol I speke / of oothes false and grete A word or two / as olde bokes trete ¶ Greet sweryng is a thyng abhomynable 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 holy Ieremye Thow shalt swere sooth thyne othes / & nat lye Line 636 And swere in doom / and eek in rightwisnesse But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse ¶ Bihoold and se / þat in the firste table Of heighe goddes hestes honurable Line 640 How þat the seconde heste of hym / is this Take nat my name / in ydel or amys Lo rather he forbedeth · swich sweryng Than homycide / or many a cursed thyng Line 644 I seye / þat as by ordre / thus it standeth This knoweth / that hise hestes vnderstandeth How that the seconde heste 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 chance / and thyn is cynk & treye By goddes armes / if thow falsly pleye This dagger / shal thurgh out thyn herte go This frut cometh / of the bicche bones two Line 656 fforsweryng / Ire / falsnesse / homycide Now for the loue of Crist that 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 which I telle Longe erst er Pryme ronge of any belle Were set hem / in a Tauerne to drynke [folio 200a] And as they sat they herde a belle klynke Line 664 Biforn a cors / was caryed to his graue That oon of hem / gan callen to his knaue Go bet quod he / and axe redily What cors is this / that passeth heer forby Line 668

[6-text p 324] Line 668 And looke / þat thow reporte his name wel ¶ Sire quod this boy / it nedeth neuer a del It was me told / er ye cam heer two houres He was pardee / an old felawe of youres Line 672 And sodeynly / he was yslayn to nyght ffordronke / as he sat on his bench vp right 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 Beeth redy / for to meete hym euere moore Thus taughte me my dame / I sey namoore Line 684 ¶ By Seinte Marie / seyde this Tauerner The child seith sooth / for he hath slayn this yer Henne ouer a myle / with-Inne a greet village Bothe man and womman / child and hyne & page Line 688 I trowe / his habitacion be there To been auysed / greet wisdom 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 avow / to goddes digne bones Herkneth felawes / we thre been al ones Line 696 Lat ech of vs / holde vp his hand to oother And ech of vs / bicome ootheres brother And we wol sleen / this false traytour deeth He shal be slayn / he þat so manye sleeth Line 700 By goddes dignytee / er it be nyght ¶ Togidres han thise thre / hir trouthes plyght To lyue and dyen / ech of hem with oother [folio 200b] As thogh he were / his owene ybore brother Line 704

[6-text p 325] Line 704 And vp they stirte / al dronken / in this rage And forth they goon / towardes that village Of which the Tauernner / 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 they may hym hente ¶ Whan they han goon / nat fully a myle Right as they wolde / han treden ouer a style Line 712 An old man and a poure / with hem mette This olde man / ful mekely hem grette And seyde thus / now lordes god yow se ¶ The proudeste / of thise Riotours thre 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 / thogh þat I walked in-to Inde Neither in Citee / ne in no village That wolde chaunge / his youthe for myn age Line 724 And ther-fore moot I han / myn age stille As longe tyme / as it is goddes wille ¶ Ne deeth allas / ne wol nat haue my lyf Thus walke I / lyk a restelees caytyf Line 728 And on the ground / which is my modres gate I knokke with my staf / bothe erly and late And seye / leeue moder leet me In Lo how I vanysshe / flessh & blood & skyn Line 732 Allas / whan shal my bones / been at reste Moder / 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 trespase in word / or ellis in dede In holy writ ye may your self wel rede ¶ Agayns an old man / hoor vp-on his heed Ye shal arise / wher-fore I yeue yow reed Ne dooth vn-to an old man / noon harm now Line 745 Namoore than þat ye wolde / men dide to yow In age // if þat ye so longe abyde And god be with yow / wher ye go or ryde Line 748 I moot go thider / as I haue to go ¶ Nay olde cherl / by god thow shalt nat so Seyde / this oother hasardour anon Thow partest nat so lightly / by Seint Iohn Line 752 Thow speeke right now / of thilke traytour deeth That in this contree / alle oure freendes sleeth Haue here my trouthe / as thow art his espye Tel wher he is / or thow shalt it abye Line 756 By god / and by the holy sacrament ffor soothly / thow art oon of his assent To sleen vs yonge folk thow false theef/ ¶ Now sires quod he / if þat yow be so leef Line 760 To fynde deeth / turn vp this croked wey ffor in that groue / I lafte hym by my fey Vnder a tree / and ther he wol abyde Nat for youre boost he wol hym no thyng hyde Line 764 Se ye that ook right ther ye schal hym fynde God saue yow / that boghte agayn man-kynde 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 the 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 þat I seye My wit is greet thogh þat I bourde and pleye This tresor hath ffortune / vn-to vs ȝeuen In myrthe and iolitee / oure lyf to lyuen Line 780 And lightly as it cometh / so wol we spende Ey goddes precious dignytee / who wende To day / that we sholde han / so fair a grace [folio 201b] But myghte this gold / be caried fro this place Line 784 Hoom to myn hous / or ellis vn-to youres ffor wel ye woot that al this gold is oures Thanne were we / in heigh felicitee But trewely / by daye it may nat be 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 wisly / and as sleyly / as it myghte Line 792 Therfore I rede / that cut amonges 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 / shal kepen subtilly This tresor wel / and if he wol nat tarye Whan it is nyght we wol this tresor carye Line 800 By oon assent wher as vs thynketh best That oon of hem / the cut broghte in his fest And bad hem drawe / and looke wher it wol falle And it fel / on the yongeste of hem alle Line 804 And forth toward the town / he wente anon And also soone / as þat he was agon That oon of hem / spak thus vn-to that oother Thow knowest wel / thow art my sworn brother Line 808 Thy profit wol I telle thee anon Thow woost wel / þat 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 how that may be Line 816 He woot þat the gold / is with vs tweye What shal we doon / what shal we to hym seye ¶ Shal it be conseil / seyde the firste shrewe And I shal telle / in a wordes fewe Line 820 What we shul doon / and brynge it wel aboute ¶ I graunte quod that oother / out of doute That by my trouthe / I wol thee nat biwreye [folio 202a] ¶ Now quod the firste / thow woost wel we be tweye Line 824 And two of vs / shul strenger be than oon Looke whan þat he is set that right anon Arys / as though thow woldest with hym pleye And I shal ryue hym / thurgh the sydes tweye Line 828 Whil that thow strogelest with hym / as in game And with thy daggere / looke thow do the same And thanne shal / al this gold departed be My deere freend / bitwixe thee and me Line 832 Thanne may we bothe / oure lustes al fulfille And pleye at dees / right at oure owene wille And thus acorded been / thise sherewes tweye To sleen the thridde / as ye han herd me seye Line 836 ¶ This yongeste / which that wente to the toun fful ofte in herte / he rolleth vp and doun The beautee of thise floryns / newe & 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 myrie as I And at the laste / the feend oure enemy Line 844 Putte in his thoght þat he sholde poyson beye With which he myghte sleen / his felawes tweye ffor why / the feend foond hym / in swich lyuynge That he hadde leue / hym to sorwe brynge Line 848

[6-text p 329] Line 848 ffor this was outrely / his ful entente To sleen hem bothe / and neuere to repente ¶ And forth he goth / no lenger wolde he tarye In to the toun / vn-to Apothecarye Line 852 And preyed hym / þat he hym wolde selle Som poyson / that he myghte his rattes quelle And eek ther was / a polcat in his hawe That as he seyde / his capons hadde yslawe Line 856 And fayn he wolde / wreke hym if he myghte On vermyn / that destroyed hym by nyghte ¶ The Pothecarie answerde / and thow shalt haue A thyng that also god / my soule saue Line 860 In al this world / ther is no creature That ete / or dronke / hath of this confiture Nat but the montance / of a corn of whete [folio 202b] That he ne shal his lyf / anoon for-lete Line 864 Ye sterue he shal / and that in lasse while Than thow wolt goon a pass / nat but a myle The poyson / is so strong/ and violent This cursed man / hath in his hand 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 poison poured he Line 872 The thridde / he kepte clene for his drynke ffor al the nyght he shoope hym for to swynke In cariyng of the gold / out of that place And whan this Riotour / with sory grace Line 876 Hadde filled with wyn / hise grete Botels thre To hise felawes / agayn repaireth he ¶ What nedeth it to sarmone of it moore ffor right as they / hadde cast his deeth bifore Line 880 Right so / they han hym slayn / and that anon And whan this was doon / thus spak that oon Now lat vs sitte and drynke / and make vs merye And afterward / we wol his body berye 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 empoysonyng Than hadde thise wrecches two / er hir endyng Line 892 Thus ended been / thise homicides two And eek/ the false empoysonere also ¶ O · cursed synne / of alle cursednesse O · traytours homicide / o wikkednesse Line 896 O · glotonye / luxure / and hasardrye Thou blasphemour of Crist with vileynye And othes grete / of vsage / and of pryde Allas mankynde / how may it bityde Line 900 That to thy Creatour / which þat thee wroghte And with his precious herte blood / the boghte Thow art so fals / and so vnkynde allas [folio 203a] ¶ Now goode men / god foryeue yow youre trespas Line 904 And ware yow / fro the synne of Auarice Myn holy pardon / may yow alle warisse So that ye offre nobles / or starlynges Or ellis siluer broches / spones / rynges Line 908 Boweth youre heed / vnder this holy bulle Cometh vp ye wyues / offreth of youre wolle Youre name I entre / here in my rolle anon In-to the blisse of heuene / shul ye gon Line 912 I yow assoile / by myn heigh power Ye þat wol offre / as clene and eek as cler 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 / wol of deuocion Offren / and han myn absolucion. Line 924 Com forth anon / and kneleth here adoun And mekely / receyueth my pardoun Or ellis / taketh pardon as ye wende Al newe and fressh / at euery myles ende Line 928 So þat ye offren alwey / newe and newe Nobles / or pens / whiche þat been good & trewe It is an honour / to euerich that is heer That ye mowe haue / a suffisant pardoner Line 932 Tassoile yow / in contree as ye ryde ffor auentures / whiche þat may bityde Parauenture / ther may falle oon or two Doun of his hors / and breke his nekke atwo Line 936 Looke swich a seuretee is it to yow alle That I am / in youre felaweship y-falle That may assoille yow / bothe moore & lasse Whan þat the soule / shal fro the body passe Line 940 I rede / that oure hoost shal bigynne ffor he is moost envoluped in synne Com forth sire hoost / and offre first anon [folio 203b] And thow shalt kisse / the 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 thee ich Thow woldest make me kisse thyn olde breech Line 948 And swere it were / a Relyk of a Seint Thogh it were / with thy fondement depeynt But by the croys / which þat Seint Eleyne foond I wold I hadde / thy coylons in myn hond Line 952 In stide of Relikes / or of Seintuarie Lat cutte hem of / I wol 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 murye of cheere And sire hoost that been to me so deere Line 964 I pray yow / þat ye kisse the Pardoner And Pardoner / I pray thee / drawe thee neer And as we diden / lat vs lawe and pleye Anon they kiste / and ryden forþ hir weye [6-text p 168] Line 968

¶ Here is ended the Pardoners tale.

Notes

• ¶ quere in Metha|morphosios.
• ¶ Apelles fecit mirabile opus in tumulo darij. Vi|de in Alexandri libro .6.^o de zanze in libro Tullij.
• ¶ nota
• ¶ Augustinus.
• audire
• hic
• ¶ Iudicum cap.^o xj.^o
• fuit illo tempore lepte Galaandes.
• no gap in the MS.
• ¶ Nolite inebriari vino in quo est luxuria
• no spurious lines in this MS.]
• ¶ Nota
• // Ieronimus contra Iouinianum // Quamdiu Ieiunau[it Adam] in paradiso fuit / comedit & eiectus est. sta[tim] duxit vxorem.
• // esca ventri et venter escis deus autem & hunc & illam destruet/
• // Ad Philipenses capitulo 3^o.
• ¶ qui autem in delicijs est viuens / mortuus est /
• ¶ luxuriosa res / vinum
• ¶ et contumeliosa ebrietas
• ¶ Noli vinum dare &c.
• ¶ Policraticilibro 1^o. Men|daciorum & peruiriarum mater est Alea.
• ¶ Nolite iurare omnino Mathei 5^o
• ¶ Ieremie .4^o. Iurabis in veritate in Iudicio & Iusticia
• [folio 201a] ¶ coram canuto capite con|surg[e
• Rats