The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 318]

IN fflaundres whilom was a companye / Of ȝong folk þat haunteden folye Line 464 As Ryot hasard stewes and tauernes ¹Where as whyþ harpes lutes and gyternes¹ They daunce and pleye at dyse boþe day and night And eeten also and drunken ouer al here might Line 468 þorugh which þey doon þe deueles sacrifise Wiþinne þe deueles temple in cursed wyse þe Superflues abhominable here oþes ben so grete and dampna[b]le / Line 472 þat it is grisly for to here hem swere Oure blessed lordes body they to-tere hem þoughte Iewes rent/ him nought ynough And ilke of hem at oþer synnes lowh Line 476 And right anon þenne come tomblisteres ffetys and smal ȝong fruytesteres / Syngers with harpes bawdes wafereres Suche ben verray þe deueles officers [folio 197b] Line 480 To kyndle and blowe þe fyr of leccherie / That is annexed to glotonye / The holy writ take I to witnesse / That leccherie is in wyn and drunkenesse Lo how þat drunken loth vnkyndely Line 485 lay by his doughtres tuo vnwetyngly So drunke he was he nyste what he wrought And þerfore sore repente him oughte Line 487b heroudes who so wole þe stories seche Line 488 þer may ȝe lerne and by ensample teche Line 488b

[6-text p 319] Line 488b Whan he of wyn was replet at his feste Line 489 Right at his owen table ȝaf his heste To slen þe Baptist Iohan ful gulteles Senek saiþ eek goode wordes douteles Line 492 he seiþ he can no difference fynde Bitwix a man þat/ is out of his mynde And a man þat is drunkelewe But þat wodnesse is fallen in a schrewe Line 496 Perseuereþ lenger þan doþ drunkenes O glotenye ful of cursednes O cause ferst of oure confusion O original of oure dampnacion Line 500 Til crist hadde brought out wiþ his blood agayn lo how deere and schortly was to sayn Aboute was þe cursed vilanye / Corrupte was al þis world þurgh glotenye Line 504 Adam oure fader and his wyf also ffro paradys to labour and to wo Were dryuen for þat vice it nys no drede ffor whiles þat adam fasted as I rede Line 508 He was in paradys and whan þat he / Ete of þe fruyte defended on a tre Anon he was out cast to woo and pleyne O glotonye on þe wel oughte ous pleigne Line 512 O wiste a man how many maladyes ffolweþ of excesse and of glotenyes [folio 198a] he schulde be þe more mesurable Of his diete sittyng at þe table Line 516 Allas þe schorte þrote þe tendre mouþ Makeþ þat Est and West north and souþ In erþe in aier in water men to swynke / To gete a glotoun mete and drynke Line 520 Of þis matiere o poule wel canst þou entrete Mete vnto wombe and wombe eek vnto mete Schal god discryuen boþe as poule saiþ Allas a foul þing is it by my faiþ / Line 524

[6-text p 320] Line 524 To say þis word and fouler is þe dede When men so drynkeþ of þe white and þe rede / þat of his þrote he makeþ his pryue þurgh þilke cursed superfluite Line 528 The apostel wepyng saiþ ful pitously Ther walken many of which ȝou told haue I I say it now wepyng wiþ pitous voys Ther ben enemys of cristes croys Line 532 Of which þe ende is deþ þe wombe is here god O wombe o holy o stynkynge kod ffulfilde of dunge and of corupcion At eyþer ende of þe foule is þe soun Line 536 How gret cost and labour is to fynde þise cookes how þey scampe and streyne and grynde / And turnen substaunce in-to accident To fulfille al þy likerous talent Line 540 Out of þe harde bones knokken þay þe mary for þay caste nought away þat may go þurgh þe golet softe and swoote Of spicerie of leues bark and roote Line 544 Schal ben his sause y-maad by delyte To make him ȝit a newer appetite But certes he þat haunteþ suche delices Is deed whiles þat he lyueþ in þe vices Line 548 A leccherous þing is wyn and drunkenes / Is ful of stryuyng and of wrecchednes [folio 198b] O drunken man disfigured is þi face ffoul is þi breþ foul art þou to embrace Line 552 And þurgh þin drunken nose semeþ þi soun As þough þou seydest ay Sampson Sampson And ȝit god woot Sampson drank neuer no wyn Thow fallest as it were a stiked swyn Line 556 Thyn tunge is lost and alle þin honeste cures ffor drunkenes is verray sepultures Of mannes wit and his discrecion In whom þat drynke haþ dominacion Line 560

[6-text p 321] Line 560 He can no counseil kepe it is no drede Now kepe ȝou fro þe white and fro þe rede Namly fro þe white wyn of lepe þat is to selle in ffischstret or in Chepe / Line 564 This wyn of Spayne crepeþ subtilly In oþer wynes growyng faste by Of which þer ryseþ such fumosite þat whan a man haþ drunken draughtes þre / Line 568 And weneþ þat he be at home in chepe he is in spayne right at þe toune of lepe Nought at þe Rochel ne at Burdeux toun And þenne wolen þey sayn Sampsoun Sampsoun Line 572 But herkneþ lordinges o word I ȝou prey That all þe souerein actes dar I say Of victories in þe olde testament þat þurgh verray god þat is omnipotent Line 576 Were don in abstinence and in prayere lokeþ þe bible and þere ȝe may it leere lokeþ attyla þe grete conquerour Deyed in his sleepe wiþ schame and dishonour Line 580 Bledyng ay at his nose in drunkenes A Capitayne schulde lyue in sobernes / And ouer al þis avise ȝou right wel What was comaunded vnto lamuel Line 584 Nought Samuel but lamuel say I / Redeþ þe bible and fyndeþ it expressely [folio 199a] Of wyn ȝeuynge to hem þat han iustice Nomore of þis for it may wel suffice Line 588

ANd now þat I haue spoke of glotonye Now wole I defende ȝou hasardye hasard is verray mooder of lesynges And of disceipt cursed forswerynges Line 592 Blaspheme of crist and mansleynges also Of batayle of tyme and of oþer mo It is repreff and contrarie to honour ffor to be holde a comune hasardour Line 596

[6-text p 322] Line 596 And euer þe hyer he is of astate þe more he is y-halden desolate If þat a prince vse hasardrye In alle gouernaunce and alle polesye Line 600 he is as by comun opynyon y-halde þe lasse in reputacion [Stilbon that was holde. a wise ambassatour Was sent in-to Corynthy . with ful grete honour [Reg. 17 D xv folio 222a] ] ffro Calydonye to maken him alleaunce And whan he cam him happede þis chaunce þat alle þe grettest þat were of þis lande Pleying at þe hasard he hem fande Line 608 ffor which as sone as þat mighte be he stal him home aȝein to his cuntre And sayde þer I wol nought lese my name I ne wol nought take on me so gret diffame Line 612 ȝou to alleye to none hasardoures Sendeþ oþerwise embassetoures ffor by my trouþe me were leuer deye / þan I to ȝou schulde hasardoures alleye / Line 616 ffor ȝe þat ben so glorious in honoures Schal nouȝt aleye ȝou wiþ hasardoures As by my wille ne as by my trete Þis wise Philosophre sayde to me Line 620 loke þou vse no pley of dees in þin hous loke eek þat to þe king Demetrus Sente him a payre of dees of gold in scorn ffor he hadde vsed hasardye þer byforn [folio 199b] Line 624 ffor which he helde his glorie and his renoun At no value of reputacioun lordes mighten fynden oþer maner pley honeste ynough to dryue þe day awey Line 628

NOw wol I speke of oþes false and grete A word or tuo as oþer bookes entrete Gret sweryng is a þing abhominable And fals swerynge is more reprouable Line 632

[6-text p 323] Line 632 þe hihe god forbad sweryng at al Witnesse at Matthew but in special Of sweryng saiþ þe holy Ieromie þou schalt swere soþ þin oþes and nought lye / Line 636 And swere in doome and eek in rightwisnesse But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse Bihold and see þat in þe ferste table / Of heyhe goddes hestes honurable / Line 640 how þat þe secounde heste of him is þis / Take nought my name in ydelnesse amys / lo raþer he forbedeþ such sweryng Or Omycyde or eny oþer cursed þing Line 644 I say as by ordre þus it standeþ This knoweþ þat his hestes vnderstandeþ how þat þe secounde heste of god is þat And forþermore I wol þe telle al plat Line 648 þat vengeaunte schal nouȝt parte fro his hous þat of his othis is so outrageous By goddes precious herte and his nayles And by his blood þat is in hayles Line 652 Seuen is my chaunce and þin is fyue and þre / By goddes armes if þou falsly pleye me þis dagger schal þurgh þin herte go þis fruyt comeþ of þe bicched bones tuo Line 656 fforsweryng Ire falsnes homicyde Now for þe loue of crist þat for vs dyde leueþ ȝoure oþes boþe grete and smale ffor cristes sake and herkne to my tale [folio 200a] Line 660 þise ryetoures þre of which I telle longe er pryme ronge eny belle Were sette hem in a tauerne for to drynke / And as þey sate þey herde a belle clynke / Line 664 Byforn a corps was caryed to his graue þat oon of hem gan calle to his knaue / Go bet quoþ he and axe redyly What corps is þis þat passeþ faste by / Line 668

[6-text p 324] Line 668 And loke þat þou reporte his name wel Sire quod þis boye it nedeþ neuer a del It was me told er ȝe came here to oures He was parde an old felawe of ȝoures Line 672 Al sodeynly was he slayn to night / ffor-drunke as he sate vp his benche vpright Ther came a pryue þeef men cleped deþ þat in his cuntre al þe poeple sleþ Line 676 And with his spere he smot his herte a tuo And went his way wiþouten wordes mo And maister er ȝe come in his presence / Line 680 he haþ a þousend slain þis pestilence / Line 679 Me þinkeþ it were necessarie / ffor to be war of such an aduersarie / Beþ redy for to mete him euermore / þus taughte me my dame I say no more / Line 684 By seinte mary seyde þis tauernere þe child saiþ soþ for he haþ slayn to ȝere Hens ouer a myle wiþinne a gret village Boþe man and womman child and page Line 688 I trowe his habitacion be þere / To ben auysed gret wisedom it were / Er þat he dede a man dishonour Ȝe goddes armes quod þis ryetour Line 692 Is it/ such peril wiþ him for to mete I schal him seeke by wey and eek by strete I make avow to goddes digne bones Herkne felawes we þre ben alle ones [folio 200b] Line 696 let eche of vs halde vp his hand to oþer And eche of vs bycome oþeres broþer And we woln slee þis false traytour deþ He schal be slayn he þat so many sleþ Line 700 By goddes dignite er it be night To-gidre haue þese þre here hertes hight To lyue and deye ilk of hem to oþer As þough he were his owen sworne broþer Line 704

[6-text p 325] Line 704 And vp þey sterte al drunken in þis rage And forþ þey gon toward þat village Of which þe tauerner haþ spoke byforn And many a grisly oþ þenne haue þey sworn Line 708 And cristes blessed body þey torent Deth schal be deed if þat we may him hent/ Whan þey han goon nought fully a myle / Right as þey wolde haue treden ouer a style Line 712 And olde and a pore man with hem mette þis olde man ful mekely hem grette And seyde þus now lordes god ȝou se þe proudest of þese ryettoures þre Line 716 Answered agayn what carle wiþ harde grace Why art þou al forwrapped saue þy face / Why lyuest þou so longe in so gret age / þis olde man gan loke in his visage / Line 720 And sayde þus for I can nought fynde / A man þough þat I walked in-to ynde / Neyþer in Cite ne in village That wol chaunge his ȝouþe for myn age Line 724 And þerfore moot I haue myn age stille As lange tyme as it is goddes wille / Ne deþ allas nel nought haue my lyf þus walke I lyk a resteles kaytyf Line 728 And on þe ground which is my moodres gate / I knokke wiþ my staff erly and late And saye leeue mooder lete me Inne Lo how I wanse fleissch and blood and skyn [folio 201a] Line 732 Allas whan schullen myne bones ben at reste Moder with ȝou wolde I chaunge my cheste That in my chambre lange tyme haue be ȝe for an here clout/ to wrappe me Line 736 But ȝit to me sche wole nouȝt do þat/ grace ffor which ful hale and welked is my face But sires to ȝou it nys no curtesye To speken vntil an olde man vilenye Line 740

[6-text p 326] Line 740 But he trespace in word oþer elles. in dede In holy wryt ȝe may ȝoure self wel rede / Aȝeins an olde man hoor vpon his heede / ȝe schullen aryse wherfore I ȝiue ȝow rede Line 744 Ne doþ nouȝt to an olde man non harme now No more þat men dede to ȝow In age if þat ȝe so longe abyde And god be wiþ ȝou wheþer ȝe go or ryde Line 748 I mot go þider þer as I haue to go Nay olde cherl by god þou schalt nouȝt so Sayde þis olde hasardour anon þou þartest nought so lightly by seint Ion Line 752 þou spake right now of þilke traitour deþ þat in þis cuntre alle oure frendes sleeþ haue heer my trouþe as þou art his aspye / Telle wher he is or þou schalt abye Line 756 By god and by þe holy sacrament/ ffor soþly þou art on of his assent To slen vs ȝonge folk þou false þeef Now sires if þat it be to ȝou so leef Line 760 To fynde deþ turne vp þis croked wey ffor in þat groue I lafte him by my fey vnder a tre and þere he wole abyde Ne for ȝoure bost he nyl him no þing hyde Line 764 Se ȝe þat Oke right þere ȝe schuln him fynde God saue ȝou þat bouȝt aȝein mankynde. And ȝou amende þus sayde þis olde man And euery of þise ryetoures ran [folio 201b] Line 768 Til þey came to þe tree and þer þey founde Of floryns fyne of gold y-coyned rounde Wel neih a seuen buscheles as hem þought No lenger þenne after deþ þey sought Line 772 But eche of hem so glad was of þe sight ffor þat þe floryns so faire ben and bright That doun þey sette hem by þe precious horde The worste of hem he spak/ þe firste worde Line 776

[6-text p 327] Line 776 Breþeren quod he take keepe what I say My witte is gret þough þat I bourde and play þis tresour haþ fortune to vs ȝiuen In merþe and Iolyte oure lijf to lyuen Line 780 And lightly as it comeþ so wole we spende Ey goddes precious dignite who wende To day þat we schulde haue so fair a grace But mighte þis golde be caryed fro þis place Line 784 home to myn hous oþer elles vnto ȝoures þanne mighte we seye þat it/ were al oures / þenne were we in heih felicite but trewely by day it may nought be / Line 788 Men wolde say þat we were þeues stronge And for oure oughne tresour don vs honge þis tresour moste y-karied be by night As wysly and as sleighly as hit might Line 792 Wherfore I rede let loke among vs alle Be drawe and let see wher þe cutte wol falle he þat haþ þe cutte wiþ herte blythe Schal renne to toune and þat ful swythe Line 796 To brynge vs breed and wyn ful pryuyly And tuo of ous schuln kepe ful subtilly þis tresour wel and if he wol nought tarien Whan þat it is night we woln þy tresour carien Line 800 By on assent wher as vs luste best þat oon of hem broughte in his feste And bad hem drawe and loke on whom it wol falle And it fille on þe ȝongeste of hem alle [folio 202a] Line 804 And forþ toward þe toun he wente anon And also soone as he was y-gon þat on of hem spak þus vnto þat oþer þou wost wel þat þou art myn owen sworne broþer Line 808 Thyn prophyte wol I telle þe anon þou wost wel þat oure felawe is gon And heere is gold and þat ful gret plente That it schal departed be among vs þre Line 812

[6-text p 328] Line 812 But naþeles if I can schape it/ so þat it departed were among vs tuo had I nought don a frendes turne to þe þat oþer answerde I not how þat mighte be Line 816 I woot wel þat þe gold is oure tuo What schulde we seye what schulde we do Schal it be counseil sayde þe firste schrewe / And I schal telle in wordes fewe Line 820 What we schuln doon and bringe it wel aboute I graunte quod þat oþer out of doute þat by my trewþe I wol þe nouȝt bewreye Now quoþ þe firste þou wost wel we be tweye Line 824 And tweyne of vs schuln strenger ben þan oon loke whenne he is sette and þanne anon Aryse as þou woldest wiþ him pleye And I schal renne him þurgh þe sydes tweye Line 828 Whiles þat þou struggelist wiþ him in game And wiþ þy dagger loke þou do þe same And þenne schal al þis gold departed be My deere freend bitwixe þe and me Line 832 þenne may we boþe oure lustes fulfille And pleye atte dys right at oure owen wille And þus accorded ben þese schrewes tweye To sleen þe þridde as ȝe herde me seye Line 836 þis ȝongest which þat wente to þe toun fful ofte in herte he rolleþ vp and doun þe beaute of þese floreynes newe and bright O lord quoþ he if so were þat I might [folio 202b] Line 840 Al þis tresour wynne to my self allone þer nys no man þat lyueþ vnder þe trone / Of god þat scholde lyue as mery as I And at þe laste þe feend oure enemy Line 844 Putte in his þouȝt þat he schulde poyson beye With which he mighte sleen his felawes tweye ffor why þe feend fand him in such lyuyng That hadde leue him to sorwe brynge Line 848

[6-text p 329] Line 848 ffor þis was vtterly his entent To slen hem boþe and neuer to repent And forþ he goþ no lenger nolde he tarye In-to þe toun vnto a potycarie / Line 852 And preyde him þat he him wolde selle Som poysoun þat he might his rattes quelle And eek þer was a polkat in his hawe þat as he sayde his Capons had y-slawe / Line 856 And sayde he wolde wreken him if he might Of vermyn þat distroyed him by night þe apotykaries answerde þou schalt haue A þing þat als god my soule saue Line 860 In al þis world þer nys no creature þat eten or drunken haþ of þis confecture Nought but þe mountaunce of a corn of whete þat he ne schal his lyf anon forlete Line 864 ȝe sterue he schal and þat in lasse while / þenne þou wolt gon a pace nought but a myle þis poysoun is so strong and so vyolent þis cursed man haþ in his hand y-hent Line 868 þis þoysoun in a box and seþenes he ran In-to þe nexte strete vnto a man And borwed him large botelles þre And in þe tweyne þis poyson poured he Line 872 þe þridde he keped clene for his drynke ffor al þe night he schop him to swynke In karying of þe golde out of þat place And whan þis ryetour wiþ sory grace [folio 203a] Line 876 had felled wiþ him his grete botelles þre To his felawes aȝayn repayreþ he What nedeþ it to sermone þer-of more ffor right as þay hadde cast his deþ afore Line 880 Right so þey haue him slayn and þat anon And whenne þat þis was don þen spak þat oon Now let vs drynke and sytte and make vs mery And afterward we wolen his body bery Line 884

[6-text p 330] Line 884 And aftirward it happed hem per cas To take þe botel þer-in þe poyson was And drank and ȝaf his felawe drynke also ffor which anon þey storuen boþe tuo Line 888 But certes I suppose þat Auycenne Wrot neuer in no Canoun ne in no fenne Mo wonder sorwes of enpoysonyng Thus hadde þise wrecches tuo here endynge Line 892 Thus ended ben þis Omycides tuo And eek þe false enpoysonere also O cursed synne ful of cursednes O traytours Omycyderes o wikkednes Line 896 O glotenye o luxurie O hasardye þou blasphemer of crist wiþ vilenye And oþes grete of vsage and of pryde Allas mankynde how may it betyde Line 900 þerto þin creatour / which þat þe wrought And wiþ his precious blood þe bought þou art so fals and so vnkynde allas Now goode men god forȝiue ȝoure trespas Line 904 And ware ȝou fro þe synne of auarice / Myn holy pardoun may ȝou alle warische So þat ȝe offre nobles or sterlinges Oþer elles seluer spones broches and rynges / Line 908 Boweþ ȝoure hed vnder þis holy bulles Comeþ vp ȝe wyues offreþ ȝoure wulles Ȝoure name I entre here in my rolle anon In-to þe blisse of heuen schul ȝe gon [folio 203b] Line 912 I ȝou assoille by myn heih powere ȝe þat woln offre as clene and eek as cleere As ȝe were born and sires lo þus I preche And Ihesu crist þat is oure soules leche Line 916 So graunte ȝou his pardoun to resceyue ffor þat is best I wol ȝou nouȝt disceyue But sires o word forgat I in my tale I haue reliqes and pardon in my male Line 920

[6-text p 331] Line 920 As faire as eny man in Engelond Whiche were me y-ȝoue by þe popes hond If eny of ȝou wole of deuocion Offren and haue myn absolucion Line 924 Comeþ forþ anon and kneleþ doun heere And ȝe schuln haue my pardon þat is deere Oþer elles takeþ pardoun as ȝe wende Al newe and freissche at euery tounes ende Line 928 So þat ȝe offren alway newe and newe / Nobles and pens which þat ben good and trewe It is an honour to euerich þat is heere þat ȝe may haue a suffisaunt pardonere Line 932 To assoille ȝou in cuntre as I ryde ffor auentures which þat may betyde ffor peraduenture þer may falle on or tuo Doun of his hors and breke his necke a tuo Line 936 loke which a suerte it is to ȝou alle þat I am in ȝour felaschipe y-falle þat may assoille ȝou boþe more and lasse Whan þat þe soule schal fro þe body passe / Line 940 I rede þat oure hooste schal begynne ffor he is most envoluped in synne Comeþ forþ sire Ost and offreþ first anon And þou schalt kisse þe relikes euerychoon Line 944 ȝe for a grote vnbokel anon þy purs Nay nay quod he þenne haue I cristes curs Let be quod he it / schal nouȝt be so þeche þou woldest make me kesse þin olde breche [folio 204a] Line 948 And swere it were a relyk of a seint þough it were wiþ þyn foundement depeynt But by þe Crosse which þat seint Eleyne fand I wolde I hadde þine coyllons in myn hand Line 952 In stede of relikes oþer of seintuary let cutte hem of I wol þe helpe hem cary þey schuln be schryned in an hogges tord þis pardoner answerde nouȝt a word Line 956

[6-text p 332] Line 956 So wroþ he was he nolde no word say Now quod oure Oost I wil no lenger play Wiþ þe ne with non oþer angry man But right anon þe worþy knight bygan Line 960 Whan þat he saugh þat al þe poeple l[ough] Nomore of þis for it is right ynough Sire pardoner be mery and glad of cheere And ȝe sire Oste þat ben to me so deere Line 964 I pray ȝou þat ȝe kisse þe pardoneere And pardoner I pray þe þat þou drawe þe neere And as we dide let vs laughe and pleye Line 967 Anon þey kisse and ryden forþ here weye

¶ Explicit. fabula Pardonarii

Notes

• [^1_1 In a different hand.]
• ¶ Nolite inebriari vino in
• ¶ quo est luxuria
• [spurious]
• [spurious]
• ¶ Ieronimus contra Iouinianum quamdiu ieiunauit in paradiso fuit commedit et eiectus est statim duxit vxorem
• ¶ Esca ve tibi & venter escis deus [?] aurtem & hunc in illam destre.