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

[6-text p 314]

[[Part of the MS is cut away here]] bygynneþ þe Pardoneres tale folwynge [C^m xvj^m.]

LOrdynges quod he in chirches whan I preche I peyne me to haue an hauteyn speche I ryng it out as round as goþ a belle ffor I can al by rote þat I telle Line 332 My teeme is alway oon and euer was [[Part of the MS is cut away here]] malorum est Cupiditas [[Part of the MS is cut away here]] whennes þat I come A þenne my bulles schewe I alle and some [folio 195b] Oure liege lordes seal is my patent þat schewe I first my body to warant That no man be so bolde ne prest ne clerk me to destourbe of cristes holy werk Line 340 And after þat telle I forþ my tales Bulles of Popes and of Cardinales Of Patriarkes and bisschoppes I schewe And in latyn I speke wordes a fewe Line 344 To saffran wiþ my predicacion And for to stere men to deuoicon þanne schewe I forþ my lange cristal stones I-crammed ful of cloutes and of bones Line 348 Relikes þey ben as wenen þey echone þan haue I in latoun a schulder bone Which þat was of an holy iewes scheep Goode men say I takeþ of my wordes keep Line 352 If þat þis bon be waisshe in any welle If kow or calf scheep or oxe swelle That eny worme haþ y-bite or stronge Touche he þis boon anon he schal be sounde Line 356

[6-text p 315] Line 356 And ȝit also I seye forþermore Of pokkes of scabbes and of euery sore Schal euery scheep be hool þat of þis welle Drinkeþ a draught and take keep what I telle Line 360 Wole euery wight er þat þe cok him croweþ And do þing þat him oweþ ffastynge drinke of þis welle a draught As þilke holy iewe oure eldre ous taught Line 364 his bestes and his store schal multiplye And sires also it heleþ Ielousie And þey a man be falle in gelouse rage Let make wiþ þis water his potage Line 368 And neuer schal he more his wijf mystreste þey he in soþe a defaute by hire wiste Al had sche taken prestes tuo or þre heer is a myteyn eek as ȝe may see [folio 196a] Line 372 he þat his hond wol putte in þat myteyne he schal haue multiplyyng of his greyne When he haþ sowen be it whete or ootes So þat of pens oþer elles of grootes Line 376 And men and wommen o þing warne I ȝou If any wight be in þis chirche now That haþ don synne orrible þat he Dar nought for schame schriuen be Line 380 Or eny womman be sche ȝong or old þat haþ y-maad hire housbonde kokewold Such folk schuln haue no power ne grace To offre to my relikes in þis place Line 384 And who so fyndeþ him out of such blame þey wole come vp and offre in goddes name And I assoile him by þe auctorite Which þat by bulle was y-graunted me Line 388 By þis gande haue I wonne euery ȝere An hundred mark seþenes I was pardonere I stande lik a clerk in many a pulpette And schewe lewed poeple and doun þey sette Line 392

[6-text p 316] Line 392 I preche so as ȝe haue herd byfore And telle an hundred Iapes more / þenne peyne I me to strecche forþ my nekke And Est and west vpon þe poeple I bekke Line 396 As doþ a dowfe sittyng vpan a berne myn handes and my tonge gon so ȝerne þat is it ioye to se my busynes Of auarice and such oþer cursednes Line 400 Is al my prechinge to make hem fre To ȝiue here pans and namely vnto me ffor myn entent is nouȝt but for to wynne And noþing for correccion of synne Line 404 I rekke neuer whan þat þey ben beried þough þat here soules gon a blake beryed ffor certes many a predicacion Sowneþ ofte tyme of yuel intencion [folio 196b] Line 408 Somme for plesaunce of folk and for flaterie To ben auaunced by ypocresye And somme for veynglorie and somme for hate / ffor whan I dar nouȝt oþerwise debate Line 412 þanne wil I stynge hem with my tonge smerte In preching so þat þei schal nouȝt asterte To be diffamed falsly if þat he haþ trespassed to my breþeren oþer to me Line 416 ffor þough I telle nouȝt his propre name Men schal wel knowe þat it is þe same By symony and by oþer circumstaunces þus quyte I folk þat doþ vs displesaunces Line 420 þus spitte I out my venym vnder hewe Of holynesse to seme holy and trewe But schortly myn entent I wil deuyse I preche of no þing but of coueytise Line 424 þerfore my teeme is ȝit and euer was Radix malorum est cupiditas / Thus gan I preche aȝeins þe same vice Such þat I vse and þat is auarice Line 428

[6-text p 317] Line 428 That þough I my self be gulty in þat synne ȝit kan I make oþer folk for to wynne ffrom auarice and sore to repente But þat nys nought my principal entente Line 432 I preche no þing but for coueityse Of þis matiere I ought ynough suffise þenne telle I of ensamples many on Of olde stories longe tyme agon Line 436 ffor lewed poeple louen tales olde Whiche þinges can þey wel reporte and holde What trowe ȝe whiles þat I may preche And wynne gold and siluer for I teche Line 440 That I wol lyue in pouert wilfully Nay nay I þought it neuer trewely ffor I wol preche and begge in sondry landes ffor I wole do no labour wiþ myn handes [folio 197a] Line 444 And make basketes and lyue þerby By cause I wol not beggen ydelly I wole none of þe aposteles countrefete I wole haue money chese and whete Line 448 Al were it ȝeuen of þe porest page Oþer of þe porest wydewe in a village Al scholde here children sterue for famyne Nay I wol drynke þe likour of þe vyne Line 452 And haue a Ioly wenche in euery toun But herkneþ lordynges in conclusion ȝoure liking is þat I schal telle a tale Now I haue drunke a draught of corny ale Line 456 By god I hope I schal telle ȝou a þing Þat schal by resoun ben at ȝour liking ffor þough my selue be a vicious man A more-ille tale ȝit I ȝou telle can Line 460 Which I am wont to preche for to wynne Now holde ȝoure pees my tale I wol begynne