The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 314]

LOrdyngs quod he in chirche whan I preche [¶ Narrat] I peyne me to haue an hauteyn speche / And ryng it out as lowd as doþ a belle For I can al by rote þat I telle Line 332 My teeme is alway oon and euer was Radix omnium malorum est Cupiditas First I pronounce whennes þat I come And þanne my bulles schewe I alle and some [folio 186a] Line 336 Oure liege lordes seal vpon my patent That schewe I first my body to warent/ That no man be so hardy prest ne clerk Me to destourbe of cristes holy werk Line 340 And after þat þan tel I forth my tales Bulles of popes and of Cardynales / Of patriarkes and of bisshops I schewe And in latyn speke I wordes fewe / Line 344 To sauore with my predicacioun And for to stere hem to deuocioun Thanne schewe I forth my longe cristal stoones I-crammed ful of cloutes and of boones Line 348 Reliks þay ben as wene þei echoon Than haue I in latoun a schulder boon which þat was of an holy Iewes scheep Good men say I tak of my wordes keep Line 352 If þat þis boon be waische in eny welle / If cow or calf or scheep or oxe swelle That eny worm haþ ete or worm I-stonge Tak water of þat welle and waisch his tonge Line 356

[6-text p 315] Line 356 And it is hool anoon and forþer-more Of pokkes and of scabbe and euery sore / Schal euery scheep be hool þat of þis welle That drynketh a draught tak heed eek what I telle Line 360 If þat þe goode man þat þe beest oweþ wol euery wike er þat þe cok him croweþ Fastynge drynke / of þis welle a draught As þilke holy Iew oure eldres taught Line 364 His beestes and his stoor schal multiplie And sires also it kelith Ialousie For þough a man be ful in ialous rage let make wiþ þis water his potage Line 368 And neuer schal he more his wyf mys trist þough he þe soþ of hir defaute wist Al hadde sche take prestes tuo or þre her is a meteyn eek þat ȝe may see Line 372 he þat his honde put in þis metayn he schal haue multiplying of grayn [folio 186b] whan he haþ sowen. be it whete or otes So þat ȝe offre pans or elles grootes Line 376 And men and wommen oon þing warne I ȝow If eny wight be in þis chirche now That haþ doon synne orrible þat he Dar nought for schame of it schryuen be Line 380 Or ony womman be sche ȝong or old That hath y-maad hir housbond cokewold which folk schal haue no power ne grace To offre to my relikes in þis place Line 384 And who so fint him out of suche blame Thay wol come vp and offre in goddes name And I assoile hem by þe auctorite which þat by bulle. was I-graunted me Line 388 By þis gaude haue I wonne euery ȝeer An hundred mark syn I was pardoner I stonde lik a clerk in my pulpit And whan þe lewed poeple is doun I-set Line 392

[6-text p 316] Line 392 I preche so as ȝe haue herd bifore And telle hem an hondred Iapes more Than peyne I me to strecche forþ my necke And est and west vpon þe poeple I bekke Line 396 As doþ a dowfe syttyng on a berne Myn hondes and my tonge goon so ȝerne That it is ioye to se my busynesse Of auarice and of such cursednesse Line 400 Is al my preching for to make hem fre To ȝeue here pans and namely vnto me For myn entent is nought but for to wynne And no þing for correccioun of synne Line 404 I rekke neuer. when þay ben I-beryed Though þat here soules gone a blakeberyed For certes many a predicacioun Comeþ ofte tyme of euel entencioun Line 408 Som for plesauns of folk and flaterie To ben auaunced by ypocrisie And som for veine gloir and som for hate For whan I dar not oþer weys debate [folio 187a] Line 412 Than wil I stynge him with my tonge smerte In preching so þat he schal not astert To be diffamed falsly if þat he haþ trespast to my breþeren or to me Line 416 For þough I telle not his propre name Men schal wel knowe þat it is þe same / By signes and by oþer circumstaunces Thus quyt I folk þat doon vs displesaunces Line 420 Thus put I out my venym vnder hiewe Of holynes. to seme holy and trewe / But schortly myn entent I wol deuyse I preche no þing but of coueityse Line 424 Therfor my teem is ȝit and euer was Radix omnium. malorum est Cupiditas Thus can I preche agayn þe same vice which þat I vse and þat is auarice Line 428

[6-text p 317] Line 428 But though my self be gulty in þe synne Ȝit can I make oþer folk to twynne / From auarice and soone to repent But þat/ is not my principal entent Line 432 I preche no þing but for coueitise Of þis matier it ought Inough suffise Than telle I hem ensamples many oon Of olde þinges longe tyme agoon Line 436 For lewed poeple louen tales olde which þinges can þay wel report and holde / what trowe ȝe whiles I may preche And wynne gold and siluer for I teche Line 440 That I wil lyue in pouert wilfully Nay nay I þought it/ neuer trewly For I wol preche and begge in sondry londes I wil do no labour wiþ myn hondes Line 444 Ne make basketis and lyue þer by By cause I wil nought begge ydelly I wol noon of thapostles counterfete I wol haue money. wolle chese and whete / Line 448 Al were it ȝeuen of þe prestes page Or of þe porest wydow in a village [folio 187b] And schold hir children sterue for famyn Nay I wol drinke licour of þe wyn Line 452 And haue a ioly wenche in euery toun But herkneþ lordynges my conclusioun Ȝoure likyng is. þat I schal telle a tale Now haue I dronk a draught of corny ale / Line 456 By god I hope I schal telle ȝow a þing That schal by resoun be at ȝour liking For þough myself be a ful vicious man A moral tale ȝit I ȝow telle can Line 460 which I am wont to preche for to wynne Now hold ȝour pees my tale I wol byginne [[Partial break of one line in the MS.]]