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

[6-text p 318]

IN Flaundres whilom was a companye / [¶ Narrat] Of ȝonge folkes þat haunted folye Line 464 As ryot hasard stywes and tauernes wher as wiþ lutes harpes and gyternes Thay daunce and play at dees boþe day & night And ete also and drynk ouer her might Line 468 Thurgh which þay doon þe deuyl sacrifise wiþinne þe deueles temple in cursed wise By superfluite abhominable her othes been so greet and so dampnable Line 472 That it is grisly for to hiere hem swere Our blisful lordes body þay totere hem þoughte Iewes rent him nouȝt y-nough And ech of hem at oþeres synne lough Line 476 And right anoon þer come tombesteris . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Whiche þat ben verray þe deueles officeres Line 480 To kyndle and blowe þe fuyr of leccherie Þat is anexid vnto glotonye The holy wryt take I to my witnesse [¶ nolite inebriare vino in quo &c.] That luxury is in wyn and dronkenesse Line 484 lo how þat dronken loth vnkyndely lay by his doughtres tuo vnwityngly So dronk he was he niste what he wrought herodes who-so wel þe story sought Line 488 . . . . . [no spurious lines in this MS.]

[6-text p 319] whan he of wyn was repleet at his fest [folio 188a] Right at his oughne table ȝaf his hest To sle þe baptist Iohn ful gilteles Seneca seiþ a good word douteles Line 492 he saiþ he can no difference fynde Bituyx a man þat is out of his mynde And a man þe which is dronkelewe But þat woodnes fallen in a schrewe Line 496 Perseuereth lenger þan doth dronkennesse O glutonye ful of corsidnesse O cause first of oure confusioun O origiual of oure dampnacioun Line 500 Til crist had bought out wiþ his blood agayn lo how dere schortly for to sayn Abought was first/ þis cursed felonye Corupt was al þis world for glotonye Line 504 Adam our fader and his wyf also Fro paradys to labour and to wo [Quam diu ieiunauit adam in paradyso fuit comedit et eiectus est statim duxit vxorem &c.] were dryuen for þat vice it is no drede For whils þat adam fasted as I rede Line 508 he was in paradis and whan þat he Eet of þe fruyt defendit of a tre he was out cast to wo and in-to peyne O. glotony. wel ought vs on þe pleyne Line 512 O. wist a man how many maladyes Folwith of excesse and of glotonyes he wolde be þe more mesurable Of his diete sittyng at his table Line 516 Allas þe schorte þrote þe tendre mouþ Makeþ þat Est. West. north and south In erþe in watir in ayer man to swynke To gete a sely glotoun mete and drynke. Line 520 Of þis matier o poul wel canstow trete Mete vnto wombe and wombe vnto mete [Esca ventris & venter escis deus autem hunc & illam destruet &c.] Schal god destroyen boþe as powel 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 whan men so drynke / of þe whyt and rede [Ad philipenses capitulo 3^o] That of his þrote he makiþ his priue [folio 188b] Thurgh þilke cursed superfluite Line 528 Thapostil wepyng saiþ ful pitously Ther walkith many of which ȝou told haue I I say it now wepyng wiþ pitous vois Thay are enemys of cristes croys / Line 532 Of which þe ende is deth wombe is her god O wombe / o bely. o stynkyng is þi cod Fulfild of dong / and of corrupcioun At eyþer ende of þe foul is þe soun Line 536 how gret cost / and labour is þe to fynde / These cokes how þey stamp and streyn and grynde / And torne substaunce in to accident To fulfille / þy licorous talent Line 540 Out of þe harde boones gete þay The mary for þay caste nouȝt away That may go þurgh þe golet softe and soote Of spicery and leuys bark and roote Line 544 Schal ben his sauce maad to his delyt/ To make him haue a newe appetit But certes he þat haunteþ suche delices Is deed þer whiles þat he lyueþ in vices Line 548 A licorous þing is wyn and dronkenesse Is ful of stryuyng and of wrecchednesse O dronke man disfigured is þi face Sour is þi breþ foul artow to embrace Line 552 And þurgh þi dronkenesse sowneþ þe soun As þough þou seydest ay Sampsoun Sampsoun And ȝit god wot sampson drank neuer wyn Thou fallist as it were a stiked swyn Line 556 Thy tonge is lost and al þin honest cure For dronkenes is verray sepulture Of mannes witt and his discrecioun In whom þat drynk haþ dominacioun Line 560

[6-text p 321] Line 560 He can no counseil kepe it is no drede Ne keep ȝow from þe white and from þe rede Namely fro þe white wyn of leepe That is to selle in Fleetstreet or in Chepe Line 564 This wyn of Spayne crepith subtily [folio 189a] In oþer wynes growyng faste by Of which þer riseth such fumosite / That whan a man hath dronke draughtes þre / Line 568 And weneth þat he be at hom in Chepe He is in Spayne right.at þe toun of lepe / Nought at þe Rochel ne at Burdeaux toun And þanne wol þai say Sampsoun Sampsoun. Line 572 But herken lordyngs o word I ȝou pray / That alle þe souerayn actes dar I say Of victories in þe olde testament That þorugh þe verray god omnipotent Line 576 were doon in abstinence and in prayere / Lokith þe bible and þer ȝe may it hiere Loke atthila þe grete conquerour Deyd in his sleep with schame and dishonour Line 580 Bleedyng ay at his nose in dronkenesse / A captayn schuld ay lyue in sobrenesse And ouer al this aryse ȝow right wel what was comaunded vnto lamuel Line 584 Nought samuel but lamuel say I Redith þe bible and fyndeþ expresly Of wyn ȝeuyng / to hem þat han Iustice No more of þis for it may wel suffice Line 588 And now I haue I-spoke of glotonye / Now wil I ȝow defende hasardrye ¶ Hasard is verray moder of lesynges And of deceipt of cursed forsweringes Line 592 Blaspheme of crist manslaught and wast also /; Of catel and of tyme. forther mo. It is reproef and contrair to honour For to be halde a comun hasardour Line 596

[6-text p 322] Line 596 And euer þe heyer he is of astaat The more is he holden desolaat If þat a prince vse hasardrie In alle gouernance and policie Line 600 He is as by comun opinioun Holde þe lasse in reputacioun Stilbon þat was I-holde a wis embasitour [folio 189b] was sent in to Corinthe with gret honour Line 604 Fro lacidome to make hir alliaunce And whan him cam him happede par chaunce / That alle þe grettest þat were of þat lond / Playing atte hasard he hem fond Line 608 For which as soone as it mighte be He stal him hoom aȝein to his contre And saide ther I nyl nouȝt lese my name I nyl not take on me so gret diffame Line 612 Ȝow for to allie vnto noon hasardoures / Sendeth oþerwise embasitoures For by my trouþe me were leuer dye Than I ȝow scholde / to hasardours allye / Line 616 For ȝe þat ben so glorious in honoures Schal not allie ȝow with hasardoures As by my wil / ne as by my trete This wise philosophre þus sayd he Line 620 lo eek þat þe king Demetrius The king of Parthes as þe saith vs Sent him a paire dees of gold in scorn For he had vsed tauern þer toforn Line 624 For which he hield his gloir and his renoun At no valieu or reputacioun Lordes may fynde oþer maner play Honest ynough to dryue away þe day Line 628 Now wol I speke of oþes fals and grete / A word or tuo as oþer bookes entrete Gret swering is a þing abhominable And fals swering is more reprouable Line 632

[6-text p 323] Line 632 The hyhe god forbad sweryng at al / witnes on Mathew but in special Of sweryng saith þe holy Ieremye Thou schalt say soth þin oþes and not lye Line 636 And swere in doom and eek in rightwisnes But ydel sweryng is a cursednes Bihold and se þer in þe firste table Of hihe goddes heste honurable / Line 640 How þat þe secounde heste is this [folio 190a] Tak not in ydel ne his name amys Lo he rather forbedith such sweryng Than homicide or many a corsed þing Line 644 I say as by order þus it stondith This knoweth he þat þe hestes vnderstondeth how þat þe second hest of god is that And forþermore I wol þe telle a plat Line 648 The vegance schal not parte fro his hous That of his othes is outrageous By goddes precious hert and by his nayles And by þe blood of crist þat/ is in hayles Line 652 Seuen is my chaunce and also cink and tray By goddis armes and þou falsly play This daggere schal þurgh þin herte goo This fruyt comeþ of þe bicchid boones tuo Line 656 Forswering Ire / falsnes homicide / Now for þe loue of crist þat for vs dyde leueth ȝoure othis boþe gret and smale But sires now wol I telle forþ my tale Line 660 These riottours þre / of which I ȝou telle longe erst þan prime rong eny belle were set hem in a tauern for to drynke And as þay sat þay herd a belle clinke Line 664 Biforn a corps was caried to þe graue That oon of hem gan calle vnto his knaue Go bet quoþ he and axe redily what corps is þat passeth her forþ by Line 668

[6-text p 324] Line 668 And loke þou report his name wel Sire quod he but þat nedeþ neuer a del It was me told er ȝe com heer tuo houres He was par dy an old felaw of ȝoures Line 672 And sodeinly he was I-slayn to night Fordronk as he sat on his bench vpright Ther com a priue thef men clepen deth That in þis contre al þe peple sleth Line 676 And with his spere he smot his hert a tuo And went his way wiþoute wordes mo he haþ a þousand slayn þis pestilence [folio 190b] And maister er ȝe come in his presence / Line 680 Me þinkeþ þat it is ful necessarie / For to be war of such an aduersarie Beþ redy for to meete him euermore Thus taughte me my dame I say nomore Line 684 By seinte mary sayde þe tauerner The child saiþ soþ for he haþ slayn þis ȝeer Hens ouer a myle wiþinne a gret village Boþe man and womman. child and page Line 688 I trowe his habitacioun be þere To ben auysed gret wisdom it were Er þat he dede a man þat dishonour ȝe goddis armes quod þis ryottour Line 692 Is it such peril with him for to meete / I schal him seeke by way and eek by strete I make avow to goddis digne boones Herkneþ felaws we þre ben al oones Line 696 let ech of vs hold vp his hond to other And ech of vs bycome oþeres broþer And we wil slee þis false traitour deth He schal be slayne/ that so many sleeth Line 700 By goddis dignete er it be night Togideres han þese þre here trouþes plight To lyue and deye ech of he wiþ oþer As þough he were his oughne sworne broþer Line 704

[6-text p 325] Line 704 And vp þai startyn al dronke in þis rage / And forþ þai goon towardes þat village Of which þe tauerner haþ spoke biforn And many a grisly oth þan han þay sworn Line 708 And cristes blessed body þay torent Deth schal be deed if þat þay may him hent Right as þay wolde haue torned ouer a style whan þai han goon nought fully a myle Line 712 An old man and a pore with hem mette This olde man ful mekely hem grette / And saide þus lordynges god ȝow se The proudest of þe ryotoures þre Line 716 Answerd aȝein. what carle wiþ meschaunce [[A blank line is in MS after l. 717 and 718.]] [folio 191a] why artow al forwrapped saue þi face whi lyuest þou in so gret an age This olde man gan loke on his visage Line 720 And saide þus for þat I can not fynde / A man þough þat I walke in to Inde Neiþer in Cite noon ne in village That wol chaunge his ȝouþe for myn age Line 724 And þerfore moot I haue myn age stille / As longe tyme as it is goddes wille And deth allas ne wil not haue my lif Thus walk I lik a resteles caytif Line 728 And on þe ground which is my modres gate I knokke with my staf erly and late And saye leeue moder let me In Lo how I wane fleisch. and blood and skyn Line 732 Allas whan schuln my boones ben at rest Moder with ȝow wil I chaunge my chest/ That in my chamber. longe tyme haþ be Ȝe for an haire clout/ to wrap in me Line 736 But ȝet to me sche wil not do þat grace For which ful pale and welkid is my face But sires to ȝow. it is no curtesye To speke vnto an old man vilonye Line 740

[6-text p 326] Line 740 But he trespas in word or elles dede In holy writ ȝe may ȝour self wel rede Aȝens an old man hoor vpon his hede Ȝe schold arise wherefor I ȝow rede / Line 744 Ne doth vnto an old man more harm now Na more þan ȝe wolde men dede to ȝow; In age . if þat ȝe may so long abyde And god be with ȝou / wher so ȝe go or ryde Line 748 I moot go þider as I haue to goo Nay olde cherl by god thou schalt not so Sayde þat oþer hasardour anoon Thou partist nouȝt so lightly by seint Iohn Line 752 Thou spak right now of þat traytour deþ [folio 191b] That in þis contre alle oure frendes sleþ Haue her my trouth as þou art his aspye / Tel wher he is or elles þou schalt dye / Line 756 By god and by þat holy sacrament/ For soþly þou art oon of his assent To schewe vs ȝonge folk þe false theef Now sires þan if þat ȝow be so leef Line 760 To fynde deþ torn vp þis croked way For in þat groue I laft him by my fay Vnder a tree and þer he wil abyde Ne for ȝour bost he nyl him no þing hyde Line 764 Se ȝe þat ook right þer ȝe schuln him fynde God saue ȝow þat bought aȝein mankynde And ȝow amend þus sayde þis olde man And euerich of þese riotoures ran Line 768 Til þay come to the tre and ther þay founde Of florins fyn of gold y-coyned rounde wel neygh a seuen busshels as me thought No lenger þanne after deþ þay sought Line 772 But ech of hem so glad was of þat sight For þat þe florens so faire were and bright That doun þai sette hem by þat precious hord The ȝongest of hem spak/ þe firste word Line 776

[6-text p 327] Line 776 Breþeren takeþ keep what I schal say My witte is gret þough þat I bourde and play This tresour haþ fortune to vs ȝiuen In mirth and iolyte our lif to lyuen Line 780 And lightly as it comth so wil we spende Ey goddis precious dignite who wende To day þat we schuld haue so fair a grace But might þis gold be caried fro þis place Line 784 Hom to myn hous or ellis vnto ȝoures For wel I wot þat þis gold is nouȝt oures Than were we . in heyh felicite But trewely by day it may not be Line 788 Men wolde say þat we were þeues stronge / And for oure tresour doon vs for to honge This tresour moste caried be by night [folio 192a] As wysly and as slely as it might Line 792 wherfore I rede þat cut among vs alle Be drawe and let se wher þe cut wil falle He þat haþ þe cut wiþ herte bliþe/ Schal renne to þe toun and þat ful swithe Line 796 To bring vs bred and wyn ful priuely And tuo of vs schal kepe subtilly This tresour wel and if he wil not tarie whan it is night we wol þis tresour carie Line 800 By oon assent þer as vs likeþ best/ That oon of hem þe cut/ brought in his fest/ And bad hem drawe and loke wher it wil falle And it fel on þe ȝongest of hem alle / Line 804 And forþ toward þe toun he went anoon And al so soone as he was agoon That oon of hem . spak vnto þat oþer Thow wost/ wel þat þou art my sworne broþer Line 808 Thy profyt wol I . telle þe anoon Thow wost wel þat our felaw is a-goon And her is gold and þat ful gret plente That schal departed be among vs þre / Line 812

[6-text p 328] Line 812 But naþeles if I can schape it so That it departed were bitwix vs tuo had I not doon a frendes torn to þe / That oþer answerd I not how þat may be/ Line 816 he wot wel þat þe gold is wiþ vs tway what schulde we þan do what schuld we say Schal it be counsail sayde þe ferste schrewe And I schal telle þe in wordes fewe / Line 820 what we schul doon and bringe it wel aboute I graunte quod þat other wiþoute doute That by my trouþe I wil þe nought bywray Now quod þe first þou wost wel we ben tway Line 824 And two of vs schuln strenger be þan oon lok whanne he is sett and þat anoon Arys as þou woldest with him pleye And I schal ryf him thurgh þe sydes tweye Line 828 whils þou strogelest wiþ him as in game [folio 192b] And with þi dagger loke þou do þe same And þan schal al þe gold departed be My dere frend bitwixe þe and me Line 832 Than may we oure lustes fulfille And play at dees right at our owne wille And þus accorded ben þese schrewes twayn To sle þe þridde . as ȝe herd me sayn Line 836 This ȝongest/ which þat wente to þe toun Ful fast in hert/ he rollith vp and doun The beaute of þe florins newe and bright O lord quod he if so were þat I might Line 840 Haue al þis gold vnto my self alloone Ther is no man þat lyueth vnder þe troone Of gold þat schulde lyue so mery as I And atte last þe feend oure enemy Line 844 Put in his þought þat he schuld poysoun beye wiþ which he mighte sle his felaws tweye For-why þe feend fond him in such lyuynge That he had leue to sorwe him to brynge Line 848

[6-text p 329] Line 848 For þis witterly . was his entent To slen hem boþe and neuer to repent/ And forth he goþ no lenger wold he tary In to þe toun vnto a potecary / Line 852 And prayde him þat he him wolde selle Som poysoun þat he might his rattis quelle And eek þer was a polkat in his hawe / As he sayde his capouns had I-slawe / Line 856 And said he wold him wreke if þat he might On vermyn þat destroyed him by night Thapotecary answerd and þou schalt haue A þing þat also god my soule saue Line 860 In al þis world þer nys no creature That ete or dronk had of þis confecture Nought but þe mountaunce of a corn of whete That he ne schuld his lif anoon forlete / Line 864 Ȝe sterue he schal and þat in lasse while Than þou wilt goon a paas not but a myle / The poysoun is so strong and violent [folio 193a] This cursed man haþ in his hond I-hent Line 868 This poysoun in a box & sins he ran In to þe nexte stret vnto a man And borwed him large botels þre And in þe two his poysoun poured he Line 872 The þrid he keped clene for his drynke For al þe night he schop him for to swynke In carying the gold out of þat place And whan þis riotour with sory grace Line 876 had fillid with wyn his botels þre To his felaws aȝein repaireth he what nedith it to sermoun it more For right as þay had cast/ his deth bifore Line 880 Right so þay han him slayn and þat anoon And whan þis was I-doon þan spak þat oon Now let vs drynk and sitte and make vs mery And siþþen we wil his body bery Line 884

[6-text p 330] Line 884 And afterward it happed hem par cas To take þe botel þer þe poysoun was And drank and ȝaf his felaw drink also For which þay sterued boþe tuo Line 888 But certes I suppose þat amycen wrot neuer in Canoun ne in non fen Mo wonder sorwes of empoisonyng Thus hadde þese wrecches tuo here endyng Line 892 Thus endid been þese homicides tuo And eek þe fals empoysoner also / O cursed synne ful of cursednesse O traytorous homicidy o wikkednesse Line 896 O glotony luxurie and hasardrye / Thou blasphemour of crist with vilanye And oþes grete of vsage and of pride Allas mankynde how may it bytyde Line 900 Ther to þy creatour which þat þe wrought And wiþ his precious herte blood þe bought Thou art so fals and so vnkynde allas Now good men god forȝeue ȝow ȝour trespas Line 904 And ware ȝow fro þe synne of auarice [folio 193b] Myn holy pardoun may ȝou alle warice So þat ȝe offren noblis or starlinges Or elles siluer spones broches or rynges Line 908 Bowiþ ȝour hedes vnder þis holy bulle Comeþ forþ ȝe wyues and offreþ ȝour wolle Ȝour names I entre her in my rolle anoon In to þe blis of heuen schul ȝe goon Line 912 I ȝow assoile by myn heyh power If ȝe woln offre as clene and eek als cler As ȝe were born . and sires lo þus I preche / And Ihū crist þat is oure soules leche Line 916 So graunte ȝow his pardoun to receyue For þat is best I wil not ȝow disceyue But sires o word forȝat I in my tale / I haue reliks and pardoun in my male / Line 920

[6-text p 331] Line 920 As fair as eny man in Engelond which were me I-ȝeue by popes hond If eny of ȝow wol of deuocioun Offren and haue myn absolucioun Line 924 Cometh forth anon knelith her a-doun And ȝe schul haue here my pardoun Or elles takith pardoun as ȝe wende Al newe and freissch at euery townes ende Line 928 So þat ȝe offren alway new and newe / Nobles and pens which þat ben good and trewe / It is an honur to euery þat is heer That may haue a suffisaunt pardoner Line 932 Tassoile ȝow in contre as ȝe ryde For auentures which þat may bytyde For paraunter· þer may falle oon or tuo Doun of his hors and breke his nekke a-tuo Line 936 loke such a seurete is to ȝou alle That I am in ȝour felaschip I-falle That may assoyle ȝou boþe more and lasse whan þat þe soule schal fro þe body passe Line 940 I rede þat oure hoste schal bygynne For he is most enuoliped in synne Com forþ sire ost and offer first anoon [folio 194a] And þou schalt kisse þe reliquis euerichoon Line 944 Ȝe for a grote vnbocle þi purs Nay nay quod he þan haue I cristes curs let be quod he it schal not be so theech Thou woldest make me kisse þin olde breech Line 948 And swere it were a relik of a seynt Though it were wiþ þi foundement depeynt But by þe cros which þat seynt heleyn fond I wold I had þy coylons in myn hond Line 952 In stede of reliks or of seintuary / let cut hem of I wol help hem to cary Thay schul be schryned in an hogges tord This pardoner answerde nat o word Line 956

[6-text p 332] Line 956 So wroþ he was he wolde no word say Now quod oure host I wol no lenger play wiþ þe ne with noon oþer angry man But right anoon þis worthy knight bygan Line 960 whan þat he saugh þat al þe peple lough No more of þis for it is right ynough Sir pardoner be glad and mery of cheere And ȝe sir host þat ben to me so deere Line 964 I pray ȝow þat ȝe kisse þe pardoner And pardoner I pray ȝow draweþ ȝow ner And as we dede let vs laugh and play Anoon þay kisse and riden forþ her way / Line 968

¶ Here endeth þe pardoneres tale [[No break in the MS.]]