The Cambridge ms. Dd. 4. 24. of Chaucer's Canterbury tales, completed by the Egerton ms. 2726 (the Haistwell ms) Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall ...

[6-text p 303]

[on leaf 138, back] & bigynneth the Phisiciens tale with-oute a Prologe;

There was as telleth Titus liuius A knyght / that called was virginius ffulfild of honour / and of worthynesse And strong of frendes / and of gret richesse Line 4 This knyght a doughter hadde / by his wyf No children hadde he moo / in al his lyf ffair was this mayde / in excellent beautee Abouen euery wyght / that man may se Line 8 ffor nature hath / with souereyne diligence I-formed hire / in so gret excellence As though she wolde seyn / lo I nature Thus kan I forme / and peynte a creature Line 12 Whan that me list / who kan me countrefete Pigmalion nought / though he ay forge and bete [¶ Quere in Methamor|phosios] Or graue / or peynte / for I dar wel seyn Appelles ȝanȝis / shulde werche in veyn [¶ Appelles fecit mira|bile opus in tumulo darii . vide in Alexandri libro 6^o de ȝanȝi in libro Tulii] Outher to graue / or peynte / or forge / or bete If they presumeden / me to countrefete ffor he that is / the fourmere 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 [[MS. torn]] vnder the moone / that may wane and waxe And for my werk / right no thyng wol I axe [folio 139a] Line 24

[6-text p 304] Line 24 My lord and I / ben ful of oon accord I made hire / to the worshipe of my lord So do I / alle myne othere / creatures What colour that they han / or what figures Line 28 Thus semeth me / that nature wolde seye This mayde of age / twelue ȝer was and tweye In which that nature / hadde swich delit ffor right as she kan peynte / a lilye whit Line 32 And reed as Rose / right with swich peynture She peynted hath / this noble creature Er she were born / vp-oon hire lymes free Where as by right / swich coloures shulde bee Line 36 And Phebus dyed hath / hire tresses grete lyke to the stremes / of his burned hete And if that excellent / was hir beaute 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 virginite Line 44 With alle humylite / and abstinence With alle attemperance / and pacience With mesure eke / of berynge and array Discret she was / in answerynge alwey Line 48 Though she were wys Pallas / dar I seyn hire facounde eke / ful wommanly and pleyn Noo countrefeted termes / had she To seme wys / but after hire degree Line 52 She spak / and alle hire wordes more & lesse Sovnyng in vertu / and in gentillesse Shamefast she was / in maydens shamefastnesse Constant in herte / and euere in bisinesse Line 56 To dryue hir out / of ydel slogardye Bacus had of hir mouth / right no maistrie ffor wyn and ȝouthe / dooth venus encrees As men in fyr / wol casten oille or grees Line 60

[6-text p 305] Line 60 And of hire owene vertu / vnconstreyned She hath ful ofte tyme syke / hir feyned ffor that she wolde fleen / the compaignye where likly was / to treten of folye Line 64 As is at festes / reuels / and at daunces That ben occasiouns / of daliaunces Swich thyng / maken children for to be To sone rype / and bold as men moun se Line 68 Which is ful perilous / and hath be ȝoore [folio 139b] ffor al to sone / moun they lerne loore Of boldnesse / whan she woxen is a wyf ¶ And ȝe maistresses / in ȝoure olde lyf Line 72 That lordes doughtres / han in gouernaunce Ne taketh of my wordes / no displesaunce Thenketh that ȝe ben set / in gouernynges Of lordes doughtres / oonly for two thynges Line 76 Outher for ȝe han kept / ȝoure honeste Or elles ȝe han falle / in freelete And knowen wel I-now / the olde daunce And han forsaken fully / swich meschaunce Line 80 ffor euere moo / therfore for cristes sake To teche hem vertu / loke that ȝe ne slake ¶ A thef of venyson / that hath for-laft his likerousnesse / and al his olde craft Line 84 kan kepe a forest / best of any man Now kepeth wel / for if ȝe wole ȝe kan loke wel that ȝe / vn-to no vice assente leest ȝe be dampned / for ȝowre wykke entente Line 88 ffor who so doth / a traytour is certeyn And taketh kepe / of that that I shal seyn Of alle treson / souerayn pestilence Is whan a wyght bitraiseth / Innocence Line 92 Ȝe fadres and ȝe modres / eke also Though ȝe han children / be it on or moo Ȝoure is the charge / of al hir surueaunce Whil that they ben / vnder ȝoure gouernaunce Line 96

[6-text p 306] Line 96 Beth war / if be ensaumple of ȝoure lyuynge Or by ȝoure necligence / in chastisynge That they perisshe / for I dar wel seye If that they doon / ȝe shul it deere a-beye Line 100 vnder a Shepherde / soft and necligent The wolf / hath many a sheep and lamb to-rent Suffiseth on ensample / now as heere ffor I moot turne a-geyn / to my matere Line 104 ¶ This mayde / of which / I wol this tale expresse So kept 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 bountevous ffor which the same out sprong / on euery syde Bothe of hir beaute / and hire bounte wyde [folio 140a] Line 112 That thurgh that lond / they preised hir echone That loued Vertu / saue Envye allone That sory is / of oother mennes wele [¶ Augustinus] And glad is of his sorwe / and his vnhele Line 116 The doctour / makith this discripcioun This mayde vp-on a day / went in the toun Toward a temple / with hir moder deere As is of ȝonge maydens / the manere Line 120 ¶ Now was there thanne / a Iustice in that toun That gouernour was / of that Regioun And so bifel / this Iuge / his eyen caste vp-on this mayde / auysynge him ful faste Line 124 As she coom forby / there as this Iuge stod A-noon his herte chaunged / and his mood So was he caught / with beaute of this mayde And to him self / ful pryuely he sayde Line 128 This mayde shal be myn / for any man A-noon the fend / in-to his herte ran And taughte him sodeynly / that he by sleighte The mayden to his purpos / wynne myghte Line 132

[6-text p 307] Line 132 ffor certes by no force / ne by no mede him thoughte he was nat able / for to spede ffor she was strong of frendes / and eke she Confermed was / in swich souerayn bounte Line 136 That wel he wiste / he myght hir neuere wynne As for to make hir / with hir body synne ffor which / by greet deliberacioun he sent after a cherl / was in the toun Line 140 Which that he knew / for subtil and for bold This Iuge vn-to this cherl / his tale hath told In secree wyse / and maad him to ensure he shulde telle it / to no creature Line 144 And if he dide / he shulde leese his hed Whan that assented was / this cursed reed Glad was this Iuge / and maked him gret chere And ȝaf him ȝiftes / preciouse and deere Line 148 ¶ Whan shapen was / al here conspiracye ffro poynt to poynt / how that his lecherye Parfourmed shulde ben / ful subtilly As ȝe shuln heere it / after openly Line 152 ¶ hom goth the cherl / that hight Claudyus This fals Iuge / that hight Apius So was his name / for this is no fable But knowen for historial thyng / notable [folio 140b] Line 156 The sentence of it / soth is out of doute This fals Iuge / goth now fast a-boute To hasten his delyt / al that he may And so byfel / sone after on a day Line 160 This fals Iuge / as telleth vs the storie As he was wont / sat in his Consistorie And ȝaf his domes / vp-on sondry cas This fals Cherl cam forth / a ful gret pas Line 164 And seide lord / if that it be ȝoure wille As doth me right / vp-on this pitous bille In which I pleyne / vp-on virginius And if that he wol seyn / it is nat thus Line 168

[6-text p 308] Line 168 I wol it preeue / and fynde good wytnesse That sooth is / that my bille / wol expresse ¶ This Iuge answered of this / in his absence I may nat ȝeue / diffynytif sentence Line 172 lat do him calle / and I wol gladly heere [id est audire] Thow shalt haue al right / and no wrong here [id est hic] ¶ virginius cam to wyte / the Iuges wille And right anon was red / this cursed bille Line 176 The sentence of it / was as ȝe shuln heere ¶ To ȝow my lord sire Apius / so dere Sheweth ȝoure pore seruaunt Claudius how that a knyght / called virginius Line 180 Ageyns the lawe / a-geyn al equytee holdeth expres / a-geyn the wyl of me My seruaunt / which that is my thral by right Which fro myn hous / was stolen vp-on a nyght Line 184 Whil that she was ful ȝong / this wyl I preeue By witnesse lord / so that it nat ȝow greue She nys his doughter nat / what so he seye Wherfore to ȝow my lord / the Iuge / I preye Line 188 Ȝelde me my thral / if that it be ȝoure wille lo this was al / the sentence / of his bille virginius gan / vp-on the thral biholde But hastily / or he his tale tolde Line 192 And wolde haue preued it / as shulde a knyght And eke by wytnessynge / of many a wyght That al was fals / that seide his aduersarie This cursed Iuge / wolde no thyng tarie Line 196 Ne heere a word more / of virginius But ȝaf his Iugement / and seide thus ¶ I deme anoon this cherl / his seruaunt haue Thow shalt no lengere / in thyn hous hir saue Line 200 Go brynge hire forth / and put hire in oure warde [folio 141a] 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 Muste by force / his deere doughter ȝiuen vn-to the Iustice / in lecherye to lyuen he goth him hom / and sette him in his halle And leet a-noon / his deere doughter calle Line 208 And with a face deed / as asshen colde vp-on hire humble face / he gan biholde With fadres pitee / stikynge thurgh his herte Al wolde he / from his purpos nat conuerte Line 212 ¶ Doughter quod he / virginia by thy name There ben two weyes / either deth or shame That thow must suffre / allas that I was bore ffor neuere thow deseruedest / wherfore Line 216 To dyen with a swerd / or with a knyf O deere doughter / endere of my lyf Which I haue fostred vp / with swich plesaunce That thow were neuere / out of myn remembraunce Line 220 O doughter / which that art / my laste woo And in my lif / my laste ioye also O gemme of chastitee / in pacience Take thow thy deth / for this is my sentence Line 224 ffor loue / and nat for hate / thow must be ded My pitous hand / moot smyten of thyn hed Allas / that euere Apius the say Thus hath he falsly / Iuged the to-day Line 228 And told hire al the cas / as ȝe bifore han herd / nat nedeth it / to telle it more ¶ O mercy deere fader / quod this mayde And with that word / she bothe hir armes leyde Line 232 A-boute his nekke / as she was wont to doo The teeris borst out / of hire eighen two And seide / goode fader / shal I dye Is there no grace / is þere no remedye Line 236 ¶ No certes / deere doughter myn quod he ¶ Than ȝif me leiser / fader myn quod she My deth for to compleyne / a litel space Line 239 ffor pardee / Iepte ȝaf his doughter grace [¶ Iudicum capitulo xi^o fuit illo tempore]

[6-text p 310] ffor to compleyne / er he hir slow / allas [Iepte Galaandes] And god it woot / no thyng was hir trespas But for she ran / hir fader first to se To welcome him / with gret solempnytee Line 244 And with that word / she fel a swoughne a-non [folio 141b] And after / whan hire swoughnyng is a-gon She riseth vp / and to hire fader seide Blissed be god / that I shal dye a mayde Line 248 Ȝif me my deth / er that I haue a shame Doth with ȝoure child / ȝoure wil / a goddes name And with that word / she preieth him ful ofte That with his swerd / he shulde smyte softe Line 252 And with that word / a swoughne doun she fil hire fader / with ful sorweful herte / and wil hir hed of smote / and by the top it hente And to the Iuge / he gan it to presente Line 256 As he sat ȝet / in doom Consistorie And whan the Iuge it saw / as seith the storie he bad to take him / and an-hange him faste But right a-noon / a thousand peeple in thraste Line 260 To saue the knyght / for routhe and for pitee ffor knowen was / this fals Iniquitee ¶ The peeple a-noon / hadden suspect in this thyng By manere of the cherles / chalangyng Line 264 That it was by the assent / of Apius They wisten wel / that he was lecherous ffor which / vn-to this Apius they gon And cast him in a prison / right a-noon Line 268 Where as he slow him self / and Claudyus That seruaunt was / vn-to this Apius Was demed for to hange / vp-on a tree But that virginius / of his pitee Line 272 So preyed for him / that he was exiled And elles certes / had he ben bigyled The remenaunt were an-hanged / moore and lesse That were consentant / of this cursednesse Line 276

[6-text p 311] Line 276 ¶ heere moun men sen / how synne hath his merite Beth war / for no man woot / whom god wol smyte In no degree / ne in which manere wyse The worm of conscience / may a-gryse Line 280 Of wykked lyf / though it so pryue be That no man wot ther-of / but god and he ffor he be lewed man / or elles lered he noot howe sone / that he shal ben a-fered Line 284 Therfore I rede ȝow / this counsel take fforsaketh synne / er synne ȝow forsake

¶ Here endeth the Phisiciens tale /

[6-text p 312]

[on leaf 141, back] & bigynneth the prologe of the Pardonere

Oure Hoost bygan to swere / as he were wood [folio 142a] harrowe quod he / by nayles and by blood Line 288 This was a fals cherl / a false Iustise As shameful deeth / as herte kan deuyse Come to theise Iuges / and here Aduocates Algate this sely mayde / is slayn / allas Line 292 Allas / to dere a-bought she hire beaute Wherfore I seye alday / that men moun se That ȝiftes of fortune / and of nature Ben cause of deeth / to many a creature Line 296 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Of bothe ȝiftes / that I speke of now Men han ful ofte / more for harm than prow Line 300 ¶ But trewely / myn owyn Maister deere This is a pitous tale / for to heere But nathelees / passe ouer / is no fors I preye to god / so saue thy gentil cors Line 304 And eke thyne vrynals / and thyne Iurdones Thyn ypocras / and eke thy Galiones And euery boiste / ful of thy letuarie God blisse hem / and oure lady Seynt Marie Line 308 So mote I then / thow art a propre man And lyke a prelat / by Seynt Ronyan Seyde I nat wel / I kan nat speke in terme But wel I woot / thow doost myn herte to erme Line 312 That I almost haue caught / a Cardynacle By Corpus bones / but I haue tryacle Or elles a draught of moiste / and corny ale Or but I heere a-noon / a murie tale Line 316

[6-text p 313] Line 316 Myn herte is loste / for pitee of this mayde Thow beal amy / thow Pardoner he sayde Telle vs sum myrthe / of Iapes right a-noon ¶ It shal be don quod he / by Seynt Ronyon Line 320 But first quod he / heere at this Ale-stake I wol bothe drynke and eten / of a Cake But right a-noon / theise gentils gonne to crie Nay lat him nat telle vs / of no ribaudie Line 324 Telle vs som moral thyng / that we may lere Some wyt / and thanne wol we gladly heere I graunte I-wys quod he / but I must thynke vp-on som honest thyng / whil that I drynke Line 328

[6-text p 314]

¶ Radix omnium malorum est Cupiditas; Ad Thymotheum .6^o. [on leaf 142]

¶ The Perdoners owyn Prologe [folio 142b]

Lordynges quod he / in chirches whan I preche Line 329 I peyne me to haue / an hauteyn speche And rynge out / as round / as gooth a belle ffor I can al by rote / that I telle Line 332 ffirst I pronounce / whennes that I come Line 335 And thanne myne Bulles shewe I / alle and some Line 336 Oure liege lordes seel / on my patente I shewe first / my body to warente That no man be so bold / ne preest ne Clerk Me to distourbe / of Cristes holy werk Line 340 And after that / than telle I forth my tales Bulles of Popes / and of Cardynales Of Patriarkes / and of Busshopes I shewe And in latyn speke I / wordes fewe Line 344 To Saffron with / my predicacioun In euery village / and in euery toun Line 346 This is my Teme / and shal / and euere was Line 333 Radix malorum / est Cupiditas Line 334 Thanne shewe I forth / my longe cristal stones Line 347 I-crammed ful of cloutes / and of bones Line 348 Relikes ben they / as wenen they ichon Thanne haue I in a loton / a shulder bon Which that was / of an holy Iewes sheep Goode men I seye / take of my wordes keep Line 352 If that this bon / be wasshe in any welle If Cow or Calf or Oxe / or sheep swelle That any worm hath ete / or worm I-stonge Take water of that welle / and wasshe his tonge Line 356

[6-text p 315] Line 356 And it is hool a-noon / and forthere more Of pokkes and of Scabbe / and euery sore Shal euery sheep be hool / that of this welle Drynketh a draughte / take kepe eke what I telle Line 360 If that the goode man / that the bestes oweth Wol euery wyke / er that the Cok him croweth ffastyng drynken / of this welle a draughte As thilke holy Iew / our eldres taughte Line 364 his bestes and his stoor / shal multiplie And sire also / it heleth Ialousie ffor though a man be falle / in Ialous rage lat maken with this water / his potage Line 368 And neuere shal he more his wyf mys-triste Though he the sothe / of hire defaute wiste Al hadde she taken Preestes / two or thre ¶ heere is a Miteyn eke / that ȝe may se Line 372 He that his hond / wol putte in this Mitayn [folio 143a] he shal haue multipliyng / of his grayn Whan he hath sowen / be it whete or Otes So that he offre pens / or ellis grotes Line 376 Goode men & wommen / oo thyng warne I ȝow If any wight / be in this chirche now That hath don synne horrible / that he Dar nat for shame / of it I-shryuen be Line 380 Or any womman / be she ȝong or old That hath I-maked / hire housbonde Cokewold Swich folk shuln haue / no power ne no grace To offren to my relikes / in this place Line 384 And who so fyndeth him / out of swich blame They wol come vp / and offre a goddis name And I assoille him / by the auctoritee Which that by bulle / I-graunted was to me Line 388 ¶ By this gaude / haue I wonne ȝer by ȝer An hundred mark / sithe I was Pardoner I stonde like a Clerk / in my pulpet And whan the lewede peeple / is doun I-set Line 392

[6-text p 316] Line 392 I preche so / as ȝe 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 peeple I bekke Line 396 As doth a dowue / sittyng on a berne Myn handes and my tonge / goon so ȝerne That it is ioye / to seen my besynesse Of auarice / and of swich cursednesse Line 400 Is al my prechyng / for to make hem free To ȝeue here pens / and namely vn-to me ffor myn entente is nat / but for to wynne And no thyng / for correccion of synne Line 404 I rekke neuere / whan that they ben beryed Though that here soules / gon a blakeberyed ffor certes / many a predicacion Cometh ofte / of yuel entencion Line 408 Som for plesaunce of folk / and flaterie To ben a-vaunced / by ypocrisye And som for veyn glorie / and som for hate ffor whan I dar / noon other weyes debate Line 412 Thanne wol I stynge him / with my tonge smerte In prechyng / so that he / shal nat a-sterte To ben defamed falsly / if that he hath trespased / to myne bretheren or to me Line 416 ffor though I telle nought / his propre name [folio 143b] Men shuln wel knowe / that it is the same By signes / and by othere circumstaunces Thus quyte I folk / that doon vs displesaunces Line 420 Thus spitte I out my venym / vnder hewe Of holynease / to semen holy and trewe But shortly / myn entente I wol deuyse I preche of no thyng / but for coueytise Line 424 Therfore my teme is ȝet / and euere was Radix malorum / est cupiditas ¶ Thus can I preche / ageyn that same vice Which that I vse / and that is Auarice Line 428

[6-text p 317] Line 428 But though my self / be gilty in that synne Ȝet kan I maken / othere folk to twynne ffrom Auarice / and sore to repente But that is nat / my principal entente Line 432 I preche no thyng / but for coueitise Of this matere / it oughte I-now suffise ¶ Thanne telle I hem / ensaumples many oon Of olde stories / longe tyme a-goon Line 436 ffor lewede peeple / louen tales olde Swich thynges konne they / wel reporte & holde What trowe ȝe / that whiles I may preche And wynne gold and siluer / for I teche Line 440 That I wol lyue / in pouertee wilfully Nay nay / I thought it neuere trewely ffor I wol preche / and begge in sondry londes I wol nought do no labour / with myne hondes Line 444 Ne make baskettes / and lyue ther-by By cause / I wol nat beggen ydelly I wol noone of the Apostles / countrefete I wol haue moneye / wolle / Chese and whete Line 448 Al were it ȝeuen / of the poorest page Or of the poorest wydewe / in a village Al shulde hire children sterue / for famyne Nay I wol drynke licour / of the vyne Line 452 And haue a ioly wenche / in euery toun But herkeneth lordynges / in conclusioun Ȝoure likyng is / that I shall telle a tale Nowe haue I dronke / a draughte of corny Ale Line 456 By god I hope / I shal ȝow telle a thyng That shal by reson / ben at ȝoure likyng ffor though my self / be a ful vicious man A moral tale / ȝet I ȝow telle can Line 460 Which I am wont to preche / for to wynne Now holde ȝoure pees / my tale I wol bigynne

[6-text p 318]

¶ Et nunc narrat fabulam suam [in margin of leaf 143, back]

IN fflaundres whilom / was a compaignye [folio 144a] Of ȝonge folk / that haunteden folye Line 464 As ryot hasard / Stewes and Tauernes where-as with harpes / lutes and Gyternes They daunce / and pleyen atte dees / bothe day & nyght And ete also / and drynken ouer here myght Thurgh which they doon / the deuele sacrifice with-Inne that deueles temple / in cursid wyse By superfluitee / abhominable here othes ben so grete / and so dampnable Line 472 That it is grisly / for to here hem swere Oure blissed lordes body / they to-teere hem thoughte / that Iewes rent him nought I-now And ech of hem / at otheres synne low Line 476 And right a-noon / than comen Tombesterys ffetise and smale / and ȝonge ffrutesterys Syngeris with harpes / Baudes / wafererys which ben / the verray deueles officeris Line 480 To kyndele and blowe / the fir of lecherie That is annexed / vn-to Glotonye The holy wryt take I / to my wytnesse Line 483 That luxurye / is in wyn / and dronkenesse [¶ Nolite inebriare vino quo est luxuria:] ¶ lo how that dronken Loth / vnkendely lay by hise doughtres two / vn-wetyngly So dronke he was / he nyste what he wroughte Herodes / who so wel / the stories soughte Line 488 . . . . . . . . . . [no spurious lines in this MS.]

[6-text p 319] whan he of wyn / was replet at his feste Right at his owne table / he ȝaf his heste To slen the Baptist Iohn / ful giltelees Senek seith a good word / doutelees Line 492 he seith / he can no difference fynde Bitwix a man / that is out of his mynde And a man / which that is dronkelewe But that woodnesse / I-fallen in a shrewe Line 496 Perseuereth lengere / than doth dronkenesse O Glotonye / ful of cursednesse O cause first / of oure confusion O original / of our dampnacion Line 500 Til Crist had bought vs / with his blod a-geyn lo howe deere / shortly for to seyn A-bought was / thilke cursed vilenye Corrupt was al this world / for glotonye Line 504 Adam oure fader / and his wyf also ffro Paradys / to labour and to woo Were dryuen / for that vice / it is no drede ffor whil that Adam fasted / as I rede [folio 144b] Line 508 he was in Paradys / and whan that he [¶ Ieronimus contra Io|uinianum // Quam|diu ieiunauit adam / in paradiso fuit / co|medit & eiectus est statim duxit vxorem:] Ete of the fruyt / defended / on a tree A-noon he was out cast / to woo & peyne O glotonye / on the wel ought vs pleyne Line 512 O wiste a man / how many maladies ffolwen of excesse / and of glotonyes he wolde ben / the more mesurable Of his diete / sittyng at his table Line 516 Allas the shorte throte / the tendre mouth Maketh that Est and west / & North & south In Erthe in Eyr in water / man to swynke To gete a gloton / deyntee mete and drynke Line 520 Of this matere / o Poule / wel kanstow trete Mete vn-to wombe / & wombe eke vn-to mete [¶ Esca ventri & venter escis deus autem & hunc & illam destruet] Shal god destroyen bothe / as Paulus seith Allas / a foul thyng is it / by my feith

[6-text p 320] To seye this worde / and foulere is the dede Line 525 whan man so drynketh / of the white and rede That of his throte / he maketh his pryuee Thurgh thilke cursed / superfluitee Line 528 The Apostle wepyng / seith ful pitously [¶ Ad Philipenses ca^o 3^o.] There walken manye / of which ȝow told haue I. I seye it now wepyng / with pitous vois There ben enmys / of Cristes crois Line 532 Of which the ende is deth / wombe is here god O wombe o bely / o stynkyng Cod ffulfild of donge / and of corrupcioun At either ende of thee / foule is the soun Line 536 how gret labour and cost / is the to fynde Theise Cookes / how they stampe & streyne & grynde To tornen substaunce / in-to Accident To fulfille / al thy lykerous talent Line 540 Out of the harde bones / knokke they The mary / for they caste nought a-wey That may goo thurgh the golet / softe and swote Of spicerie / of leef of bark and roote Line 544 Shal ben his sause / I-maked be delyt To maken him ȝet / a newere appetit But certes / he that haunteth / swich delices [¶ Qui autem in deliciis est viuens mortuus est; Luxuriosa res vi|num & contume|liosa ebrietas:—] Is ded / whil that 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 breth / foul artow to embrace Line 552 And thurgh thy dronke nose / semeth the soun [folio 145a] As though thow seidest ay / Sampson Sampson 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 mannys wyt / and his discrecion In whom that drynke / hath dominacion Line 560

[6-text p 321] Line 560 he kan no counseil kepe / it is no drede Now kepe ȝow fro the white / and fro the rede And namely / fro the white wyn of lepe That is to selle / in ffysshstrete or in Chepe Line 564 This wyne of Spaigne / crepeth subtelly In othere wynes / growyng faste by Of which there riseth / swich fumositee That whan a man / hath dronken draughtes three Line 568 And weneth that he be / at hom in Chepe he is in spaigne / right at the Toun of lepe Nat at the Rochel / ne at Burdeux Toun And thanne wol he seye / Sampson Sampson Line 572 ¶ But herkneth lordynges / o word I ȝow preye That alle the souereyne actes / dar I seye Of victories / in the olde testament Thurgh verray god / that is omnipotent Line 576 were don in abstinence / and in preyere loketh the Bible / and there ȝe moun it lere loke Attilla / the grete conquerour Deyede in his slep / with shame & dishonour Line 580 Bledyng ay at his nose / in dronkenesse A Capitayn shulde lyue / in sobrenesse And ouer al this / a-vyseth ȝow right wel what was comaunded / vn-to lamwel Line 584 Nat Samuel / but lamwel sey I Redeth the Bible / and fynde it expresly Of wyn ȝeuyng / to hem that han Iustise [¶ Noli vinum dare &c.] Na more of this / for it may wel suffise Line 588 ¶ And now that I haue spoken / of Glotonye Now wol I ȝow defenden / hasardrye hasard / is verray moder of lesynges [¶ Policraticorum libro 1^o. Mendaciorum & periuriarum mater est alea:—] And of deceyte / and cursed forswerynges Blasphemynge of Crist / manslaughtre and wast also Of catel and of tyme / and forther moo It is repreue / and contrarie of honour ffor to ben holde / a comune hasardour Line 596

[6-text p 322] Line 596 And euere the heyer / he is of estat The more is he holden / desolat [folio 145b] If that a Prynce / vseth hasardrye In alle gouernaunce / and policye Line 600 he is / as by comune opinion I-holde the lasse / in reputacion ¶ Stilbon / that was a wys embassadour was sent to Corynthe / in ful gret honour Line 604 ffro lacedomye / to maken here alliance And whan he cam / him happed per chaunce That alle the gretteste / that were of that lond Pleiyng atte hasard / he hem fond Line 608 ffor which / as sone as it myght be he stal him hom a-geyn / to his contre And seide / there wyl I nat lese my name Ne wyl nat take on me / so gret defame Line 612 Ȝow for to allie / vn-to noone hasardoures Sendeth othere wyse / embassadoures ffor by my trouthe / me were leuere dye Than I ȝow shulde / to hasardoures allye Line 616 ffor ȝe that ben / so glorious in honours Shuln nat allye ȝow / with hasardours As by my wyl / ne as be myn tretee This wys Philosophre / thus seide he Line 620 loke eke / that to the kyng Demetrius The kyng of Parthe / as the boke seith vs Sent him a peyre of dys of gold / in skorn ffor he had vsed hasard / there biforn Line 624 ffor which he held his glorie / or his renoun At no value / or reputacioun lordes moun fynde / othere manere pleye honest I-now / to dryue the day a-weye Line 628 ¶ Now wyl I speke / of othes false and grete A word or two / as olde bokes trete Gret sweryng is a thyng / abhomynable And false sweryng is ȝet / more repreuable Line 632

[6-text p 323] Line 632 The heigh god / forbad sweryng at al [¶ Nolite iurare om|nino / Mathei .5^o.] Wytnesse on Mathew / but in special Of sweryng seith / the holy Ieremye [¶ Ieremie 4^o. iura|bis in veritate in iudicio & ius|ticia:—] Thow shalt swere soth thyne othes / & nat lye And swere in doom / and eke in rightwysnesse Line 637 But Idel sweryng / is a cursednesse Byholde and se / that in the first table Of heigh goddes hestes / honourable Line 640 How that the secund hest of him / is this Take nat myn name in ydel / or amys Lo rathere he forbedeth / swich sweryng [folio 146a] Than homicide / or many a cursed thyng Line 644 I seye / that as by ordre / thus it standith This knowen they / that hise hestes vndirstondith how that the secunde heest of god / is that And forthere ouere / I wol the telle al plat Line 648 That vengeaunce / shal nat parten / fro his hous That of hise othes / is to outrageous By goddes precious herte / and by his nayles And by the blod of Crist / that is in hayles Line 652 Seuene is my chaunce / and thyn synk and treye By goddes armes / if thow falsely pleye This dagger shal / thurgh-out thyn herte goo This fruyt cometh / of the becched bones two Line 656 fforsweryng / Ire / falsnesse / homycyde Now for the loue of Crist / that for vs dyede lete ȝoure othes / bothe grete and smale But Sires / now wol I telle forth my tale Line 660 ¶ Theise riotoures thre / of which I telle longe erst or pryme rong / of any belle weren set hem in a Tauerne / to drynke And as they sat / they herde a belle clynke Line 664 Byforn a cors / was caried to his graue That on of hem / gan callen to his knaue Go bet quod he / and axe redily what cors is this / that passeth heere forby Line 668

[6-text p 324] Line 668 And loke that thow / reporte his name wel Sire quod this boy / it nedeth neuere a del ¶ It was me told / or ȝe come heere / two houres he was parde / an olde felawe of ȝoures Line 672 And sodeynly / he was I-slayn to-night ffor-dronke as he sat / on his benche vp-right Ther come a pryue thef / men clepen deth That in this contree / al the peeple sleeth Line 676 And with his spere / he smot his herte a-twoo And went his wey / with-oute wordes moo he hath a thousand slayn / this pestilence And maister or ȝe come / in his presence Line 680 Me thynketh that it were / necessarie ffor to be war / of swich an aduersarie Beth redy for to mete him / eueremoore Thus taught me my dame / I sey no more Line 684 ¶ By Seynt Marie / seide this Tauernere The child seith soth / for he hath slayn this ȝere Hens ouer a myle / with-Inne a gret vilage [folio 146b] Bothe man and womman / child / hyne and page Line 688 I trowe / his habitacion be there To ben a-vysed / gret wysdom it were Or that he dede a man / a deshonour Ȝa goddis armes / quod this riotour Line 692 Is it swich perile / with him for to mete I shal him seke / by weye and eke by strete I make a vow / to goddes digne bones herkeneth felawes / we thre ben alle oones Line 696 lat eche of vs / hold vp his hand to other And eche of vs / bycome others brother And we wol slen / this false traytour deth he shal be slayn / he that so manye sleth Line 700 By goddes dignite / or it be nyght Togyderes han theise thre / here troughthes plight To lyue and dyen / eche of hem for other As though he were / his owne I-bore brother Line 704

[6-text p 325] Line 704 And vp they stirte / al dronken in this rage And forth they gon / towardes that vilage Of which the Tauernere / had spoke biforn And many a grisly oth / than han they sworn Line 708 And Cristes blissed body / they to-rent Deth shal be ded / if that they moun him hent ¶ whan they han gon / nat fully half a myle Right as they wolde / han treden ouer a stile Line 712 An olde man / and a pore wight / hem mette This olde man / ful mekely hem grette And seide thus / now lordes god ȝow se The proudest / of theise riotours thre Line 716 Answerde a-geyn / what karle with sory grace Why artow al for-wrapped / saue thy face Why lyuest thow so longe / in so gret age This olde man gan loke / in his visage Line 720 And seide thus / for I ne can nat fynde A man / though that I walked in-to ynde Neither in Citee / ne in no vilage That wolde chaunge his ȝouthe / for myn age Line 724 And therfore mote I / han myn age stille As longe tyme / as it is goddes wille Ne deth allas / ne wol nat han my lyf Thus walke I / like a restles caytif Line 728 And on the ground / which is my modres gate I knokke with my staf / bothe erly and late And seye leue moder / lete me In Lo how I vanysshe / flessh / blood and skyn [folio 147a] Line 732 Allas whan shuln myne bones / ben at reste Moder with ȝow / wolde I chaunge my cheste That in my chaumbre / longe tyme hath be Ȝa for an heire clout / to wrappe Inne me Line 736 But ȝet to me / she wol nat do that grace ffor which ful pale / and welked is my face But sires to ȝow / it is no curteisie To speken to an olde man / veleynye Line 740

[6-text p 326] Line 740 But he trespace in word / or elles in dede In holy wryt / ȝe moun ȝour self wel rede A-geyns an olde man / hoor vp-on his hed [¶ Coram camite capite consurge] Ȝe shulde a-ryse / wherfore I ȝeue ȝow red Line 744 Ne doth vn-to an old man / noon harm now Nomore than that ȝe wolde / a man dide ȝow In age / if that ȝe so longe a-byde And god be with ȝow / where ȝe go or ryde Line 748 I mot go thider / as I haue to goo Nay olde cherle by god / thow shalt nat so Seide this other hasardour / a-noon Thow partest nat so lightly / by Seynt Iohn Line 752 Thow spake right now / of thilke traytour deth That in this contre / alle oure frendes sleth haue heere my trouthe / as thow art his espie Telle where he is / or thow shalt it a-bye Line 756 By god / and by the holy sacrement ffor sothly thow art / on of his assent To slen vs ȝonge folk / thow false thef Now sires quod he / if that ȝow be so lef Line 760 To fynde deth / turne vp / this croked wey ffor in that Groue / I lefte him be my fey Vnder a tree / and there he wol a-byde Nat for ȝour bost / he wol him no thyng hyde Line 764 Se ȝe that Oke / right there ȝe shuln him fynde God saue ȝow / that bought a-geyn man-kynde And ȝow amende / thus seide this olde man And euerich of theise riotours / ran Line 768 Til he come to that tree / and there fey found Of floreyns fyn / of gold I-koyned round Wel ny an eighte Busshels / as hem thought No lengere thanne / after deth they sought Line 772 But ech of hem / so glad was of the sight ffor that the floreyns / ben so faire and bright That doun they sette hem / by this precious horde [folio 147b] The werste of hem / he spak the first word Line 776

[6-text p 327] Line 776 Bretheren quod he / take kepe what that I seye My wyt is gret thought / that I bourde and pleye This tresour hath fortune / vn-to vs ȝeuen In mirthe and Iolifte / oure lif to lyuen Line 780 And lightly as it cometh / so wol we spende Ey goddes precious dignite / who wende To-day / that we shuld han / so fair a grace But myght this gold / be caried fro this place Line 784 hoom to myn hous / or ellis vn-to ȝoures ffor wel ȝe wot / that al this gold is oures Thanne were we / in heigh felicite But trewely by day / it may nat be Line 788 Men wolde seyn / that we were theues stronge And for our owen tresour / don vs honge This tresor / must I-karied be / by nyghte As wysly and as sleighly / as it myghte Line 792 Wherfore I rede / that kut a-mong vs alle we drawe / and lat se / where the kut wol falle And he that hath the kut / with herte blithe Shal renne to Tovne / and that ful swithe Line 796 And brynge vs bred and wyn / ful preuyly And twoo of vs / shal kepe ful subtily This tresor wel / and if he wol nat tarie whan it is nyght / we wol this tresor karie Line 800 By oon assent / where-as vs thynketh best That oon of hem / the kut brought in his fist And bad hem drawe / and loke where it wold falle And it fel on the ȝongest / of hem alle Line 804 And forth toward the toun / he went a-noon And also sone / as that he was a-goon That oon of hem spak thus / vn-to the other Thow knowest wel / thow art my sworn brother Line 808 Thy profyt / wol I telle the a-noon Thou wost wel / that oure felawe is a-goon And heere is gold / and that ful gret plentee That shal departed ben / a-mong vs three Line 812

[6-text p 328] Line 812 But nathelees / if I can shape it so That it departed were / a-mong vs two had I nat doon / a frendes turn to the That other answered / I not how that may be Line 816 he woot that the gold / is with vs tweye What shuln we doon / what shuln we to him seye [folio 148a] Shal it be counseil / seide the first shrewe And I shal telle it / in wordes fewe Line 820 What we shuln don / and brynge it wel a-boute I graunte quod that other / oute of doute That be my trouthe / I wol the nat bewreye Now quod the first / thow woost wel we ben tweye Line 824 And twoo of vs / shuln strengere ben than on loke whan that he is set / that right a-noon Arise / as though thow woldest / with him pleye And I shal ryue him / thurgh the sydes tweye Line 828 Whil that thow stroglest with him / as in game And with thy daggere / loke thow do the same And thanne shal al this gold / departed be My dere frend / be-twix me and the Line 832 Than moun we bothe / our lustes al fulfille And pleye at dys / right at oure owne wille And thus acorded / ben theise shrewes tweye To slen the thridde / as ȝe han herd me seye Line 836 ¶ This ȝongest / which that went to the toun fful ofte in herte / he rolleth vp and doun The beawte of theise ffloreyns / newe and bright O lord quod he / if so were that I myght Line 840 haue al this tresour / to my self allone There is no man / that lyueth vnder the trone Of god / that shulde lyue so merye as I And atte the laste / the fend oure enemy Line 844 Putte in his thought / that he shulde poyson beye with which he myght slen / his felawes tweye ffor why / the fend fond him / in swich lyuyng That he had leue / him to sorwe bryng Line 848

[6-text p 329] Line 848 ffor this was outrely / his ful entente To slen hem bothe / and neuere to repente ¶ And forth he goth / no lengere wold he tarie In to the toun / vn-to a potecarie Line 852 And preyed him / that he him wolde selle Som poison / that he myght his rattes quelle And eke there was a polkat / in his hawe That as he seide / his capouns had I-slawe Line 856 And fayn he wolde wreke him / if he myght On vermyn / that destroyed him by nyght The Potecarie answered / and thow shalt haue A thyng / that also god my soule saue [folio 148b] Line 860 In al this world / there is no creature That ete or dronke hath / of this confiture Nat but the mountaunce / of a corn of whete That he ne shal / his lyf a-non for-lete Line 864 Ȝa sterue he shal / and that in lasse while Than thow wolt gon a pase / nat but a myle The poyson is so strong / and violent This cursed man / hath in his hand I-hent Line 868 This poyson in a box / and sithe he ran In-to the nexte strete / vn-to a man And borwed him / large botelles thre And in the two / hise poyson poured he Line 872 The thridde he kept clene / for his drynke ffor al the nyght / he shop him for to swynke In cariyng of the gold / out of that place And whan this Riotour / with sory grace Line 876 had filled with wyn / hise grete botelles thre To hise felawes / a-geyn repaireth he What nedeth it / to sermone of it more ffor right as they had cast / his deth bifore Line 880 Right so they han him slayn / and that a-noon And whan that this was don / thus spak that oon Now late vs sitte and drynke / and make vs merie And afterward / we wyln his body berie Line 884

[6-text p 330] Line 884 And with that word / it happed him percaas To take the botel / there the poyson was And drank / and ȝaf his felawe drynke also ffor which a-noon / they storuen bothe two Line 888 But certes I suppose / that Auycen wroot neuere in no canon / ne in no fen Moo wonder signes / of empoysonyng Than hadde theise wrecches two / or here endyng Line 892 Thus ended ben / theise homycydes twoo And eke the false empoysonere / also O cursed synne / of alle cursednesse O traytours homycyde / O wykkednesse Line 896 O glotonye / luxurie / and hasardye Thow blasfemour / of crist / with vilenye And othes grete / of vsage and of pride Allas mankynde / how may it betyde Line 900 That to thy creature / which that the wroughte And with his precious hert blod / the boughte Thow art so fals / and so vnkynde allas [folio 149a] Now goodemen / god for-ȝeue ȝow ȝoure trespas Line 904 And ware ȝow fro the synne / of Auarice Myn holy pardon / may ȝow alle waryce So that ȝe offre nobles / or starlynges Or elles / siluer / broches / spones / Rynges Line 908 Boweth ȝoure hed / vnder this holy bulle Come vp ȝe wyues / and offrith of ȝoure wolle Ȝoure names I entre / heere in my rolle a-noon In-to the blisse of heuene / shuln ȝe gon Line 912 I ȝow assoile / be myn heigh powere Ȝe that wyln offre / as clene and eke as clere As ȝe were born / and loo sires thus I preche And Iesu Crist / that is oure soules leche Line 916 So graunte ȝow / his pardon to resseyue ffor that is best / I wol ȝow nat disseyue

But sires a word / forgat I in my tale [[4-line initial in MS.]] I haue Relikes / and pardon in my male Line 920

[6-text p 331] Line 920 As faire / as any man / in Engelond Which were me ȝeuen / by the Popes hond If any of ȝow / wol of deuocioun Offryn / and han myn absolucioun Line 924 Come forth a-noon / and knelith heere a-doun And mekely receyueth / myn pardoun Or elles takith pardoun / as ȝe wende Al newe and fressh / at euery myles ende Line 928 So that ȝe offren alwey / newe and newe Nobles or pans / which that ben goode & trewe It is an honour / to euerych that is heere That ȝe moun haue / a suffisaunt Pardonere Line 932 To assoile ȝow / in contre as ȝe ride ffor auentures / which that moun betide Perauenture there moun falle / on or two Doun of his hors / & breke his nekke a-two Line 936 loke which a seurte / is it to ȝow alle That I am in ȝoure felaweshipe I-falle That may assoile ȝow / bothe more and lasse whan that the soule / shal fro the body passe Line 940 I rede that oure hoost / shal begynne ffor he is moost envoluped / in synne Come forth sire hoost / and offre first a-noon And thow shalt kisse / the relykes euerychon [folio 149b] Ȝa for a grote / vn-bokle a-noon thy purs Line 945 Nay nay quod he / thanne haue I Cristes curs lat be quod he / it shal nat be so thiche Thow woldest make me kisse / thyne olde breche Line 948 And swere it were a Relyke / of a seynt Though it were with thy foundement / depeynt But by the Croys / which that Seynt Elyne fonde I wolde I hadde / thyn coylouns in myn honde Line 952 In stede of relikes / or of seyntuarie lat cut hem of / I wil the helpe hem carie They shuln be shryued / in an hogges tord This pardoner answered / nat a word Line 956

[6-text p 332] Line 956 So wroth he was / no word ne wold he seye Now quod oure hoost / I wol no lengere pleye With the / ne with noon other angry man But right a-noon / the worthy knyght bygan Line 960 Whan that he saw / that al the peeple low No more of this / for it is right I-now Sire pardonere be glad / and mery of chere And ȝe sire hoost / that ben to me so dere Line 964 I preye ȝow that ȝe kisse / the Pardonere And Pardonere I preye the / drawe the nere And as we diden / lat vs laughe and pleye A-noon they kisten / & reden forth here weye [[Leaf 150 blank, except for some later scribble. [

By cawse thys booke ys off gretfobsais hylys, mengled with lyke pastimes,but for no wyse men, but ffor Iaks & boyes;by cawse it ys all off knaues & toyesWyllyam pully ys my name & heWyllyam pully ys (caricature of a man holding a long snake in his left hand).

] ]] Line 968