¶ Heere bigynneth the Pardoners tale. [on leaf 142]
IN fflaundres whilom was a compaignye
Of yonge folk/ that haunteden folye
Line 464
As Riot hasard / stywes / and Tauernes
Where / as / with harpes / lutes and Gyternes
They daunce / and pleyen at dees / bothe day and nyght
And eten also / and drynken ouer hir myght /
Line 468
Thurgh which / they doon the deuel sacrifise [[Painting of the Pardoner on Horseback.]]
With-Inne that deueles temple in cursed wise
By superfluytee abhomynable
Hir othes / been so grete and so dampnable
Line 472
That it is grisly / for to heere hem swere
Oure blissed lordes body / they to-tere
Hem thoughte / þat Iewes / rente hym noght ynough
And ech of hem / at otheres synne lough
Line 476
And right anon / thanne comen Tombesteres
ffetys and smale / and yonge ffrutesteres
Syngeres with harpes / Baudes / wafereres
Whiche been / the verray deueles Officeres
Line 480
To kyndle and blowe / the fyr of lecherye
That is annexed vn-to glotonye
The hooly writ/ take I to my witnesse
That luxurie / is in wyn and dronkenesse
Line 484
Lo how þat dronken Looth vnkyndely [‖ Nolite inebriari vino / in quo est/ luxuria]
Lay by hise doghtres two vnwityngly
So dronke he was / he nyste what he wroghte
¶ Herodes / who so / wel the stories soghte
Line 488
. . . . . [no spurious lines in this MS.]
Line 489
