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The Pardoner's Prologue
by Chaucer
Line |
Verse |
330 |
"Lordynges,"
quod he, "in chirches whan I
preche,
I peyne me to han an hauteyn
speche,
And rynge it out as round as
gooth a belle,
For I kan al by rote that I
telle.
My theme is alwey oon, and evere
was --
Radix malorum est Cupiditas.
"First I pronounce whennes that
I come,
And thanne my bulles shewe I,
alle and some.
Oure lige lordes seel on my
patente,
That shewe I first, my body to
warente,
That no man be so boold, ne
preest ne clerk, |
340 |
Me to destourbe of Cristes
hooly werk.
And after that thanne telle I
forth my tales;
Bulles of popes and of
cardynales,
Of patriarkes and bishopes I
shewe,
And in Latyn I speke a wordes
fewe,
To saffron with my predicacioun,
And for to stire hem to
devocioun.
Thanne shewe I forth my longe
cristal stones,
Ycrammed ful of cloutes and of
bones --
Relikes been they, as wenen they
echoon. |
350 |
Thanne have I in latoun a
sholder-boon
Which that was of an hooly Jewes
sheep.
`Goode men,' I seye, `taak of my
wordes keep;
If that this boon be wasshe in
any welle,
If cow, or calf, or sheep, or
oxe swelle
That any worm hath ete, or worm
ystonge,
Taak water of that welle and
wassh his tonge,
And it is hool anon; and
forthermoore,
Of pokkes and of scabbe, and
every soore
Shal every sheep be hool that of
this welle |
360 |
Drynketh a draughte. Taak kep
eek what I telle:
If that the good-man that the
beestes oweth
Wol every wyke, er that the cok
hym croweth,
Fastynge, drynken of this welle
a draughte,
As thilke hooly Jew oure eldres
taughte,
His beestes and his stoor shal
multiplie.
`And, sires, also it heeleth
jalousie;
For though a man be falle in
jalous rage,
Lat maken with this water his
potage,
And nevere shal he moore his wyf
mystriste, |
370 |
Though he the soothe of hir
defaute wiste,
Al had she taken prestes two or
thre.
`Heere is a miteyn eek, that ye
may se.
He that his hand wol putte in
this mitayn,
He shal have multipliyng of his
grayn,
Whan he hath sowen, be it whete
or otes,
So that he offre pens, or elles
grotes. |
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