Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale
_Radix malorum est Cupiditas: Ad Thimotheum, sexto.
_ ‘Lordings,’ quod he, ‘in chirches whan I preche, I peyne me to han an hauteyn speche, 330 And ringe it out as round as gooth a belle, For I can al by rote that I telle.
My theme is alwey oon, and ever was— “_Radix malorum est Cupiditas_.
” First I pronounce whennes that I come, 335 And than my bulles shewe I, alle and somme.
Our lige lordes seel on my patente, That shewe I first, my body to warente, (10) That no man be so bold, ne preest ne clerk, Me to destourbe of Cristes holy werk; 340 And after that than telle I forth my tales, Bulles of popes and of cardinales, Of patriarkes, and bishoppes I shewe;
And in Latyn I speke a wordes fewe, To saffron with my predicacioun, 345 And for to stire men to devocioun.
Than shewe I forth my longe cristal stones, Y-crammed ful of cloutes and of bones; (20) Reliks been they, as wenen they echoon.
Than have I in latoun a sholder-boon 350 Which that was of an holy Iewes shepe.
“Good men,” seye I, “tak of my wordes kepe;
If that this boon be wasshe in any welle, If cow, or calf, or sheep, or oxe swelle [302: T.
12289-12324. ] That any worm hath ete, or worm y-stonge, 355 Tak water of that welle, and wash his tonge, And it is hool anon; and forthermore, Of pokkes and of scabbe, and every sore (30) Shal every sheep be hool, that of this welle Drinketh a draughte; tak kepe eek what I telle.
360 If that the good-man, that the bestes oweth, Wol every wike, er that the cok him croweth, Fastinge, drinken of this welle a draughte, As thilke holy Iewe our eldres taughte, His bestes and his stoor shal multiplye.
565 And, sirs, also it heleth Ialousye;
For, though a man be falle in Ialous rage, Let maken with this water his potage, (40) And never shal he more his wyf mistriste, Though he the sooth of hir defaute wiste; 370 Al had she taken preestes two or three.
346. E.
Hn.
Hl.
hem; _rest_ men.
350. E.
_omits_ I _by accident.
_ 352. E.
Hl.
Pt.
Ln.
Good; E. Hn.
Cp.
Goode.
Hn.
I seye; _rest_ say I, saie I. 366. E.
Hn.
sire; _rest_ sires, sirs.
Heer is a miteyn eek, that ye may see.
He that his hond wol putte in this miteyn, He shal have multiplying of his greyn, Whan he hath sowen, be it whete or otes, 375 So that he offre pens, or elles grotes.
Good men and wommen, o thing warne I yow, If any wight be in this chirche now, (50) That hath doon sinne horrible, that he Dar nat, for shame, of it y-shriven be, 380 Or any womman, be she yong or old, That hath y-maad hir housbond cokewold, Swich folk shul have no power ne no grace To offren to my reliks in this place.
And who-so findeth him out of swich blame, 385 He wol com up and offre in goddes name, And I assoille him by the auctoritee Which that by bulle y-graunted was to me.
” (60) 377. E.
Hn.
Goode; _rest_ And.
382. Cp.
Ln.
Hl.
ymaad; Pt.
made; E. Hn.
ymaked.
385. E.
fame; _rest_ blame.
386. Hn.
He; _rest_ They.
E.
on; Hn.
a; _rest_ in.
387. E.
Hl.
hem; _rest_ him or hym.
By this gaude have I wonne, yeer by yeer, An hundred mark sith I was Pardoner.
390 [303: T.
12325-12361. ] I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet, And whan the lewed peple is doun y-set, I preche, so as ye han herd bifore, And telle an hundred false Iapes more.
Than peyne I me to strecche forth the nekke, 395 And est and west upon the peple I bekke, As doth a dowve sitting on a berne.
Myn hondes and my tonge goon so yerne, (70) That it is Ioye to see my bisinesse.
Of avaryce and of swich cursednesse 400 Is al my preching, for to make hem free To yeve her pens, and namely un-to me.
For my entente is nat but for to winne, And no-thing for correccioun of sinne.
I rekke never, whan that they ben beried, 405 Though that her soules goon a-blakeberied!
For certes, many a predicacioun Comth ofte tyme of yvel entencioun; (80) Som for plesaunce of folk and flaterye, To been avaunced by ipocrisye, 410 And som for veyne glorie, and som for hate.
For, whan I dar non other weyes debate, Than wol I stinge him with my tonge smerte In preching, so that he shal nat asterte To been defamed falsly, if that he 415 Hath trespased to my brethren or to me.
For, though I telle noght his propre name, Men shal wel knowe that it is the same (90) By signes and by othere circumstances.
Thus quyte I folk that doon us displesances; 420 Thus spitte I out my venim under hewe Of holynesse, to seme holy and trewe.
395. the] Cm.
myn; Cp.
Ln.
Hl.
my.
405. E.
Hl.
_omit_ that.
But shortly myn entente I wol devyse;
I preche of no-thing but for coveityse.
Therfor my theme is yet, and ever was— 425 “_Radix malorum est cupiditas_.
” Thus can I preche agayn that same vyce [304: T.
12362-12396. ] Which that I use, and that is avaryce.
(100) But, though my-self be gilty in that sinne, Yet can I maken other folk to twinne 430 From avaryce, and sore to repente.
But that is nat my principal entente.
I preche no-thing but for coveityse;
Of this matere it oughte y-nogh suffyse.
425. E.
Hn.
theme; _rest_ teme (teem).
Than telle I hem ensamples many oon 435 Of olde stories, longe tyme agoon: For lewed peple loven tales olde;
Swich thinges can they wel reporte and holde.
(110) What?
trowe ye, the whyles I may preche, And winne gold and silver for I teche, 440 That I wol live in povert wilfully?
Nay, nay, I thoghte it never trewely!
For I wol preche and begge in sondry londes;
I wol not do no labour with myn hondes, Ne make baskettes, and live therby, 445 Because I wol nat beggen ydelly.
I wol non of the apostles counterfete;
I wol have money, wolle, chese, and whete, (120) Al were it yeven of the povrest page, Or of the povrest widwe in a village, 450 Al sholde hir children sterve for famyne.
Nay!
I wol drinke licour of the vyne, And have a Ioly wenche in every toun.
But herkneth, lordings, in conclusioun;
Your lyking is that I shal telle a tale.
455 Now, have I dronke a draughte of corny ale, By god, I hope I shal yow telle a thing That shal, by resoun, been at your lyking.
(130) For, though myself be a ful vicious man, A moral tale yet I yow telle can, 460 Which I am wont to preche, for to winne.
Now holde your pees, my tale I wol beginne.
439. E.
Pt.
the whiles; Cm.
that whilis that; Cp.
Ln.
whiles that; Hl.
whiles; Hn.
that whiles.
449. Hl.
prestes (_for_ povrest).
[305: T.
12397-12422. ] * * * * * THE PARDONERS TALE.
(_Numbered in continuation of the preceding_.
) * * * * * =Here biginneth the Pardoners Tale.
= In Flaundres whylom was a companye Of yonge folk, that haunteden folye, As ryot, hasard, stewes, and tavernes, 465 Wher-as, with harpes, lutes, and giternes, They daunce and pleye at dees bothe day and night, And ete also and drinken over hir might, (140) Thurgh which they doon the devel sacrifyse With-in that develes temple, in cursed wyse, 470 By superfluitee abhominable;
Hir othes been so grete and so dampnable, That it is grisly for to here hem swere;
Our blissed lordes body they to-tere;
Hem thoughte Iewes rente him noght y-nough; 475 And ech of hem at otheres sinne lough.
And right anon than comen tombesteres Fetys and smale, and yonge fruytesteres, (150) Singers with harpes, baudes, wafereres, Whiche been the verray develes officeres 480 To kindle and blowe the fyr of lecherye, That is annexed un-to glotonye;
The holy writ take I to my witnesse, That luxurie is in wyn and dronkenesse.
HEADING; _from_ E. Hn.
465. E.
Hl.
stywes.
475. _So_ Cp.
Ln.
Hl.
;
E.
Hn.
Cm.
that Iewes; Pt.
þe Iwes.
478, 479. Hl.
_omits.
_ Lo, how that dronken Loth, unkindely, 485 Lay by his doghtres two, unwitingly;
So dronke he was, he niste what he wroghte.
Herodes, (who-so wel the stories soghte), (160) [306: T.
12423-12459. ] Whan he of wyn was replet at his feste, Right at his owene table he yaf his heste 490 To sleen the Baptist Iohn ful giltelees.
488. E.
Hn.
Cm. P.
Hl.
_agree here_; Cp.
Ln.
_have two additional (spurious) lines; see_ note.
Senek seith eek a good word doutelees;
He seith, he can no difference finde Bitwix a man that is out of his minde And a man which that is dronkelewe, 495 But that woodnesse, y-fallen in a shrewe, Persevereth lenger than doth dronkenesse.
O glotonye, ful of cursednesse, (170) O cause first of our confusioun, O original of our dampnacioun, 500 Til Crist had boght us with his blood agayn!
Lo, how dere, shortly for to sayn, Aboght was thilke cursed vileinye;
Corrupt was al this world for glotonye!
492. Hl.
Seneca (_for_ Senek).
Cp.
Ln.
eek; _rest omit.
_ 495. which that] Hl.
the which; Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
_om.
_ which.
496. E.
Hl.
fallen; Hn.
Cm.
y-fallen.
Adam our fader, and his wyf also, 505 Fro Paradys to labour and to wo Were driven for that vyce, it is no drede;
For whyl that Adam fasted, as I rede, (180) He was in Paradys; and whan that he Eet of the fruyt defended on the tree, 510 Anon he was out-cast to wo and peyne.
O glotonye, on thee wel oghte us pleyne!
O, wiste a man how many maladyes Folwen of excesse and of glotonyes, He wolde been the more mesurable 515 Of his diete, sittinge at his table.
Allas!
the shorte throte, the tendre mouth, Maketh that, Est and West, and North and South, (190) In erthe, in eir, in water men to-swinke To gete a glotoun deyntee mete and drinke!
520 Of this matere, o Paul, wel canstow trete, ‘Mete un-to wombe, and wombe eek un-to mete, Shal god destroyen bothe,’ as Paulus seith.
Allas!
a foul thing is it, by my feith, To seye this word, and fouler is the dede, 525 [307: T.
12460-12496. ] Whan man so drinketh of the whyte and rede, That of his throte he maketh his privee, Thurgh thilke cursed superfluitee.
(200) 519. E.
Hl.
man; _rest_ men.
The apostel weping seith ful pitously, ‘Ther walken many of whiche yow told have I, 530 I seye it now weping with pitous voys, That they been enemys of Cristes croys, Of whiche the ende is deeth, wombe is her god.
’ O wombe!
O bely!
O stinking cod, Fulfild of donge and of corrupcioun!
535 At either ende of thee foul is the soun.
How greet labour and cost is thee to finde!
Thise cokes, how they stampe, and streyne, and grinde, (210) And turnen substaunce in-to accident, To fulfille al thy likerous talent!
540 Out of the harde bones knokke they The mary, for they caste noght a-wey That may go thurgh the golet softe and swote;
Of spicerye, of leef, and bark, and rote Shal been his sauce y-maked by delyt, 545 To make him yet a newer appetyt.
But certes, he that haunteth swich delyces Is deed, whyl that he liveth in tho vyces.
(220) 532. That they _is_ Tyrwhitt’s _reading_; Hl.
Thay; _but the rest have_ Ther, _probably repeated by mistake from_ l. 530. 534. Hl.
o stynking is thi cod.
A lecherous thing is wyn, and dronkenesse Is ful of stryving and of wrecchednesse.
550 O dronke man, disfigured is thy face, Sour is thy breeth, foul artow to embrace, And thurgh thy dronke nose semeth the soun As though thou seydest ay ‘Sampsoun, Sampsoun’;
And yet, god wot, Sampsoun drank never no wyn.
555 Thou fallest, as it were a stiked swyn;
Thy tonge is lost, and al thyn honest cure;
For dronkenesse is verray sepulture (230) Of mannes wit and his discrecioun.
In whom that drinke hath dominacioun, 560 He can no conseil kepe, it is no drede.
Now kepe yow fro the whyte and fro the rede, [308: T.
12497-12533. ] And namely fro the whyte wyn of Lepe, That is to selle in Fish-strete or in Chepe.
This wyn of Spayne crepeth subtilly 565 In othere wynes, growing faste by, Of which ther ryseth swich fumositee, That whan a man hath dronken draughtes three, (240) And weneth that he be at hoom in Chepe, He is in Spayne, right at the toune of Lepe, 570 Nat at the Rochel, ne at Burdeux toun;
And thanne wol he seye, ‘Sampsoun, Sampsoun.
’ But herkneth, lordings, o word, I yow preye, That alle the sovereyn actes, dar I seye, Of victories in the olde testament, 575 Thurgh verray god, that is omnipotent, Were doon in abstinence and in preyere;
Loketh the Bible, and ther ye may it lere.
(250) 573. E.
lordes; _rest_ lordinges, lordynges, lordyngs.
Loke, Attila, the grete conquerour, Deyde in his sleep, with shame and dishonour, 580 Bledinge ay at his nose in dronkenesse;
A capitayn shoulde live in sobrenesse.
And over al this, avyseth yow right wel What was comaunded un-to Lamuel— Nat Samuel, but Lamuel, seye I— 585 Redeth the Bible, and finde it expresly Of wyn-yeving to hem that han Iustyse.
Na-more of this, for it may wel suffyse.
(260) And now that I have spoke of glotonye, Now wol I yow defenden hasardrye.
590 Hasard is verray moder of lesinges, And of deceite, and cursed forsweringes, Blaspheme of Crist, manslaughtre, and wast also Of catel and of tyme; and forthermo, It is repreve and contrarie of honour 595 For to ben holde a commune hasardour.
And ever the hyër he is of estaat, The more is he holden desolaat.
(270) If that a prince useth hasardrye, [309: T.
12534-12569. ] In alle governaunce and policye 600 He is, as by commune opinoun, Y-holde the lasse in reputacioun.
589. E.
Hl.
_omit_ that.
593. E.
Blasphemyng; _rest_ Blaspheme.
Stilbon, that was a wys embassadour, Was sent to Corinthe, in ful greet honour, Fro Lacidomie, to make hir alliaunce.
605 And whan he cam, him happede, par chaunce, That alle the grettest that were of that lond, Pleyinge atte hasard he hem fond.
(280) For which, as sone as it mighte be, He stal him hoom agayn to his contree, 610 And seyde, ‘ther wol I nat lese my name;
Ne I wol nat take on me so greet defame, Yow for to allye un-to none hasardours.
Sendeth othere wyse embassadours;
For, by my trouthe, me were lever dye, 615 Than I yow sholde to hasardours allye.
For ye that been so glorious in honours Shul nat allyen yow with hasardours (290) As by my wil, ne as by my tretee.
’ This wyse philosophre thus seyde he.
620 606. Cm.
Cp.
Hl.
happede; _rest_ happed.
612. Hn.
Ny; Cm.
Nay (_both put for_ Ne I) _which shews the scansion.
_ Hl.
I nyl not.
614. _So all_.
Loke eek that, to the king Demetrius The king of Parthes, as the book seith us, Sente him a paire of dees of gold in scorn, For he hadde used hasard ther-biforn;
For which he heeld his glorie or his renoun 625 At no value or reputacioun.
Lordes may finden other maner pley Honeste y-nough to dryve the day awey.
(300) 621. E.
Ln.
Hl.
_omit_ to.
Now wol I speke of othes false and grete A word or two, as olde bokes trete.
630 Gret swering is a thing abhominable, And false swering is yet more reprevable.
The heighe god forbad swering at al, Witnesse on Mathew; but in special Of swering seith the holy Ieremye, 635 [310: T.
12570-12605. ] ‘Thou shalt seye sooth thyn othes, and nat lye, And swere in dome, and eek in rightwisnesse;’
But ydel swering is a cursednesse.
(310) Bihold and see, that in the firste table Of heighe goddes hestes honurable, 640 How that the seconde heste of him is this— ‘Tak nat my name in ydel or amis.
’ Lo, rather he forbedeth swich swering Than homicyde or many a cursed thing;
I seye that, as by ordre, thus it stondeth; 645 This knowen, that his hestes understondeth, How that the second heste of god is that.
And forther over, I wol thee telle al plat, (320) That vengeance shal nat parten from his hous, That of his othes is to outrageous.
650 ‘By goddes precious herte, and by his nayles, And by the blode of Crist, that it is in Hayles, Seven is my chaunce, and thyn is cink and treye;
By goddes armes, if thou falsly pleye, This dagger shal thurgh-out thyn herte go’— 655 This fruyt cometh of the bicched bones two, Forswering, ire, falsnesse, homicyde.
Now, for the love of Crist that for us dyde, (330) Leveth your othes, bothe grete and smale;
But, sirs, now wol I telle forth my tale.
660 632. Cp.
Ln.
Hl.
_om.
_ yet.
644. Hn.
Cm.
Hl.
many a. ; E.
any; Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
eny other.
656. Hl.
bicchid; Ln.
becched; Hn.
Cm.
bicche; Pt.
thilk.
659. E.
Hn.
Lete; _rest_ Leueth.
Thise ryotoures three, of whiche I telle, Longe erst er pryme rong of any belle, Were set hem in a taverne for to drinke;
And as they satte, they herde a belle clinke Biforn a cors, was caried to his grave; 665 That oon of hem gan callen to his knave, ‘Go bet,’ quod he, ‘and axe redily, What cors is this that passeth heer forby; (340) And look that thou reporte his name wel.
’ 661. E.
Hn.
Pt.
Hl.
riotours.
663. Cp.
Pt.
Hl.
for; _rest om.
_ ‘Sir,’ quod this boy, ‘it nedeth never-a-del.
670 It was me told, er ye cam heer, two houres;
[311: T.
12606-12642. ] He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres;
And sodeynly he was y-slayn to-night, For-dronke, as he sat on his bench upright;
