The Canterbury Tales

Fragment VI

Introduction to the

Pardoner's Tale

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The Wordes of the Hoost

to the Phisicien and the Pardoner.

Oure hooste gan to swere as he were wood;

Harrow! quod he, by nayles and by blood!

This was a fals cherl and a fals justise.

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As shameful deeth as herte may devyse

Come to thise juges and hire advocatz!

Algate this sely mayde is slayn, allas!

Allas, to deere boughte she beautee!

Wherfore I seye al day that men may see

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That yiftes of fortune and of nature

Been cause of deeth to many a creature.

Hire beautee was hire deth, I dar wel sayn.

Allas, so pitously as she was slayn!

Of bothe yiftes that I speke of now

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Men han ful ofte moore for harm than prow.

But trewely, myn owene maister deere,

This is a pitous tale for to heere.

But nathelees, passe over, is no fors.

I pray to God so save thy gentil cors,

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And eek thyne urynals and thy jurdones,

Thyn ypocras, and eek thy galiones,

And every boyste ful of the letuarie;

God blesse hem, and oure lady seinte marie!

So moot I theen, thou art a propre man,

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And lyk a prelat, by seint ronyan!

Seyde I nat wel? I kan nat speke in terme;

But wel I woot thou doost myn herte to erme,

That I almoost have caught a cardynacle.

By corpus bones! but I have triacle,

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Or elles a draughte of moyste and corny ale,

Or but I heere anon a myrie tale,

Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde.

Thou beel amy, thou pardoner, he sayde,

Telle us som myrthe or japes right anon.

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it shal be doon, quod he, by seint ronyon!

But first, quod he, heere at this alestake

I wol bothe drynke and eten of a cake.

but right anon thise gentils gonne to crye,

Nay, lat hym telle us of no ribaudye!

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Telle us som moral thyng, that we may leere

Som wit, and thanne wol we gladly heere.

I graunte, ywis, quod he, but I moot thynke

Upon som honest thyng while that I drynke.