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When all this ffressh[e] feleship were com to Cauntirbury,
As ye have herd to-fore, with talys glad & merry,
(Som of sotill centence, of vertu & of lore,
And som of othir myrthis, for hem þat hold no store
Of wisdom, ne of holynes, ne of Chiualry,
Nethir of vertuouse matere, but [holich] to foly
Leyd wit & lustis all, to such[e nyce] Iapis
As Hurlewaynes meyne in every hegg that capes
Thurgh vnstabill mynde,—ryght as þe levis grene
Stondein a-geyn the wedir, ryȝt so by hem I mene;—
Butt no more here-of nowe, [as] at þis ilche tyme,
In saving of my centence, my prolog, & my ryme.)
They toke hir In, & loggit hem at mydmorowe, I trowe,
Atte “Cheker of the hope,” þat many a man doith knowe.
Hir/ Hoost of Southwork þat with hem went, as ye have herde to-fore,
That was rewler/ of hem al, of las & eke of more,
Ordeyned hir/ dyner wisely, or they to chirch[e] went,
Such vitaillis as he fond in town, & for noon oþir sent.
The Pardonere be-held the besynes, howe statis wer I-servid,
Diskennyng hym al pryuely, & a syde swervid,
(The Hostelere was so halowid from o plase to a-nothir;)
He toke his staff to the Tapstere: “welcom myne owne broþere,”
Quod she, with a ffrendly look, al redy for to kys;
And he, as a man I-lernyd of such kynd[e]nes,
Bracyd hir/ by the myddill, & made hir/ gladly chere
As þouȝe he had I-knowe hir al the rathir yeer
She halid hym in-to the tapstry, þere hir bed was makid:
“Lo, Here I ligg” (quod she) “my selff al nyȝt al nakid
Without[en] mannys company, syn my love was dede:
Ienkyn Harpour/ yf ye hym know; from fete to þe hede
Was nat a lustier persone to daunce ne to lepe,
Then he was, þouȝe I it sey”: And þere-with she to wepe
She made, &, with hir napron feir/ & white I-wassh,
She wypid sofft hir eyen, for teris þat she out lassh;
As grete as eny mylstone, vpward gon they stert.
ffor love of hir swetyng þat sat so nyȝe hir hert,
She wept & waylid, & wrong hir/ hondis, & made much to done;
ffor they that loven so passyngly, such trowes þey have echone.
She snyffith, sighith, and shooke hire hede, and made rouful chere.
“Benedicite,” quod the Pardonere, & toke hir by the swere;
“Yee make sorowe I-nowȝ,” quod he, “yeur/ lyff þouȝe ye shuld lese.”
“It is no wondir,” quod she than, And þere-with she gan to fnese.
“Aha! al hole!” quod the Pardoner, “yeur/ penaunce is som what passid.”
“God forbede it els!” quod she, “but it were som-what lassid,
I myȝte nat lyve els, þowe wotist, & it shuld longe endure.”
“Now blessid be God of mendement, of hele & eke of cure!”
Quod the Pardoner tho a-noon, & toke hir by the Chynne,
And seyd to hir þese wordis tho: “Allas! þat love ys syn!
So kynde a lover as yee be oon, & [eke] so trew of hert,
(ffor, be my trewe conscience, ȝit for ȝewe I smert,
And shal this month hereaftir, for yeur soden disese:)
Now wele wer hym ye lovid, so [þat] he coude ȝewe plese!
I durst[e] swere oppon a book, þat trewe he shuld ȝewe fynd;
ffor he þat is so ȝore dede, is green [ȝit] in yeur/ mynde.
Ye made me a sory man; I dred yee wold have stervid.”
“Graunt mercy, gentil Sir!” quod she, “þat yee [been] vnaservid;
Yee be a nobill man! I-blessid mut yee be!
Sit[tith] down, [and] ye shul drynk!” “nay .I.-wis” (quod he,)
“I am fastyng ȝit, myne owne hertis rote!”
“ffasting ȝit! allas!” quod she, “þerof I can good bote.”
She stert in-to the town, & fet a py al hote,
And set to-fore the Pardoner; “Ienken, I ween? I note:
Is that yeur/ name, I ȝow prey?” “ȝe, I-wis myne owne sustir;
So was I enformyd of hem þat did me foster.
And what is yeurs?” “Kitt, I-wis; so cleped me my dame.”
“And Goddis blessing have þow, Kitt! now broke wel thy name!”
And pryuelich vnlasid his both[en] eyen liddes,
And lokid hir in the visage paramour a-myddis;
And siȝhid þere-with a litil tyme, þat she it here myȝte,
And gan to trown & feyn this song, “now, loue, þou do me riȝte!”
“Ete & be merry,” quod she, “why breke yee nowt yeur/ fast?
To waite more feleshipp, it were but work in wast.
Why make yee so dull chere? for yeur/ love at home?”
“Nay forsoth, myne own hert! it is for ȝewe a-loon!”
“ffor me? allas! what sey yee? that wer a sympill prey.”
“Trewlich ȝit,” quod the pardoner, “It is as I ȝewe sey.”
“Ȝe etith & beith mery, we woll speke þere-of [ful] sone;
‘Brennyd Cat dredith feir/’; it is mery to be aloon:
ffor, by our/ lady mary, þat bare Ihesu on hir arm,
I coud nevir love ȝit, but it did me harm;
ffor evir my maner hath be to love[n] ovir much.”
“Now Cristis blessing,” quod the pardoner, “go with al[le] such!
Lo! howe the clowdis worchyn, eche man to mete his mach!
ffor trewly, gentil Cristian, I vse þe same tach,
And have I-do [ful] many a ȝer; I may it nat for-ber;
ffor ‘kynde woll have his cours,’ þouȝ men þe contrary swer.”
And þerwith he stert vp smertly, & cast [a]down a grote,
“What shal this do, gentill Sir? Nay, sir! for my cote
I nold yee payde a peny her, & [tho] so sone pas!”
The Pardonere swore his gretter othe, he wold[e] pay no las.
“I-wis, sir, it is ovir-do! but sith it is yeur/ will,
I woll put it in my purs, lest yee it take in ill
To refuse your/ curtesy:” And þere-with she gan to bowe.
“Now trewly,” quod the Pardoner, “yeur/ maners been to alowe;
ffor had ye countid streytly, & no thing lefft be-hynde,
I myȝte have wele I-demed þat yee be vnkynde,
And eke vntrewe of hert, & sonner me forȝete,
But ye list be my tresorer; for we shull offter mete.”
“Now certen,” quod the tapster, “yee have a red ful even,
As wold to God yee couth as wele vndo my sweven
That I my selff did mete this nyȝt þat is I-passid:
How I was in a chirch, when it was al I-massid;
And was in my devocioune tyl service was al doon,
Tyll the Preest & the clerk [ful] boystly bad me goon,
And put me out of the chirch with [right] an egir mode.”
“Now, seynt Danyel,” quod þe pardonere, “yeur/ swevyn turne to good!
And I woll halsow it to the best, have it in yeur/ mynd;
ffor comynly of these swevenys þe contrary men shul fynde:
‘Yee have be a lover glad, & litil Ioy I-had;
Pluk vp a lusty hert, & be mery & glad;
ffor yee shul have an husbond, þat shal ȝewe wed to wyve,
That shal love ȝewe as hert[e]ly, as his owne lyve.
The preest þat put ȝewe out of Chirch, shal lede ȝew in ageyn,
And help[en] to yeur/ mariage, with al his myȝte & mayn:’
This is the sweven al & som; Kit, how likith the?”
“Be my trowith, wondir wele; blessid mut þowe be!”
Then toke he leve at þat tyme, tyll he com efft sone,
And went [un]to his feleshippe, as it was [for] to doon.

(Thouȝe it be no grete holynes to prech þis ilk matere,
And þat som list [not] to her it; ȝit, sirs, ner þe latter
Endurith for a while, & suffrith hem þat woll,
And yee shull here howe þe Tapster made þe Pardoner pull
Garlik al the longe nyȝte, til it was nere end day;
ffor þe more cher she made of love, þe falsher was hir lay;
But litil charge gaff she ther-of, þouȝe she aquyt his while,
ffor ethir-is þouȝt & tent was, othir to begile,
As yee shull here her-aftir, when tyme comyth & spase
To meve such mater. but nowe a litill spase
I woll retourne me ageyn [un]to the company.)

The knyȝt & al the feleshipp, & no þing for to ly,
When they wer all I-loggit, as skill wold, & reson,
Everich aftir his degre, to Chirch þen was seson
To pas[sen] & to wend, to make[n] hir offringis,
Riȝte as hir devocioune was, of sylvir broch & ryngis.
Then atte Chirch[e] dorr the curtesy gan to ryse,
Tyl þe knyȝt, of gentilnes, þat knewe riȝte wele þe guyse,
Put forth þe Prelatis, þe Person, & his fere.
A monk, þat toke þe spryngill with a manly chere,
And did [right] as the maner is, moillid al hir/ patis,
Everich aftir othir, riȝte as þey wer of states.
The ffrere feynyd fetously the spryngil for to hold,
To spryng oppon the remnaunt,—þat for his cope he nold
Have lafft that occupacioune in þat holy plase,—
So longid his holy conscience to se þe Nonnys fase.
The knyȝte went with his compers toward þe holy shryne,
To do þat they were com fore, & aftir for to dyne;
The Pardoner & þe Miller, & oþir lewde sotes,
Souȝt hem selff[en] in the Chirch, riȝt as lewd[e] gotes;
Pyrid fast, & pourid, hiȝe oppon the glase,
Countirfeting gentilmen, þe armys for to blase,
Diskyueryng fast the peyntour, & for þe story mourned,
And a red [it] also right as [wolde] Rammys hornyd:
“He berith a balstaff,” quod the toon, “& els a rakis ende.”
“Thow faillist,” quod the Miller, “þowe hast nat wel þy mynde;
It is a spere, yf þowe canst se, [right] with a prik to-fore,
To bussh adown his enmy, & þurh the Sholdir bore.”
“Pese!” quod the hoost of Southwork, “let stond þe wyndow glasid!
Goith vp, & doith yeur/ offerynge! yee semeth half amasid!
Sith yee be in company of honest men & good,
Worchith somwhat aftir, & let þe kynd of brode
Pas for a tyme! I hold it for the best;
ffor who doith after company, may lyve the bet in rest.”

Then passid they forth boystly, goglyng with hir hedis,
Knelid a down to-fore the shryne, & hert[i]lich hir bedis
They preyd to Seynt Thomas, in such wise as þey couth;
And sith, the holy relikis, ech man with his mowith
Kissid, as a goodly monke þe names told & tauȝt.
And sith to othir placis of holynes þey rauȝte,
And were in hir devocioun tyl service wer al doon;
And sith þey drowȝ to dynerward, as it drew to noon.

Then, as manere & custom is, signes þere þey bouȝte,—
ffor men of contre shuld[e] know whom þey had[de] ouȝte,—
Ech man set his sylvir in such thing as þey likid:
And in þe meen[e] while, the Miller had I-pikid
His bosom ful of signys of Cauntirbury brochis:
Huch þe Pardoner, & he, pryuely in hir pouchis
Þey put hem aftirward, þat noon of hem it wist,
Save þe Sompnour seid somwhat, & seyd[e] to ham “list!
Halff part!” quod he, pryuely rownyng on hir ere:
“Hussht! pees!” quod þe Miller, “seist þowe nat the frere,
Howe he lowrith vndir his hood with a doggissh ey?
Hit shuld be a pryuy thing that he coude nat a-spy:
Of euery crafft he can somwhat, our lady gyve hym sorowe!”
“Amen!” tho quod the Sompnour, “on eve & eke on morowe!
So cursid a tale he told of me, the devil of hell hym spede!
And me, but yf I pay hym wele, & quyte wele his mede,
Yf it hap[pene] homward þat ech man tell his tale,
As wee did hidirward, þouȝe wee shuld set at sale,
Al the shrewdnes that I can, I wol hym no thing spare,
That I nol touch his taberd, somwhat of his care!”

They set hir signes oppon hir hedis, & som oppon hir cappe,
And sith[then] to the dynerward, they gan[nè] for to stappe.
Euery man in his degre, wissh, & toke his sete
As they were wont to doon at soper & at mete,
And wer in scilence for a tyme, till girdill gon a-rise;
But then, as nature axith, (as these old wise
Knowen wele,) when veynys been som-what replete,
The spiritis wol stere, & also metis swete
Causen offt[e] myrthis for to be I-mevid,
And eke it was no tyme tho for to be I-grevid:
Euery man in his wise made hertly chere,
Talyng [to] his felowe of sportis & of chere,
And of othir myrthis þat fyllyn by the wey,
As custom is of pilgryms, & hath been many a day.
The hoost leyd to his ere, of Southwork as ye knowe,
And thenkid al the company, both[en] hiȝe & lowe,
‘So wele kepeing the covenaunt, in Southwork þat was made,
That euery man shuld, by the wey, with a tale glade
Al the hole company in shorting of þe wey;’
“And al is wele perfourmed. but þan nowe þus I sey,
That wee must so homward, eche man tel a-noþir;
Thus we were accordit, And I shuld be a rothir
To set[ten] ȝewe in governaunce by riȝtful Iugement.”
“Trewly, hoost,” quod the ffrer, “þat was al our/ assent,
With a litill more þat I shal sey ther-to.
Yee grauntid of yeur/ curtesy, þat wee shuld also,
Al the hole company, sope with ȝewe at nyȝte:
Thus I trow[e] þat it was: what sey yee, sir knyȝte?”
“It shal nat nede,” quod the hoost, “to axe no witnes;
Yeur record is good I-nowe; & of yeur gentilnes
Ȝit I prey ȝewe efft ageyn: for, by seynt Thomas shryne,
And yee woll hold [yeur] covenaunt, I wol hold[en] myne.”
“Now trewly, hoost,” quod the knyȝt, “yee have riȝt wel I-sayd;
And, as towching my persone, I hold me [wel a]payde;
And so I trowe þat al doith. sirs, what sey[e] yee?”
The Monke, & eke the Marchaunte, & al seid, “ȝe!”
“Then al this aftir-mete I hold it for the best
To sport & pley vs,” quod the hoost, “eche man as hym lest,
And go by tyme to soper, & [thanne] to bed also;
So mowe wee erly rysen, our iourney for to do.”

The knyȝt arose ther-with-al, & cast on a fressher gown,
And his sone a-nothir, to walk[en] in the town;
And so did al the remnaunt þat were of þat aray,
That had hir chaungis with hem; they made hem fressh & gay,
Sortid hem to-gidir, riȝte as hir lustis lay,
As þey were [the] more vsid, traveling by the wey.

The knyȝt [tho] with his meyne went to se the wall,
And þe wardes of the town, as to a knyȝt be-fall;
Devising ententiflich þe strengthis al a-bout,
And a-poyntid to his sone þe perell & þe dout,
ffor shot of Arblast & of bowe, & eke for shot of gonne,
Vn-to þe wardis of the town, & howe it myȝt be wone;
And al defence ther a-geyn, aftir his entent
He declarid compendiously. & al that evir he ment,
His sone perseyvid every poynt, as he was ful abill
To Armes, & to travaill, and persone covenabill;
He was of al factur, aftir fourm of kynde;
And for to deme his governaunce, it semed þat his mynde
Was [set] much in his lady þat he lovid best,
That made hym offt to wake, when he shuld have his rest.

The Clerk þat was of Oxinforth, on-to þe Sompnore seyd,
“Me semeth of grete clerge þat þow art a mayde;
ffor þow puttist on the ffrer, in maner of repreff,
That he knowith falshede, vice, & eke a theff;
And I it hold vertuouse and right commendabill
To have verry knowlech of thingis reprouabill.
ffor who so [doth,] may eschew it, and let it pas[sen] by,
And els he myȝte fall ther-on, vnware & sodenly.
And thouȝe the ffrere told a tale of a [false] Sompnour,
Thowe ouȝtist for to take[n] it for no dishonour;
ffor, of alle crafftis, and of eche degre,
They be nat al perfite; but som [ful] nyce be.”
“Lo! what is worthy,” seyd the knyȝte, “for to be a clerk!
To sommon a-mong vs hem, þis mocioune was ful derk;
I comend his wittis, & eke his [grete] clerge,
ffor of ethir parte he savith honeste.”

The monke toke the person þen, & þe grey[e] ffrer,
And preyd[e] hem ful curteysly for to go in fere:
“I have ther a queyntaunce, þat al this yeris thre
Hath preyd me by his lettris þat I hym wold[e] se:
And yee [be] my brothir in habit & in possessioune.
And now [þat] I am her, me thinkith it is to doon,
To preve[n] it in dede, what cher he wold me make,
And to ȝewe, my frende, also for my sake.”
They went forth to-gidir, talking of holy matere:
But woot ye wele, in certeyn, they had no mynd on water
To drynk[en] at that tyme, when they wer met in fere;
ffor of the best þat myȝt be found, & þer-with mery cher
They had, it is no doute; for spycys & eke wyne
Went round aboute, þe gascoyn, & eke the ruyne.

The wyff of bath was so wery, she had no will to walk;
She toke the Priores by the hond: “madam! wol ye stalk
Pryuely in-to þe garden, to se the herbis growe?
And aftir, with our hostis wyff, in hir parlour rowe,
I woll gyve ȝewe the wyne, & yee shull me also;
ffor tyll wee go to soper wee have nauȝt ellis to do.”
The Priores, as vomman tauȝt of gentil blood, & hend,
Assentid to hir counsell; and forth [tho] gon they wend,
Passyng forth [ful] sofftly in-to the herbery:
ffor many a herbe grewe, for sew & surgery;
And al the Aleyis feir I-parid, I-raylid, & I-makid;
The sauge, & the Isope, I-frethid & I-stakid;
And othir beddis by & by [ful] fressh I-dight:
ffor comers to the hoost, riȝte a sportful sight.

The Marchaunt, & þe mancipill, þe Miller, & þe Reve,
And the Clerk of Oxinforth, to townward gon they meve,
And al the othir meyne; & lafft noon at home,
Save the Pardoner, þat pryvelich, when al they wer goon,
Stalkid in-to the tapstry: for no thing wold he leve,
To make his covenaunte in certen, þat same eve
He wold be loggid with hir; þat was his hole entencioun.
(But hap, & eke ffortune, & al the constellacioune,
Was clenè hym ageyns, as yee shull aftir here;
ffor hym had better be I-loggit al nyȝt in a myere,
Then he was þe same nyȝte, or the sonne was vp:
ffor such was his fortune, he drank with-out þe cupp;
But þereof wist[e] he no dele; ne no man of vs alle
May have þat hiȝe connyng, to know what shal be-falle.)
He stappid in-to the tapstry wondir pryuely,
And fond hir liggyng lirylong; with half[e] sclepy eye
Pourid fellich vndir hir hood, & sawe al his comyng,
And lay ay still, as nauȝt she knewe, but feynyd hir scleping.
He put his hond to hir brest: “a-wake!” quod he, “awake!”
“A! benedicite, sir, who wist ȝewe here? out! þus I myȝt be take
Prisoner,” quod the tapstere, “being al aloon;”
And þerwith breyd vp in a friȝte, & be-gan to groon.
“Nowe, sith yee be my prisoner, ȝeld ȝewe now!” quod he,
“I must[e] nedis,” quod she, “I may no thing fle;
And eke I have no strengith, & am but yong of Age,
And also it is no mastry to cach a mouse in a cage,
That may no where stert out, but closid wondir fast;
And eke, Sir, I tell ȝewe, þouȝ I had grete hast,
Yee shuld have couȝid when ye com. wher lern ye curtesy?
Now trewlich I must chide, for of riȝte pryuyte
Vommen been som tyme of day, when they be aloon.
Wher coud I ([I] ȝewe prey) when yee com efft-sone?”
“Nowe mercy, dere sweting! I wol do so no more:
I thank[e] ȝew an hundrit sithis! & also by yeur/ lore
I woll do here-aftir, in what place þat I com.
But lovers, Kitt, ben evill avisid ful offt & to lom;
Wherfor I prey ȝew hertlich, hold[ith] me excusid,
And I be-hote ȝew trewly, it shal no more be vsid.
But nowe to our purpose: how have yee [i]fare
Sith I was with ȝew last? þat is my most[e] care.
ffor yf yee eylid eny thing othir-wise þen good,
Trewly it wold chaunge my chere & [eke] my blood.”
“I have I-farid the wers for ȝewe,” quod Kitt, “do ye no drede
God þat is a-bove? & eke yee had no nede
ffor to congir me, god woot, with yeur/ nygromancy,
That have no more to vaunce me, but oonly my body;
And yf it were disteynyd, þen wer I on-do.
I-wis I trowe, Ienkyn, ye be nat to trust to!
ffor evir-more yee clerkis con so much in book,
Yee woll wyn a vomman, atte first[e] look.”

Thouȝt the Pardoner, ‘this goith wele’; & made hir better chere,
And axid of hir sofft[e]ly: “lord, who shall ligge[n] here
This nyȝte þat is to comyng? I prey ȝewe telle me!”
“Iwis it is grete nede to telle ȝew,” quod she:
“Make it nat ovir queynt, þouȝe yee be a clerk!
Ye know wele I-nouȝ I-wis, by loke, by word, by work!”
“Shal I com þen, Cristian, & fese a-wey þe Cat?”
“Shul yee com, sir? benedicite! what question is that?
Where-for I prey ȝew hertly, do be my counsaille;
Comyth somwhat late, & for no thing faille;
The dorr shall stond char vp; put it from ȝew sofft:
But, be wel avisid, ye wake nat them on lofft.”
“Care ye nat,” quod Ienken, “I can there-on atte best;
Shall no man for my stering be wakid of his rest.”

Anoon they dronk the beuerage, & wer of oon accord
As it semed by hir chere, & also by hir/ word:
And al a-scaunce she lovid hym wele, she toke hym by the swere,
As þouȝe she had lernyd cury fauel, of som old[e] ffrere.
The pardonere plukkid out of his purs, I trow, þe dow[e]ry,
And toke it Kit, in hir hond, & bad hir pryuely
‘To orden a rere soper for hem both[e] to,—
A cawdell I-made with swete wyne, & with sugir also;—
ffor trewly I have no talent to ete in yeur absence;
So longith my hert toward ȝewe, to be in yeur/ presence.’
He toke his leve, & went his wey as þouȝe no þing were,
And met with al the fel[e]shippe; but in what plase ne where
He spak no word ther-of, but held hym close & still
As he þat hopid sikirlich to have had al his will;
And þouȝt [ful] many a mery þouȝt by hym self a-loon:
“I am I-loggit,” þouȝt he, “best, howe-so-evir it gone!
And þouȝe it have costid me, ȝit wol I do my peyn
ffor to pike hir purs to nyȝte, & wyn my cost ageyn.”

Now leve I the Pardonere till þat it be eve,
And woll retourne me ageyn riȝt ther as I did leve.

Whan al wer com to-gidir, in[to] hir herbegage,
The hoost of Southwork, as ye knowe, þat had no spice of rage,
But al thing wrouȝt prudenciall, as sobir man & wise;
“Nowe woll wee to the souper, sir knyȝt, seith yeur/ avyse,”
Quod the hoost ful curteysly; & in þe same wise
The knyȝt answerd hym ageyn, “sir, as yee devise
I must obey, yee woot wele; but yf I faille witt,
Then takith þese prelatis to ȝewe, & wasshith, & go sit;
ffor I woll be yeur/ Marchall, & serve[n] ȝewe echone;
And þen þe officers & I, to soper shull wee goon.”
They wissh, & sett riȝte as he bad, ech man with his fere,
And begonne to talk, of sportis & of chere
Þat they had þe aftir-mete, whils [þat] þey were out;
ffor othir occupacioun, til they were servid aboute,
Þey had nat at þat tyme, but eny man kitt a loff;
But þe Pardonere kept hym close, & told[e] no þing of
The myrth & hope þat he had, but kept it for hym-selff;
And þouȝe he did, it is no fors; for he had nede to solue
Long or it wer mydnyȝt, as yee shul here sone;
ffor he met with his love, in crokeing of þe moon.

They were I-seruyd honestly, & ech man held hym payde:
ffor of o maner of service hir soper was araide,
As skill wold, & reson, sith the lest of all
Payid I-lich[e] much, for growing of þe gall.
But ȝit, as curtesy axith, þouȝ it were som dele streyte,
The statis þat wer a-bove had of þe feyrest endreyte.
Wherfor they did hir gentilnes ageyn to al þe rout;
They dronken wyne at hire cost, onys round a-boute.

Nowe pass y liȝtly ovir: when they soupid had,
Tho that were of governaunce, as wise men & sad
Went to hir rest, & made no more to doon;
Butte Miller & þe Coke, dronken by the moon
Twyes to ech othir in the repenyng.
And when the Pardoner hem aspied, a-noon he gan to syng,
“Doubil me this bourdon,” chokelyng in his throte,
ffor the tapster shuld[e] here of his mery note.
He clepid to hym the Sompnoure þat was his own discipill,
The yeman, & the Reve, & [eke] þe Mauncipill;
And stoden so holowing; for no thing wold they leve,
Tyl the tyme þat it was wel within [the] eve.
The hoost of Southwork herd hem wele, & þe Marchaunt both,
As they were at a-countis, & wexen som-what wroth.
But ȝit they preyd hem curteysly to reste for to wend;
And so they did, al they route, þey dronk & made an ende;
And eche man drouȝe to cusky, to sclepe & take his rest,
Save þe Pardonere, þat drewe apart, & weytid hym a trest
ffor to hyde hym selff, till the candill were out.

And in the meen[e] while, have ye no doute,
The tapster & hir/ Paramour, & the Hosteler of the House
Sit to-gidir pryuelich, & of þe best[e] gouse
Þat was I-found in town, & I-set at sale,
They had ther-of sufficiaunt, & dronk but litill ale;
And sit & ete þe cawdell, for þe Pardonere þat was made
With sugir & with swete wyne, riȝt as hym-selff[e] bade:
So he þat payd for all in feer, [ne] had[de] nat a twynt;
ffor offt is more better I-merkid then [there is] I-mynt:
And so [it] farid þere ful riȝte, as yee have I-herd.
(But who is, þat a womman coud nat make his berd,
And she were there-about, & set hir/ wit ther-to?
Yee woot wele I ly nat; &, wher I do or no,
I woll nat here termyn it,—lest ladies stond in plase,
Or els gentil vommen,—for lesing of my grace,
Of daliaunce & of sportis, & of goodly chere;
Therfor, anenst hir estatis, I woll in no manere
Deme ne determyn; but of lewd[e] kittis,
As tapsters, & oþer such, þat hath wyly wittis
To pik mennys pursis, & eke to bler hir eye;
So wele they makè semè soth, when þey falssest ly.)

Now of Kitt Tapster, & of hir Paramour,
And the hosteler of þe House, þat sit in kittis bour:
When they had ete & dronk riȝt in the same plase,
Kit be-gan to rendir out al thing as it was,—
The wowing of þe Pardonere, & his cost also,
And howe he hopid for to lygg al nyȝt with hir also;
“But þerof he shall be sikir as of goddis cope;”—
And sodenly kissid hir Paramour; & seyd, “we shul sclope
Togidir hul by hul, as we have many a nyȝte.
And yf he com & make noyse, I prey ȝew dub hym knyȝt.”
“Ȝis, dame,” quod hir Paramour, “be þow nat a-gast!
This is his owne staff, þou seyist; þereof he shal a-tast!”
“Now trewly,” quod the hosteler, “& he com by my lot,
He shall drynk for kittis love with-out[e] cup or pot;
And he be so hardy to wake[n] eny gist,
I make a-vowe to þe Pecok, þere shal wake a foul myst;”
And arose vp ther-with-al, & toke his leve a-noon:—
It was a shrewid company; they had servid so many oon.
With such maner of feleshipp ne kepe I nevir to dele,
Ne no man þat lovith his worshipp & his hele.—
Quod Kitt to hir Paramour, “ye must wake a while,
ffor trewlich I am sikir, þat within this myle
The Pardonere wol be comyng, his hete to a-swage;
But loke ye pay hym redelich, to kele[n] his corage;
And þerfor, love, dischauce yewe nat til þis chek be do.”
“No! for God! kit! þat woll I no!”
Then Kit went to bed, & blewe out al the liȝte,
And by that tyme it was, nere hond quarter nyȝt.

Whan al was still, the Pardonere gan to walk,
As glad as eny goldfynch, þat he herd no man talk:
And drowȝe to Kittis dorward, to herken & to list,
And went to have fond þe dor vp by þe hasp; & eke þe twist
Held hym out a whils, & þe lok also;
Ȝit trowid he no gyle, but went[e] nere to,
And scrapid the dorr welplich, & wynyd with his mowith
Aftir a doggis lyden, as nere as he couth.
“Away, dogg, with evil deth!” quod he, þat was within,
And made hym al redy, the dorr [for] to vnpyn.
“A!” thouȝt þe Pardoner tho, “I trow my berd be made
The tapster hath a paramour, & Hath made hem glade
With þe Cawdell þat I ordeyned for me, as I ges:
Now the devill hir spede, such oon as she is!
She seid I had I-congerid hir: our lady gyve hir sorow!
Now wold to God she were in stokkis til I shuld him borowe!
ffor she is the falssest þat evir ȝit I knewe,
To pik þe mony out of my purs! lord! she made him trew!”
And þer-with he cauȝt a cardiakill & a cold sot;
ffor who hath love longing, & is of corage Hote,
He hath ful many a myry þouȝt to-fore his delyte;
And riȝt so had the Pardoner, and was in evil pliȝte;
ffor fayling of his purpose he was no thing in ese;
Wherfor he fill sodenlich in-to a [ful] wood rese,
Entryng wondir fast in-to a fren[e]sy,
ffor pure verry angir, & for gelousy;
ffor when he herd a man within, he was almost wood;
And be-cause þe cost was his, no marvel þouȝ his mood
Were turned in-to vengaunce, yf it myȝt[e] be:
But this was the myscheff, al so strong as he
Was he þat was within, & liȝter man also;
As previd wel þe batell be-twene hem both[e] to.
The Pardonere scrapid efft a-geyn; for no þing wold he blyn,
So feyn he wold have her[e]d more of hym þat was with-in.
“What dogg is þat?” quod the Paramour; “Kit! wost þou ere?”
“Have God my trowith,” quod she, “it is þe Pardonere.”
“The Pardoner with myscheff! god gyve hym evil preff!”
“Sir,” she seid[e], “be my trowith he is þe same theff.”
“Ther-of þow liest,” quod the Pardonere, & myȝt nat long forbere,
“A, thy fals body!” quod he, “þe devill of hell þe tere!
ffor be my trowith a falssher sawe I nevir noon:”
And nempnid hir namys many mo þen oon,
Huch, to rech[en] hire, were noon honeste
Amonge[s] men of good, of worship & degre.
But shortly to conclude; when he had chid I-nowe,
He axid his staff spitouslich with wordis sharp & rowe.
“Go to bed,” quod he within, “no more noyse þow make!
Thy staff shall be redy to morow, I vndirtake.”
“In soth,” quod he, “I woll nat fro þe dorr[e] vend
Tyll I have my staff, þow bribour!” “þen have þe todir end!”
Quod he þat was with-in; & leyd it on his bak,
Riȝte in the same plase, as Chapmen berith hir pak;
And so he did too mo, as he coud a-rede,
Graspyng aftir with the staff in lengith & eke in brede,
And fond hym othir while red[i]lich I-nowȝe
With the staffys end hiȝe oppon his browe.

The hosteler lay oppon his bedd, & herd of this affray,
And stert hym vp liȝtlich, & þouȝt he wold a-say:
He toke A staff in his hond, & hiȝed wondir blyve
Tyll he were with the felisshipp þat shuld nevir thryve:
“What be yee?” quod the hosteler, & knew hem both[e] wele.
“Hyust! pese!” quod the paramour; “Iak, þow must be-fele.
Ther is a theff, I tell the, with-in this halle dorr.”
“A theff!” quod Iak! “this is a nobill chere
That þow hym hast I-found; yf wee hym myȝte cache.”
“Ȝis, ȝis, care the nauȝt; with hym wee shul mache
Wel Inowȝe, or he be go, yf so we had[de] liȝte;
ffor wee too be stronge Inowȝ with o man for to fiȝte.”
“The Devill of hell,” quod Iak, “breke this thevis bonys!
The key of the kychen, as it were for þe nonys,
Is above with oure dame, & she hath such vsage,
And she be wake[n] of hir/ sclepe, she fallith in such a rage,
That al the wook aftir ther may no man hir plese,
So she sterith aboute this house in a [ful] wood rese.
But now I am a-visid bet how we shull have lyȝte;
I have too gistis a-ryn, that this same nyȝte
Sopid in the hall, & had a litill feire.
Go vp,” quod Iak, “& loke, & in the asshis pire;
And I woll kepe the dorr; he shal nat stert out.”
“Nay, for God! þat wol I nat, lest I cach a cloute,”
Seid the todir to Iak; “for þow knowest better þen I
Al the estris of this house: go vp thy selff, & spy!”
“Nay for soth!” quod Iak, “that were grete vnryȝte,
To aventur oppon a man þat with hym did nat fiȝte.
Sithens þow hast hym bete, & with þy staff I-pilt,
Me þinkith it were no reson þat I shuld bere þe gilt:
ffor, by the blysyng of the cole, he myȝt se myne hede,
And liȝtly leue me such a stroke, ny hond to be dede.
Þen woll wee do by comon assent, sech hym al aboute;
Who þat metith hym first, pay hym on the snoute;
ffor me þouȝt I herd hym here last among the pannys.
Kepe þow the todir syde, but ware þe watir cannys!
And yf he be here in, right sone wee shul hym fynd;
And wee to be strong Inowȝe, o theff for to bynd.”
“A! ha ha!” þouȝt þe Pardonere, “beth þere pannys a-ryn?”
And drouȝe oppon þat side, & þouȝt oppon a gynne:
So atte last he fond oon, & set it on his hede;
ffor, as the case was fall, there-to he had grete nede.
But ȝit he graspid ferthermore to have somwhat in honde,
And fond a grete ladill, riȝt as he was gonde,
And þouȝt[e] for to stert[en] out be-twen hem both[e] to;
And waytid wele the paramour þat had[de] doon hym wo;
And set hym with þe ladill on the grustill on þe nose,
That al the wook [þer-]aftir he had such a pose,
That both his eyen waterid erlich by the morowe.
But she þat cause was of al, had þerof no sorowe.

But nowe to þe Pardoner: as he wold stert awey,
The hosteler met with hym, but no thing to his pay:
The Pardoner ran so swith, þe pan[ne] fil hym fro,
And Iak [the] hosteler aftir hym, as blyve as he myȝt go;
And stappid oppon a bronde, al [at] vn-[a-]ware,
That hym had been better to have goon more a-sware:
ffor þe egge of þe panne met with his shyn,
And karff a too a veyn, & þe next[e] syn.
But whils þat it was grene, he þouȝt [ful] litil on,
But when þe oeptas was a-past, þe greff sat nere þe boon.
Ȝet Iak leyd to his hond to grope wher it sete;
And when he fond he was I-hurt, þe Pardonere he gan to thrett,
And swore by seynt Amyas, ‘þat he shuld [hit] abigg
With strokis hard & sore, even oppon the rigg;
Yff he hym myȝte fynde, he no thing wold hym spare.’
That herd þe Pardonere wele, & held hym bettir a square,
And þouȝt[e] þat he had[de] strokis ryȝte I-nowȝe;
Witnes on his armys, his bak, & [eke] his browe.
“Iak,” then quod the paramour, “wher is this theff ago?”
“I note,” quod tho Iak; “riȝt now he lept me fro,
That Cristis curs go with hym! for I have harm & spite,
Be my trowith!” “& I also; & he goith nat al quyte!
But & wee myȝt hym fynd, we wold aray hym so
That he [ne] shuld have legg ne foot, to-morow on to go.
But howe shull we hym fynd? þe moon is [now] a-down.”

As grace was for þe Pardonere, & eke when þey did roun,
He herd hem evir wel I-nowȝe, & went the more a-side,
And drouȝe hym evir bakward, & lete the strokis glyde.
“Iak,” quod the Paramour, “I hold it for the best,
Sith [that] the moon is down, [now] for to go to rest,
And make the gatis fast; he may nat then a-stert,
And eke of his own staff he berith a redy mark,
Wher-by þow maist hym know a-monge[s] al the route,
And þowe bere a redy ey, & weyt[e] wele aboute,
To morowe when they shull wend: this is þe best rede.
Iak, what seyst þowe there-to? is þis wel I-seyd?”
“Thy wit is cler,” quod Iak, “thy wit mut nedis stonde.”
He made the gatis fast; ther is no more to doon.

The Pardoner stood a-syde, his chekis ron on blood,
And was riȝt evil at ese, al nyȝt in his hede:
He must of force lige lyke a colyn swerd:
Ȝit it grevid hym wondir sore, for makeing of his berd;
He paid atte ful ther-fore, þurh a vomman art,
ffor wyne, & eke for cavdill, & had þerof no part;
He þer-for preyd Seynt Iuliane, as yee mowe vndirstonde,
That the devill hir shuld spede, on watir, & on londe,
So to disseyve a traveling man of his herbegage;
And coude nat els, save curs, his angir to a-swage;
And was distract [eke] of his wit, & in grete dispeyr;
ffor aftir his hete he cauȝte a cold, þurh þe nyȝtis eyr,
That he was ner a-foundit, & coude noon othir help.
But as he souȝt his logging, he appid oppon a whelp
That lay vndir a steyir, a grete Walssh dogg,
That bare a-boute his nek a grete huge clogg,
Be-cause þat he was spetouse, & wold[e] sone bite:
The clogg was hongit a-bout his nek, for men shuld nat wite
No thing the doggis master, yf he did eny harm;
So, for to excuse hem both, it was a wyly charm.
The Pardoner wold have loggit hym þere, & lay somwhat ny;
The warrok was a-wakid, & cauȝt hym by the thy,
And bote hym wondir spetously, defendyng wele his couch,
That the Pardonere myȝt nat ne[re] hym, neþere touch,
But held hym [right] a square, by þat othir syde,
As holsom was at that tyme, for tereing of his hyde:
He coude noon othir help, but leyd a-down his hede
In the doggis littir, & wisshid aftir brede
Many a tyme & offt, the dogge for to plese,
To have I-ley more nere, [right] for his own ese.
But, wissh[en] what he wold, his fortune seyd[e] nay;
So trewly for the Pardonere it was a dismol day.
The dogg lay evir grownyng, redy for to snache;
Wherfor the Pardoner durst nat with hym mache;
But lay as styll as ony stone, remembryng his foly,
That he wold trust a tapster of a comon hostry:
ffor comynly for þe most part they been wyly echon.

But nowe to all the company: a morow, when þey shuld goon,
Was noon of al the feleshippe half so sone I-diȝte
As was the gentil Pardoner; for al tyme of þe nyȝte
He was a-redy in his aray, & had no thing to doon,
Saff shake a lite his eris, & trus, & [tho] be goon.
Yet, or he cam in company, he wissh a-wey the blood,
And bond the sorys to his hede with the typet of his hood,
And made liȝtsom cher, for men shuld nat spy
No thing of his turment, ne of his luxury.
And the hosteler of the house, for no thyng he coude pry,
He coude nat knowe the pardoner a-mong the company
A morowe, when they shuld wend, for auȝt þat þey coude pour,
So wisely went the Pardoner out of þe doggis bour;
And blynchid from the hosteler, & turned offt a-boute,
And evirmore he held hym a-mydward [of] the route,
And was evir synging, to make[n] al thing good;
But ȝit his notis wer som-what lowe, for akyng of his hede.
So at that [ilche] tyme he had[de] no more grame,
But held hym to his harmys [for] to scape shame.

The knyȝt & al the felisship, forward gon þey wende,
Passing forth [right] merely [un]to þe townys ende;
And by þat tyme þey were there, þe day be-gan to rype,
And the sonne merely, vpward gan she pike,
Pleying [right] vndir the egge of þe firmament.
“Now,” quod þe hoost of Southwork, & to þe feleshipp bent,
“Who sawe evir so feir, or [evir] so glad a day?
And how sote this seson is, entring in to may,
[When Chauceres daysyes sprynge. Herke eek the fowles syngyng,]
The thrustelis & the thrusshis, in þis glad mornyng,
The ruddok & the Goldfynch; but þe Nyȝtyngale,
His amerous notis, lo, how he twynyth smale!
Lo! how the trees grenyth, þat nakid wer, & nothing bare
þis month afore; but now hir somer clothing [wear]!
Lo! how nature makith for hem everichone!
And, as many as ther been, he forȝetith noon!
Lo! howe the seson of þe yer, & auerell shouris,
Doith the busshis burgyn out blosom[i]s, & flouris!
Lo! þe pryme-rosis, how fressh þey been to seen!
And many othir flouris a-mong the grasis grene,
Lo! howe they spryng, & sprede, & of diuers hewe!
Be-holdith & seith both rede, [and eke] white, & blewe,
That lusty been, & confortabill for mannys siȝte!
ffor I sey, for my selff, It makith my hert to liȝte.
Now, sith almyȝty sovereyn hath sent so feir/ a day,
Let se nowe, as covenaunt is, in shorting of þe way,
Who shall be the first that shall vnlace his male,
In comfort of vs all, & gyn som mery tale?
ffor, & wee shuld now be-gyn [for] to draw[en] lott,
Perauentur/ it myȝt[e] fall ther it ouȝt[e] not,
On som vnlusty persone, þat wer nat wele a-wakid,
Or semybousy ouyr eve, & had I-song & crakid
Somwhat ovir much; howe shuld he þan do?
ffor who shuld tell a tale, he must have good will þerto;
And eke, som men fasting beth no thing iocounde,
And som, hir/ tungis, fasting, beth glewid & I-bound
To þe Palet of the mowith, as offt[en] as they mete;
So yf the lott fell on such, no thonk shuld they gete;
And som in the mornyng, hir mouþis beth a-doun:
Till þat they be charmyd, hir/ wordis woll nat soun.
So þis is my conclusyioun, & my last[e] knot,
It werè gretè gentilnes to tell without[en] lott.”
“By þe rood of Bromholm,” quod the marchaunte tho,
“As fer as I have saylid, riden, & I-go,
Sawe I nevir man ȝit, to-fore þis ilch[e] day,
So well coude rewle a company, as [can] our hoost, in fay.
His wordis been so comfortabill, & comyth so in seson,
That my wit is ovir-com, to make[n] eny reson
Contrary to his counsaill, at myne ymaginacioune;
Wher/for I woll tell a tale to yeur consolacioune;
In ensaumpill to ȝewe; that when þat I have do,
Anothir be all redy þen[ne] for to tell; riȝt so
To fulfill our hoostis will, & his ordinaunce.
Ther shall no fawte be found in me; good will shal be my chaunce,
With þis I be excusid, of my rudines,
All þouȝe I can nat peynt my tale, but tell [it] as it is;
Lepyng ovir no centence, as ferforth as I may,
But telle ȝewe þe ȝolke, & put þe white a-way.