As he sat yet in doom3470 in consistóry.
And when the judge it saw, as saith the story,
He bade to take him, and to hang him fast.
But right anon a thousand people in thrast3471
To save the knight, for ruth and for pitý,
For knowen was the false iniquity.
The people anon had súspect3472 in this thing,
By manner of the clerkë’s challengíng,
That it was by th’ assent of Appius;
They wistë well that he was lecherous.
For which unto this Appius they gon,
And cast him in a prison right anon,
Where as he slew himself: and Claudius,
That servant was unto this Appius,
Was doomed for to hang upon a tree;
But that Virginius, of his pitý,
So prayed for him, that he was exil’d;
And ellës certes had he been beguil’d;3473
The remenant were hanged, more and less,
That were consenting to this cursedness.3474
Here men may see how sin hath his meríte:3475
Beware, for no man knows how God will smite
In no degree, nor in which manner wise
The worm of consciéncë may agrise
Of3476 wicked life, though it so privy be,
That no man knows thereof, save God and he;
For be he lewëd man or ellës lear’d,3477
He knows not how soon he shall be afear’d;
Therefore I redë3478 you this counsel take,
Forsakë sin, ere sinnë you forsake.
The Pardoner’s Tale
The Prologue
Our Hostë gan to swear as he were wood;3479
“Harow!” quoth he, “by nailës and by blood,3480
This was a cursed thief, a false justíce.
As shameful death as heartë can devise
Come to these judges and their advoca’s.3481
Algate3482 this sely3483 maid is slain, alas!
Alas! too dearë bought3484 she her beautý.
Wherefore I say, that all day man may see
That giftës of fortúne and of natúre
Be cause of death to many a creatúre.
Her beauty was her death, I dare well sayn;
Alas! so piteously as she was slain.
[Of bothë giftës, that I speak of now,
Men have full often morë harm than prow.3485]
But truëly, mine owen master dear,
This was a piteous talë for to hear;
But natheless, pass over; ’tis no force.3486
I pray to God to save thy gentle corse,3487
And eke thine urinals, and thy jordans,
Thine Hippocras, and eke thy Galliens,3488
And every boist3489 full of thy lectuary,
God bless them, and our lady Saintë Mary.
So may I thé,3490 thou art a proper man,
And like a prelate, by Saint Ronian;
Said I not well? Can I not speak in term?3491
But well I wot thou dost3492 mine heart to erme,3493
That I have almost caught a cardiácle:3494
By corpus Domini, but3495 I have triácle,3496
Or else a draught of moist and corny3497 ale,
Or but3498 I hear anon a merry tale,
Mine heart is brost3499 for pity of this maid.
Thou bel ami, thou Pardoner,” he said,
“Tell us some mirth of japës3500 right anon.”
“It shall be done,” quoth he, “by Saint Ronion.
But first,” quoth he, “here at this alëstake3501
I will both drink, and biten on a cake.”
But right anon the gentles gan to cry,
“Nay, let him tell us of no ribaldry.
Tell us some moral thing, that we may lear3502
Some wit,3503 and thennë will we gladly hear.”
“I grant y-wis,”3504 quoth he; “but I must think
Upon some honest thing while that I drink.”
The Tale3505
Lordings (quoth he), in churchë when I preach,
I painë me3506 to have an hautein3507 speech,
And ring it out, as round as doth a bell,
For I know all by rotë that I tell.
My theme is always one, and ever was;
Radix malorum est cupiditas.3508
First I pronouncë whencë that I come,
And then my bullës shew I all and some;
Our liegë lordë’s seal on my patént,
That shew I first, my body to warrent,3509
That no man be so hardy, priest nor clerk,
Me to disturb of Christë’s holy werk.
And after that then tell I forth my tales.
Bullës of popës, and of cardinales,
Of patriarchs, and of bishóps I shew,
And in Latín I speak a wordës few,
To savour with my predicatión,
And for to stir men to devotión
Then show I forth my longë crystal stones,
Y-crammed fall of cloutës3510 and of bones;
Relics they be, as weenë they3511 each one.
Then have I in latoun3512 a shoulder-bone
Which that was of a holy Jewë’s sheep.
“Good men,” say I, “take of my wordës keep;3513
If that this bone be wash’d in any well,
If cow, or calf, or sheep, or oxë swell,
That any worm hath eat, or worm y-stung,
Take water of that well, and wash his tongue,
And it is whole anon; and farthermore
Of pockës, and of scab, and every sore
Shall every sheep be whole, that of this well
Drinketh a draught; take keep3514 of that I tell.
“If that the goodman, that the beastës oweth,3515
Will every week, ere that the cock him croweth,
Fasting, y-drinken of this well a draught,
As thilkë holy Jew our elders taught,
His beastës and his store shall multiply.
And, Sirs, also it healeth jealousy;
For though a man be fall’n in jealous rage,
Let make with this water his pottáge,
And never shall he more his wife mistrist,3516
Though he the sooth of her defaultë wist;
All3517 had she taken priestës two or three.
Here is a mittain3518 eke, that ye may see;
He that his hand will put in this mittáin,
He shall have multiplying of his grain,
When he hath sowen, be it wheat or oats,
So that he offer pence, or ellës groats.
And, men and women, one thing warn I you;
If any wight
