FullReads

Notes to the Prologue to the Pardoner’s Tale

1. The nails and blood of Christ, by which it was then a fashion to swear.

2. Mediaeval medical writers; see note 36 to the Prologue to the Tales.

3. Boist: box; French “boite,” old form “boiste.”

4. Erme: grieve; from Anglo-Saxon, “earme,” wretched.

5. Cardiacle: heartache; from Greek, “kardialgia.”

6. Corpus Domini: God’s body.

7. Corny ale: New and strong, nappy. As to “moist,” see note 39 to the Prologue to the Tales.

8. (Transcriber’s Note)In this scene the pilgrims are refreshing themselves at tables in front of an inn. The pardoner is drunk, which explains his boastful and revealing confession of his deceits.

THE TALE

<1>

 

 Lordings (quoth he), in churche when I preach,
 

 I paine me to have an hautein* speech,     *take pains **loud <2>
 

 And ring it out, as round as doth a bell,
 

 For I know all by rote that I tell.
 

 My theme is always one, and ever was;
 

 Radix malorum est cupiditas.<3>
 

 First I pronounce whence that I come,
 

 And then my bulles shew I all and some;
 

 Our liege lorde's seal on my patent,
 

 That shew I first, *my body to warrent,*    *for the protection
 

 That no man be so hardy, priest nor clerk,   of my person*
 

 Me to disturb of Christe's holy werk.
 

 And after that then tell I forth my tales.
 

 Bulles of popes, and of cardinales,
 

 Of patriarchs, and of bishops I shew,
 

 And in Latin I speak a wordes few,
 

 To savour with my predication,
 

 And for to stir men to devotion
 

 Then show I forth my longe crystal stones,
 

 Y-crammed fall of cloutes* and of bones;   *rags, fragments
 

 Relics they be, as *weene they* each one.  *as my listeners think*
 

 Then have I in latoun* a shoulder-bone    *brass
 

 Which that was of a holy Jewe's sheep.
 

 "Good men," say I, "take of my wordes keep;* *heed
 

 If that this bone be wash'd in any well,
 

 If cow, or calf, or sheep, or oxe 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 pockes, and of scab, and every sore
 

 Shall every sheep be whole, that of this well
 

 Drinketh a draught; take keep* of that I tell.  *heed
 

“If that the goodman, that the beastes oweth,* *owneth
Will every week, ere that the cock him croweth,
Fasting, y-drinken of this well a draught,
As thilke holy Jew our elders taught,
His beastes 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 pottage,
And never shall he more his wife mistrist,* *mistrust
*Though he the sooth of her defaulte wist;* *though he truly
All had she taken priestes two or three. <4> knew her sin*
Here is a mittain* eke, that ye may see; *glove, mitten
He that his hand will put in this mittain,
He shall have multiplying of his grain,
When he hath sowen, be it wheat or oats,
So that he offer pence, or elles groats.
And, men and women, one thing warn I you;
If any wight be in this churche now
That hath done sin horrible, so that he
Dare not for shame of it y-shriven* be; *confessed
Or any woman, be she young or old,
That hath y-made her husband cokewold,* *cuckold
Such folk shall have no power nor no grace
To offer to my relics in this place.
And whoso findeth him out of such blame,
He will come up and offer in God’s name;
And I assoil* him by the authority *absolve
Which that by bull y-granted was to me.”