(_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)