|
With hym ther rood a gentil PARDONER ‡
Of Rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,
That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.
Ful loude he soong "Com hider, love, to me!" ‡
This Somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun; ‡
Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.
This Pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,
But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;
By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,
And therwith he hise shuldres overspradde; ‡
But thynne it lay by colpons oon and oon. ‡
But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon,
For it was trussed up in his walet.
Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet;
Dischevelee, save his cappe, he rood al bare. ‡
Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare.
A vernycle hadde he sowed upon his cappe.
His walet lay biforn hym in his lappe
Bretful of pardoun come from Rome al hoot. †
A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot, †
No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have;
As smothe it was as it were late shave,
I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare. †
But of his craft, from Berwyk into Ware, †
Ne was ther swich another pardoner; †
For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer,
Which that he seyde was Oure Lady veyl:
He seyde he hadde a gobet of the seyl
That Seint Peter hadde, whan that he wente †
Upon the see, til Jesu Crist hym hente. †
He hadde a croys of latoun ful of stones,
And in a glas he hadde pigges bones. ‡
But with thise relikes, whan that he fond
A povre person dwellyng upon lond, ‡
Upon a day he gat hym moore moneye
Than that the person gat in monthes tweye;
And thus, with feyned flaterye and japes,
He made the person and the peple his apes. †
But trewely to tellen atte laste,
He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste.
Wel koude he rede a lessoun or a storie,
But alderbest he song an offertorie;
For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,
He moste preche, and wel affile his tonge ‡
To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude;
Therfore he song the murierly and loude.
Go to The Narrator
Go to Contents
|
|