Held hym out a while and the lok also ; Yit trowid he no gile, but went ner to. 480 And scrapid the dorr welp-lich, and wynyd wyth his mowith, Aftir a doggis lyden, as nere as he couith. "Awey, dog, with evill deth!" quod he that was within, And made hym all redy the dorr to unpin. "A!" thought the pardoner, "tho I trow my berd be made, She seid I had y-congerid hir, our lady gyve hir sorowe ! To pik the mony out of my purs, Lord! she made hir trewe!" For pur very angir, and for jelousy. 500 For when he herd a man within, he was almost wood; ere ?" "Have God my trowith!" quod she, "it is the pardonere.” 510 "The pardoner, with myscheff! God gyve hym evil preff!" "Sir," she seid, "by my trowith, he is the same theff!” "Therof thou liest," quod the pardoner, and might nat long forbere, "A! thy fals body!" quod he, "the devil of hell the tere ! For, by my trowith, a falsher sawe I nevir noon,” And nempnid hir namys many mo than oon. Among men of good of worship and degré. But shortly to conclude; when he had chid i-nowe, He axid his staff spitouslich wyth wordis sharp and rowe. 520 "Go to bed!" quod he within, “no more noyse thow make Thy staff shal be redy to morowe I undertake.” “In soth,” quod he, “I wol nat fro the dorr wend, Tyl I have my staff, thow bribour!" "Then have the tothir end!" Quod he that was within; and leyd it on his bak, Right in the same plase as chapmen berith their pak ; And so he did to mo, as he coud arede, Graspyng aftir with the staff in lengith and eke in brede; And fond hym othir whyle redlich i-noughe With the staffys end high upon the browe. 530 The hosteler ley oppon his bed, and herd of this affray, And stert hym up lightlich, and thought he wold asay; He toke a staff in his hond, and highed wondir blyve Tyl he wer with the feleship that shuld nevir thryve. "What be yee?" quod the hosteler, and knew them both wele. "Huyst! pese!" quod the paramour; "Jak, thow must be fele. Ther is a theff, I tell the, within this hall dorr." "A theff!" quod Jak, "this is a nobill chere That thou hym hast y-found; yf wee hym myght cach." 66 'Yis, yis, care the nought; with hym we shal mach Wele i-nowe, or he be go, yf so we had lighte; 540 P For we to be stronge i-nowe with o man for to fighte." 550 Go up," quod Jak, "and loke, and in the ashis pire; gynne ; So at last he fond oon, and set it on his hede. For, as the case was fall, therto he had grete nede. 570 But yit he graspit ferthirmore to have somwhat in honde ; And fond a grete ladill, right as he was gonde, And thought for to sterte out betwene them both to ; That both his eyin waterid erlich by the morowe. That hym had bin beter to have goon more asware ; But whils that it was grene he thought litil on, 580 But when the greneness was apast, the greff sat ner the bone. Yit Jak leyd to his hond to grope wher it sete, And when he was y-hurt, the pardoner he gan to threte; And swore by seint Amyas, that he shuld abigg With stroks hard and sore, even oppon the rigg; 590 Yf he hym myght fynd, he nothyng wold hym spare. That herd the pardoner wele, and held hym bettir asquare, And thought that he had strokis ryght i-nough, Wytnes on his armes, his bak, and his browe. "Jak," then quod the paramour, "wher is the theff ago?” "I note,” quod tho Jak; "right now he lept me fro, That Cristis curs go with hym, for I have harm and spite." "Be my trowith, and I also, and he goith nat al quyte; But and we myght hym fynd, we wold aray hym so 600 593 seint Amyas. I know not the saint referred to in this name, unless it be St. Aimé or Amatus. That he shuld have legge, ne foot, to morowe on to go. (As grace was for the pardoner) and eke when they did roun, And make the gatis fast; he may not then astert, To morowe when they shull wend; this is the best rede. 610 “ "Thy wit is clere," quod Jak, "thy wit mut nedis stonde." He made the gatis fast; ther is no more to doon. The pardoner stode asyde, his chekis ron and bled, And was ryght evil at ese al nyght in his hede: He must of force lige lyke a colyn swerd; Yit it mevid him wondir sore for making of his berd; He payd at full therfore, through a womans art, For wyne, and eke for cawdill, and had therof no part; He therfor preyd seynt Juliane, as ye mowe onderstonde, That the devill her shulde spede, on watir and on londe, So to disseive a travellyng man of his herbegage; And coud not els save curs, his angir to aswage; And was distract of his wit, and in grete despayr; 620 For aftir his hete he caught a cold through the nightis eyr ; That he was ner asoundit, and coud none othir help. 630 625 seynt Juliane. St. Julian was the patron saint of hospitality, and of places of public entertainment. |