Tell us some moral thing, that we may lear* *learn Some wit,* and thenne will we gladly hear.” *wisdom, sense “I grant y-wis,”* quoth he; “but I must think *surely Upon some honest thing while that I drink.” 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