The Pardoner’s Tale

IN FLANDERS, once, there was a company
Of young companions given to folly,
Riot and gambling, brothels and taverns;
And, to the music of harps, lutes, gitterns,
They danced and played at dice both day and night,(5)
And ate also and drank beyond their might,
Whereby they made the devil’s sacrifice
Within that devil’s temple, wicked wise,
By superfluity both vile and vain.
So damnable their oaths and so profane(10)
That it was terrible to hear them swear;
Our blessed Saviour’s Body did they tear;
They thought the Jews had rent Him not enough;
And each of them at others’ sins would laugh.
Then entered dancing-girls of ill repute,(15)
Graceful and slim, and girls who peddled fruit,
Harpers and bawds and women selling cake,
Who do their office for the Devil’s sake,
To kindle and blow the fire of lechery,
Which is so closely joined with gluttony;(20)
I call on holy writ, now, to witness
That lust is in all wine and drunkenness.
O gluttony, of you we may complain!
Oh, knew a man how many maladies
Follow on excess and on gluttonies,(25)
Surely he would be then more moderate
In diet, and at table more sedate.
Alas! A foul thing is it, by my fay,
To speak this word, and fouler is the deed,
When man so guzzles of the white and red(30)
That of his own throat makes he his privy,
Because of this cursed superfluity.
But truly, he that such delights entice
Is dead while yet he wallows in this vice.
A lecherous thing is wine, and drunkenness(35)
Is full of striving and of wretchedness.
O drunken man, disfigured is your face,
Sour is your breath, foul are you to embrace,
You fall down just as if you were stuck swine;
Your tongue is loose, your honest care obscure;(40)
For drunkenness is very sepulture
Of any mind a man may chance to own.
In whom strong drink has domination shown
He can no counsel keep for any dread.
Now keep you from the white and from the red.(45)
And now that I have told of gluttony,
I’ll take up gambling, showing you thereby
The curse of chance, and all its evils treat;
From it proceeds false swearing and deceit,
Blaspheming, murder, and—what’s more—the waste(50)
Of time and money; add to which, debased
And shamed and lost to honour quite is he,
Who once a common gambler’s known to be.
And ever the higher one is of estate,
The more he’s held disgraced and desolate.(55)
And if a prince plays similar hazardry
In all his government and policy,
He loses in the estimate of men
His good repute, and finds it not again.
Now these three roisterers, whereof I tell,(60)
Long before prime was rung by any bell,
Were sitting in a tavern for to drink;
And as they sat they heard a small bell clink
Before a corpse being carried to his grave;
Whereat one of them called unto his knave:(65)
“Go run,” said he, “and ask them civilly
What corpse it is that’s just now passing by,
And see that you report the man’s name well.”
“Sir,” said the boy, “it needs not that they tell.
I learned it, ere you came here, full two hours;(70)
He was, by gad, an old comrade of yours;
And he was slain, all suddenly, last night,
When drunk, as he sat on his bench upright;
An unseen thief, called Death, came stalking by,
Who hereabouts makes all the people die,(75)
And with his spear he clove his heart in two
And went his way and made no more ado.
He’s slain a thousand with this pestilence;
And, master, ere you come in his presence,
It seems to me to be right necessary(80)
To be forewarned of such an adversary:
Be ready to meet him for evermore.
My mother taught me this, I say no more.”
“By holy Mary,” said the innkeeper,
“The boy speaks truth, for Death has slain, this year,(85)
A mile or more hence, in a large village,
Both man and woman, child and hind and page.
I think his habitation must be there;
To be advised of him great wisdom ’twere,
Before he did a man some dishonour.”(90)
“Yea, by God’s arms!” exclaimed this roisterer,
“Is it such peril, then, this Death to meet?
I’ll seek him in the road and in the street,
As I now vow to God’s own noble bones!
Hear, comrades, we’re of one mind, as each owns;(95)
Let each of us hold up his hand to other
And each of us become the other’s brother,
And we three will go slay this traitor Death;
He shall be slain who’s stopped so many a breath,
By God’s great dignity, ere it be night.”(100)
Together did these three their pledges plight
To live and die, each of them for the other,
As if he were his very own blood brother.
And up they started, drunken, in this rage,
And forth they went, and towards that village(105)
Whereof the innkeeper had told before.
And so, with many a grisly oath, they swore
And Jesus’ blessed body once more rent—
“Death shall be dead if we find where he went.”
When they had gone not fully half a mile,(110)
Just as they would have trodden over a stile,
An old man, and a poor , with them did meet.
This ancient man full meekly them did greet,
And said thus: “Now, lords, God keep you and see!”
The one that was most insolent of these three(115)
Replied to him: “What? Churl of evil grace,
Why are you all wrapped up, except your face?
Why do you live so long in so great age?”
This ancient man looked upon his visage
And thus replied: “Because I cannot find(120)
A man, nay, though I walked from here to Ind,
Either in town or country who’ll engage
To give his youth in barter for my age;
And therefore must I keep my old age still,
As long a time as it shall be God’s will.(125)

The Canterbury Tales | The Pardoner’s Tale

The Pardoner’s Tale