Up start the Pardoner, and that anon; “Now, Dame,” quoth he, “by God and by Saint John, Ye are a noble preacher in this case. I was about to wed a wife, alas! What? should I bie it on my flesh so dear? Yet had I lever wed no wife this year.” “Abide,” quoth she; “my tale is not begun. Nay, thou shalt drinken of another tun Ere that I go, shall savour worse than ale. And when that I have told thee forth my tale Of tribulatión in marriáge, Of which I am expert in all mine age, (This is to say, myself hath been the whip), Then mayest thou choose whether thou wilt sip Of thilkë tunnë, that I now shall broach. Beware of it, ere thou too nigh approach, For I shall tell examples more than ten: Whoso will not beware by other men, By him shall other men corrected be: These samë wordës writeth Ptolemý; Read in his Almagest, and take it there.” “Dame, I would pray you, if your will it were,” Saidë this Pardoner, “as ye began, Tell forth your tale, and sparë for no man, And teach us youngë men of your practique.” “Gladly,” quoth she, “since that it may you like. But that I pray to all this company, If that I speak after my fantasy, To takë nought agrief what I may say; For mine intent is only for to play.—
Now, Sirs, then will I tell you forth my tale. As ever may I drinkë wine or ale I shall say sooth; the husbands that I had Three of them werë good, and two were bad. The three were goodë men, and rich, and old. Unnethës mightë they the statute hold In which that they were bounden unto me. Yet wot well what I mean of this, pardie. As God me help, I laugh when that I think How piteously at night I made them swink, But, by my fay, I told of it no store: They had me giv’n their land and their treasór, Me needed not do longer diligence To win their love, or do them reverence. They loved me so well, by God above, That I toldë no dainty of their love. A wise woman will busy her ever-in-one To get their lovë, where that she hath none. But, since I had them wholly in my hand, And that they had me given all their land, Why should I takë keep them for to please, But it were for my profit, or mine ease? I set them so a-workë, by my fay, That many a night they sangë, well-away! The bacon was not fetched for them, I trow, That some men have in Essex at Dunmow. I