that for us died, Leavë your oathës, bothë great and smale. But, Sirs, now will I ell you forth my tale.
These riotoúrës three, of which I tell, Long erst than primë rang of any bell, Were set them in a tavern for to drink; And as they sat, they heard a bellë clink Before a corpse, was carried to the grave. That one of them gan callë to his knave, “Go bet,” quoth he, “and askë readily What corpse is this, that passeth here forth by; And look that thou report his namë well.” “Sir,” quoth the boy, “it needeth never a deal; It was me told ere ye came here two hours; He was, pardie, an old fellów of yours, And suddenly he was y-slain tonight; Fordrunk as he sat on his bench upright, There came a privy thief, men clepë Death, That in this country all the people slay’th, And with his spear he smote his heart in two, And went his way withoutë wordës mo’. He hath a thousand slain this pestilence; And, master, ere you come in his presénce, Me thinketh that it were full necessary For to beware of such an adversary; Be ready for to meet him evermore. Thus taughtë me my dame; I say no more.” “By Saintë Mary,” said the tavernére, “The child saith sooth, for he hath slain this year, Hence ov’r a mile, within a great villáge, Both man and woman, child, and hind, and page; I trow his habitatión be there; To be advised great wisdóm it were, Ere that he did a man a dishonoúr.” “Yea, Goddë’s armës,” quoth this riotoúr, “Is it such peril with him for to meet? I shall him seek, by stile and eke by street. I make a vow, by Goddë’s dignë bones. Hearken, fellóws, we three be allë ones: Let each of us hold up his hand to other, And each of us become the other’s brother, And we will slay this falsë traitor Death; He shall be slain, he that so many slay’th, By Goddë’s dignity, ere it be night.”
Together have these three their trothë plight To live and die each one of them for other As though he were his owen boren brother. And up they start, all drunken, in this rage, And forth they go towárdës that villáge Of which the taverner had spoke beforn, And many a grisly oathë have they sworn, And Christë’s blessed body they to-rent; “Death shall be dead, if