[_Heir sall he lay doun his geir upon ane buird, and say,_
My patent pardouns ye may se, Cum fra the Cane[499] of Tartarie, Weill seald with oster-schellis. Thocht ye have na contritioun Ye sall have full remissioun With help of buiks and bellis. Heir is ane relict lang and braid, Of Fin Macoull the richt chaft blaid[500], With teith and al togidder. Of Colling’s cow heir is ane horne, For eating of Makconnal’s corne Was slaine into Baquhidder. Heir is ane coird baith great and lang Quhilk hangit Johne the Armistrang,[501] Of gude hemp, soft and sound. Gude halie peopill, I stand for’d, Quha-ever beis hangit with this cord Neids never to be dround. The culum[502] of Sanct Bryd’s kow; The gruntill[503] of Sanct Antonis sow, Quhilk buir his haly bell. Quha-ever he be heiris this bell clinck Gif me ane ducat for till drink; He sall never gang[504] to hell, Without he be of Baliell[505] borne. Maisters, trow ye that this be scorne[506]. Cum win this pardoun, cum. Quha luifis thair wyfis nocht with thair hart, I have power thame for till part. Me-think yow deif and dum: Hes nane of yow curst wickit wyfis That haldis yow intill sturt[507] and stryfis, Cum tak my dispensatioun; Of that cummer[508] I sall mak yow quyte, Howbeit your-selfis be in the wyte[509], And mak ane fals narratioun. Cum win the pardoun, now let se, For meill, for malt, or for monie, For cok, hen, guse, or gryse. Of relicts heir I haif ane hunder; Quhy cum ye nocht? this is ane wounder: I trow ye be nocht wyse.
[A grotesque episode is here introduced in which the Pardoner, for the price of “ane cuppill of sarks” (shirts), divorces a malcontent sowtar, or shoemaker, and his wife. Upon their despatch, east and west, the Pardoner’s boy cries from the hill.]
Sir, I have done your bidding, For I have fund ane greit hors bane, Ane fairer saw ye never nane, Upon dame Flescher’s midding. Sir, ye may gar the wyfis trow It is ane bane of Sanct Bryd’s cow, Gude for the fever quartane[511]. Sir, will ye reull this relict weill, All the wyfis will baith kiss and kneill Betuixt this and Dumbartane.
Some sayis ye are ane verie loun, Sum sayis _Legatus Natus_; Sum sayis ye ar ane fals Saracene, And sum sayis ye ar for certaine _Diabolus Incarnatus_. Bot keip yow fra subjectioun Of the curst King Correctioun; For, be ye with him fangit[512], Becaus ye ar ane Rome-raker, Ane common publick cawsay-paker[513], But doubt ye will be hangit.