Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400. The Canterbury tales :
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The Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale
287: Oure hooste gan to swere as he were wood;
288: Harrow! quod he, by nayles and by blood!
289: This was a fals cherl and a fals justise.
290: As shameful deeth as herte may devyse
291: Come to thise juges and hire advocatz!
292: Algate this sely mayde is slayn, allas!
293: Allas, to deere boughte she beautee!
294: Wherfore I seye al day that men may see
295: That yiftes of fortune and of nature
296: Been cause of deeth to many a creature.
297: Hire beautee was hire deth, I dar wel sayn.
298: Allas, so pitously as she was slayn!
299: Of bothe yiftes that I speke of now
300: Men han ful ofte moore for harm than prow.
301: But trewely, myn owene maister deere,
302: This is a pitous tale for to heere.
303: But nathelees, passe over, is no fors.
304: I pray to God so save thy gentil cors,
305: And eek thyne urynals and thy jurdones,
306: Thyn ypocras, and eek thy galiones,
307: And every boyste ful of the letuarie;
308: God blesse hem, and oure lady seinte marie!
309: So moot I theen, thou art a propre man,
310: And lyk a prelat, by seint ronyan!
311: Seyde I nat wel? I kan nat speke in terme;
312: But wel I woot thou doost myn herte to erme,
313: That I almoost have caught a cardynacle.
314: By corpus bones! but I have triacle,
315: Or elles a draughte of moyste and corny ale,
316: Or but I heere anon a myrie tale,
317: Myn herte is lost for pitee of this mayde.
318: Thou beel amy, thou pardoner, he sayde,
319: Telle us som myrthe or japes right anon.
320: it shal be doon, quod he, by seint ronyon!
321: But first, quod he, heere at this alestake
322: I wol bothe drynke and eten of a cake.
323: but right anon thise gentils gonne to crye,
324: Nay, lat hym telle us of no ribaudye!
325: Telle us som moral thyng, that we may leere
326: Som wit, and thanne wol we gladly heere.
327: I graunte, ywis, quod he, but I moot thynke
328: Upon som honest thyng while that I drynke.