Pardoner’s Tale Quotes

In Flaundres whilom was a compaignye
Of yonge folk that haunteden folye,
As riot, hasard, stywes, and tavernes.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Pardoner begins his tale about a group of young people in Flanders, who spend their time indulging in all forms of excess. These party animals are into drinking, gambling, and reveling in brothels and taverns.

They daunce and pleyen at dees bothe day and nyght,
And eten also and drynken over hir myght,
Thurgh which they doon the devel sacrifise
Withinne that develes temple in cursed wise
By superfluytee abhomynable.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The young roisterers dance and play at dice day and night, and also indulge in gluttony – one of the Seven Deadly Sins – by eating and drinking beyond their capacity. So they turn the temple of the body into the Devil’s temple with their abominable excesses. A biblical allusion to 1 Corinthians 6:19: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own."

Hir othes been so grete and so dampnable
That it is grisly for to heere hem swere.
Oure blissed Lordes body they totere –
Hem thoughte that Jewes rente hym noght ynough –
And ech of hem at otheres synne lough.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. Along with their drinking, whoring and gambling, the young revelers are swearing oaths so bad as to to earn them damnation. The Pardoner likens it to tearing Jesus’s body to pieces, thinking that the Jews did not tear him enough, he adds in an anti-Semetic commemnt. And to make matters worse, they are laughing at the other’s sin.

And right anon thanne comen tombesteres
Fetys and smale, and yonge frutesteres,
Syngeres with harpes, baudes, wafereres,
Whiche been the verray develes officeres
To kyndle and blowe the fyr of lecherye,
That is annexed unto glotonye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. After enjoying eating, drinking and gambling to excess, we don’t have to wait too long for the girls to make an entrance to spice things up for the young debauchees. But why is it that girls who dance, sell fruit and wafers, and perform music, get the rap for stoking the (metaphorical) fire of lechery in the young men, to join onto their gluttony? OK, they’re graceful and slim, but that’s no justification for the Pardoner to portray them as the Devil’s officers and temptresses.

O glotonye, ful of cursednesse!
O cause first of oure confusioun!
O original of oure dampnacioun,
Til Crist hadde boght us with his blood agayn!
Lo, how deere, shortly for to sayn,
Aboght was thilke cursed vileynye!
Corrupt was al this world for glotonye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. It is hypocritical and ironic for the Pardoner to strongly condemn gluttony, being under the influence of strong ale himself during the telling of his tale. The Pardoner views this sin as the first cause of mankind’s ruin and damnation, when Eve succumbed to her hunger for the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden in the Christian Bible story. Jesus as a result had to redeem mankind through his death and blood.

Allas, the shorte throte, the tendre mouth,
Maketh that est and west and north and south,
In erthe, in eir, in water, men to swynke
To gete a glotoun deyntee mete and drynke!
Of this matiere, O Paul, wel kanstow trete:
"Mete unto wombe, and wombe eek unto mete,
Shal God destroyen bothe," as Paulus seith.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. In the Pardoner’s homily against the sin of gluttony and excessive drinking, he quotes St. Paul to support his teaching about the dangers of these. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians in the Bible says: "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them." The Pardoner uses terms like "short throat" and "tender mouth" to describe the glutton. But let’s not forget the hypocritical Pardoner is partial to alcohol and food himself, needing to drink and eat of a cake before he began his tale:
"But first," quod he, "heere at this alestake
I wol bothe drynke and eten of a cake."

Allas, a foul thyng is it, by my feith,
To seye this word, and fouler is the dede,
Whan man so drynketh of the white and rede
That of his throte he maketh his pryvee
Thurgh thilke cursed superfluitee.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Pardoner, who admits to regular drinking and downed a draft of strong ale before starting his tale, has the audacity to lecture other heavy drinkers on making a toilet of their throat. If he finds alcohol so disgusting, why does he regularly imbibe?

The apostel wepyng seith ful pitously,
"Ther walken manye of whiche yow toold have I –
I seye it now wepyng, with pitous voys –
They been enemys of Cristes croys,
Of whiche the ende is deeth; wombe is hir god!"
O wombe! O bely! O stynkyng cod,
Fulfilled of dong and of corrupcioun!
At either ende of thee foul is the soun.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Pardoner again reaches for Pauline teaching to back up his tirade against the sin of gluttony. He quotes the Apostle Paul saying this in Philippians 3:18-19: "Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach." The Pardoner then refers to the stomach as a stinking bag filled with dung and corruption, which spews out foul sounds at either end – mouth and backside. Wouldn’t you think he would have had the cop-on not to be tanked up on ale while telling his tale – in case people might think he was a hypocrite?

he that haunteth swiche delices - The Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales

But, certes, he that haunteth swiche delices
Is deed, whil that he lyveth in tho vices.
A lecherous thyng is wyn, and dronkenesse
Is ful of stryvyng and of wrecchednesse.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. He who lives in the vices of overindulging the body’s desires, like the glutton, is dead, says the Pardoner. Here he is echoing the Christian belief that sin leads to eternal damnation, as stated in the biblical verse Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death." The Pardoner goes on to say that wine is a lecherous thing and drunkenness is full of wretchedness. He should know, for he himself is fond of the ale and wine and a confessed womanizer.

O dronke man, disfigured is thy face,
Sour is thy breeth, foul artow to embrace…
Thou fallest as it were a styked swyn;
Thy tonge is lost, and al thyn honeste cure,
For dronkenesse is verray sepulture
Of mannes wit and his discrecioun.
In whom that drynke hath dominacioun
He kan no conseil kepe; it is no drede.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. When the Seven Deadly Sins are represented as animals, gluttony is symbolized as a pig. The Pardoner uses the simile here of the slaughtered pig, staggering and falling after havings its throat cut, to depict the drunken man. And it’s not a pretty picture: face disfigured, breath that stinks, reason gone, no care for honor or discretion, and can keep no secret. Could the Pardoner, with his taste for regular wine and ale himself, be speaking from personal knowledge here?

And now that I have spoken of glotonye,
Now wol I yow deffenden hasardrye.
Hasard is verray mooder of lesynges,
And of deceite, and cursed forswerynges,
Blaspheme of Crist, manslaughtre, and wast also
Of catel and of tyme; and forthermo,
It is repreeve and contrarie of honour
For to ben holde a commune hasardour.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. After his stern lecture to the party animals for their gluttony, the Pardoner moves on to the sin of gambling and doesn’t hold back here either. He describes gambling as the true mother of lies and deceit, a blasphemy of Christ, and a waste of possessions and time.

Now wol I speke of othes false and grete
A word or two, as olde bookes trete.
Gret sweryng is a thyng abhominable,
And fals sweryng is yet moore reprevable.
The heighe God forbad sweryng at al,
Witnesse on Mathew; but in special
Of sweryng seith the hooly Jeremye,
"Thou shalt swere sooth thyne othes, and nat lye,
And swere in doom and eek in rightwisnesse";
But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Pardoner’s sermonizing continues with an explanation of the evils of swearing, using the names of God or Jesus Christ. He condemns as abominable great swearing, oaths referring to Christ’s body and crucifixion. Even more worthy of reproof is false swearing, swearing an oath to do something and not keeping your word. And idle swearing the Pardoner brands as a wickedness. Jeremiah "Thou shalt not swear in vain, to be a liar, But swear in judgment and in righteousness."

Bihoold and se that in the firste table
Of heighe Goddes heestes honurable,
Hou that the seconde heeste of hym is this:
"Take nat my name in ydel or amys."
Lo, rather he forbedeth swich sweryng
Than homycide or many a cursed thyng.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Pardoner says that idle swearing is particularly offensive to God, and is forbidden by the second of his Ten Commandments. The Pardoner claims that God ranks it as worse than homicide. Exodus 20:7 in the Bible states: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

Now, for the love of Crist, that for us dyde,
…now wol I telle forth my tale.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. Rather ridiculously the Pardoner resumes his tale swearing his own oath "for the love of Christ" – straight after finishing his trenchant condemnation of people swearing and taking the Lord’s name in vain.

Thise riotoures thre of whiche I telle,
Longe erst er prime rong of any belle,
Were set hem in a taverne to drynke,
And as they sat, they herde a belle clynke
Biforn a cors, was caried to his grave.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The three rioters are drinking in the tavern when they hear a bell clink and see a corpse being carried past on the way to the grave. So the tale begins with death, foreshadowing the death of the three revelers later.

He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres,
And sodeynly he was yslayn to-nyght,
Fordronke, as he sat on his bench upright.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. A servant boy to the drinking rioters in the tavern tells them that the dead person they saw was a friend of theirs who was slain as he sat on a bench drunk. His death after drunkenness echoes the Pardoner’s sermonizing about the evil end that awaits gluttonous sinners who imbibe to excess.

Ther cam a privee theef men clepeth Deeth,
That in this contree al the peple sleeth,
And with his spere he smoot his herte atwo,
And wente his wey withouten wordes mo.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The servant boy metaphorically describes Death as an unseen thief who is slaying all the people of the country – the tale is set in the time of the Black Death. The boy speaks of how Death used his spear to strike the heart of the three revelers’ friend in two, and went his way without more words.

He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence.
And, maister, er ye come in his presence,
Me thynketh that it were necessarie
For to be war of swich an adversarie.
Beth redy for to meete hym everemoore;
Thus taughte me my dame; I sey namoore.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The servent boy tells the three rioters in the tavern how Death has slain a thousand during during the Plague. He suggests that before they come into his presence, they should be aware of such an adversary and be ready to meet him.

"By Seinte Marie!" seyde this taverner,
"The child seith sooth, for he hath slayn this yeer,
Henne over a mile, withinne a greet village,
Bothe man and womman, child, and hyne, and page."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The tavern keeper says that Death has indiscriminately killed people of all ages and from all walks of life, men, women and children, laborer and servant boy.

Herkneth, felawes, we thre been al ones;
Lat ech of us holde up his hand til oother,
And ech of us bicomen otheres brother,
And we wol sleen this false traytour Deeth.
He shal be slayn, he that so manye sleeth,
By Goddes dignitee, er it be nyght!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The three young drunkards swear an oath – "by God’s dignity" – to become the others’ brother and to slay this false traitor Death. They are so out of the minds with alcohol that they think Death is a real person, their servant boy having spoken metaphorically about him slaying so many during the Plague, including their friend. Their oath turns out to be a false one, a grave sin condemned by the Pardoner in his sermon.

Togidres han thise thre hir trouthes plight
To lyve and dyen ech of hem for oother,
As though he were his owene ybore brother.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The three rioters pledge an oath to live and die each for the other. There is a tragic irony in this, because at the end of the tale they do die for each other. Abandoning their pledge of brotherhood, they murder one another. Thus they have committed the sin of swearing a false oath.

An oold man and a povre with hem mette.
This olde man ful mekely hem grette,
And seyde thus, "Now, lordes, God yow see!"
The proudeste of thise riotoures three
Answerde agayn, "What, carl, with sory grace!
Why artow al forwrapped save thy face?
Why lyvestow so longe in so greet age?"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The three roisterers meet an Old Man at a stile, who greets them politely. But they are very rude to him and one of them even asks why is he still alive.

Ne Deeth, allas, ne wol nat han my lyf.
Thus walke I, lyk a restelees kaityf.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Old Man that the three revelers meet longs for Death to end the suffering of old age. But Death won’t take him, so he wanders likes a restless wretch, he tells them. He is responding to the most insolent of the three rioters who rudely asked why he had lived so long in such old age.

Thus walke I, lyk a restelees kaityf,
And on the ground, which is my moodres gate,
I knokke with my staf, bothe erly and late,
And seye "Leeve mooder, leet me in!
Lo, how I vanysshe, flessh and blood and skyn!
Allas, whan shul my bones been at reste?
Mooder, with yow wolde I chaunge my cheste
That in my chambre longe tyme hath be,
Ye, for an heyre clowt to wrappe me!"
But yet to me she wol nat do that grace,
For which ful pale and welked is my face.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The mysterious Old Man in the tale is often interpreted as being Death himself or his representative. Speaking to the three rioters, he describes himself as withered and wasting away in flash, bone and skin. He wanders the earth like a restless wretch, knocking on the door of Death so he can rest his bones. But Death won’t let him in, he tells the young revelers.

But, sires, to yow it is no curteisye
To speken to an old man vileynye,
But he trespasse in word or elles in dede.
In Hooly Writ ye may yourself wel rede:
"Agayns an oold man, hoor upon his heed,
Ye sholde arise;" wherfore I yeve yow reed,
Ne dooth unto an oold man noon harm now,
Namoore than that ye wolde men did to yow
In age, if that ye so longe abyde.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Old Man chides the three rioters for speaking rudely to him. It is written in the Bible, he reminds them, that in the presence of a gray-headed, old man, they should rise. So he advises them to do no harm now to an old man, no more than they would want people to do to them in old age, if they live so long. This is foreshadowing that the three young scoundrels, who continue to disrespect the Old Man, are not destined to live very long.

Thou spak right now of thilke traytour Deeth.
That in this contree alle oure freendes sleeth.
Have heer my trouthe, as thou art his espye,
Telle where he is or thou shalt it abye,
By God and by the hooly sacrement!
For soothly thou art oon of his assent
To sleen us yonge folk, thou false theef!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. One of the drunken rioters accuses the Old Man of being Death’s spy and being in league with him. Taking God’s name in vain, he warns the Old Man to reveal the whereabouts of the traitor Death who has been killing all their friends or the Old Man will pay for it.

"Now, sires," quod he, "if that yow be so leef
To fynde Deeth, turne up this croked wey,
For in that grove I lafte hym, by my fey,
Under a tree, and there he wole abyde;
Noght for youre boost he wole him no thyng hyde.
Se ye that ook? Right there ye shal hym fynde."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Old Man tells the three rioters that if they want to find Death, they should turn up this crooked way, and in a grove they will find him under an oak tree. He says that Death will be waiting there and will not hide from them because of their boast.

And everich of thise riotoures ran
Til he cam to that tree, and ther they founde
Of floryns fyne of gold ycoyned rounde
Wel ny an eighte busshels, as hem thoughte.
No lenger thanne after Deeth they soughte,
But ech of hem so glad was of that sighte,
For that the floryns been so faire and brighte.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. As soon as they find bags of gold by the tree, the three drunken revelers forget about the oath they swore to find Death and to slay him. Greed, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, has taken them over. This is an example of dramatic irony because the reader knows that the tale is about the wickedness of greed.

This tresor hath Fortune unto us yiven
In myrthe and joliftee oure lyf to lyven,
And lightly as it comth, so wol we spende.
Ey, Goddes precious dignitee! Who wende
To-day that we sholde han so fair a grace?
But myghte this gold be caried fro this place
Hoom to myn hous, or elles unto youres –
For wel ye woot that al this gold is oures –
Thanne were we in heigh felicitee.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The three young revelers are beside themselves with joy after discovering the bags of gold, it is as if they have won the lottery. They have no intention of turning it over to the rightful owner but intend to keep it for themselves. Fortune has given this treasure to them to live in mirth and jollity and spend on themselves, the leader of the scoundrels explains. So he suggests that they carry it home to one of their houses. And he takes the name of God in vain for good measure – "God’s precious dignity!" – a sin of blasphemy against the Second Commandment.

But trewely, by daye it may nat bee.
Men wolde seyn that we were theves stronge,
And for oure owene tresor doon us honge.
This tresor moste ycaried be by nyghte
As wisely and as slyly as it myghte.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The three young scoundrels may be stupidly drunk much of the time, but they are not stupid – even in the midst of their greed. The most vocal cautions against carrying off the gold they have found by day, otherwise they could be caught as thieves and hanged. So the treasure must be moved by night, as wisely and slyly as they can.

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