Page:The Canterbury tales of Geoffrey Chaucer.djvu/128

 For though a man be fallen into a jealous fit, let his pottage be made with this water and never shall he mistrust his wife more, though he knew the sooth of her fault, even had she taken two or three priests. Here ye may see a mitten eke; he that will put his hand in this mitten shall have multiplying of his grain when he hath sown, be it wheat or barley, if so be he offer pence, or else groats. Good men and women, one thing I warn you. If any wight be now in this church that hath done horrible sin, that he dare not for shame be shriven of it, or any woman, be she old or young, that hath hoodwinked her husband, such folk shall have no power nor grace to offer for my relics here. And whosoever findeth himself free from such fault let him come and offer in God's name, and I will assoil him by the authority which was granted me by bull.'

"By this trick I have won an hundred mark year by year, since I was a pardoner. I stand like a clerk in my pulpit, and when the lay people be set down, I preach as ye have heard and tell an hundred more false deceits. Then briskly I stretch forth my neck, and east and west I nod upon the people, like a dove sitting on a barn. My hands and my tongue go so nimbly that it is joy to see my diligence. My preaching is all of avarice ad such cursedness, to make them generous to give their pence, and especially to me. For my purpose is naught but gain, and not a whit correction of sin. I reck never, when they be in their graves, though their souls go a-blackberrying! For certes many a preaching cometh full oft of evil intention: one man to please folk and flatter them, to be advanced by hypocrisy, one for vain glory and another for hate. For when I dare quarrel with a man in none other wise, then will I sting him with my bitter tongue in preaching, so that he shall not escape