Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/607

 The Secret of Chaucer's Pardoner 603 Kittredge, "has not always been an assassin of souls. He is a renegade, perhaps, from some holy order. Once he preached for Christ's sake; and now, under the spell of the wonderful story he has told and of recollections that stir within him, he suffers a very paroxysm of agonized sincerity." 50 But it can last for only a moment. Regaining his wonted impudence after the unexpected "emotional crisis," he offers his pardons and relics for sale to the Pilgrims themselves, suggesting that the Host be the first to come forward. Harry Baily, not under- standing the rascal's "moral convulsion," answers with a "rough jocularity" which precipitates the furious anger of the rebuffed Pardoner. It is a beautiful theory. We should like to believe that even this "lost soul" may be touched by the beautiful and the tragic. But unfortunately, knowing his secret as we now do, we are forced to a different interpertation of his concluding remark, . . . and, lo, sirs, thus I preche. And Jesu Crist, that is our soules leche, So graunte yow his pardon to receyve, For that is best; I wol yow nat deceyve. 51 We see in this only a preparation for his proposed master-stroke of deception. He has already revealed with amazing frankness the fraud which he is accustomed to practice upon his hearers; he has illustrated with eloquence and dramatic power the manner in which results are obtained in his profession. He is evidently proud of his skill. To hypnotize the Pilgrims into buying worthless relics after he has declared his own perfidy, would constitute the crowning success of his career. Turning suddenly to them he says, in effect: "Lo, sirs, this is the way I preach to ignorant people. But you are my friends; may God grant that you may receive the pardon of Jesus Christ; I would never deceive youl Come, now, and kiss this relic." But he reckons without his Host! That he should be taken for a fool somewhat angers the estimable inn-keeper, who replies in his momentary heat with a direct reference to the Pardoner's infirmity, 80 Ibid., p. 217; Atlantic, Vol. 72, p. 833. C. T., C. 915.