| | Som poison that he mighte his rattis quelle | |
| | And eek therwith was a polcat in his hawe | |
| | That as he sayde his capons hadde slawe | |
| | And sayde he wolde wreke hem yf he mighte | |
| 530 | Of vermyn that destroyde hem be nyghte | |
| | The potecary answerd thou shalt haue | |
| | A thing as wisly god my soule saue | |
| | In al this worlde ther is no creature | |
| | That etyn or drynkyn hath of this confecture | |
| 535 | Not but the mounteunce of a corn of whete | |
| | That he ne shal anon his lif forlete | |
| | Ye sterue he shal and that in lasse whyle | |
| | Or thou wolt go passing half a myle | |
| | This poyson is so strong and so violent | |
| 540 | This cursid man hath in his hond it hent | |
| | And swithe in to the strete vnto a man | |
| | As faste as euer he mighte he ran | |
| | And borwid hym large botellis thre | |
| | And in to the tweyne the poyson pourid he | |
| 545 | The thridde he kepte clene for his drynke | |
| | For al nyght he shoop hym forto swynke | |
| | In cariynge of this gold . out of this place | |
| | And whan this Riotour with sory grace | |
| | Hadde fillid ful his grete botellis thre | |
| 550 | To his felowis ayeen repayrith he | |
| | What nedith it to sermone of it more | |
| | For right as they hadde cast his deth afore | |
| | Right so they haue hym sleyn right anone | |
| | And when this was doon than spak that one | |
