From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Pardoner's Tale, lines 516-550

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Pardoner's Tale
lines 516-550: An agreement on the division of the treasure between two men

	That oon of hem the cut broghte in his fest,
	And bad hym drawe, and looke where it wol falle;
	And it fil on the yongeste of hem alle,
	And forth toward the toun he wente anon.
520	And al so soone, as that he was agon,
	That oon of hem spak thus unto that oother,
	"Thou knowest wel thou art my sworen brother;
	Thy profit wol I telle thee anon.
	Thou woost wel, that oure felawe is agon,
525	And heere is gold, and that ful greet plentee,
	That shal departed been among us thre.
	But nathelees, if I kan shape it so
	That it departed were among us two,
	Hadde I nat doon a freendes torn to thee?"

	That one of them the cuts brought in his fist
	And bade them draw to see where it might fall;
	And it fell on the youngest of them all;
	And so, forth toward the town he went anon.
520	And just as soon as he had turned and gone,
	That one of them spoke thus unto the other:
	"You know well that you are my own sworn brother,
	So to your profit I will speak anon.
	You know well how our comrade is just gone;
525	And here is gold, and that in great plenty,
	That's to be parted here among us three.
	Nevertheless, if I can shape it so
	That it be parted only by us two,
	Shall I not do a turn that is friendly?"

530	That oother answerde, "I noot hou that may be;
	He woot how that the gold is with us tweye;
	What shal we doon? What shal we to hym seye?"
	"Shal it be conseil?" seyde the firste shrewe,
	"And I shal tellen, in a wordes fewe,
535	What we shal doon, and bryngen it wel aboute."
	"I graunte," quod that oother, "out of doute,
	That by my trouthe I shal thee nat biwreye."
	"Now," quod the firste, "thou woost wel we be tweye,
	And two of us shul strenger be than oon.
540	Looke whan that he is set, that right anoon
	Arys, as though thou woldest with hym pleye,
	And I shal ryve hym thurgh the sydes tweye,
	Whil that thou strogelest with hym as in game,
	And with thy daggere looke thou do the same;
545	And thanne shal al this gold departed be,
	My deere freend, bitwixen me and thee.
	Thanne may we bothe oure lustes all fulfille,
	And pleye at dees right at oure owene wille."
	And thus acorded been thise shrewes tweye
550	To sleen the thridde, as ye han herd me seye.

530	The other said: "Well, now, how can that be?
	He knows well that the gold is with us two.
	What shall we say to him? What shall we do?"
	"Shall it be secret?" asked the first rogue, then,
	"And I will tell you in eight words, or ten,
535	What we must do, and how bring it about."
	"Agreed," replied the other, "Never doubt,
	That, on my word, I nothing will betray."
	"Now," said the first, "we're two, and I dare say
	The two of us are stronger than is one.
540	Watch when he sits, and soon as that is done
	Arise and make as if with him to play;
	And I will thrust him through the two sides, yea,
	The while you romp with him as in a game,
	And with your dagger see you do the same;
545	And then shall all this gold divided be,
	My right dear friend, just between you and me;
	Then may we both our every wish fulfill
	And play at dice all at our own sweet will."
	And thus agreed were these two rogues, that day,
550	To slay the third, as you have heard me say.