How we cite our quotes: (Line number)
Quote #7
Thy tonge is loste, and al thyn honeste cure;
For dronkennesse is verray sepulture
Of mannes wit and his discrecioun,
In whom that drynke hath dominacioun.
He kan no conseil kepe, it is no drede. (271 – 275)
The tongue of a drunk man is "lost," along with his "honeste cure"—the ability to think before you speak. In a culture concerned with careful speech, and particularly in a Prologue that's all about the powerful effects of speech, this is a serious issue. And while the Pardoner is a bit sanctimonious about it, we've all seen drunken rants. It's practically a celebrity meltdown cliché—saying outrageous stuff while drunk then apologizing like crazy once you sober up.
Quote #8
Gret sweryng is a thyng abhominable,
And fals sweryng is yet more reprevable.
The heighe God forbad sweryng at al,
Witnesse on Matthew; but in special
Of sweryng seith the hooly Jeremye,
"Thou shalt seye sooth thyne othes, and nat lye,
And swere in doom and eek in rightwisnesse;"
But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse. (345 – 352)
The reason that false swearing was such a sin in medieval times was that people were generally devout believers, so swearing on something in God's name was taken very seriously. When you swore an oath, you were invoking God. So "ydil sweryng" was a desecration of God's holy name. The rioters were prime examples, drunkenly swearing "by God's arms," "by God's holy bones," and "by God and the Bible." These were common phrases of the time, but when they weren't used seriously, they were a one-way ticket to you-know-where.