{"id":1537,"date":"2019-07-05T14:40:33","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T14:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/epcc-britlit1\/?post_type=chapter&p=1537"},"modified":"2019-07-05T14:57:52","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T14:57:52","slug":"general-prologue-wife-of-bath-parson-plowman","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/epcc-britlit1\/chapter\/general-prologue-wife-of-bath-parson-plowman\/","title":{"raw":"General Prologue: Wife of Bath, Parson, Plowman","rendered":"General Prologue: Wife of Bath, Parson, Plowman"},"content":{"raw":"A good WIF was ther, OF biside BATHE,\r\nBut she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.\r\nOf clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt,\r\n450<\/span><\/small> She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.\r\nIn al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon\r\nThat to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;\r\nAnd if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she,\r\nThat she was out of alle charitee.\r\n455<\/span><\/small> Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;\r\nI dorste swere they weyeden ten pound\r\nThat on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.\r\nHir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,\r\nFul streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.\r\n460<\/span><\/small> Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.\r\nShe was a worthy womman al hir lyve:\r\nHousbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,\r\nWithouthen oother compaignye in youthe, \u2013\r\nBut therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.\r\n465<\/span><\/small> And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;\r\nShe hadde passed many a straunge strem;\r\nAt Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,\r\nIn Galice at Seint-Jame, and at Coloigne.\r\nShe koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.\r\n470<\/span><\/small> Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.\r\nUpon an amblere esily she sat,\r\nYwympled wel, and on hir heed an hat\r\nAs brood as is a bokeler or a targe;\r\nA foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,\r\n475<\/span><\/small> And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.\r\nIn felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.\r\nOf remedies of love she knew per chaunce,\r\nFor she koude of that art the olde daunce.\r\n\r\nA good man was ther of religioun,\r\n480<\/span><\/small> And was a povre PERSOUN OF A TOUN,\r\nBut riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.\r\nHe was also a lerned man, a clerk,\r\nThat Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;\r\nHis parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.\r\n485<\/span><\/small> Benynge he was, and wonder diligent,\r\nAnd in adversitee ful pacient,\r\nAnd swich he was ypreved ofte sithes.\r\nFul looth were hym to cursen for his tithes,\r\nBut rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,\r\n490<\/span><\/small> Unto his povre parisshens aboute\r\nOf his offryng and eek of his substaunce.\r\nHe koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.\r\nWyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,\r\nBut he ne lefte nat, for reyn ne thonder,\r\n495<\/span><\/small> In siknesse nor in meschief to visite\r\nThe ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite,\r\nUpon his feet, and in his hand a staf.\r\nThis noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,\r\nThat first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte.\r\n500<\/span><\/small> Out of the gosple he tho wordes caughte,\r\nAnd this figure he added eek therto,\r\nThat if gold ruste, what shal iren do?\r\nFor if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,\r\nNo wonder is a lewed man to ruste;\r\n505<\/span><\/small> And shame it is, if a prest take keep,\r\nA shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.\r\nWel oghte a preest ensample for to yive,\r\nBy his clennesse, how that his sheep sholde lyve.\r\nHe sette nat his benefice to hyre\r\n510<\/span><\/small> And leet his sheep encombred in the myre\r\nAnd ran to Londoun unto Seinte Poules\r\nTo seken hym a chaunterie for soules,\r\nOr with a bretherhed to been witholde;\r\nBut dwelt at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,\r\n515<\/span><\/small> So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie;\r\nHe was a shepherde and noght a mercenarie.\r\nAnd though he hooly were and vertuous,\r\nHe was to synful men nat despitous,\r\nNe of his speche daungerous ne digne,\r\n520<\/span><\/small> But in his techyng discreet and benygne;\r\nTo drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,\r\nBy good ensample, this was his bisynesse.\r\nBut it were any persone obstinat,\r\nWhat so he were, of heigh or lough estat,\r\n525<\/span><\/small> Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys.\r\nA bettre preest I trowe, that nowher noon ys.\r\nHe waited after no pompe and reverence,\r\nNe maked him a spiced conscience,\r\nBut Cristes loore, and Hise apostles twelve\r\n530<\/span><\/small> He taughte, but first he folwed it hymselve.\r\n\r\nWith hym ther was a PLOWMAN, was his brother,\r\nThat hadde ylad of dong ful many a fother;\r\nA trewe swynkere and a good was he,\r\nLyvynge in pees and parfit charitee.\r\n535<\/span><\/small> God loved he best with al his hoole herte\r\nAt alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,\r\nAnd thanne his neighebor right as hym-selve.\r\nHe wolde thresshe, and therto dyke and delve,\r\nFor Cristes sake, for every povre wight\r\n540<\/span><\/small> Withouten hire, if it lay in his myght.\r\nHise tithes payed he ful faire and wel,\r\nBothe of his propre swynk and his catel.\r\nIn a tabard he rood, upon a mere.","rendered":"

A good WIF was ther, OF biside BATHE,
\nBut she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.
\nOf clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt,
\n450<\/span><\/small> She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.
\nIn al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
\nThat to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;
\nAnd if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she,
\nThat she was out of alle charitee.
\n455<\/span><\/small> Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;
\nI dorste swere they weyeden ten pound
\nThat on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
\nHir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
\nFul streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.
\n460<\/span><\/small> Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
\nShe was a worthy womman al hir lyve:
\nHousbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,
\nWithouthen oother compaignye in youthe, \u2013
\nBut therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.
\n465<\/span><\/small> And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;
\nShe hadde passed many a straunge strem;
\nAt Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,
\nIn Galice at Seint-Jame, and at Coloigne.
\nShe koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.
\n470<\/span><\/small> Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
\nUpon an amblere esily she sat,
\nYwympled wel, and on hir heed an hat
\nAs brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
\nA foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
\n475<\/span><\/small> And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
\nIn felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.
\nOf remedies of love she knew per chaunce,
\nFor she koude of that art the olde daunce.<\/p>\n

A good man was ther of religioun,
\n480<\/span><\/small> And was a povre PERSOUN OF A TOUN,
\nBut riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.
\nHe was also a lerned man, a clerk,
\nThat Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;
\nHis parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.
\n485<\/span><\/small> Benynge he was, and wonder diligent,
\nAnd in adversitee ful pacient,
\nAnd swich he was ypreved ofte sithes.
\nFul looth were hym to cursen for his tithes,
\nBut rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,
\n490<\/span><\/small> Unto his povre parisshens aboute
\nOf his offryng and eek of his substaunce.
\nHe koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.
\nWyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,
\nBut he ne lefte nat, for reyn ne thonder,
\n495<\/span><\/small> In siknesse nor in meschief to visite
\nThe ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite,
\nUpon his feet, and in his hand a staf.
\nThis noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,
\nThat first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte.
\n500<\/span><\/small> Out of the gosple he tho wordes caughte,
\nAnd this figure he added eek therto,
\nThat if gold ruste, what shal iren do?
\nFor if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,
\nNo wonder is a lewed man to ruste;
\n505<\/span><\/small> And shame it is, if a prest take keep,
\nA shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.
\nWel oghte a preest ensample for to yive,
\nBy his clennesse, how that his sheep sholde lyve.
\nHe sette nat his benefice to hyre
\n510<\/span><\/small> And leet his sheep encombred in the myre
\nAnd ran to Londoun unto Seinte Poules
\nTo seken hym a chaunterie for soules,
\nOr with a bretherhed to been witholde;
\nBut dwelt at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,
\n515<\/span><\/small> So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie;
\nHe was a shepherde and noght a mercenarie.
\nAnd though he hooly were and vertuous,
\nHe was to synful men nat despitous,
\nNe of his speche daungerous ne digne,
\n520<\/span><\/small> But in his techyng discreet and benygne;
\nTo drawen folk to hevene by fairnesse,
\nBy good ensample, this was his bisynesse.
\nBut it were any persone obstinat,
\nWhat so he were, of heigh or lough estat,
\n525<\/span><\/small> Hym wolde he snybben sharply for the nonys.
\nA bettre preest I trowe, that nowher noon ys.
\nHe waited after no pompe and reverence,
\nNe maked him a spiced conscience,
\nBut Cristes loore, and Hise apostles twelve
\n530<\/span><\/small> He taughte, but first he folwed it hymselve.<\/p>\n

With hym ther was a PLOWMAN, was his brother,
\nThat hadde ylad of dong ful many a fother;
\nA trewe swynkere and a good was he,
\nLyvynge in pees and parfit charitee.
\n535<\/span><\/small> God loved he best with al his hoole herte
\nAt alle tymes, thogh him gamed or smerte,
\nAnd thanne his neighebor right as hym-selve.
\nHe wolde thresshe, and therto dyke and delve,
\nFor Cristes sake, for every povre wight
\n540<\/span><\/small> Withouten hire, if it lay in his myght.
\nHise tithes payed he ful faire and wel,
\nBothe of his propre swynk and his catel.
\nIn a tabard he rood, upon a mere.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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Public domain content<\/div>