{"id":875,"date":"2019-03-30T20:38:34","date_gmt":"2019-03-30T20:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/epcc-britlit1\/?post_type=chapter&p=875"},"modified":"2019-07-05T14:15:49","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T14:15:49","slug":"875","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/epcc-britlit1\/chapter\/875\/","title":{"raw":"The Parson's Prologue","rendered":"The Parson’s Prologue"},"content":{"raw":"
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<\/span>The Parson's Prologue<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
\r\n\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0By that the Maunciple hadde his tale al ended,\r\nThe sonne fro the south lyne was descended\r\nSo lowe that he nas nat, to my sighte,\r\nDegrees nyne and twenty as in highte.\r\n5<\/span><\/small> Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse,\r\nFor ellevene foot, or litel moore or lesse,\r\nMy shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there,\r\nOf swiche feet as my lengthe parted were\r\nIn sixe feet equal of proporcioun.\r\n10<\/span><\/small> Therwith the moones exaltacioun,\r\nI meene libra, alwey gan ascende,\r\nAs we were entryng at a thropes ende;\r\nFor which oure Hoost, as he was wont to gye,\r\nAs in this caas, oure joly compaignye,\r\n15<\/span><\/small> Seyde in this wise: \"lordynges everichoon,\r\nNow lakketh us no tales mo than oon.\r\nFulfilled is my sentence and my decree;\r\nI trowe that we han herd of ech degree;\r\nAlmoost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce.\r\n20<\/span><\/small> I pray to God, so yeve hym right good chaunce,\r\nThat telleth this tale to us lustily.\r\n\r\n\"Sire preest,\" quod he, artow a vicary?\r\nOr arte a person? Sey sooth, by the fey!\r\nBe what thou be, ne breke thou nat oure pley;\r\n25<\/span><\/small> For every man, save thou, hath toold his tale.\r\nUnbokele, and shewe us what is in thy male;\r\nFor, trewely, me thynketh by thy cheere\r\nThou sholdest knytte up wel a greet mateere.\r\nTelle us a fable anon, for cokkes bones!\"\r\n\r\n30<\/span><\/small> This Persoun answerde, al atones,\r\n\"Thou getest fable noon ytoold for me;\r\nFor Paul, that writeth unto Thymothee,\r\nRepreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse,\r\nAnd tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse.\r\n35<\/span><\/small> Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest,\r\nWhan I may sowen whete, if that me lest?\r\nFor which I seye, if that yow list to heere\r\nMoralitee and vertuous mateere,\r\nAnd thanne that ye wol yeve me audience,\r\n40<\/span><\/small> I wol ful fayn, at Cristes reverence,\r\nDo yow plesaunce leefful, as I kan.\r\nBut trusteth wel, I am a southren man,\r\nI kan nat geeste 'rum, ram, ruf,' by lettre,\r\nNe, God woot, ryn holde I but litel bettre;\r\n45<\/span><\/small> And therfore, if yow list - I wol nat glose -\r\nI wol yow telle a myrie tale in prose\r\nTo knytte up al this feeste, and make an ende.\r\nAnd Jhesu, for his grace, wit me sende\r\nTo shewe yow the wey, in this viage,\r\n50<\/span><\/small> Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrymage\r\nThat highte Jerusalem celestial.\r\nAnd if ye vouche sauf, anon I shal\r\nBigynne upon my tale, for which I preye\r\nTelle youre avys, I kan no bettre seye.\r\n\r\n55<\/span><\/small> But nathelees, this meditacioun\r\nI putte it ay under correccioun\r\nOf clerkes, for I am nat textueel;\r\nI take but the sentence, trusteth weel.\r\nTherfore I make protestacioun\r\n60<\/span><\/small> That I wol stonde to correccioun.\"\r\n\r\nUpon this word we han assented soone,\r\nFor, as it seemed, it was for to doone,\r\nTo enden in som vertuous sentence,\r\nAnd for to yeve hym space and audience;\r\n65<\/span><\/small> And bade oure Hoost he sholde to hym seye\r\nThat alle we to telle his tale hym preye.\r\n\r\nOure Hoost hadde the wordes for us alle:\r\n\"Sire preest,\" quod he, \"now faire yow bifalle!\r\nTelleth,\" quod he, \"youre meditacioun.\r\n70<\/span><\/small> But hasteth yow, the sonne wole adoun;\r\nBeth fructuous, and that in litel space,\r\nAnd to do wel God sende yow his grace!\r\nSey what yow list, and we wol gladly heere.\"\r\nAnd with that word he seyde in this manere.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"
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<\/span>The Parson’s Prologue<\/span><\/h2>\n
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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0By that the Maunciple hadde his tale al ended,
\nThe sonne fro the south lyne was descended
\nSo lowe that he nas nat, to my sighte,
\nDegrees nyne and twenty as in highte.
\n5<\/span><\/small> Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse,
\nFor ellevene foot, or litel moore or lesse,
\nMy shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there,
\nOf swiche feet as my lengthe parted were
\nIn sixe feet equal of proporcioun.
\n10<\/span><\/small> Therwith the moones exaltacioun,
\nI meene libra, alwey gan ascende,
\nAs we were entryng at a thropes ende;
\nFor which oure Hoost, as he was wont to gye,
\nAs in this caas, oure joly compaignye,
\n15<\/span><\/small> Seyde in this wise: “lordynges everichoon,
\nNow lakketh us no tales mo than oon.
\nFulfilled is my sentence and my decree;
\nI trowe that we han herd of ech degree;
\nAlmoost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce.
\n20<\/span><\/small> I pray to God, so yeve hym right good chaunce,
\nThat telleth this tale to us lustily.<\/p>\n

“Sire preest,” quod he, artow a vicary?
\nOr arte a person? Sey sooth, by the fey!
\nBe what thou be, ne breke thou nat oure pley;
\n25<\/span><\/small> For every man, save thou, hath toold his tale.
\nUnbokele, and shewe us what is in thy male;
\nFor, trewely, me thynketh by thy cheere
\nThou sholdest knytte up wel a greet mateere.
\nTelle us a fable anon, for cokkes bones!”<\/p>\n

30<\/span><\/small> This Persoun answerde, al atones,
\n“Thou getest fable noon ytoold for me;
\nFor Paul, that writeth unto Thymothee,
\nRepreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse,
\nAnd tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse.
\n35<\/span><\/small> Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest,
\nWhan I may sowen whete, if that me lest?
\nFor which I seye, if that yow list to heere
\nMoralitee and vertuous mateere,
\nAnd thanne that ye wol yeve me audience,
\n40<\/span><\/small> I wol ful fayn, at Cristes reverence,
\nDo yow plesaunce leefful, as I kan.
\nBut trusteth wel, I am a southren man,
\nI kan nat geeste ‘rum, ram, ruf,’ by lettre,
\nNe, God woot, ryn holde I but litel bettre;
\n45<\/span><\/small> And therfore, if yow list – I wol nat glose –
\nI wol yow telle a myrie tale in prose
\nTo knytte up al this feeste, and make an ende.
\nAnd Jhesu, for his grace, wit me sende
\nTo shewe yow the wey, in this viage,
\n50<\/span><\/small> Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrymage
\nThat highte Jerusalem celestial.
\nAnd if ye vouche sauf, anon I shal
\nBigynne upon my tale, for which I preye
\nTelle youre avys, I kan no bettre seye.<\/p>\n

55<\/span><\/small> But nathelees, this meditacioun
\nI putte it ay under correccioun
\nOf clerkes, for I am nat textueel;
\nI take but the sentence, trusteth weel.
\nTherfore I make protestacioun
\n60<\/span><\/small> That I wol stonde to correccioun.”<\/p>\n

Upon this word we han assented soone,
\nFor, as it seemed, it was for to doone,
\nTo enden in som vertuous sentence,
\nAnd for to yeve hym space and audience;
\n65<\/span><\/small> And bade oure Hoost he sholde to hym seye
\nThat alle we to telle his tale hym preye.<\/p>\n

Oure Hoost hadde the wordes for us alle:
\n“Sire preest,” quod he, “now faire yow bifalle!
\nTelleth,” quod he, “youre meditacioun.
\n70<\/span><\/small> But hasteth yow, the sonne wole adoun;
\nBeth fructuous, and that in litel space,
\nAnd to do wel God sende yow his grace!
\nSey what yow list, and we wol gladly heere.”
\nAnd with that word he seyde in this manere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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CC licensed content, Original<\/div>