Prosopopoia: Or Mother Hubbard's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEFGGHHAAIIJJJJ KKLLMMHJNNGGNNJJJJOP HJQQJJJJGGAAJJJJJJGG AAJJNN JJARSQJJJJJJJJTTJJJJ JJJJQQAAJJ| By that he ended had his ghostly sermon | A |
| The fox was well induc'd to be a parson | A |
| And of the priest eftsoons gan to inquire | B |
| How to a benefice he might aspire | B |
| Marry there said the priest is art indeed | C |
| Much good deep learning one thereout may read | D |
| For that the ground work is and end of all | E |
| How to obtain a beneficial | F |
| First therefore when ye have in handsome wise | G |
| Yourself attired as you can devise | G |
| Then to some nobleman yourself apply | H |
| Or other great one in the world e s eye | H |
| That hath a zealous disposition | A |
| To God and so to his religion | A |
| There must thou fashion eke a godly zeal | I |
| Such as no carpers may contrare reveal | I |
| For each thing feigned ought more wary be | J |
| There thou must walk in sober gravity | J |
| And seem as saint like as Saint Radegund | J |
| Fast much pray oft look lowly on the ground | J |
| And unto every one do courtesy meek | K |
| These looks nought saying do a benefice seek | K |
| But be thou sure one not to lack or long | L |
| And if thee list unto the court to throng | L |
| And there to hunt after the hoped prey | M |
| Then must thou thee dispose another way | M |
| For there thou needs must learn to laugh to lie | H |
| To face to forge to scoff to company | J |
| To crouch to please to be a beetle stock | N |
| Of thy great master's will to scorn or mock | N |
| So may'st thou chance mock out a benefice | G |
| Unless thou canst one conjure by device | G |
| Or cast a figure for a bishopric | N |
| And if one could it were but a school trick | N |
| These be the ways by which without reward | J |
| Livings in court be gotten though full hard | J |
| For nothing there is done without a fee | J |
| The courtier needs must recompensed be | J |
| With a benevolence or have in gage | O |
| The primitias of your parsonage | P |
| Scarce can a bishopric forpass them by | H |
| But that it must be gelt in privity | J |
| Do not thou therefore seek a living there | Q |
| But of more private persons seek elsewhere | Q |
| Whereas thou may'st compound a better penny | J |
| Ne let thy learning question'd be of any | J |
| For some good gentleman that hath the right | J |
| Unto his church for to present a wight | J |
| Will cope with thee in reasonable wise | G |
| That if the living yearly do arise | G |
| To forty pound that then his youngest son | A |
| Shall twenty have and twenty thou hast won | A |
| Thou hast it won for it is of frank gift | J |
| And he will care for all the rest to shift | J |
| Both that the bishop may admit of thee | J |
| And that therein thou may'st maintained be | J |
| This is the way for one that is unlearn'd | J |
| Living to get and not to be discern'd | J |
| But they that are great clerks have nearer ways | G |
| For learning sake to living them to raise | G |
| Yet many eke of them God wot are driven | A |
| T' accept a benefice in pieces riven | A |
| How say'st thou friend have I not well discourst | J |
| Upon this common place though plain not worst | J |
| Better a short tale than a bad long shriving | N |
| Needs any more to learn to get a living | N |
| - | |
| Now sure and by my halidom quoth he | J |
| Ye a great master are in your degree | J |
| Great thanks I yield you for your discipline | A |
| And do not doubt but duly to incline | R |
| My wits thereto as ye shall shortly hear | S |
| The priest him wish'd good speed and well to fare | Q |
| So parted they as either's way them led | J |
| But th' ape and fox ere long so well them sped | J |
| Through the priest's wholesome counsel lately taught | J |
| And through their own fair handling wisely wrought | J |
| That they a benefice 'twixt them obtained | J |
| And crafty Reynold was a priest ordained | J |
| And th' ape his parish clerk procur'd to be | J |
| Then made they revel rout and goodly glee | J |
| But ere long time had passed they so ill | T |
| Did order their affairs that th' evil will | T |
| Of all their parish'ners they had constrain'd | J |
| Who to the Ordinary of them complain'd | J |
| How foully they their offices abus'd | J |
| And them of crimes and heresies accus'd | J |
| That pursuivants he often for them sent | J |
| But they neglected his command e ment | J |
| So long persisted obstinate and bold | J |
| Till at the length he published to hold | J |
| A visitation and them cited thether | Q |
| Then was high time their wits about to geather | Q |
| What did they then but made a composition | A |
| With their next neighbour priest for light condition | A |
| To whom their living they resigned quite | J |
| For a few pence and ran away by night | J |
Edmund Spenser
(1)
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About Prosopopoia: Or Mother Hubbard's Tale
Prosopopoia: Or Mother Hubbard's Tale is a poem by Edmund Spenser. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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