Prosopopoia: Or Mother Hubbard's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEFGGHHAAIIJJJJ KKLLMMHJNNGGNNJJJJOP HJQQJJJJGGAAJJJJJJGG AAJJNN JJARSQJJJJJJJJTTJJJJ JJJJQQAAJJBy 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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