The Friar's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme

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This worthy limitour this noble Frere	A
He made always a manner louring cheer countenance	B
Upon the Sompnour but for honesty courtesy	C
No villain word as yet to him spake he	C
But at the last he said unto the Wife	D
'Dame ' quoth he 'God give you right good life	D
Ye have here touched all so may I the thrive	E
In school matter a greate difficulty	C
Ye have said muche thing right well I say	F
But Dame here as we ride by the way	F
Us needeth not but for to speak of game	G
And leave authorities in Godde's name	G
To preaching and to school eke of clergy	C
But if it like unto this company	C
I will you of a Sompnour tell a game	G
Pardie ye may well knowe by the name	G
That of a Sompnour may no good be said	H
I pray that none of you be evil paid dissatisfied	I
A Sompnour is a runner up and down	J
With mandements for fornicatioun mandates summonses	K
And is y beat at every towne's end '	L
Then spake our Host 'Ah sir ye should be hend civil gentle	M
And courteous as a man of your estate	N
In company we will have no debate	N
Tell us your tale and let the Sompnour be '	L
'Nay ' quoth the Sompnour 'let him say by me	C
What so him list when it comes to my lot	O
By God I shall him quiten every groat pay him off	P
I shall him telle what a great honour	A
It is to be a flattering limitour	A
And his office I shall him tell y wis'	K
Our Host answered 'Peace no more of this '	L
And afterward he said unto the frere	A
'Tell forth your tale mine owen master dear '	L
	-
	-
THE TALE	Q
	-
	-
Whilom there was dwelling in my country once on a time	R
An archdeacon a man of high degree	A
That boldely did execution	S
In punishing of fornication	S
Of witchecraft and eke of bawdery	A
Of defamation and adultery	A
Of churche reeves and of testaments churchwardens	K
Of contracts and of lack of sacraments	K
And eke of many another manner crime sort of	T
Which needeth not rehearsen at this time	R
Of usury and simony also	K
But certes lechours did he greatest woe	K
They shoulde singen if that they were hent caught	O
And smale tithers lt gt were foul y shent troubled put to shame	G
If any person would on them complain	S
There might astert them no pecunial pain lt gt	O
For smalle tithes and small offering	U
He made the people piteously to sing	U
For ere the bishop caught them with his crook	V
They weren in the archedeacon's book	V
Then had he through his jurisdiction	S
Power to do on them correction	S
	-
He had a Sompnour ready to his hand	O
A slier boy was none in Engleland	O
For subtlely he had his espiaille espionage	W
That taught him well where it might aught avail	Q
He coulde spare of lechours one or two	X
To teache him to four and twenty mo'	G
For though this Sompnour wood be as a hare furious mad	O
To tell his harlotry I will not spare	A
For we be out of their correction	S
They have of us no jurisdiction	S
Ne never shall have term of all their lives	K
	-
'Peter so be the women of the stives ' stews	K
Quoth this Sompnour 'y put out of our cure ' care	A
	-
'Peace with mischance and with misaventure '	-
Our Hoste said 'and let him tell his tale	Q
Now telle forth and let the Sompnour gale whistle bawl	Y
Nor spare not mine owen master dear '	-
	-
This false thief the Sompnour quoth the Frere	A
Had always bawdes ready to his hand	O
As any hawk to lure in Engleland	O
That told him all the secrets that they knew	X
For their acquaintance was not come of new	X
They were his approvers privily informers	K
He took himself at great profit thereby	Z
His master knew not always what he wan won	S
Withoute mandement a lewed man ignorant	O
He could summon on pain of Christe's curse	K
And they were inly glad to fill his purse	K
And make him greate feastes at the nale alehouse	K
And right as Judas hadde purses smale small	Y
And was a thief right such a thief was he	A
His master had but half his duety what was owing him	G
He was if I shall give him his laud	O
A thief and eke a Sompnour and a bawd	O
And he had wenches at his retinue	X
That whether that Sir Robert or Sir Hugh	X
Or Jack or Ralph or whoso that it were	A
That lay by them they told it in his ear	A
Thus were the wench and he of one assent	O
And he would fetch a feigned mandement	O
And to the chapter summon them both two	X
And pill the man and let the wenche go plunder pluck	A2
Then would he say 'Friend I shall for thy sake	B2
Do strike thee out of oure letters blake black	C2
Thee thar no more as in this case travail need	O
I am thy friend where I may thee avail '	-
Certain he knew of bribers many mo'	G
Than possible is to tell in yeare's two	X
For in this world is no dog for the bow lt gt	O
That can a hurt deer from a whole know	K
Bet than this Sompnour knew a sly lechour better	A
Or an adult'rer or a paramour	A
And for that was the fruit of all his rent	O
Therefore on it he set all his intent	O
	-
And so befell that once upon a day	O
This Sompnour waiting ever on his prey	O
Rode forth to summon a widow an old ribibe lt gt	O
Feigning a cause for he would have a bribe	D2
And happen'd that he saw before him ride	O
A gay yeoman under a forest side	O
A bow he bare and arrows bright and keen	S
He had upon a courtepy of green short doublet	O
A hat upon his head with fringes blake black	C2
'Sir ' quoth this Sompnour 'hail and well o'ertake '	-
'Welcome ' quoth he 'and every good fellaw	Y
Whither ridest thou under this green shaw ' shade	O
Saide this yeoman 'wilt thou far to day '	-
This Sompnour answer'd him and saide 'Nay	S
Here faste by ' quoth he 'is mine intent	O
To ride for to raisen up a rent	O
That longeth to my lorde's duety '	-
'Ah art thou then a bailiff ' 'Yea ' quoth he	A
He durste not for very filth and shame	G
Say that he was a Sompnour for the name	G
'De par dieux ' lt gt quoth this yeoman 'leve brother dear	A
Thou art a bailiff and I am another	A
I am unknowen as in this country	A
Of thine acquaintance I will praye thee	A
And eke of brotherhood if that thee list please	K
I have gold and silver lying in my chest	O
If that thee hap to come into our shire	A
All shall be thine right as thou wilt desire '	-
'Grand mercy ' quoth this Sompnour 'by my faith ' great thanks	K
Each in the other's hand his trothe lay'th	E2
For to be sworne brethren till they dey die lt gt	O
In dalliance they ride forth and play	Y
	-
This Sompnour which that was as full of jangles chattering	U
As full of venom be those wariangles butcher birds lt gt	O
And ev'r inquiring upon every thing	U
'Brother ' quoth he 'where is now your dwelling	U
Another day if that I should you seech ' seek visit	O
This yeoman him answered in soft speech	F2
Brother ' quoth he 'far in the North country lt gt	O
Where as I hope some time I shall thee see	A
Ere we depart I shall thee so well wiss inform	G
That of mine house shalt thou never miss '	-
Now brother ' quoth this Sompnour 'I you pray	Y
Teach me while that we ride by the way	Y
Since that ye be a bailiff as am I	Z
Some subtilty and tell me faithfully	A
For mine office how that I most may win	S
And spare not for conscience or for sin conceal nothing	U
But as my brother tell me how do ye '	-
Now by my trothe brother mine ' said he	A
As I shall tell to thee a faithful tale	Y
My wages be full strait and eke full smale	Y
My lord is hard to me and dangerous niggardly	A
And mine office is full laborious	K
And therefore by extortion I live	E
Forsooth I take all that men will me give	G2
Algate by sleighte or by violence whether	A
From year to year I win all my dispence	K
I can no better tell thee faithfully '	-
Now certes ' quoth this Sompnour 'so fare I do	O
I spare not to take God it wot	O
But if it be too heavy or too hot unless	K
What I may get in counsel privily	A
No manner conscience of that have I	Z
N'ere mine extortion I might not live were it not for	A
For of such japes will I not be shrive tricks confessed	O
Stomach nor conscience know I none	S
I shrew	A

Geoffrey Chaucer

The Friar's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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