The Parson's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme

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THE PROLOGUE	A
	-
	-
By that the Manciple his tale had ended	B
The sunne from the south line was descended	B
So lowe that it was not to my sight	C
Degrees nine and twenty as in height	C
Four of the clock it was then as I guess	D
For eleven foot a little more or less	D
My shadow was at thilke time as there	E
Of such feet as my lengthe parted were	F
In six feet equal of proportion	G
Therewith the moone's exaltation rising	H
In meane Libra gan alway ascend in the middle of	I
As we were ent'ring at a thorpe's end village's	J
For which our Host as he was wont to gie govern	K
As in this case our jolly company	L
Said in this wise 'Lordings every one	G
Now lacketh us no more tales than one	G
Fulfill'd is my sentence and my decree	L
I trow that we have heard of each degree from each class or rank	M
Almost fulfilled is mine ordinance in the company	L
I pray to God so give him right good chance	N
That telleth us this tale lustily	O
Sir Priest ' quoth he 'art thou a vicary vicar	F
Or art thou a Parson say sooth by thy fay faith	P
Be what thou be breake thou not our play	O
For every man save thou hath told his tale	O
Unbuckle and shew us what is in thy mail wallet	Q
For truely me thinketh by thy cheer	R
Thou shouldest knit up well a great mattere	R
Tell us a fable anon for cocke's bones '	-
	-
This Parson him answered all at ones	S
'Thou gettest fable none y told for me	L
For Paul that writeth unto Timothy	L
Reproveth them that weive soothfastness forsake truth	T
And telle fables and such wretchedness	S
Why should I sowe draff out of my fist chaff refuse	S
When I may sowe wheat if that me list	U
For which I say if that you list to hear	R
Morality and virtuous mattere	R
And then that ye will give me audience	S
I would full fain at Christe's reverence	S
Do you pleasance lawful as I can	V
But truste well I am a southern man	V
I cannot gest rom ram ruf by my letter relate stories	S
And God wot rhyme hold I but little better	R
And therefore if you list I will not glose mince matters	S
I will you tell a little tale in prose	S
To knit up all this feast and make an end	W
And Jesus for his grace wit me send	W
To shewe you the way in this voyage	X
Of thilke perfect glorious pilgrimage	X
That hight Jerusalem celestial	O
And if ye vouchesafe anon I shall	O
Begin upon my tale for which I pray	R
Tell your advice I can no better say opinion	G
But natheless this meditation	G
I put it aye under correction	G
Of clerkes for I am not textuel scholars	S
I take but the sentence trust me well meaning sense	S
Therefore I make a protestation	G
That I will stande to correction '	-
Upon this word we have assented soon	Y
For as us seemed it was for to do'n a thing worth doing	H
To enden in some virtuous sentence discourse	S
And for to give him space and audience	S
And bade our Host he shoulde to him say	R
That alle we to tell his tale him pray	R
Our Hoste had the wordes for us all	O
'Sir Priest ' quoth he 'now faire you befall	O
Say what you list and we shall gladly hear '	-
And with that word he said in this mannere	R
'Telle ' quoth he 'your meditatioun	Y
But hasten you the sunne will adown	Y
Be fructuous and that in little space fruitful profitable	O
And to do well God sende you his grace	S
	-
	-
	-
THE TALE	O
	-
	-
The Parson begins his 'little treatise' which if given at	Z
length would extend to about thirty of these pages and which	A2
cannot by any stretch of courtesy or fancy be said to merit the	B2
title of a 'Tale' in these words	S
	-
Our sweet Lord God of Heaven that no man will perish but	Q
will that we come all to the knowledge of him and to the	B2
blissful life that is perdurable everlasting admonishes us by	C2
the prophet Jeremiah that saith in this wise 'Stand upon the	B2
ways and see and ask of old paths that is to say of old	D2
sentences which is the good way and walk in that way and ye	L
shall find refreshing for your souls ' c Many be the	B2
spiritual ways that lead folk to our Lord Jesus Christ and to the	B2
reign of glory of which ways there is a full noble way and full	O
convenable which may not fail to man nor to woman that	Z
through sin hath misgone from the right way of Jerusalem	E2
celestial and this way is called penitence Of which men should	F2
gladly hearken and inquire with all their hearts to wit what is	S
penitence and whence it is called penitence and in what	Q
manner and in how many manners be the actions or workings	S
of penitence and how many species there be of penitences and	G2
what things appertain and behove to penitence and what things	S
disturb penitence	S
	-
Penitence is described on the authority of Saints Ambrose	S
Isidore and Gregory as the bewailing of sin that has been	Y
wrought with the purpose never again to do that thing or any	L
other thing which a man should bewail for weeping and not	H2
ceasing to do the sin will not avail though it is to be hoped	I2
that after every time that a man falls be it ever so often he may	R
find grace to arise through penitence And repentant folk that	Z
leave their sin ere sin leave them are accounted by Holy Church	J2
sure of their salvation even though the repentance be at the last	K2
hour There are three actions of penitence that a man be	L
baptized after he has sinned that he do no deadly sin after	R
receiving baptism and that he fall into no venial sins from day	R
to day 'Thereof saith St Augustine that penitence of good and	G2
humble folk is the penitence of every day ' The species of	I
penitence are three solemn when a man is openly expelled	L2
from Holy Church in Lent or is compelled by Holy Church to	M2
do open penance for an open sin openly talked of in the	B2
country common penance enjoined by priests in certain cases	S
as to go on pilgrimage naked or barefoot and privy penance	S
which men do daily for private sins of which they confess	S
privately and receive private penance To very perfect penitence	S
are behoveful and necessary three things contrition of heart	N2
confession of mouth and satisfaction which are fruitful	O
penitence against delight in thinking reckless speech and	G2
wicked sinful works	S
	-
Penitence may be likened to a tree having its root in contrition	Y
biding itself in the heart as a tree root does in the earth out of	I
this root springs a stalk that bears branches and leaves of	I
confession and fruit of satisfaction Of this root also springs a	B2
seed of grace which is mother of all security and this seed is	S
eager and hot and the grace of this seed springs of God	O2
through remembrance on the day of judgment and on the pains	S
of hell The heat of this seed is the love of God and the desire	R
of everlasting joy and this heat draws the heart of man to God	O2
and makes him hate his sin Penance is the tree of life to them	P2
that receive it In penance or contrition man shall understand	Q2
four things what is contrition what are the causes that move a	B2
man to contrition how he should be contrite and what	Q
contrition availeth to the soul Contrition is the heavy and	G2
grievous sorrow that a man receiveth in his heart for his sins	S
with earnest purpose to confess and do penance and never	R
more to sin Six causes ought to move a man to contrition	Y
He should remember him of his sins He should reflect that	Z
sin putteth a man in great thraldom and all the greater the	B2
higher is the estate from which he falls He should dread the	B2
day of doom and the horrible pains of hell The sorrowful	O
remembrance of the good deeds that man hath omitted to do	M2
here on earth and also the good that he hath lost ought to	M2
make him have contrition So also ought the remembrance of	I
the passion that our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sins	S
And so ought the hope of thre	R

Geoffrey Chaucer

The Parson's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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