The Character Of A Good Parson.[1] Poem Rhyme Scheme

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A parish priest was of the pilgrim train	A
An awful reverend and religious man	B
His eyes diffused a venerable grace	C
And charity itself was in his face	C
Rich was his soul though his attire was poor	D
As God had clothed his own ambassador	E
For such on earth his bless'd Redeemer bore	F
Of sixty years he seem'd and well might last	G
To sixty more but that he lived too fast	G
Refined himself to soul to curb the sense	H
And made almost a sin of abstinence	I
Yet had his aspect nothing of severe	J
But such a face as promised him sincere	J
Nothing reserved or sullen was to see	K
But sweet regards and pleasing sanctity	K
Mild was his accent and his action free	K
With eloquence innate his tongue was arm'd	L
Though harsh the precept yet the preacher charm'd	L
For letting down the golden chain from high	M
He drew his audience upward to the sky	M
And oft with holy hymns he charm'd their ears	N
A music more melodious than the spheres	N
For David left him when he went to rest	O
His lyre and after him he sung the best	O
He bore his great commission in his look	P
But sweetly temper'd awe and soften'd all he spoke	Q
He preach'd the joys of heaven and pains of hell	R
And warn'd the sinner with becoming zeal	S
But on eternal mercy loved to dwell	R
He taught the gospel rather than the law	T
And forced himself to drive but loved to draw	T
For fear but freezes minds but love like heat	U
Exhales the soul sublime to seek her native seat	U
To threats the stubborn sinner oft is hard	V
Wrapp'd in his crimes against the storm prepared	W
But when the milder beams of mercy play	X
He melts and throws his cumbrous cloak away	X
Lightning and thunder heaven's artillery	K
As harbingers before the Almighty fly	M
Those but proclaim his style and disappear	J
The stiller sound succeeds and God is there	Y
	-
The tithes his parish freely paid he took	P
But never sued or cursed with bell and book	P
With patience bearing wrong but offering none	Z
Since every man is free to lose his own	A2
The country churls according to their kind	B2
Who grudge their dues and love to be behind	B2
The less he sought his offerings pinch'd the more	F
And praised a priest contented to be poor	D
	-
Yet of his little he had some to spare	Y
To feed the famish'd and to clothe the bare	Y
For mortified he was to that degree	K
A poorer than himself he would not see	K
True priests he said and preachers of the Word	C2
Were only stewards of their sovereign Lord	D2
Nothing was theirs but all the public store	F
Intrusted riches to relieve the poor	D
Who should they steal for want of his relief	E2
He judged himself accomplice with the thief	E2
	-
Wide was his parish not contracted close	F2
In streets but here and there a straggling house	G2
Yet still he was at hand without request	O
To serve the sick to succour the distress'd	O
Tempting on foot alone without affright	O
The dangers of a dark tempestuous night	O
	-
All this the good old man perform'd alone	A2
Nor spared his pains for curate he had none	Z
Nor durst he trust another with his care	Y
Nor rode himself to Paul's the public fair	Y
To chaffer for preferment with his gold	O
Where bishoprics and sinecures are sold	O
But duly watch'd his flock by night and day	O
And from the prowling wolf redeem'd the prey	O
And hungry sent the wily fox away	O
	-
The proud he tamed the penitent he cheer'd	O
Nor to rebuke the rich offender fear'd	O
His preaching much but more his practice wrought	O
A living sermon of the truths he taught	O
For this by rules severe his life he squared	O
That all might see the doctrine which they heard	O
For priests he said are patterns for the rest	O
The gold of heaven who bear the God impress'd	O
But when the precious coin is kept unclean	H2
The Sovereign's image is no longer seen	H2
If they be foul on whom the people trust	O
Well may the baser brass contract a rust	O
	-
The prelate for his holy life he prized	O
The worldly pomp of prelacy despised	O
His Saviour came not with a gaudy show	I2
Nor was his kingdom of the world below	I2
Patience in want and poverty of mind	O
These marks of Church and Churchmen he design'd	O
And living taught and dying left behind	O
The crown he wore was of the pointed thorn	J2
In purple he was crucified not born	J2
They who contend for place and high degree	K
Are not his sons but those of Zebedee	O
	-
Not but he knew the signs of earthly power	E
Might well become Saint Peter's successor	E
The holy father holds a double reign	A
The prince may keep his pomp the fisher must be plain	A
	-
Such was the saint who shone with every grace	C
Reflecting Moses' like his Maker's face	C
God saw his image lively was express'd	O
And his own work as in creation bless'd	O
	-
The Tempter saw him too with envious eye	M
And as on Job demanded leave to try	M
He took the time when Richard was deposed	O
And high and low with happy Harry closed	O
This prince though great in arms the priest withstood	O
Near though he was yet not the next of blood	O
Had Richard unconstrain'd resign'd the throne	A2
A king can give no more than is his own	A2
The title stood entail'd had Richard had a son	Z
	-
Conquest an odious name was laid aside	O
Where all submitted none the battle tried	O
The senseless plea of right by Providence	I
Was by a flattering priest invented since	K2
And lasts no longer than the present sway	O
But justifies the next who comes in play	O
	-
The people's right remains let those who dare	Y
Dispute their power when they the judges are	L2
	-
He join'd not in their choice because he knew	M2
Worse might and often did from change ensue	M2
Much to himself he thought but little spoke	Q
And undeprived his benefice forsook	P
	-
Now through the land his cure of souls he stretch'd	O
And like a primitive apostle preach'd	O
Still cheerful ever constant to his call	N2
By many follow'd loved by most admired by all	N2
With what he begg'd his brethren he relieved	O
And gave the charities himself received	O
Gave while he taught and edified the more	F
Because he showed by proof 'twas easy to be poor	D
	-
He went not with the crowd to see a shrine	O2
But fed us by the way with food divine	O2
	-
In deference to his virtues I forbear	D
To show you what the rest in orders were	D
This brilliant is so spotless and so bright	O
He needs no foil but shines by his own proper light	O

John Dryden

The Character Of A Good Parson.[1] Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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