The Prioress's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme

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William Wordsworth

The Prioress's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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FROM CHAUCER	A
	-
Call up him who left half told	B
The story of Cambuscan bold	B
	-
I	-
	-
O Lord our Lord how wondrously quoth she	C
Thy name in this large world is spread abroad	D
For not alone by men of dignity	C
Thy worship is performed and precious laud	D
But by the mouths of children gracious God	E
Thy goodness is set forth they when they lie	-
Upon the breast thy name do glorify	-
	-
II	-
	-
Wherefore in praise the worthiest that I may	F
Jesu of thee and the white Lily flower	A
Which did thee bear and is a Maid for aye	-
To tell a story I will use my power	A
Not that I may increase her honour's dower	G
For she herself is honour and the root	H
Of goodness next her Son our soul's best boot	H
	-
III	-
	-
O Mother Maid O Maid and Mother free	C
O bush unburnt burning in Moses' sight	I
That down didst ravish from the Deity	C
Through humbleness the spirit that did alight	I
Upon thy heart whence through that glory's might	I
Conceived was the Father's sapience	J
Help me to tell it in thy reverence	J
	-
IV	-
	-
Lady thy goodness thy magnificence	J
Thy virtue and thy great humility	C
Surpass all science and all utterance	J
For sometimes Lady ere men pray to thee	C
Thou goest before in thy benignity	C
The light to us vouchsafing of thy prayer	K
To be our guide unto thy Son so dear	L
	-
V	C
	-
My knowledge is so weak O blissful Queen	M
To tell abroad thy mighty worthiness	J
That I the weight of it may not sustain	N
But as a child of twelvemonths old or less	J
That laboureth his language to express	J
Even so fare I and therefore I thee pray	F
Guide thou my song which I of thee shall say	F
	-
VI	-
	-
There was in Asia in a mighty town	O
'Mong Christian folk a street where Jews might be	C
Assigned to them and given them for their own	P
By a great Lord for gain and usury	C
Hateful to Christ and to his company	C
And through this street who list might ride and wend	C
Free was it and unbarred at either end	C
	-
VII	-
	-
A little school of Christian people stood	C
Down at the farther end in which there were	A
A nest of children come of Christian blood	C
That learned in that school from year to year	L
Such sort of doctrine as men used there	K
That is to say to sing and read also	J
As little children in their childhood do	C
	-
VIII	-
	-
Among these children was a Widow's son	Q
A little scholar scarcely seven years old	C
Who day by day unto this school hath gone	R
And eke when he the image did behold	C
Of Jesu's Mother as he had been told	C
This Child was wont to kneel adown and say	F
Ave Marie as he goeth by the way	F
	-
IX	F
	-
This Widow thus her little Son hath taught	C
Our blissful Lady Jesu's Mother dear	L
To worship aye and he forgat it not	C
For simple infant hath a ready ear	S
Sweet is the holiness of youth and hence	F
Calling to mind this matter when I may	F
Saint Nicholas in my presence standeth aye	-
For he so young to Christ did reverence	F
	-
X	F
	-
This little Child while in the school he sate	C
His Primer conning with an earnest cheer	L
The whilst the rest their anthem book repeat	C
The Alma Redemptoris did he hear	S
And as he durst he drew him near and near	L
And hearkened to the words and to the note	C
Till the first verse he learned it all by rote	C
	-
XI	F
	-
This Latin knew he nothing what it said	C
For he too tender was of age to know	J
But to his comrade he repaired and prayed	C
That he the meaning of this song would show	J
And unto him declare why men sing so	J
This oftentimes that he might be at ease	F
This child did him beseech on his bare knees	F
	-
XII	F
	-
His Schoolfellow who elder was than he	F
Answered him thus 'This song I have heard say	F
Was fashioned for our blissful Lady free	F
Her to salute and also her to pray	F
To be our help upon our dying day	F
If there is more in this I know it not	C
Song do I learn small grammar I have got '	-
	-
XIII	F
	-
'And is this song fashioned in reverence	F
Of Jesu's Mother ' said this Innocent	C
'Now certes I will use my diligence	F
To con it all ere Christmas tide be spent	C
Although I for my Primer shall be shent	C
And shall be beaten three times in an hour	A
Our Lady I will praise with all my power '	-
	-
XIV	-
	-
His Schoolfellow whom he had so besought	C
As they went homeward taught him privily	-
And then he sang it well and fearlessly	-
From word to word according to the note	C
Twice in a day it passed through his throat	C
Homeward and schoolward whensoe'er he went	C
On Jesu's Mother fixed was his intent	C
	-
XV	-
	-
Through all the Jewry this before said I	-
This little Child as he came to and fro	J
Full merrily then would he sing and cry	-
O Alma Redemptoris high and low	J
The sweetness of Christ's Mother pierced so	J
His heart that her to praise to her to pray	F
He cannot stop his singing by the way	F
	-
XVI	-
	-
The Serpent Satan our first foe that hath	T
His wasp's nest in Jew's heart upswelled 'O woe	J
O Hebrew people ' said he in his wrath	T
'Is it an honest thing Shall this be so	J
That such a Boy where'er he lists shall go	J
In your despite and sing his hymns and saws	F
Which is against the reverence of our laws '	-
	-
XVII	-
	-
From that day forward have the Jews conspired	C
Out of the world this Innocent to chase	F
And to this end a Homicide they hired	C
That in an alley had a privy place	F
And as the Child 'gan to the school to pace	F
This cruel Jew him seized and held him fast	C
And cut his throat and in a pit him cast	C
	-
XVIII	-
	-
I say that him into a pit they threw	C
A loathsome pit whence noisome scents exhale	-
O cursed folk away ye Herods new	C
What may your ill intentions you avail	-
Murder will out certes it will not fail	-
Know that the honour of high God may spread	C
The blood cries out on your accursed deed	C
	-
XIX	F
	-
O Martyr 'stablished in virginity	C
Now may'st thou sing for aye before the throne	P
Following the Lamb celestial quoth she	C
Of which the great Evangelist Saint John	U
In Patmos wrote who saith of them that go	J
Before the Lamb singing continually	C
That never fleshly woman they did know	J
	-
XX	F
	-
Now this poor widow waiteth all that night	C
After her little Child and he came not	C
For which by earliest glimpse of morning light	C
With face all pale with dread and busy thought	C
She at the School and elsewhere him hath sought	C
Until thus far she learned that he had been	V
In the Jews' street and there he last was seen	M
	-
XXI	F
	-
With Mother's pity in her breast enclosed	C
She goeth as she were half out of her mind	C
To every place wherein she hath supposed	C
By likelihood her little Son to find	C
And ever on Christ's Mother meek and kind	C
She cried till to the Jewry she was brought	C
And him among the accursed Jews she sought	C
	-
XXII	F
	-
She asketh and she piteously doth pray	F
To every Jew that dwelleth in that place	F
To tell her if her child had passed that way	F
They all said Nay but Jesu of his grace	F
Gave to her thought that in a little space	F
She for her Son in that same spot did cry	-
Where he was cast into a pit hard by	-
	-
XXIII	F
	-
O thou great God that dost perform thy laud	C
By mouths of Innocents lo here thy might	C
This gem of chastity this emerald	C
And eke of martyrdom this ruby bright	C
There where with mangled throat he lay upright	C
The Alma Redemptoris 'gan to sing	W
So loud that with his voice the place did ring	W
	-
XXIV	-
	-
The Christian folk that through the Jewry went	C
Come to the spot in wonder at the thing	W
And hastily they for the Provost sent	C
Immediately he came not tarrying	W
And praiseth Christ that is our heavenly King	W
And eke his Mother honour of Mankind	C
Which done he bade that they the Jews should bind	C
	-
XXV	-
	-
This Child with piteous lamentation then	X
Was taken up singing his song alway	F
And with procession great and pomp of men	X
To the next Abbey him they bare away	F
His Mother swooning by the body lay	F
And scarcely could the people that were near	L
Remove this second Rachel from the bier	S
	-
XXVI	-
	-
Torment and shameful death to every one	Q
This Provost doth for those bad Jews prepare	K
That of this murder wist and that anon	Q
Such wickedness his judgments cannot spare	K
Who will do evil evil shall he bear	K
Them therefore with wild horses did he draw	Y
And after that he hung them by the law	Y
	-
XXVII	-
	-
Upon his bier this Innocent doth lie	-
Before the altar while the Mass doth last	C
The Abbot with his convent's company	Q
Then sped themselves to bury him full fast	C
And when they holy water on him cast	C
Yet spake this Child when sprinkled was the water	A
And sang O Alma Redemptoris Mater	A
	-
XXVIII	-
	-
This Abbot for he was a holy man	Q
As all Monks are or surely ought to be	Q
In supplication to the Child began	Q
Thus saying 'O dear Child I summon thee	Q
In virtue of the holy Trinity	Q
Tell me the cause why thou dost sing this hymn	Q
Since that thy throat is cut as it doth seem '	-
	-
XXIX	F
	-
'My throat is cut unto the bone I trow '	-
Said this young Child 'and by the law of kind	C
I should have died yea many hours ago	W
But Jesus Christ as in the books ye find	C
Will that his glory last and be in mind	C
And for the worship of his Mother dear	L
Yet may I sing O Alma loud and clear	L
	-
XXX	F
	-
'This well of mercy Jesu's Mother sweet	C
After my knowledge I have loved alway	F
And in the hour when I my death did meet	C
To me she came and thus to me did say	F
'Thou in thy dying sing this holy lay '	-
As ye have heard and soon as I had sung	W
Methought she laid a grain upon my tongue	W
	-
XXXI	F
	-
'Wherefore I sing nor can from song refrain	Q
In honour of that blissful Maiden free	Q
Till from my tongue off taken is the grain	Q
And after that thus said she unto me	Q
My little Child then will I come for thee	Q
Soon as the grain from off thy tongue they take	W
Be not dismayed I will not thee forsake	W
	-
XXXII	F
	-
This holy Monk this Abbot him mean I	-
Touched then his tongue and took away the grain	Q
And he gave up the ghost full peacefully	Q
And when the Abbot had this wonder seen	Q
His salt tears trickled down like showers of rain	Q
And on his face he dropped upon the ground	C
And still he lay as if he had been bound	C
	-
XXXIII	F
	-
Eke the whole Convent on the pavement lay	F
Weeping and praising Jesu's Mother dear	L
And after that they rose and took their way	F
And lifted up this Martyr from the bier	S
And in a tomb of precious marble clear	L
Enclosed his uncorrupted body sweet	C
Where'er he be God grant us him to meet	C
	-
XXXIV	-
	-
Young Hew of Lincoln in like sort laid low	W
By cursed Jews thing well and widely known	Q
For it was done a little while ago	W
Pray also thou for us while here we tarry	Q
Weak sinful folk that God with pitying eye	-
In mercy would his mercy multiply	-
On us for reverence of his Mother Mary	Q