The Prologue.

This Parson him answered all at ones; “Thou gettest fable none y-told for me, For Paul, that writeth unto Timothy, Reproveth them that weive soothfastness, forsake truth And telle fables, and such wretchedness. Why should I sowe draff out of my fist, chaff, refuse When I may sowe wheat, if that me list? For which I say, if that you list to hear Morality and virtuous mattere, And then that ye will give me audience, I would full fain at Christe’s reverence Do you pleasance lawful, as I can. But, truste well, I am a southern man, I cannot gest, rom, ram, ruf, by my letter; relate stories And, God wot, rhyme hold I but little better. And therefore if you list, I will not glose, mince matters I will you tell a little tale in prose, To knit up all this feast, and make an end. And Jesus for his grace wit me send To shewe you the way, in this voyage, Of thilke perfect glorious pilgrimage, That hight Jerusalem celestial. And if ye vouchesafe, anon I shall Begin upon my tale, for which I pray Tell your advice, I can no better say. opinion But natheless this meditation I put it aye under correction Of clerkes, for I am not textuel; scholars I take but the sentence, trust me well. meaning, sense Therefore I make a protestation, That I will stande to correction.” Upon this word we have assented soon; For, as us seemed, it was for to do’n, a thing worth doing To enden in some virtuous sentence, discourse And for to give him space and audience; And bade our Host he shoulde to him say That alle we to tell his tale him pray. Our Hoste had. the wordes for us all: “Sir Priest,” quoth he, “now faire you befall; Say what you list, and we shall gladly hear.” And with that word he said in this mannere; “Telle,” quoth he, “your meditatioun, But hasten you, the sunne will adown. Be fructuous, and that in little space; fruitful; profitable And to do well God sende you his grace.”

Notes to the Prologue to the Parson’s Tale

1. Rom, ram, ruf: a contemptuous reference to the alliterative poetry which was at that time very popular, in preference even, it would seem, to rhyme, in the northern parts of the country, where the language was much more barbarous and unpolished than in the south.

2. Perfect glorious pilgrimage: the word is used here to signify the shrine, or destination, to which pilgrimage is made.