The Canterbury Tales; THE PERSOUNS TALE
Part
30
PROLOGUE
TO
THE
PERSOUNS
TALE
Heere
folweth
the
Prologe
of
the
Persouns
tale.
By
that
the
Maunciple
hadde
his
tale
al
ended,
The
sonne
fro
the
south
lyne
was
descended
So
lowe,
that
he
nas
nat
to
my
sighte
Degrees
nyne
and
twenty
as
in
highte.
Ten
of
the
clokke
it
was
tho,
as
I
gesse,
For
ellevene
foot,
or
litel
moore
or
lesse,
My
shadwe
was
at
thilke
tyme
as
there,
Of
swiche
feet
as
my
lengthe
parted
were
In
sixe
feet
equal
of
proporcioun.
Therwith
the
moones
exaltacioun,
I
meene
Libra,
alwey
gan
ascende,
As
we
were
entryng
at
a
thropes
ende.
For
which
our
Hoost,
as
he
was
wont
to
gye,
As
in
this
caas,
oure
joly
compaignye,
Seyde
in
this
wise,
"Lordynges
everichoon,
Now
lakketh
us
no
tales
mo
than
oon,
Fulfilled
is
my
sentence
and
my
decree;
I
trowe
that
we
han
herd
of
ech
degree.
Almoost
fulfild
is
al
myn
ordinaunce,
I
pray
to
God,
so
yeve
hym
right
good
chaunce
That
telleth
this
tale
to
us
lustily!
"Sire
preest,"
quod
he,
"artow
a
vicary,
Or
arte
a
person?
sey
sooth
by
thy
fey.
Be
what
thou
be,
ne
breke
thou
nat
oure
pley;
For
every
man
save
thou
hath
toold
his
tale.
Unbokele
and
shewe
us
what
is
in
thy
male,
For
trewely,
me
thynketh
by
thy
cheere
Thou
sholdest
knytte
up
wel
a
greet
mateere.
Telle
us
a
fable
anon,
for
Cokkes
bones."
This
Persoun
him
answerede,
al
atones,
"Thou
getest
fable
noon
ytoold
for
me,
For
Paul,
that
writeth
unto
Thymothee,
Repreveth
hem
that
weyveth
soothfastnesse,
And
tellen
fables,
and
swich
wrecchednesse.
Why
sholde
I
sowen
draf
out
of
my
fest
Whan
I
may
sowen
whete,
if
that
me
lest?
For
which
I
seye,
if
that
yow
list
to
heere,
Moralitee
and
vertuous
mateere;
And
thanne
that
ye
wol
yeve
me
audience,
I
wol
ful
fayn,
at
Cristes
reverence,
Do
yow
plesaunce
leefful,
as
I
kan.
But
trusteth
wel
I
am
a
southren
man,
I
kan
nat
geeste
Rum,
Ram,
Ruf
by
lettre,
Ne,
God
woot,
rym
holde
I
but
litel
bettre,
And
therfore
if
yow
list,
I
wol
nat
glose,
I
wol
yow
telle
a
myrie
tale
in
prose
To
knytte
up
al
this
feeste,
and
make
an
ende,
And
Jesu,
for
his
grace,
wit
me
sende
To
shewe
yow
the
wey,
in
this
viage,
Of
thilke
parfit
glorious
pilgrymage
That
highte
Jerusalem
celestial.
And
if
ye
vouchesauf,
anon
I
shal
Bigynne
upon
my
tale,
for
which
I
preye,
Telle
youre
avys,
I
kan
no
bettre
seye.
But
nathelees,
this
meditacioun
I
putte
it
ay
under
correccioun
Of
clerkes,
for
I
am
nat
textueel;
I
take
but
sentence,
trusteth
weel.
Therfore
I
make
a
protestacioun
That
I
wol
stonde
to
correccioun."
Upon
this
word
we
han
assented
soone;
For,
as
us
semed,
it
was
for
to
doone
To
enden
in
som
vertuous
sentence,
And
for
to
yeve
hym
space
and
audience;
Adn
bede
oure
Hoost
he
sholde
to
hym
seye
That
alle
we
to
telle
his
tale
hym
preye.
Oure
Hoost
hadde
the
wordes
for
us
alle:
"Sire
preest,"
quod
he,
"now
faire
yow
bifalle,
Sey
what
yow
list,
and
we
wol
gladly
heere."
And
with
that
word
he
seyde
in
this
manere,
"Telleth,"
quod
he,
"youre
meditacioun;
But
hasteth
yow,
the
sonne
wole
adoun.
Beth
fructuous,
and
that
in
litel
space,
And
to
do
wel
God
sende
yow
his
grace."
(Then
follows
the
Persones
Tale,
concerning
penitence,
vices
and
virtues,
and
holy
living.
At
the
end
appears
the
retractation,
so-called,
of
Chaucer.)
Heere
taketh
the
makere
of
this
book
his
leve.
Now
preye
I
to
hem
alle
that
herkne
thai
litel
tretys
or
rede,
that
if
ther
be
any
thyng
in
it
that
liketh
hem,
that
therof
they
thanken
oure
Lord
Jesu
Crist,
of
whom
procedeth
al
wit
and
al
goodnesse.
And
if
ther
be
any
thyng
that
displese
hem,
I
preye
hem
also
that
they
arrette
it
to
the
defaute
of
myn
unkonnynge,
and
nat
to
my
wyl,
that
wolde
ful
fayn
have
seyd
bettre,
if
I
hadde
had
konnynge.
For
oure
Boke
seith,
`al
that
is
writen,
is
writen
for
oure
doctrine,'
and
that
is
myn
entente.
Wherfore,
I
biseke
yow
mekely
for
the
mercy
of
God,
that
ye
preye
for
me
that
Crist
have
mercy
on
me,
and
foryeve
me
my
giltes;
and
namely,
of
my
translaciouns
and
enditynges
of
worldly
vanitees,
the
whiche
I
revoke
in
my
retracciouns;
As
is
the
book
of
Troilus,
the
book
also
of
Fame,
the
book
of
the
.XXV.
Ladies,
the
book
of
the
Duchesse,
the
book
of
Seint
Valentynes
day
of
the
Parlement
of
Briddes,
the
tales
of
Caunterbury
(thilke
that
sownen
into
synne),
the
book
of
the
Leoun,
and
many
another
book,
if
they
were
in
my
remembrance;
and
many
a
song
and
many
a
leccherous
lay,
that
Crist
for
his
grete
mercy
foryeve
me
the
synne.
But
of
the
translacioun
of
Boece
de
Consolacione,
and
othere
bookes
of
Legendes
of
Seintes
and
omelies,
and
moralitee,
and
devocioun;
that
thanke
I
oure
Lord
Jesu
Crist,
and
his
blisful
mooder,
and
alle
the
seintes
of
hevene;
bisekynge
hem
that
they
from
hennesforth
unto
my
lyves
ende
sende
me
grace
to
biwayle
my
giltes,
and
to
studie
to
the
salvacioun
of
my
soule;
and
graunte
me
grtace
of
verray
penitence,
confessioun,
and
satisfaccioun
to
doon
in
this
present
lyf,
thurgh
the
benigne
grace
of
Hym,
that
is
kyng
of
kynges,
and
preest
over
alle
preestes,
that
boghte
us
with
the
precious
blood
of
his
herte,
so
that
I
may
been
oon
of
hem
at
the
day
of
doome
that
shulle
be
saved.
Qui
cum
patre,
&cetera.
