The General Prologue
Folio 3r
5 of 14 folios
A good man ther was of Religyoun
480
And was a pore person of a toun
But ryche he was of holy thought and worke
He was also a lerned man a Clerk.
That cristes gospeƚƚ trewly wolde perche
His parysshenes deuoutely wolde he teche.
485
Benyngne he was and wonder dyligent
And in aduersitee ful pacient
And suche he was proved often sythes
Ful loth were hym to cours for his tythes.
But rather wolde he yeue out of doute
490
Vn to his pore parysshenes aboute
Of his offryng and of his substance
He coude in lytel thing haue suffisance.
Wyde was his parysshe and houses fer a sondre
But he ne laft not for no reygne ne thondre
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In sekenes ne in meschief to visite
The ferthest in his parysh moche and lyte
Vpon his feet and in his hand a staffe
This noble ensample to his sheep he yaffe
That firste he wroght and afterward he taght
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Oute of the gospeƚƚ tho wordes he kaught.
And this figure eke he added ther to
That yif gold rust what shold yren do.
For if a perste be foul in whom we trust
No wonder ys alewdeman to rust
505
And shame it is yif a perste take kepe
A shiten sheperd and a clene shepe
Wel aught a perste ensample for to yeue
By his clennes how that his shepe shuld leue
He set noght his benyfice to hire
510
And leueth the sheep a combred in the myre.
And renne to loundoū vn to seint poules.
To sechen hym a chauntrye for soules.
Othir wyth a brotherhede to be wyth. holde
But dwelt at home and kepte wel his folde.
515
So that the wolf ne made it noght myscarye
He was a shepard and noght a mercenarye
And thei he holy were and vertuous
He was nought to synful men dispitous.