The Care and Nurture of Pastors

The section

"The parson"

from the "General Prologue" of Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400).

A good man there was of religion,
That was a poore PARSON of a town:
But rich he was of holy thought and werk*.                         *work
He was also a learned man, a clerk,
That Christe's gospel truly woulde preach.
His parishens* devoutly would he teach.                    *parishioners
Benign he was, and wonder diligent,
And in adversity full patient:
And such he was y-proved *often sithes*.                    *oftentimes*
Full loth were him to curse for his tithes,
But rather would he given out of doubt,
Unto his poore parishens about,
Of his off'ring, and eke of his substance.
*He could in little thing have suffisance*.       *he was satisfied with
Wide was his parish, and houses far asunder,                very little*
But he ne left not, for no rain nor thunder,
In sickness and in mischief to visit
The farthest in his parish, *much and lit*,            *great and small*
Upon his feet, and in his hand a staff.
This noble ensample to his sheep he gaf*,                          *gave
That first he wrought, and afterward he taught.
Out of the gospel he the wordes caught,
And this figure he added yet thereto,
That if gold ruste, what should iron do?
For if a priest be foul, on whom we trust,
No wonder is a lewed* man to rust:                            *unlearned
And shame it is, if that a priest take keep,
To see a shitten shepherd and clean sheep:
Well ought a priest ensample for to give,
By his own cleanness, how his sheep should live.
He sette not his benefice to hire,
And left his sheep eucumber'd in the mire,
And ran unto London, unto Saint Paul's,
To seeke him a chantery for souls,
Or with a brotherhood to be withold:*                          *detained
But dwelt at home, and kepte well his fold,
So that the wolf ne made it not miscarry.
He was a shepherd, and no mercenary.
And though he holy were, and virtuous,
He was to sinful men not dispitous*                              *severe
Nor of his speeche dangerous nor dign*                       *disdainful
But in his teaching discreet and benign.
To drawen folk to heaven, with fairness,
By good ensample, was his business:
*But it were* any person obstinate,                     *but if it were*
What so he were of high or low estate,
Him would he snibbe* sharply for the nones**.  *reprove **nonce,occasion
A better priest I trow that nowhere none is.
He waited after no pomp nor reverence,
Nor maked him a *spiced conscience*,             *artificial conscience*
But Christe's lore, and his apostles' twelve,
He taught, and first he follow'd it himselve.