* * * * *
=Here folweth the Prologe of the Persones 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,
Degreës nyne and twenty as in highte.
Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse; 5
For eleven foot, or litel more or lesse,
My shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there,
Of swich feet as my lengthe parted were
In six feet equal of proporcioun.
Ther-with the mones exaltacioun, 10
I mene Libra, alwey gan ascende,
As we were entringe at a thropes ende;
For which our host, as he was wont to gye,
As in this caas, our Ioly companye,
Seyde in this wyse, ‘lordings everichoon, 15
Now lakketh us no tales mo than oon.
Fulfild is my sentence and my decree;
I trowe that we han herd of ech degree.
Almost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce;
[568: T. 17331-17366.]
I prey to god, so yeve him right good chaunce, 20
That telleth this tale to us lustily.
Sir preest,’ quod he, ‘artow a vicary?
Or art a person? sey sooth, by thy fey!
Be what thou be, ne breke thou nat our pley;
For every man, save thou, hath told his tale, 25
Unbokel, and shewe us what is in thy male;
For trewely, me thinketh, by thy chere,
Thou sholdest knitte up wel a greet matere.
Tel us a tale anon, for cokkes bones!’
1. E. Hn. al; _rest om._ 2. E. Cm. was; _rest_ is. 3. E. ne nas;
Cm. ne was; Cp. Pt. Ln. was. 5. _The MSS. have_ Ten; _but see the
note._ 8. Hn. swich; E. swiche. 10. _Perhaps for_ the mones _we
should read_ Saturnes; _see the note._ 11. _So all but_ Hl., _which
has_ In mena. 12. thropes] Hl. townes. 17. E. Fulfilled; Hn. Cp.
Fulfild; _see_ l. 19. 23. Cm. art; E. Hn. arte; Hl. artow; _rest_ art
thou.
This Persone him answerde, al at ones, 30
‘Thou getest fable noon y-told for me;
For Paul, that wryteth unto Timothee,
Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse,
And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse.
Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest, 35
Whan I may sowen whete, if that me lest?
For which I seye, if that yow list to here
Moralitee and vertuous matere,
And thanne that ye wol yeve me audience,
I wol ful fayn, at Cristes reverence, 40
Do yow plesaunce leefful, as I can.
But trusteth wel, I am a Southren man,
I can nat geste—rum, ram, ruf—by lettre,
Ne, god wot, rym holde I but litel bettre;
And therfor, if yow list, I wol nat glose. 45
I wol yow telle a mery tale in prose
To knitte up al this feeste, and make an ende.
And Iesu, for his grace, wit me sende
To shewe yow the wey, in this viage,
Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrimage 50
That highte Ierusalem celestial.
And, if ye vouche-sauf, anon I shal
Biginne upon my tale, for whiche I preye
Telle your avys, I can no bettre seye.
But nathelees, this meditacioun 55
[569: T. 17367-17385.]
I putte it ay under correccioun
Of clerkes, for I am nat textual;
I take but the sentens, trusteth wel.
Therfor I make protestacioun
That I wol stonde to correccioun.’ 60
30. _I supply_ him _from_ ed. 1550. 32. E. Hn. Thymothee. 33. E.
Hl. weyueth. 40. E. _omits_ ful. 41. E. leefful; Hn. leueful; Pt.
leefull; Cp. Ln. lefful. 43. E. geeste. rum] Hn. Cp. Ln. rom. 46.
E. Hn. myrie. 57, 58. E. textueel, weel. 58. E. _omits_ the. Hl.
sentens; _rest_ sentence. 59. E. make a; _rest omit_ a.
Up-on this word we han assented sone,
For, as us semed, it was for to done,
To enden in som vertuous sentence,
And for to yeve him space and audience;
And bede our host he sholde to him seye, 65
That alle we to telle his tale him preye.