By that the Manciple had his tale ended,
The sonne fro the south line was descended
So lowe, that it ne was not to my sight
Degrees nine and twenty as of hight.
Foure of the clok it was tho, as I
gesse,
For enleven foot, a litel more or lesse,
My shadow was at thilke time, as there,
Of swiche feet as my lengthe parted were
In six feet equal of proportion,
Therwith the mones exaltation,
In mene Libra, alway gan ascende,
As we were entring at the thorpes ende.
For which our hoste, as he was wont to gie,
As in this cas, our jolly compagnie,
Said in this wise; lording's, everich on,
Now lacketh us no tales mo than on.
Fulfilled is my sentence and my decree;
I trowe that we han herd of eche degree.
Almost fulfilled is myn ordinance ;
VOL. IV.
I pray to God so yeve him right good chance, 17331
That telleth us this tale lustily.
Sire preest, quod he, art thou a vicary?
Or art thou a Person? say soth by thy fay.
Be what thou be, ne breke thou not our play;
For every man, save thou, hath told his tale.
Unbokel, and shew us what is in thy male.
For trewely me thinketh by thy chere,
Thou shuldest knitte up wel a gret matere. 17339
Tell us a fable anon, for cockes bones.
This Person him answered al at ones;
Thou getest fable non ytold for me,
For Poule, that writeth unto Timothe,
Repreveth hem that weiven sothfastnesse,
And tellen fables, and swiche wretchednesse.
Why shuld I sowen draf out of
my
fist,
Whan I may sowen whete, if that me list? 17347
For which I
say,
if that
you
list to here
Moralitee, and vertuous matere,
And than that ye wol yeve me audience,
I wold ful fain at Cristes reverence
Don you plesance leful, as I can.
But trusteth wel, I am a sotherne man,
I cannnot geste, rom, ram, ruf, by my letter,
And, God wote, rime hold I but litel better.
And therfore if youlist, I wol not glose,
I wol you tell a litel tale in
prose,
17357 To knitte
up all this feste, and make an ende :
And Jesu for his grace wit me sende
To shewen you the way in this viage
Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrimage,
That hight Jerusalem celestial.
And if ye vouchesauf, anon I shal
Beginne upon my tale, for which I pray
Tell
your avis, I can no better say.
But natheles this meditation
I put it
ay
under correction
Of clerkes, for I am not textuel ;
I take but the sentence, trusteth me wel.
Therfore I make a protestation,
That I wol standen to correction.
Upon this word we han assented sone :
For aś us semed, it was for to don,
Toenden in som vertuous sentence,
And for to
yeve
him
space
and audience ; And bade our hoste he shulde to him say, That alle we to tell his tale him pray.
Our hoste had the wordes for us alle :
Sire preest, quod he, now faire you befalle ;
Say what you list, and we shul gladly here.
And with that word he said in this manere;
Telleth, quod he, your meditatioun,
But hasteth you, the sonne wol adoun. Beth fructuous, and that in litel space, And to do wel God sende
you
OUR swete Lord God of heven, that no man wol perish, but wol that we comen all to the knowleching of him, and to the blissful lif that is pardurable, amonesteth us by the Prophet Jeremie, that sayth in this wise: Stondeth upon the wayes, and seeth and axeth of the olde pathes ; that is to say, of olde sentences; which is the good way: and walketh in that way, and ye shul finde refreshing for your soules. Many ben the wayes spirituel that leden folk to our Lord Jesu Crist, and to the regne of glory: of which wayes, ther is a ful noble way,
and wel covenable, which may not faille to man ne to woman that thurgh sinne hath misgon fro the right way of Jerusalem celestial; and this way is cleped penance; of which man shuld gladly herken and enqueren with all his herte, to wete, what is penance, and whennes it is cleped penance, and how many maneres ben of actions or werkings of penance, and how many spices ther ben of penance,
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