The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

                                
                                  The fferrest in his parische moste and lite
                                
                                  Vpon his fete and in his honde a staf
                                
                                  This noble ensample to his schepe he ȝaf
                                  Line 496 
                                
                                  Þat ferst he wrouhte and afterwarde he tawht
                                
                                  Owte of þe gospel he þo wordes kauht
                                
                                  And þis figure eke he hadded þer-to
                                
                                  Þat if gold rust what schold yren do
                                  Line 500 
                                
                                  ffor if a preste be foule of whome we truste
                                
                                  No wonder is a lewde man to ruste
                                
                                  And schame it is if a preste take kepe
                                
                                  A schiten schiperd to se and a cleyne schepe
                                  Line 504 
                                
                                  Wel owhte a preste ensample for to ȝiue [folio 8a] 
                                
                                  Be his clennes how his schepe scholde liue
                                
                                  He sett nouht his benefice to hire
                                
                                  And lete his schepe acumbrede in þe mire
                                  Line 508 
                                
                                  And Ran to Londen vn-to seint poules
                                
                                  To seke him a chauntery to singe for sowles
                                
                                  Or wiþ a breþerhede to be wiþ-holde
                                
                                  Bot dwelte att home and keped wel his folde
                                  Line 512 
                                
                                  So þat þe wolfe ne maade it nouhte myscarie
                                
                                  He was a scheparde and nouȝt a mercenarie
                                
                                  And þouhe he holy were and vertuous
                                
                                  He was nouht to sinful men dispitous
                                  Line 516 
                                
                                  Ne of his speche daungerouse ne digne
                                
                                  Bot in his techinge discrete and benigne
                                
                                  To drawen folke to heuen be feirenesse
                                
                                  Be goode ensample þis was his besinesse
                                  Line 520 
                                
                                  Bot it were any persone obstinate
                                
                                  What so he were of hihe or lowe a-state
                                
                                  Him wolde he snybbe sharpely for þe nones
                                
                                  A better preste .I trowe þat nowhere none es
                                  Line 524 
                                
                                  He waited after no pompe and reuerence.
                                
                                  Ne maked him a spised conscience
                                
                                  Bot cristes lore and his aposteles twelue
                                
                                  He tauht bot first he folowed in him selue
                                  Line 528 
                                
                                  ¶ Wiþ him þare was a plouheman was his broþer

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Title: The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 15
Publication: London :: Published for the Chaucer Society by N. Trübner,; 1867-1879.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8236.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8236.0001.001/43:3

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Full citation: "The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8236.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 28, 2025.

The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

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