And there was a good man, a religious
He was a needy priest of a village,
But rich enough in saintly thought and work.
And educated, too, for he could reak;
Would truly preach the word of Jesus Christ,
Devoutly teach the folk in his parish.
Kind was he, wonderfully diligent;
And in adversity most patient,
As many a time had been put to the test.
For unpaid tithes he’d not excommunicate,
For he would rather give, you may be sure,
From his own pocket to the parish poor;
Few were he needs, so frugally he lived.
Wide was his parish, with houses far asunder,
But he would not neglect, come rain or thunger,
Come sickness or adversity, to call
On the furthest of his parish, great or small;
Going on foot, and in his hand a staff.
This was the good example he set:
He practiced first what later he would teach.
Out of the gospel he took that precept;
And what’s more, he would cite this saying too:
‘ If gold can rust, then what will iron do?’
For if a priest be rotten, whom can we trust,
No wonder if a layman comes to rust.
It’s a shamed to see
A shitten shepard and a cleanly sheep.
It’s the plain duty of priest to give
Example to his sheep; how they should live
He et his benefice for hire
And left his sheep to flounder in the mire
While he ran off to long, to St Paul’s
To seek some chantry and sing mass for souls,
Or to be kept as a chaplain by a guild;
But stayed at home, and took care of his fold,
So that no wolf might do it injury
He wsa a shepherd, not a mercenary
And although he was saintly and virtuous,
He wasn’t haughty or contemptuous
To sinners, speaking to them with disdain,
But in his teaching tacful and humane
To draw up folk to heaven by goodness
And good example was his sole business.
But if a person turned our obstinate,
Whoever he was, high or low estate,
He’s earn a stinging rebuke then and there.
You’ll never find a better priest , I swear
He never looked for pomp or deference,
Not effected an over-nice conscience,
But taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and His twelve
Apostles; but first followed it himself
-The canterbury tales- Prolouge, the Nun's Priest