The Battle of Flodden Field and Death of Marmion GEOFFREY CHAUCER -Born in London, 1328; Died, 1400. He lived Geoffrey Chaucer is the first English poet of high rank. through the reign of Edward III. in a good position in society. He is best known by his "Canterbury Tales," from which the following piece is taken. Many words in his day had still the Norman-French pronunciation-a fact to be remembered in reading his poetry. THE GOOD PARSON1. A TRUE good man there was there of religion, 1 parson. The spelling is modern ized,and the words slightly altered, to make the sense plainer to young people. "Parson" was, in Chaucer's day, spelt persoun. It means the representative or mouthpiece of the Church in a parish (from persono) I sound, or speak, through. 2 town (toun) a townland, or parish. Town meant originally a place hedged or walled-in, if even a single farm house, and it is still used in this way in Scotland. 3 thereto, besides this. 4 clerk, a cleric, or clergyman. It came to mean, as it now does, a writer, from the fact that the only persons who could write in early times were the clergymen, or clerics, or clerks. . Benign he was, and wondrous diligent, As proven' oft. To all who lack'd a friend- Of his own substance and his dues to give ;- Wide was his cure;10 the houses far asunder; And, staff in hand, on foot, the storm to brave. This noble ensample to his flock he gave, By his own cleanness how his sheep should live." |