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[8] I cannot forbear to close this admirable character with the beautiful description of a "poure Persone," riche of holy thought and werk, given by the father of English poetry:—

"Benigne he was, and wonder diligent,

And in adversite ful patient:

And swiche he was ypreved often sithes.

Ful loth were him to cursen for his tythes,

But rather wolde he yeven out of doute,

Unto his poure parishens aboute,

Of his offring, and eke of his substance.

He coude in litel thing have suffisance.

Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder,

But he ne left nought for no rain ne thonder,

In sikenesse and in mischief to visite

The ferrest in his parish, moche and lite,

Upon his fete, and in his hand a staf.

And though he holy were, and vertuous,

He was to sinful men not dispitous,

Ne of his speche dangerous ne digne,

But in his teching discrete and benigne.

To drawen folk to heven, with fairenesse,

By good ensample, was his besinesse.

He waited after no pompe ne reverence,

Ne maked him no spiced conscience,

But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,

He taught, but first he folwed it himselve."

Chaucer, Prol. to Cant. Tales, v. 485.

We may surely conclude with a line from the same poem,

"A better preest I trowe that nowher non is."