178 THE CHARACTERS OF THE PILGRIMS. Was Pard❜ner furnish'd with fuch precious geer: For in his male he had a pillow-bier,
Which pioufly was thought our lady's veil:
He kept befide a gobbet of the fail
Which Peter had (and now this Pard'ner hath)
When Chrift rebuked him for little faith.
A cross he show'd of tin fet full of ftones,
And in a glass a number of pigs bones.
With these more pardons daily he'd difpenfe,
In one poor village would collect more pence,
(As by record too plainly does appear)
Than a poor parfon lab'ring all the year.
Then, with feign'd flatteries and holy tools,
He made the parfon and the people fools.
Howe'er, to tell the truth juft as it ftood,
He feem'd in church ecclefiaftic good.
A leffon he could read, or tell a ftory,
And roar the pfalter with no little glory.
But beft of all, an offertory fung,
So loud, fo cheerful, that the chapel rung.
This gain'd him pence from the deluded crowd,
Therefore he fung fo cheerful and fo loud.
KNIGHT's TALE.
WHAT needs there more our pilgrims to describe,
Our Southwark guests? a mix'd, but merry tribe:
Their various looks and talents to display?
Their fex and age? their number and array?
Whom pious zeal, or fashionable course,
Drew from their homes, here refting man and horse:
Here well to reft, as trav'lers witness well;
A friendly houfe; the Tabarde by the Bell.
And here it falls in order to recite,
First, how in focial cheer we pass'd the night:
Next how, with common voice, and early day,
Our troop to Canterbury took their way:
And laft the progrefs of our pilgrims tell,
With each adventure duly as it fell.
But let me first your due indulgence claim,
Left this my freedom you unjustly blame;
Where loose the subject, or where rude the speech: For we pretend to copy, not to teach.
Who tells another's tale, in verfe or profe,
Nigh as he can fhould every word disclose;
For be it ne'er fo wanton, or at large,
Such are the facts, and you must give the charge.
This rule infring'd (by law and reason known)
The tale is not another's, but your own.
All evidence is ftrict, all trial plain;
A witness should repeat, but never feign.
If new the conduct, or the language new,
The ftamp re-touch'd, the coinage is untrue.
To this, whate'er the standard sense affords,
Requires exact fimilitude of words.
Apt words are shap'd fix'd objects to exprefs,
For language is no more than nature's dress.
If fome, that love's exalted colours wear,
Capriciously offend the virtuous ear;
Or heedlessly the virgin cheek inflame,
'Tis faulty modefty, mistaken fhame.
If right the laws that free-born tongues enslave,
And force to veil what nature public gave,
Then nature err'd, deform'd the human frame
With parts difhoneft, horrible to name!
But that great nature err'd, who dares pretend?
Why should the just description then offend ?
Form'd by the wisest plan each part is found,
And voice was giv'n to fit each part to found.
Hence various words, by well-tun'd accents wrought,
Stamp on the ears the figures of the thought,
And fix the airy progress ere it flies,
As painting is the language of the eyes.
The skilful artist, lab'ring to display
The bright effulgence of meridian day,
With strongest colours ftrikes the burnish'd light,
The darker fhades referv'd for fullen night.
The poet thus that treats of am'rous wile,
Or wanton theft, must heighten all his style,
To raise warm paffions, warm defcriptions raife,
And keep for cooler fenfe the cooler phrase;
Nor arbitrary deem these stated rules,
The random doctrines of illib'ral schools:
The best philofophers like tenets hold,
Christian and heathen! both the new and old.
Read Plato; Plato says (if thou canst read)
"The word must be adapted to the deed:"
And oft full broad the phrase of holy writ;
Heathen and Chriftian muft this truth admit.
Others perhaps, with happier talents bleft,
Our breach of due decorum may contest:
In poems well difpos'd they may maintain,
Rank should be kept, as in a public train;
And none too forward, none too backward ftand;
But band with due diftinctions follow band.
"Nor rank, nor file, our rude militia mind,
"Some ftray, 'tis true, before, and fome behind."
If this excufe not, on the truth we rest,
"Low was our genius, and we did our best:
"And though a fault, (I speak without offence)
"Yet fure a venial fault, is want of fenfe."
But to return. Great joy our Hoft exprefs'd,
Thrice heartily he welcom❜d ev'ry guest;
And goodly cheer prepar'd with equal haste ;
(He of two ills had rather pray than fast.)
Nor less the plague or comfort of his life,
Judge as ye lift, his busy-stirring wife.
Anon was fupper ferv'd, and neatly dreft,
In feason ev'ry dish, and of the best.
Strong was the ale, with toaft and nutmeg crown'd:
Pure was the wine; and both went brifkly round.
Frank was our Hoft; a comely man withal,
A marshal fit for any noble hall ;
Where many a graceless page is left in charge :
Round was his body, nor more round than large.
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