fiction and stand firm in the truth? When I might sow good seed in
your hearts, shall I waste the opportunity and scatter tares? Nay, if
you are ready to hear a virtuous discourse I am ready to begin. But
let me warn you I am no Norseman to tell you runes all alliteration
like 'rum, ram, ruff,' nor will I speak in rhyme, for I hold it as
great folly as the other. My tale shall be in sober prose--and
remember that I am no great scholar and my speech is ever subject to
the correction of one who is wiser than I." We all desired him to say
whatever he thought, since we felt it would be well to end with a
homily, that we might enter Canterbury in grave religious mood. So
the Host bade him begin and we composed ourselves to listen.



THE PARSON'S HOMILY ON PENITENCE

Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths,
where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find
rest for your souls.--_Jer. vi._

1. Our sweet Lord, God of Heaven, in His desire that no man should
perish, but that we should all come to knowledge of Him and attain to
life everlasting, admonished us by the mouth of His prophet Jeremiah
and warned us saying, "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the
old paths" (that means for the wisdom of men of old days), "where is
the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your
souls." Many are the spiritual paths that lead men to knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ and His glory, but among them is one which
faileth not to lead aright all men and women to the heavenly
Jerusalem, even though they had before gone astray. This way is named