Chaucer's Parson and Edmund Gonville: Contrasting Roles of Fourteenth Century Incumbents

Author / Editor
Brooke, Christopher (N. L.)

Title
Chaucer's Parson and Edmund Gonville: Contrasting Roles of Fourteenth Century Incumbents

Published
David M. Smith, ed. Studies in Clergy and Ministry in Medieval England. Purvis Seminar Series; Borthwick Studies in History, no. 1 ([York]: University of York, 1991), pp. 1-19.

Description
Explores the life of Edmund Gonville--cleric, shrewd land agent, and man of affairs--and Chaucer's depiction of the Parson. Despite his considerable financial successes, Gonville was like the Parson in that he did not rent out his benefice.
Comments on PrT and ParsT as two tales that "give the impression of perfectly fitting their tellers," and assesses the relationship between ParsT and Ret. Includes the GP description of the Parson (1. 477-528).

Contributor
Smith, David M., ed.

Alternative Title
Studies in Clergy and Ministry in Medieval England.

Chaucer Subjects
Parson and His Tale.
Prioress and Her Tale
Chaucer's Retraction