New Corn (Lines 22-28)

For out of olde feldes, as men seyth,
Cometh al this newe corn fro yer to yere;
And out of olde bokes, in good feyth,
Cometh al this newe science that men lere.
But now to purpos as of this matere --
To rede forth hit gan me so delyte,
That al the day me thoughte but a lyte.

science learning

The metaphor of books as old fields bearing new crops is one of my favorites of the poem.

It seems strange today to think that he's so busy reading he doesn't have time to think.

Notice that only now (four stanzas in) does Chaucer begin to make the transition into the narrative.