The Manciple's Tale: The Journey The placement of the Manciple's Tale before the Parson's Tale is intentional on Chaucers part.

The Manciple's Tale: The Journey Many critics have argued the meaning of placement and order of each tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Accordingly, the arrangement of The Manciple's Tale, next to last and before The Parson's Tale, has been supported by both the Ellesmere and Chaucer Society (Storm 2). Chaucer's decision to place a tale teaching sin and silence just before a tale preaching truth and repentance surely has a meaning far beyond chance. …

…Tale." Studies in Philology. Vol. 98. (2001): 143-155. Online. (3 April 2002). Pelen, Marc. M. "The Manciple's "Cosyn" to the "Dede." The Chaucer Review. Vol. 25. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University, 1991. 343-351. Storm, Mel. "Speech, circumspection, and orthodontics in the Manciple's Prologue and Tale of the wife of bath's portrait." Studies in Philology. Vol. 96. (1999): 109-126. University of North Carolina Press. Online. (13 April 2002). Whittock, Trevor. "The Manciple's Tale and the Parson's Tale." The Canterbury Tales. London: Cambridge University Press, 1968. 280-299.