INTRODUCTION TO

Through its wide range of characters and rich collectionof stories, The Canterbury Tales creates a snapshot ofmedieval society. In this work, Chaucer brings togethera group of people with varied backgrounds and beliefsand uses them to explore different aspects of life in theMiddie Ages. Toe characters are joined in a commonquest: a pilgrimage, or religious journey, from Londonto the shrine of the martyr Saint Thomas ~ Becket atCanterbury Cathedral. The group travels on horsebackalong their fifty-five-mile trek to Canterbury, a populardestination for pilgrims during Ghancer’s time. Duringtheir pilgrimage, the characters tell each other storiesthat provide readers with a vivid view of the medieval

Preparing for a journey

Chaucer begins his Tales with a general Prologue, whichhe uses to describe the spring setting and introduce thecharacters. Spring represents more than just the usualtime for the start of~ilgrimages in Chancer’s day--it isalso a rich symbol of new life and a reawakening. In thisopening, the pilgrim narrator, whom many consider tobe Chaucer himself, sketches distinct, individual

portraits of his fellowChaucer illuminates all classes oflife in the MiddleAges, Nevill Coghill, one of Chaucer’s translators, saysthis about the Prologue:

In all literature there is nothing that touches orresembles the Prologue. It is the concisean entire nation, high and lowand female, lay and clerical, learned and ignorant,rogue and righteous, land and sea, town andcountry, but without extremes.

The Prologue takes place on the eve of the pilgrimage,as these characters first encounter each other at theTabard Inn in Southwark, a borough in the south ofLondon. Although most medieval inns provided onlybarebones accorrmaodations, they still served as awelcome oasis during rugged travels. The pilgrims

spe,nd their evening basking in the hospitality of theinns host who concludes their festivities by proposing astorytelling contest as a way to pass the time along theirjourney to Canterbury. This proposal sets up the Tales’frame story--the main story of their pilgrimage thatsurrounds the individual stoiles told by the travelers.

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A Class]c Medieval Narrative

Chaucer’s Tales works as a brilliant depiction of hissociety, a timeless exploration of human nature,and a classic example of a medieval quest narrative.The poems quest--the rimage to Canterbury--begins with images of spring and awal~ening, windsits way through the territory of penance and death,

~its, and concludes with the Parson’s reflections oneternal life. Although the Tales remains unfinished,the arc of this quest mirrors the spiritual renewalthat the pilgrims themselves are seeking at the shrineof Saint Thomas ~ Becket. Because much of what

~it of } these characters seek and ponder remains relevant to

people today, the Tales presents a medieval narrative, ra£e ’

that still illuminates human nature in the modernworld.

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Middle English Pronunciation Guide

The version of 7he Canterbury Tales included inthis book is a translation into Modern English byNevill Coghill. Chaucer’s original text was writtenin Middle English, an older version of the Englishlanguage that was spoken during the medieval era.Although Coghill’s translation reflects the spirit ofChancer’s text, you might try to read some of theTales in the wonderf~ly musical original. Usingthe guide on the right to help you, practicespealdng some of the lines from the opening passagethat appem’s on the next page in the original MiddleEnglish.

a: ah, as in father.ai, ay, el, ey: ay, as in pay.au, aw: ow, as in house.i: ee, asin me.oo, o: oh, as in oot.u: oo, as in who.ee: ay, as in pay. For example, eekis pronounced erice: at times ay; also sometimes eh, as in men.e: When it is the final letter, e in Middle English is aseparate syllable sounded like a final uh;for example,soote (which also uses the "bo" rule mentioned above)rhymes with soda. But when the final e precedes aword that starts with a vowel or an h, it is not sounded.In "droghte of March;’the final e in droghte is silent.

~: hard g, as in go, except before e or i (in words bor-rowed from French), where it is sounded likezh or], asin garage. Pilgrimage rhymes with garage.~h: like a German ch. Knight is pronounced k-nee-hkt.-tion, -¢.iah The t and c in these letter combinationsare not blended with the i as they are in ModernEnglish (as in the words condition and special). The iissounded as a separate syllable. Therefore, in MiddleEnglish speeialwould have three syllables: SPEH see al(c has the sound of s when it comes before/). Conditionwould have four syllables: kahn dee see AHN.

THE PROLOGUE TO

Read with a PurposeRead to discover how Chaucer uses acollection of diverse individuals to createa vibrant picture of medieval culture andsociety.

Build BackgroundThe Canterbury Tales is a group of stories told by the ~haracters as they travel together tovisit the shrine of Saint Thomas ~ Becket in Canterbury. The Prologue sets up the purposeof their journey, introduces all of the characters, and provides a detailed description ofeach member of the group. Written at the end of the fourteenth century, the poemprovides a rich view of life during Chaucer’s time.

from the Siege ofthebes,rhe IkitBh Library, London.

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THE PROLOGUEWhen in April the sweet showers fallAnd pierce the drought of March to the root, and all~he veins are bathed in liquor of such powerAs brings about the engendering of the flower,When also Zephyrus° with his sweet breathExhales an air in every grove and heathUpon the tender shoots, and the young sunHis half-course in the sign of the Ram° has run,And the small fowl are malting melodyThat sleep away the night with open eye(So nature pricks them and their heart engages)Then people long to go on pilgrimagesAnd palmers° long to seek the stranger strandsOf far-off saints, hallowed in sundry lands,And specially, from every shire’s endOf England, down to Canterbury they wend°

To seek the holy blissful martyr, quickTo give his help to them when they were sick.

It happened in that season that one dayIn Southwark, at The Tabard, as I layReady to go on pilgrimage and startFor Canterbury, most devout at heart,At night there came into that hostelry°

Some nine and twenty in a companyOf sundry folk happening then to fallIn fellowship, and they were pilgrims ailThat towards Canterbury meant to ride. ~

~~ Frame 5’tory How do lines 11-27 foreshadow the frame storyabout many different characters?

1-18. When...sick: These linesconsist of a single, long sentencethat is built on this structure:"When x occurs, then.7happens;’

N According to the narrator,what do people long to dowhen spring brings new life?

5. Zephyrus (z~I~F uh ruhs):in Greek mythology, god of thewest wind.8. Ram: Aries, first sign of thezodiac. The time is mid-April.13. palmers: people who worepalm fronds to show that theyhad visited the Holy Land.

162 wend: go; trave!.

23. hostelry: inn. The Tabard isa lodging place.

The Protogue to The Canterbury Tales 123

The rooms and stables of the inn were wide:They made us easy, all was of the best.

3o And, briefly, when the sun had gone to rest,I’d spoken to them all upon the tripAnd was soon one with them in fellowship,Pledged to rise early and to take the wayto Canterbury, as you heard me say.

35 But none the less, while I have time and space,Before my story takes a further pace,It seems a reasonable thfi~g to sayWhat their condition was, the full arrayOf each of them, as it appeared to me,

40 According to profession and degree,And what apparel they were riding in;And at a IO~ight I therefore will begin.

There was a Knight, ° a most distinguished man,Who from the day on which he first began

45 To ride abroad had followed chivalry,Truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy.He had done nobly in his sovereigns warAnd ridden into battle, no man more,As well in Christian as in heathen° places,

50 And ever honored for his noble graces.When we took Alexandria,° he was there.

He often sat at table in the chairOf honor, above all nations, when in Prussia.In Lithuania he had ridden, and Russia,

55 No Christian man so often, of his rank.When, in Granada, Algeciras sankUnder assault, he had been there, and inNorth Africa, raiding Banamarin;In Anatolia he had been as wedl

6{) And fought when Ayas and Attalia fell,For all along the Mediterranean coastHe had embarked with many a noble host.In fifteen mortal battles he had beenAnd jousted for our faith at ~Pramissbne

65 Thrice in the lists, and always killed his man.This same distinguished knight had led the vanOnce with the Bey of Balat, doing workFor him against another heathen Turk; ~)

~~ gnalyzin9 t(ey I)etails WhatqualNesdoestheKnightpossessthat differ from those you might expect to find in a veteran soldier?

124 Unit I o Collection 2

43. There was a Knight: Notethat italics will designate eachnew character as that characteris introduced.Asyou read, you might wish tocreate a list of all the charactersintroduced in the Prologue,49. heathen: pagan. Chauceruses the term to mean"non-Christian1."51. Alexandria: city in Egyptcaptured by the Crusaders inI365. In the next few IL~es~Chaucer is indicating theKnight’s distinguished and

He was of sovereign value in all eyes.70 And though so much distinguished, he was wise

And in his bearing modest as a maid.He never yet a boorish thing had saidIn all his life to any, come what might;He was a true, a perfect gentle-lcnight.

75 Speaking of his equipment, he possessedFine horses, but he was not gaily dressed.He wore a fustian° tunic stained and darkWith smudges where his armor had left mark;Just home from service, he had joined our ranks

80 To do his pilgrimage and render thanks.

He had his son with him, a fine young Squire,A lover and cadet, a lad of~ireWith locks as curly as if they had been pressed.He was some twenty years of age, I guessed.

85 In stature he was of a moderate length,With wonderful agility and strength.He’d seen some service with the cavalryIn Flanders and Artois and PicardyAnd had done valiantly in little space

90 Of time, in hope to win his lady’s grace.He was embroidered l~ke a meadow brightAnd full of freshest flowers, red and white.Singing he Was, or fluting° all the day;He was as fresh as is the month of May.

95 Short was his gown, the sleeves were long and wide;He knew the way to sit a horse and ride.He could make songs and poems and recite,Knew how to joust and dance, to draw and write.He loved so hotly that till dawn grew pale

!00 He slept as little as a nightingale.Courteous he was, lowly and serviceable,And carved to serve his father at the table. (~

105

There was a Yeoman with him at his side,No other servant; so he chose to ride.This Yeoman wore a coat and hood of green,

~ ~ (hara(terizalion How does the portrait ofthe Squire differ fromthat of the Knight?

77. filstian (Fm~s chun): madeof coarse cloth woven fromlinen and cotton.

The Squire, detail from the Ellesmeremanuscript, fol. 115v.The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

87-102. Summarize thenarrator’s description of the

Squire. In what ways does theSquire appear to embody theconcept of chivalry? (See page 10for a review of chivalry,)93. fluting: whistling.

TEe Canon’~ Yeoman, detail from the Ellesmeremanuscript, fol. 194r.The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales 125

And peacock-feathered arrows, bright and keenAnd neatly sheathed, hung at his belt the while--For he could dress his gear in yeoman style,His arrows never drooped their feathers Iow--

110 And in his hand he bore a mighty bow.His head was like a nut, his face was brown.He knew the whole of woodcraft up and down.A saucy brace was on iris arm to wardIt from the bow-str’mg, and a shield and sword

115 Hung at one side, and at the other slippedA jaunty dirL° spear-sharp and well-equipped.A medal of St. Christopher° he woreOf shining silver on his breast, and boreA hunting-horn, well slung and burnished dean,

120 "Ihat dangledfrom a baldrick° of bright green.He was a proper forester, I guess.

There also was a Nun, a Prioress,°

Her way of smiling very simple and coy.Her greatest oath was only "By St. Loy!"°

125 And she was known as Madam EgLantyne.And well she saug a service, with a fineIntoning through her nose, as was most seemly,And she spoke dainflty in French, extremely,After the school of Stratford-atte-Bowe;°

130 French in the Paris style she did not know.At meat her rammers were well taught withal;No morsel from her lips did she let fall,Nor dipped her fingers in the sauce too deep;But she could carry a morsel up and keepThe smallest drop from falling on her breast.For courtliness she had a special zest,And she would wipe her upper lip so deanThat not a trace of grease was to be seenUpon the cup when she had drunk; to eat,

140 She reached a hand sedately for the meat.She certainly was very entertaining,Pleasant and friendly in her ways, aped strainingTo counterfeit a courtly ldnd of grace,A stately bearing fitting to her place,

145 And to seem dignified in all her dealings. ~)

~) ~~h~cteriza~on f!0w does Chaucercharacterize the Nun? What is your main impression of her at this point?

126 Unit 1 .Collection 2

ll& dirk: long dagger,117. St. Christopher: patronsaint of travelers.

120, baldrick: bek slung overthe shoulder and chest to hold

122. prioress: head of aconvent of nuns,124. St. Loy: Saint Eilgius,known for his perfect manners.

122-145. What details inthe description of the Nun

thus far suggest that the narratorthinks she is putting on airs--that is, trying to appear morerefined and "high class" than shereally129. Stratford-atte-Bowe:Benedictine comzent nearLondon where inferior Frenchwas spoken,

The Prioress, detail fromthe [llesmem man uscrl#t,foL 14gv.Tile Huntln~t0n tiblary, San

hold

~tails in"~e Nunnarratordrs--

than she

: French

175

As for her sympathies and tender feelings,She was so charitably solicitousShe used to weep if she but saw a mouseCaught in a trap, ifft were dead or bleeding.

150 And she had little dogs she would be feedingwith roasted flesh, or milk, or fine white bread.And bitterly she wept if one were deadOr someone took a stick and made it smart;She was all sentiment and tender heart.

155 Her veil was gathered in a seemly way,Her nose was degant, her eyes glass-gray;Her mouth was very small, but soft and red,Her forehead, certainly, was fair of spread,Almost a span° across the brows, I own;

160 She was indeed by no means undergrown.Her doak, I noticed, had a graceful charm.She wore a coral° trinket on her arm,A set of beads, the gaudies tricked in green,°Whence hung a golden brooch of brightest sheen

165 On which there first was graven a crowned A,And lower, Amor vincit omnia.°

Another Nun, the secretary at her ceil,°

Was riding With her, and three Priests as well.

A Monk there was, one of the finest sort170 Who rode the country; hunting was his sport.

A manly man, to be an Abbott able;Many a dainty horse he had in stable.His bridle, when he rode, a man might hearJingling in a whistling wind as clear,Aye, and as loud as does the chapel bellWhere my lord Monk was Prior of the cell.The Rule of good St. Benet or St. Maur°

As old and strict he tended to ignore;He let go by the things of yesterday

t80 And took the modern world’s more spacious" way.He did not rate that text at a plucked henWhich says that hunters are not holy menAnd that a monk uncloistered is a mereFish out of water, flapping on the pier,

lag That is to say a monk out of his cloister.That was a text he held not worth an oyster;And I agreed and said his views were sound;Was he to study till his head went roundPoring over books in cloisters? Must he toil

lhe Nun’s Priest, detail from the Ellesmeremanuscript, fol. 17%The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

159. span: nine inches. A spanwas supposed to be the distancebetween the extended thumband little finger.162. coral: In the Middle Ages,coral was a defense againstworldly temptations as well as alove charm.163. a set of beads.., green:Beads are a rosary, or a set ofprayer beads and a crucifix on astring or chain. Every eleventhbead is a gaud, a large beadindicating when the Lord’sPrayer is to be said.166. Amorvincitomnia (AHmawr WIHN idht AWM neeuh): Latin for "Love conquers

167. cell: small conventconnected to a larger one.

177. St. Benet or St. Maur:Saint Benet is Benedict (c. 480-c. 547), who founded numerousmonasteries and wrote a famouscode of regulations for monasticlife. Saint Manr is Mattrice, afollower of Benedict.

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales 127

190 As Austin° bade and till the very soft?Was he to leave the world upon the shelf?.Let Austin have his labor to himsel£

This Monk was therefore a good man to horse;Greyhounds he had, as swift as birds, to course.°

195 Hunting a hare or riding at a fenceWas all his fun, he spared for no expense.I saw his sleeves were garnished at the handWith fine gray fur, the finest in the land,And on his hood, to fasten it at his chin

200 He had a wrought-gold, cunningly fashioned pin;Into a lover’s knot it seemed to pass.His head was bald and shone like looking-glass;So did his face, as flit had been greased.He was a fat and personable priest;

205 His prominent eyeballs never seemed to settle.They glittered like the flames beneath a kettle;Supple his boots, his horse in fine condition.He was a prelate fit for exhibition,He was not pale like a tormented soul.

210 He liked a fat swan best, and roasted whole.His palfrey° was as brown as is a berry. ~

There was a Friar, a wanton one and merry,A Limiter,° a very festive fellow.In all Four Orders° there was none so mellow,

215 So glib with gallant phrase and well-turned speech.He’d fixed up many a marriage, giving eachOf his young women what he could afford her.He was a noble pillar to his Order.Highly beloved and intimate was he

220 With County folk within his boundary,And city dames of honor and possessions;For he was qualified to hear confessions,Or so he said, with more than priestly scope;He had a special license from the Pope.

225 Sweetly he heard his penitents° at shrift°

With pleasant absolution,° for a gift.He was an easy man in penance-gi,iangWhere he could hope to make a decent living;It’s a sure sign whenever gift~ are given

230 To a poor Order that a man’s well shriven,°

~ ~ Analyzing lley Details How do the details in this portrait oftheMonk imply that he is not serious about his vocation?

190. Austin: Saint Augustine(354-430), bishop of Hippo inNorth Africa. He criticized lazymonks and suggested they dohard manual labor.194. course: cause to chase

The Friar, detail from theEilesmere manuscript,fol, 76v.The Huntington Library, SanMarin~, CA.

211. palfrey: horse.

213. limiter~ friar havingthe exclusive right to beg andpreach in an assigned (limited)district.214. Four Orders: The fourorders of mendicant (beggar)friars are the Franciscans, theDominicans, the Carmelites,and the Augustinians.

225. penitents: people seekingthe sacrament of confession sothat their sins can be forgiven.shrift: confession.226. absolution: forgiveness ofsins, given by a priest.230. well shriven: confessedand forgiven of sins.

128 Unit I .Collection 2

And should he give enough he knew in verityThe penitent repented in sincerity.For many a fellow is so hard of heartHe cannot weep, for all his inward smart.

235 Therefore instead of weeping and of prayerOne should give silver for a poor Friar’s care.He kept his tippet° stuffed with pins for curls,And pocket-knives, to give to pretty girls.And certainly his voice was gay and sturdy,

240 For he sang well and played the hurdy-gurdy.°At sing-songs he was champion of the hour.His neck was whiter than a lily-flowerBut strong enough to butt a bruiser down.He knew the taverns well in every town

245 And every innkeeper and barmaid tooBetter than lepers, beggars and that crew,For in so eminent a man as heIt was not fitting with the dignityOf his position, dealing with a scum

25o Of wretched lepers; nothing good can comeOf commerce with such slum-and-gutter dwellers,But only with the rich and victual-sellers.°

But anywhere a profit might accrueCourteous he was and lowly of service too. {~

255 Natural gifts like his were hard to match.He was the finest beggar of his batch, .And, for his begging-district, paid a rent;His brethren did no poaching where he went.For though a widow mightn’t have a shoe,

26o So pleasant was his holy how-frye-doHe got his farthing° from her just the sameBefore he left, and so his income cameTo more than he laid out. And how he romped,lust fike a puppy! He was ever prompt

265 To arbitrate disputes on settling days°(For a small fee) in many helpful ways,Not then appearing as your cloistered scholarWith threadbare habit hardly worth a dollar,But much more iike a Doctor or a Pope.

27o Of double-worsted° was the semi-cope°

~~ Characterization What do lines 212-254 reveal about the Friar’scharacter?

Vo0:,~b~ar7 eminent (EHM uh nuhnt) adj.: great; of high standing.

237. tippet: hood or longsleeve of a robe.

240. hurdy-gurdy: instrumentplayed by turning a crank.

252. victual-sellers: merchants,especially of food.

256-279. What details inthese lines show the Friar’s

love of luxury? How does thisFriar compare with yourexpectations of a religious figure?

261. farthing: former Brit-ish coin worth one fourth of apenny.

265. settling days: days onwhich disputes could be settledout of court by independentnegotiators, qhough friars oftenacted as negotiators (for a fee),they were officially forbidden todo so.270. double-worsted: ahigh-quality woven wool.semi-cope: capelike garment.

The Pro/ogue to The Canterbury Tales 129

275

Upon his shoulders, and the swelling foldAbout him, like a bell about its mouldWhen it is casting, rounded out his dress.He lisped a little out of wantonness°

To make his English sweet upon his tongue.When he had played his harp, or ha~fmg sung,His eyes would t~adnkle in his head as brightAs any star upon a frosty night.This worthy’s name was Hubert, it appeared.

280 There was a Merchant with a forking beardAnd motley° dress; high on his horse he sat,Upon his head a Flemish beaver hatAnd on his feet daintily buckled boots.He told of his opinions and pursuits

285 In ~olerrm tones, he harped on his increaseOf capital; there should be sea-police(He thought) upon the Harwich-Holland ranges;°

He was expert at dabbling in exchanges.This estimable Merchant so had set

290 His wits to work, none Imew he was in debt,He was so stately in administration,In loans and bargains and negotiation.He was an excellant fellow all the same;To tell the truth I do not know his name..

295 An Oxford Cleric, still a student though,One who had taken logic long ago,Was there; his horse was thinner than a rake,And he was not too fat, I undertake,But had a hollow look, a sober stare;

300 The thread upon his overcoat was bare.He had found no preferment in the churchAnd he was too unworldly to make,searchFor secular employment. By his bedHe preferred having twenty books in red

305 And black, of Aristotle’s° philosophy,Than costly clothes, fiddle, or psaltery.°

Though a philosopher, as I have told,He had not found ~e stone for making gold.°

Whatever money from his friends he took310 He spent on learning or another book

And prayed for them most earnestly, returningThanks to them thus for paying for his learning.

274. wantonness: here,pretense.

281. motley: multicolored.

287. Harwich-Holland ranges:sea route between Harwich(port city on the southeasterncoast of England) and Holland.

305. Aristotle’s: reference tothe Greek philosopher (384-322

306. psaltery: stringedinstrument that is plucked.308. stone.., gold: Alchemistsat the time were searching for astone that was supposed to turnordinary metals into gold.

130 Unit I .Collection 2

315

His only care was study, and indeedHe never spoke a word more than was need,Formal at that, respectful in the extreme,Short, to the point, and lofty in his theme.A tone of moral virtue filled his speechAnd gladly would he learn, and gladly teach.

A Sergeant at the Law who paid his calls,320 Wary and wise, for clients at St. PauPs°

There also was, of noted excellence.Discreet he was, a man to reverence,Or so he seemed, his sayings were so wise.He often had been lustice of Assize

325 By letters patent,° and in full commission.His fame and learning and his high positionHad won him many a robe and many a fee.22qere was no such conveyancer° as he;All was fee-simple° to his strong digestion,

330 .Not one conveyance could be called in question.Though there was nowhere one so busy as he,He was less busy than he seemed to be.He lmew of every judgment, case, and crimeEver recorded since Kiug WilliaMs time.

335 He could dictate defenses or draft deeds;No one could pinch a comma from his screeds°And he knew every statute offby rote.He wore a homely parti-colored° coat,Girt with a silken bek of pin-stripe stuff;

340 Of his appearance I have said enough.

345

There was a Franklin° with him, it appeared;White as a daisy-petal was his beard.A sanguine° man, high-colored and benign,He loved a morning sop of cake in wine.He lived for pleasure and had always done,For he was Epicurus’° very son,In whose opinion sensual delightWas the one true felicity in sight.

@ ~ Analyzing Key Details Which details in the sketch of the OxfordCleric match the stereotype of the poor student?

benign (bih NYN) adj.: kind; gracious.

295-318. In what ways isthe Oxford Cleric

significantly different from theNun, the Monk, and the Friar?

320. St. Paul’s: Londoncathedral. Lawyers often metoutside it to discuss their caseswhen courts were closed.325. letters patent: letters fromthe king permitting people toact as judges at the Assizes,court sessions held periodically.

328. conveyancer: personwho draws up documentstransferring ownership of land.The Lawyer is transferring theownership to himself..329. fee-simple: absoluteownership of real property; inother words, he took absolutepossession of everything.336. screeds: tiresome, lengthywritings.338. parti-colored: multi-colored.

341. franklin: well-to-do land-owner who i~ not of the nobility.343. sanguine: ruddy complex-ioned. In Chaucer’s day this wasconsidered a sign of a cheerfultemperament; today the wordsignifies optimism.346. Epicurus’: Epicurus(341-270 B.c.), an ancientGreek philosopher, taught thatthe goal of life is pleasure, whichis achieved through virtue andmoderation. Most people cameto think of Epicmeans aspleasure seekers.

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales 131

As noted as St. Julian° was for bounty350 He made his household free to all the County.

His bread, his ale were finest of the fineAnd no one had a better stock of wine.His house was never short of bake-meat pies,Offish and flesh, and these in such supplies

355 It positively snowed with meat and drinkAnd all the dainties that a man could think.Accord’my to the seasons of the yearChanges of dish were ordered to appear.He kept fat partridges in coops, beyond,

360 Many a bream and pike were in his pond.Woe to the cook urdess the sauce was hotAnd sharp, or ffhe wasn’t on the spot!And in his hal! a table stood arrayedAnd ready all day long, with places laid.

365 As Justice at the Sessions° none stood higher;He often had been Member for the Shire.°A dagger and a Flttle purse of silkHung at his girdle, white as morning milk.As Sheriffhe checked audit, every entry.

370 He was a model among landed gentry.

A Haberdasher, ° a Dyer, a Carpenter,A Weaver, and a Carpet-maker wereAmong our fart, s, all in the livery°

Of one impressive guild-fraternity.375 They were so trim and fresh their gear would pass

For new. Their knives were not tricked out with brassBut wrought with purest silver, which avouches°

A like display on girdles and on pouches.Each seemed a worthy burgess,° fit to grace

38o A guild-hall with a seat upon the dais.Their wisdom would have justified a planTo make each one of them an alderman;°

They had the capital and revenue,Besides their wives declared it was their due.

385 And if they did not think so, then they ought;To be called "Madam" is a glorious thought,And so is going to church and being seenHaving your mantle carried, like a queen. O

{[} ~ Cl~aracterizatiot~ How are the guildsmeffs wives characterized inthis section?

132 Unit 1 ~Collection 2

349. St. ]ulian: patron saint ofhospitaF~ty.365. ]ustice at the Sessions:judge at a court meeting.366. Member for the Shire:county representative inParliament.

The Franklin, detail from the~lesmere manuscript,123v.The }~untington l.ibrar~, ~anl~arino, CA.

371. haberdasher: seller ofmen’s clothing and accessories.373. livery: traditional uniformassociated with a particulartrade.

377. avouches: guarantees.

379. burgess: citizen.

382. aldermanr head of a guildand therefore a member of thetown council.

371-388. What charactersdo you learn more about in

lhese lines: the guiIdsmen ortheir wived Explain,

~hey had a Cook with them who stood alone

390 For boiling chicken with a marrow-bone,Sharp flavoring-powder and a spice for savor.He could distinguish London ale by flavor,And he could roast and seethe and broil and fry,Make good thick soup, and bake a tasty pie.

395 But what a pity--so it seemed to me,~ltaat he should have an ulcer on his knee.As for blancmange,° he made it with the best.

4O0

405

410

415

420

425

There was a Skipper hailing from far west;He came from Dartmouth, ~o I understood.He rode a farmer’s horse as best he could,In a woollen gown that reached his knee.A dagger on a lanyard° failing freeHung from his necl~ trader his arm and down.The summer heat had tanned his color brown,And certainly he was an excellent fellow.Many a draught of vintage, red and yalIow,He’d drawn at Bordeaux, while the trader snored.The ricer rules of conscience he ignored.If, when he fought, the enemy vessel sank,He sent his prisoners home; they walked the plank.As for his skill in reckoning his tides,~urrents, and many another risk besides,Moons, harbors, pilots, he had such dispatchThat none from HuI1 to Carthage was his match,Hardy he was, prudent in undertaking;His beard in many a tempest had its shaking,And he l~ew all the havens as they wereFrom Gottland to the Cape of Finisterre,And every creek in Brittany and Spain;1he barge he owned was called The Maudelayne.

A Doctor too emerged as we progeeded;No one alive could talk as well as he didOn points of medicine and of surgery,For, being grounded in astronomy,He watched his patient closely for the hoursWhen, by his horoscope, he knew the powers

O

~ ~ Analyzing I(ey Details Read lines 408-410 carefully. They revealan i.rnportant detail about the Skipper. What does"sent his prisoners home"actualLy mean?

397. blancmange: French for"white food? In Chaucer’s dayblancmange was a sweet dishmade from diced chicken, milk,sugar, and almonds.

402. lanyard:cord.

The Cook, detail from the Ellesineremanuscript, fol. 47r.The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales 133

Of favorable planets, then ascendent,Worked on the images for his dependent.The cause of every malady you’d got

430 He knew, and whether dry, cold, moist, or hot;°

He knew their seat, their humor and condition.He was a perfect practicing physician.21~ese causes being known for what they were,He gave the man his medicine then and there.

435 All his apothecaries° in a tribeWere ready with the drugs he would prescribeAnd each made money from the other’s guile;They had been friendly for a goodish while.~He was well-versed in Aesculapius° too

44o And what Hippocrates and Rufus lmewAnd Dioscorides, now dead and gone,Galen and Rhazes, Hall, Serapion,Averroes, Avicenna, Constantine,Scotch Bernard, John of Gaddesden, Gilbertine.

445 In his own diet he observed some measure;There were no superfluities° for pleasure,Only digestives, nutritives and such.He did not read the Bible very much.In blood-red garmeuts, slashed with bluish gray

450 And lined with taffeta, he rode his way;Yet he was ratller close as to expensesAnd kept the gold he won in pestflances.Gold stimulates the heart, or so we’re told.He therefore had a special love of gold.

455 A worthy woman from beside Bath cityWas with us, somewhat deaf, which was a pit~In making cloth she showed so great a bentShe bettered those of Ypres and of Ghent.°In all the parish not a dame dared stir

4~0 Towards the altar steps in front of her,And ff indeed they did, so wrath was sheAs to be quite put out of charity.Her kerchiefs were of finely wove~ ground;°

I dared have sworn they weighed a good ten pound,465 The ones she wore on Sunday, on her head.

~I[~ ~ Chara&erlzation How does the description of the Doctor’sdealings in lines 435-438 change how he Is characterized?

Vo~:aE~Ma r~’ guile(gyl)n.:slydealings;skillindeceiving.

430. dry.., hot: Pe@e of thetime believed that one’sphysical and mental conditionswere influenced by the balanceof four major humors, or fluids,in the body--blood (hot andwet); yellow bile (hot and dry);pNegm (cold and wet); andblack bile (cold and dry).435. apothecaries:pharmacists.439. Aesculapius: in Greekmxd R/~man mythology, the godof medicine. The names thatfollow were early Greek,Roman, Middle Eastern, andmedieval medical authorities.

446. superfluities: excesses.

451-454. How did theVoctor get his gold?

458. Ypres... Ghent: Flemishcenters of the wool trade.

463. ground: type of cloth,

! 34 Unit 3, Collection 2

Her hose were of the finest scarlet redAnd gartered tight; her shoes were soft and new.Bold was her face, handsome, and red in hue.A worthy woman all her life, what’s more

470 She’d had five husbands, all at the church door,Apart from other company in youth;No need just now to speak of that, forsooth.And she had thrice been to Jerusalem,Seen many strange rivers and passed over them;

475 She’d been to Rome and also to Boulogne,St. James of Compostella and Cologne,And she was skilled in wandering by the way.She had gap-teeth,° set widely, truth to say.Easily on an ambling horse she sat

480 Well wimpled° up, and on her head a hatAs broad as is a buckler or a shield;She had a flowing mantle friar concealedLarge hips, her heels spurred sharply under that.tn company she liked to laugh and chat

485 And knew the remedies for love’s mischances,An art in which she knew the oldest dances.

~ ~’~

A holy-minded man of good renownThere was, and poor, the Parson to a town,Yet he was rich in holy thought and work. ~

490 He also was a learned man, a clerk,Who truly knew Christ’s gospel and would preach itDevoutly to parishioners, and teach it.Benign and wonderfully diligent,And patient when adversity was sent

495 (For so he proved in much adversity)He hated cursing to extort a fee,Nay rather he preferred beyond a doubtGiving to poor parishioners round aboutBoth from church offerings and his property;

500 He could in Iitfle find sufficiency.Wide was his parish, with houses far asunder,Yet he neglected not in rain or thunder,In sickness or in grief, to pay a callOn the remotest, whether great or small,

505 Upon his feet, and in his hand a stave.°

~ ~ Analyzing Eey Oetails How clo the details contained in theseopening lines contrast with the descriptions of the previous religious figures--the Nun, theMonk, and the Friar?

455-486. Does the Wife ofBath evoke any comic

female stereotypes? Explain.

478. gap-teeth: In Chancer’stime, gap-teeth on a womanwere considered a sign ofboldness and were said toindicate an aptitude for loveand travel.480. wimple& A wimple is alinen covering for the head andneck.

The Parsoo, detail from the Ellesmemmanuscript, fol. 206v.The Huntington library, San Marino, CA.

505. stave: staff.

The Prologue to The CanterburyTales 135

This noble example to his sheep° he gaveThat first he wrought, and afterward he taught;And it was from the Gospel he had caughtThose words, and he would add this figure too,

510 That if gold rust, what then wiil iron do?For ifa pr@st be foul in whom we trustNo wonder that a common man should rust;And shame it is to see--let priests take stockA shitten shepherd and a snowy rio&.

515 The true example that a priest should giveIs one of cleanness, how the sheep should live.He did not set his benefice to hire°

And leave his sheep encumbered in the mireOr run to London to earn easy bread

520 By singing masses for the wealthy dead,Or find some Brotherhood and get enrolled.°

He stayed at home and watched over his foldSo that no wolf should make the sheep miscarry.He was a shepherd and no mercenary.°

525 Holy ~nd virtuous he was, but thenNever contemptuous of sinful men,Never disdainful, never too proud or free,But was discreet in teaching and benign.His business was to show a fair behavior

530 And draw men thus to Heaven and their Savior,Unless indeed a man were obstinate;And such, whether of high or low estate,°

He put to sharp rebuke, to say the least.I think there never was a better priest.

535 He sought no pomp or glory in his dealings,No scrupulosity had spiced his feelings.Christ and His Twelve Apostles and their loreHe taught, but followed it himself before.

There was a Plowman with him there, his brother;540 Many a load of dung one time or other

He must have carted through the morning dew.He was an honest worker, good and true,Living in peace and perfect charity,And, as the gospel bade him, so did he,

545 Loving God best with all his heart and mindAnd then his neighbor as ~himself, repined

Vo~e~y obsti~ate(AHBstuhniht)adj.:unreasonablystubborn.

506. sheep: his parislgoners.

517. He... benefice to hire:He did not hire someone dse toperform his duties.

521. find.., enrolled: He didnot take a job as a paid chaplainto a guild.524. mercenary: someone whowill agree to do anything for

532. estate: rank; socialstanding.

539-555. How is the)lowman like his brother,

the Parson? How can you tellthat the narrator approves ofhim?

At no misfortune, slacked for no content,For steadily about his work he wentTo thrash his corn, to dig or to manure

550 Or make a ditch; and he would help the poorl~or love of Christ and never take a pennyIf he could help it, and, as prompt as any;He paid his tithes in full when they were dueOn what he owned, and on his earnings too.

555 He wore a tabard smock° and rode a mare.~There was a Reeve," also a Miller, there,

A College Manciple° from the Inns of Court,A papal Pardoner° and, in close consort,A Church-Court Summoner,° riding at a trot,

56o And finally myself--that was the lot.

The Miller was a chap of sixteen stone,°

A great stout fellow big in braw’a and bone.He did well out of them, for he could goAnd win the ram at any wrestling show.Broad, knotty; and short-shouldered, he would boastHe could heave any door off hinge and post,Or take a run and break it with his head.His heard, like any sow or fox, was redAnd broad as well, as though it were a spade;

570 And, at its very tip, his nose displayedA wart on which there stood a rust of hairRed as the bristles in an old sow’s ear.His nostrils were as black as they were wide.He had a sword and buckler at his side,

575 His mighty mouth was like a furnace door.A wrangler and buffoon, he had a storeOf tavern stories, filthy in the main.His was a master-hand at stealing grain.He fdt it with his thumb and thus he knew

580 Its quality and took three times his due--A thumb of gold, by God, to gauge an oat!°

He wore a hood of blue and a white coat.He liked to play his bagpipes up and downAnd that was how he brought us out of town.

~ ~ ¢ha}aet~rization To whkh other character is the Plowman verysimi}ar? Why is this similarity u~surprish~g?

555. tabard smock: shortjacket.556. reeve: seffwho was thesteward of a manor. A reevesaw that the estate’s work wasdone and that everything wasaccounted for.557. manciple: minoremployee whose principal dutywas to purchase provisions for acollege or law firm.558. pardoner: minor memberof the Church who bought andsold pardons for sinners.559. summoner: low-rankingofficer who summoned peopleto appear in Church corot,561. sixteen stone: 224pounds,

The Miller, detail from theEllesmere manuscript, fol. 34v.

568-575. Do any of thecomparisons that the

narrator makes flatter thecharacter of the Miller? Explain.581. thumb.., oat: In otherwords, he pressed on the scalewith his thumb to increase thewg~ght of the grain.

The Prologue to The Cal~terbury Tales 137

585 The Manciple came from the Inner Temple;°

All caterers might follow his exampleIn buying victuals; he was never rashWhether he bought on credit or paid cash,He used to watch the market most precisely

590 And got in first, and so he did qu~te nicely,Now isn’t it a marvel of God’s graceThat an illiterate fellow can outpaceTiae wisdom of ~a heap of learned men?His masters--he had more than thirty then--

595 AIIversed in the abstrusest° legal knowledge,Could have produced a dozen from their CollegeFit to be stewards in land and rents and gameTo aW Peer in England y9u could name,And show him how to live on what he had

600 Debt-free (unless of course the Peer were mad)Or be as frugal as he might desire,And make them fit to help about the ShireIn any legal case there was to try;And yet this Manciple could wipe their eye.°

605 The Reeve was old and choleric° and thin;His beard was shaven dosely to the skin,His shorn hair came abruptly to a stopAbove his ears, and he was docked° on topJust like a priest in front; his legs were lean,

610 Like sticks they were, no calf was to be seen.He kept his bins and garners° very trim;No auditor could gain a point on him.And he could judge by watching drought and rainThe yield he might expect from seed and grain.

6!5 His master’s sheep, his animals and hens,’ Pigs, horses, dairies, stores, and cattle-pensWere wholly trusted to his government.He had been under contract to presentThe accounts, right from his master’s earliest years.

620 No one had ever caught him in arrears.°

No bailiff,° serf, or herdsm~n dared to kick,He lmew their dodges, lcnew their every trick;Feared like the plague he was, by those beneath.

585. Inner Temple: one of thefour legal societies in Londoncomposing the Inns of Court.Only the Inns were permitted 1license lawyers.595. abstrusest: most complex;hardest to understand.

"i1~Manciple, detail fromthe £1l~sme~ ma~usni~t,fol. 203r.

604. wipe their eye: outdothem. This medieval idiommeans something like "stealtheir thunder" or "show themup."605. choleric: having too muchcholer, or yellow bile, and thus(supposedly) bad-tempered.608. docked: clipped short.611. garners: granaries.

620. in arrears: behindschedule in repaying debts.621. bailiff: here, farmmanager.

138 Unit ! oCollection 2

He had a lovely dwelling on a heath,625 Shadowed in green by trees above the sward?

A better hand at bargains than his lord,He had grown rich and had a store of treasureWell tucked away, yet out it came to pleasureHis lord with subtle loans or gifts of goods,

630 To earn his thanks and even coats and hoods.When young he’d learnt a useflfl trade and stillHe yeas a carpenter of first-rate sldil.The stallion-coh° he rode at a slow trotWas dapple-gray and bore the name of Scot.

635 He wore an overcoat ofbhiish shadeAnd rather long; he had a rusty bladeSlung at his side. He came, as I heard tell,From Norfolk, near a place ca!led Balde~swelLHis coat was tucked under his belt and splayed,

640 He rode the hindmost of our cavalcade. ~

There was a Summoner° with us at that Inn,H~s face on fire, l~e a cherubim,°

For he had carbuncles.° His eyes were narrow,He was as hot and lecherous as a sparrow.

645 Black scabby brows he had, and a thin beard.Children were afraid when he appeared.No quicksilver, lead ointment, tartar creams,No brimstone, no boracic, so it seems,Could make a salve t~at had the power to bite,

650 Clean up, or cure his whelks° of knobby whiteOr purge the pimples sitting on his cheeks.Garlic he loved, and onions too, and leeks,And drinking strong red wine till all was hazy.Then he would shout and jabber as if crazy,

655 And wouldn’t speak a word except in LatinWhen he was drunk, such tags as he was pat in;He only had a few, say two or three,Xhat he had mugged up out of some decree;No wonder, for he heard them every day.

660 And, as you know, a man can teach a jay°

To call out "Walter" better than the Pope,But had you tried to test Iris wits and gropeFor more, you’d have found nothing in the bag.Then "Questio quidjuris"~ was his tag,

(~) ~ (ha�notarization Based on this sketch, what is the narrator’sopinion of the Reeve?

625. sward: lawn.633. stallion-cob: stockymaleriding horse.

641. Summoner: A summonerdelivers summonses that callpeople to appear in Churchcourts.642. cherubim: in medievalart, a little angel with a rosyface.643. carbuncles: pus-filled sldninflarmnations, similar to boils.

650. whelks: pus-filled sores.

641-666. How daes theSummoner’s physical

appearance (lines 642-651)match his inner character? Howdo you know that Chaucer isbeing ironic in lines 665-666?

660. jay: type ofbLrd.

664. Questio quidjur@: Latinfor "I ask what point of the law(applies]Y The Summoner usesthis phrase to stall and dodgethe issue.

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales 139

665 He was a noble varlet° and a kind one,You’d meet none better if you went to find one.Why, he’d allow--just for a quart of wine--Any good lad to keep a concubineA twelvemonth and dispense him altogether!

670 And he had finches of his own to feather:°

And ffhe found some rascal with a maidHe would instruct him not to be afraidIn such a case of the Archdeacoffs curse(Unless the rascal’s soul were in his purse)

675 For in his purse the punishment should be."Purse is the good Archdeacon’s Hell;’ said he.But well I know he lied in what he said;A curse should put a guilty man in dread,For curses ldll, as shriving brings, salvation.

680 We should beware of excommunication.Thus, as he pleased, the man could bring duressOn any young fellow in the diocese.He knew their secrets, they did what he said.He wore a garland ~et upon his head

685 Large as the holly-bush upon a stakeOutside an ale-house, and he had a cake,A round one, which it was his joke to wieldAs if it were intended for a shield. ~)

He and a gentle Pardoner° rode together,690 A bird from Charing Cross of the same feather,

Just back from visiting the Court of Rome.He loudly sang "Come hither, love, come home!"The Summoner sang deep seconds° to this song,No trumpet ever sonnded half so strong.

695 his Pardoner had hair as yel10w as wax,Hanging down smoothly like a hank of fla~x.In driblets fell his locks behind his headDown to his shoulders which they overspread;Thinly they re!l, like rat-tails, one by one.

700 He wore no hood upon his head, for fun;The hood inside his wallet hadbeen stowed,He aimed at riding in the latest mode;But for a little cap his head was bareAnd he had bulging eye-balls, like a hare.

705 He’d sewed a holy ~elic° on his cap;

Q ~ (haracterizatio~ What final impression of the Sumrnoner iscreated through the description in ]ines 684-688?

665. varlet: scoundrel.

670. finches.., feather: taIOacare of his own interests.

The Sumraone[, detail from the Eilesrneremasuscril~t, fol, 81r,The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

689. Pardoner: A pardonerdispensedpardonsgranted bythe pope.

693. deep seconds: harmonies.

m689-704., How do suchdetails as "yellow as wax,

"driblets," "like rat-tails," and"bulging eye-balls, like a hare"affect the way you feeI about thisman?

705. relic: remains of a saint.

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4O

45

His wallet lay before him on his lap,Brimful of pardons° come from Rome, all hot.He had the same small voice a goat has got.His chin no beard had harbored, nor would harbor,Smoother than ever chin was left by barber.I judge he was a gelding, or a mare.As to his trade, from Berwick down to WareThere was no pardoner of equal grace,For in his trunk he had a pillow-caseWhich he asserted was Our Lady’s veil.He said he had a gobbet° of the sailSaint Peter had the time when he made boldTo walk the waves, till Jesu Christ took hold.He had a cross of metal set with stonesAnd, in a glass, a rubble of pigs’ bones.And with these relics, any time he foundSome poor up-country parson to astound,In one short day, in money down, he drewMore than the parson in a month or two~ 1~And by his flatteries and prevarication°

Made monkeys of the priest and congregation.But still to do him justice first and lastIn church he was a noble ecdesiast.°

How well he read a lesson or told a story!But best of all he sang an Offertory,°

For well he knew that when that song was sungHe’d have to preach and tune his honey-tongueAnd (well he could) win silver from the crowd.That’s why he sang so merrily and loud.

Now I have told you shortly, in a clause,The rank, the array, the number, and the causeOf our assembly in this companyIn Southwark, at that high-class hostelryKnown as The Tabard, dose beside The Bell.And now the time has come for me to tellHow we behaved that evening; Fll beginAfter we had alighted at the Inn,Then I’ll report our journey, stage by stage,All the remainder of our pilgrimage.But first I beg of you, in courtesy,Not to condemn me as unmannerlyIf I speal, plainly and with no conceallngsAnd give account of all their words and dealings,

0 ~ Analyzin9 I~a~ I)etails Why do you think the poet chooses toinclude a comparison to the Parson here?

707. pardons: small strips ofparchment with papal sealsattached. They were sold asindulgences (pardons for sins),with the proceeds supposedlygoing to a religious house.

716. gobbet: fragment.

714-734. These linesdepict the Pardoner as a

scam artist. If this is the case,why do people fl~ll for his tricks?

725. prevarication: telling lies.

728. ecclesiast: practitioner ofChurch ritual.

730, Offertory: hymn sungwhile offerings are collected inchurch.

The Pardoner, detail from the Ellesmeremanuscript, foL 138r,The i~untington Library, San Marino, CA,

740-744. How will thenarrator organize the rest

of his narrative?

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales 141

Using their very phrases as they fellFor certainly, as you all lcaow so well,He who repeats a tale after a manIs bound to say, as nearly as he can,Each single word, if he remembers it,However rudely spoken or unfit,Or else the tale he tells will be untrue,7he things pretended and the phrases new.He may not fl’mch although it were his brother,He may as well say one word as another.And Christ Himself spoke broad in Holy Writ,

760 Yet there is no scurrility~ in it,And Plato says, for those with power to read,"The word should be as cousin to the deed."Further I beg you to forgive it meIf I neglect the order and degreeAnd what is due to rank in what I’ve planned.I’m short of wit as you will understated.

~i~wi~g a~d I~te~’preti~J Why does the painter use contrastingcolors in the dress of the pilgrims? l-low might different colors be used tosuggest different character tralts?

745-766. What is thenarrator apo~oglzingfor in

advance?

760, scurrility: indecencF

142 Unit I oCollection 2

Our Host gave us great welcome; everyoneWas given a place and supper was begun.He served the finest victuals you could think,

770 The wine was strong and we were glad to drink.A very strfidng man our Host withal,And fit to be a marshal in a hall.His eyes were bright, his girth a little wide;Tiaere is no finer burgess in Cheapside.°

775 Bold in his speech, yet wise and full of tact,There was no manly attribute he lacked,What’s more he was a merry-hearted man.After our meal he jokingly beganTo talk of sport, and, among other things {~

780 After we’d settled up our reckonings,He said as follows: "Truly, gentlemen,You’re very welcome and I can’t think when--Upon my word I’m telling you no lie--I’ve seen a gathering here that looked so spry,

@ ~ Characteyization What do you learn about the Host in lines771-7797 How do you think the narrator feels about the [!ost? Explain.

Canterbury Pilgrims, by Alfred George Webster (ft.1876-1917).Lincolnshire County Coundl, Usher Gallery, Lincoln, UI{.

774. Cheapside: district ofmedieval London.

TheProloguetoTheCan[erburyTales 1431

785 No, not this year, as in this tavern now.I’d think you up some fun if I knew how.And, as it happens, a thought has just occurredTo please you, costing nothing, on my word.You’re offto Canterbury--well, God speed!

790 Blessed St. Thomas answer to your need!And I don’t doubt, before the journey’s doneYou mean to while the time in tales and fun.Indeed, there’s little pleasure for your bonesRiding alung and all as dumb as stones.

795 So let me then propose for your enjoyment,Just as I said, a suitable employment.And if my notion suits and you agreeAnd promise to submit yourselves to mePlaying your parts exactly as I say

800 Tomorrow as you ride along the way,Then by my father’s soul (and he is dead)If you don’t like it you can have my head!Hold up your hands, and not another word:’

Well, our opinion was not long deferred,805 It seemed not worth a serious debate;

We all agreed to it at any rateAnd bade him issue what commands he would."My lords;’ he said, "now listen for your good,And please don’t treat my notion with disdain.

810 This is the point. I’ll make it short and plain.Each one of you shall help to make things slipBy telling two stories on the outward tripTo Canterbury, that’s what I intend,And, on the homeward way to journey’s end

815 Another two, tales from the days of old;And then the man whose story is best told,That is to say who gives the fullest measureOf good morality and general pleasure,He shall be given a supper, paid by all,

820 Here in this tavern, in this very hall,When we come back again from Canterbury.And in the hope to keep you bright and merryI’ll go along with you myself and rideAll at my own expense and serve as guide.

825 I’ll be the judge, and those who won’t obey°Shall pay for what we spend upon the way.Now if you all agree to what you’ve heardTell me at once without another word,And I will make arrangements early for it."

830 Of course we all agreed, in fact we swore itDelightedly, and made entreaty° too

144 Unit 1 oCollection 2

781-803. What do wordslike fun (line 786), pleas-

ure (line 793), and enjoyment(line 795) suggest about theHost’s character?

Chaucer, detail from the Eilesmere manuscript,fol. 153v.The Huntington Library, San Narino, CA.

811-829. Summarize therules the Host proposes for

the storytelling competition.What is the prize? Who will bethe judge?825. those who won’t obey:refers to those who won’t playthe game of telling a story whenit’s their turn. Lines 853-854further clarify their penalty:Those who won’t obey must paythe cost of the entire journey831. entreaty= urgent request.

That he should act as he proposed to do,Become our Governor in short, and beludge of our tales and general referee, .And set the supper at a certain price.We promised to be ruled by his adviceCome high, come low; unanimously thusWe set him up in judgment over us.More wine was fetched, the business being done;We drank it off and up went everyoneTo bed without a moment of delay.

Early next morning at the spring of dayUp rose our Host and roused us like a cock,Gathering us together in a flock,And off we rode at slightly faster paceThan walking to St. Thomas’ watering-place;And there our Host drew up,began to easeHis horse, and said, "Now, listen if you please,My lords! Remember what you promised me.

850 If evensong and matins will agree°Let’s see who shall be first to tell a tale.And as I hope to drink good wine and aleI’ll be your judge. ~he rebel who disobeys,However much the journey costs, he pays.Now draw for cut° and then we can depart;The man who draws the shortest cut shall start:’

0 ~ ~:rarne Story Why are lines 848-856 an important dement of theframe story of The Canterbury Tales?

850. if... agree: in otherwords, if you feel the same wayin the evening (at evensong,or evening prayers) as you doin the morning (at matins, ormorning prayers).855. draw for cut: in otherwords, draw straws.

ThePro!oguetoTheCanterburyTales 145