and decides to accompany them. The Host of the Tabard, Harry Bailly, also decides to join the party; and proposes that, in order to pass the time pleasantly, they tell stories on the road. Each pilgrim (except the Host) is to tell two stories on the way to Canterbury, and two on the way back; and he who tells the best will have a supper at the Tabard at the expense of the rest - Harry Bailly being the judge, and (though he does not call attention to the fact) the provider of the meal. (3) The Pilgrims. The portion of the Prologue from line 42 to line 715 contains descriptions of the pilgrims. This is the famous gallery of portraits which justifies Arnold's words of praise quoted above. Of gentle folk there are a Knight, a Prioress, a Clerk (Scholar), a Lawyer, a Doctor; of tradespeople, a Shipman, a Woman from Bath, a Manciple (Steward), a Merchant; of common people, a Miller, a Friar, a Summoner (a knavish official of the ecclesiastical court), a Cook, a Pardoner. CHAUCER'S PRIORESS. Although in a sense these figures are types, they are strongly individualized. The poet has created persons representative of certain classes, yet with physical, mental, or moral peculiarities that distinguish each of them. The Lawyer, for example, was the busiest man one could find "And yet he semed bisier than he was." The Cook was admirable in every part of his business; but it was a great pity that he had a bad sore on A In contras was sif Every stu artly as the P here wou twenty-fon and Chau & not ever the whole set of work 4 Th pany ir day be the be and their Custom, a The pil by the ri his shin. The Squire was singing or playing the flute all day "He was as fresh as is the month of May." The Prioress had the daintiest table manners possible, and in addition "She wolde wepe, if that she sawe a mous Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde. 66 In contrast with the Prioress is the Wife of Bath, who, though she was a worthy woman all her life," was nevertheless furious if any woman took precedence of her in church. Every student should know at least a few of these pictures exactly as the artist drew them. If the plan set forth in the Prologue had been carried out, there would be about 125 tales. There are, in fact, only twenty-four, of which two are not finished (the Squire's, and Chaucer's own "Sir Thopas ") and a third (the Cook's) is not even well begun. To fulfil such a plan would require the whole of a long working life, and probably no poet at the outset of his career is capable of projecting so ambitious a work. (4) The Tales. Of the completed tales probably the company (which would judge, naturally, by standards of their day, not of ours) would have voted the Knight's to be the best. This tale of the brothers Palamon and Arcite and their love for Emily has a wealth of detail of chivalric custom, and many magnificent pictures. The pilgrims would doubtless have been highly entertained by the ribald tales of some of the commons, and touched by the tragedy of Virginia as recounted by the Doctor. It is hard to think that they did more than endure the Parson's discourse on "The Seven Deadly Sins," eminently fitting though it was that he should choose such a theme. The appropriateness of tale to teller is further shown 66 Merits of the Can- terbury Tales, the author is entitled to rank very high among literary artists for (1) the originality of his conception, (2) the wonderful group of human portraits, (3) the fitting of tale to teller, and (4) his power as a story-teller. Reversal ind and al of In 239 he but from years, prof John lost his fault save his attachment to John of Gaunt. influence with the King, and Chaucer was deprived of his position. Not long after this Philippa Chaucer died, and her pension was discontinued. He was compelled to dispose of his own pensions for a fixed sum; and after receiving in 1394 another pension of £20 a year had frequently to procure loans before During these years of financial emthe payments were due. barrassment he wrote little; no long work except the Astrolabe, a prose treatise on astronomy written for "little Lewis my son," about whom we know nothing more. Last Days. With the accession of Henry IV in 1399, Chaucer's prospects improved. Another substantial pension was granted to him, on the basis of which he leased a house in Westminster. Fate did not allow him a long residence here: by the best information we have, it appears that on October 25, 1400. He was he died in less than a year the first poet to be buried in that portion of the Abbey now known as Poets' Corner. |