beacon lights of history-iii-2-第11章

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intellectual　attraction　of　cultivated　life。　　But　later　in　life；

when　his　experiences　are　broader　and　more　profound；　he　makes　amends

for　his　former　mistakes。　　In　his　〃Legend　of　Good　Women；〃　which　he

wrote　at　the　command　of　Anne　of　Bohemia；　wife　of　Richard　II。；　he

eulogizes　the　sex　and　paints　the　most　exalted　sentiments　of　the

heart。　　He　not　only　had　great　vividness　in　the　description　of　his

characters；　but　doubtless　great　dramatic　talent；　which　his　age　did

not　call　out。　　His　descriptions　of　nature　are　very　fresh　and

beautiful；　indicating　a　great　love　of　nature；flowers；　trees；

birds；　lawns；　gardens；　waterfalls；　falcons；　dogs；　horses；　with　whom

he　almost　talked。　　He　had　a　great　sense　of　the　ridiculous；　hence

his　humor　and　fun　and　droll　descriptions；　which　will　ever　interest

because　they　are　so　fresh　and　vivid。　　And　as　a　poet　he　continually

improved　as　he　advanced　in　life。　　His　last　works　are　his　best；

showing　the　care　and　labor　he　bestowed；　as　well　as　his　fidelity　to

nature。　　I　am　amazed；　considering　his　time；　that　he　was　so　great　an

artist　without　having　a　knowledge　of　the　principles　of　art　as

taught　by　the　great　masters　of　composition。



But；　as　has　been　already　said；　his　distinguishing　excellence　is

vivid　and　natural　description　of　the　life　and　habits；　not　the

opinions；　of　the　people　of　the　fourteenth　century；　described

without　exaggeration　or　effort　for　effect。　　He　paints　his　age　as

Moliere　paints　the　times　of　Louis　XIV。；　and　Homer　the　heroic

periods　of　Grecian　history。　　This　fidelity　to　nature　and

inexhaustible　humor　and　living　freshness　and　perpetual　variety　are

the　eternal　charms　of　the　〃Canterbury　Tales。〃　　They　bring　before

the　eye　the　varied　professions　and　trades　and　habits　and　customs　of

the　fourteenth　century。　　We　see　how　our　ancestors　dressed　and

talked　and　ate；　what　pleasures　delighted　them；　what　animosities

moved　them；　what　sentiments　elevated　them；　and　what　follies　made

them　ridiculous。　　The　same　naturalness　and　humor　which　marked　〃Don

Quixote〃　and　the　〃Decameron〃　also　are　seen　in　the　〃Canterbury

Tales。〃　　Chaucer　freed　himself　from　all　the　affectations　and

extravagances　and　artificiality　which　characterized　the　poetry　of

the　Middle　Ages。　　With　him　began　a　new　style　in　writing。　　He　and

Wyclif　are　the　creators　of　English　literature。　　They　did　not　create

a　language；　but　they　formed　and　polished　it。



The　various　persons　who　figure　in　the　〃Canterbury　Tales〃　are　too

well　known　for　me　to　enlarge　upon。　　Who　can　add　anything　to　the

Prologue　in　which　Chaucer　himself　describes　the　varied　characters

and　habits　and　appearance　of　the　pilgrims　to　the　shrine　of　Thomas

Becket　at　Canterbury？　　There　are　thirty　of　these　pilgrims　including

the　poet　himself；　embracing　nearly　all　the　professions　and　trades

then　known；　except　the　higher　dignitaries　of　Church　and　State；　who

are　not　supposed　to　mix　freely　in　ordinary　intercourse；　and　whom　it

would　be　unwise　to　paint　in　their　marked　peculiarities。　　The　most

prominent　person；　as　to　social　standing；　is　probably　the　knight。

He　is　not　a　nobleman；　but　he　has　fought　in　many　battles；　and　has

travelled　extensively。　　His　cassock　is　soiled；　and　his　horse　is

strong　but　not　gay；a　very　respectable　man；　courteous　and　gallant；

a　soldier　corresponding　to　a　modern　colonel　or　captain。　　His　son；

the　esquire；　is　a　youth　of　twenty；　with　curled　locks　and

embroidered　dress；　shining　in　various　colors　like　the　flowers　of

May；　gay　as　a　bird；　active　as　a　deer；　and　gentle　as　a　maiden。　　The

yeoman　who　attends　them　both　is　clad　in　green　like　a　forester；　with

arrows　and　feathers；　bearing　the　heavy　sword　and　buckler　of　his

master。　　The　prioress　is　another　respectable　person；　coy　and

simple；　with　dainty　fingers；　small　mouth；　and　clean　attire；a

refined　sort　of　a　woman　for　that　age；　ornamented　with　corals　and

brooch；　so　stately　as　to　be　held　in　reverence；　yet　so　sentimental

as　to　weep　for　a　mouse　caught　in　a　trap：　all　characteristic　of　a

respectable；　kind…hearted　lady　who　has　lived　in　seclusion。　　A　monk；

of　course；　in　the　fourteenth　century　was　everywhere　to　be　seen；　and

a　monk　we　have　among　the　pilgrims；　riding　a　〃dainty〃　horse；

accompanied　with　greyhounds；　loving　fur　trimmings　on　his

Benedictine　habit　and　a　fat　swan　to　roast。　　The　friar；　too；　we

see；a　mendicant；　yet　merry　and　full　of　dalliances；　beloved　by　the

common　women；　to　whom　he　gave　easy　absolution；　a　jolly　vagabond；

who　knew　all　the　taverns；　and　who　carried　on　his　portly　person　pins

and　songs　and　relics　to　sell　or　to　give　away。　　And　there　was　the

merchant；　with　forked　beard　and　Flemish　beaver　hat　and　neatly

clasped　boots；　bragging　of　his　gains　and　selling　French　crowns；　but

on　the　whole　a　worthy　man。　　The　Oxford　clerk　or　scholar　is　one　of

the　company；　silent　and　sententious；　as　lean　as　the　horse　on　which

he　rode；　with　threadbare　coat；　and　books　of　Aristotle　and　his

philosophy　which　he　valued　more　than　gold；　of　which　indeed　he　could

boast　but　little；a　man　anxious　to　learn；　and　still　more　to　teach。

The　sergeant　of　the　law　is　another　prominent　figure；　wary　and　wise；

discreet　and　dignified；　bustling　and　busy；　yet　not　so　busy　as　he

seemed　to　be；　wearing　a　coat　of　divers　colors；　and　riding　very

badly。　　A　franklin；　or　country　gentleman；　mixes　with　the　company；

with　a　white　beard　and　red　complexion；　one　of　Epicurus's　own　sons；

who　held　that　ale　and　wheaten　bread　and　fish　and　dainty　flesh；

partridge　fat；　were　pure　felicity；　evidently　a　man　given　to

hospitality；





　　　　〃His　table　dormant　in　his　hall　alway

　　　　　Stood　ready　covered　all　the　longe　day。〃





He　was　a　sheriff；　also；　to　enforce　the　law；　and　to　be　present　at

all　the　county　sessions。　　The　doctor；　of　course；　could　not　be　left

out　of　the　company；a　man　who　knew　the　cause　of　every　malady；

versed　in　magic　as　well　as　physic；　and　grounded　also　in　astronomy；

who　held　that　gold　is　the　best　of　cordials；　and　knew　how　to　keep

what　he　gained；　not　luxurious　in　his　diet；　but　careful　what　he　ate

and　drank。　　The　village　miller　is　not　forgotten　in　this　motley

crowd；rough；　brutal；　drunken；　big　and　brawn；　with　a　red　beard　and

a　wart　on　his　nose；　and　a　mouth　as　wide　as　a　furnace；　a　reveller

and　a　jangler；　accustomed　to　take　toll　thrice；　and　given　to　all　the

sins　that　then　abounded。　　He　is　the　most　repulsive　figure　in　the

crowd；　both　vulgar　and　wicked。　　In　contrast　with　him　is　the　reve；

or　steward；　of　a　lordly　house；a　slender；　choleric　man；　feared　by

servants　and　gamekeepers；　yet　in　favor　with　his　lord；　since　he

always　had　money　to　lend；　although　it　belonged　to　his　master；　an

adroit　agent　and　manager；　who　so　complicated　his　accounts　that　no

auditor　could　unravel　them　or　any　person　bring　him　in　arrears。　　He

rode　a　fine　dappled…gray　stallion；　wore　a　long　blue　overcoat；　and

carried　a　rusty　sword；evidently　a　proud　and　prosperous　man。　　With

a　monk　and　friar；　the　picture　would　be　incomplete　without　a

pardoner；　or　seller　of　indulgences；　with　yellow　hair　and　smooth

face；　loaded　with　a　pillow…case　of　relics　and　pieces　of　the　true

cross；　of　which　there　were　probably　cartloads　in　every　country　in

Europe；　and　of　which　there　was　an　inexhaustible　supply。　　This　sleek

and　gentle　pedler　of　indulgences　rode　side　by　side　with　a　repulsive

officer　of　the　Church；　with　a　fiery　red　face；　of　whom　children　were

afraid；　fond　of　garlic　and　onions　and　strong　wine；　and　speaking

only　Latin　law…terms　when　he　was　drunk；　but　withal　a　good　fellow；

abating　his　lewdness　and　drunkenness。　　In　contrast　with　the

pardoner　and　〃sompnour〃　we　see　the　poor　parson；　full　of　goodness；

charity；　and　love；a　true　shepherd　and　no　mercenary；　who　waited

upon　no　pomp　and　sought　no　worldly　gains；　happy　only　in　the　virtues

which　he　both　taught　and　lived。　　Some　think　that　Chaucer　had　in

view　the　learned　Wyclif　when　he　described　the　most　interesting

character　of　the　whole　group。　　With　him　was　a　ploughman；　his

brother；　as　good　and　pious　as　he；　living　in　peace　with　all　the

world；　paying　tithes　cheerfully；　laborious　and　conscientio