beacon lights of history-iii-2-第12章

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

world；　paying　tithes　cheerfully；　laborious　and　conscientious；　the

forerunner　of　the　Puritan　yeoman。



Of　this　motley　company　of　pilgrims；　I　have　already　spoken　of　the

prioress；a　woman　of　high　position。　　In　contrast　with　her　is　the

wife　of　Bath；　who　has　travelled　extensively；　even　to　Jerusalem　and

Rome；　charitable；　kind…hearted；　jolly；　and　talkative；　but　bold　and

masculine　and　coarse；　with　a　red　face　and　red　stockings；　and　a　hat

as　big　as　a　shield；　and　sharp　spurs　on　her　feet；　indicating　that

she　sat　on　her　ambler　like　a　man。



There　are　other　characters　which　I　cannot　stop　to　mention；the

sailor；　browned　by　the　seas　and　sun；　and　full　of　stolen　Bordeaux

wine；　the　haberdasher；　the　carpenter；　the　weaver；　the　dyer；　the

tapestry…worker；　the　cook；　to　boil　the　chickens　and　the　marrow…

bones；　and　bake　the　pies　and　tarts；mostly　people　from　the　middle

and　lower　ranks　of　society；　whose　clothes　are　gaudy；　manners　rough；

and　language　coarse。　　But　all　classes　and　trades　and　professions

seem　to　be　represented；　except　nobles；　bishops；　and　abbots；

dignitaries　whom；　perhaps；　Chaucer　is　reluctant　to　describe　and

caricature。



To　beguile　the　time　on　the　journey　to　Canterbury；　all　these　various

pilgrims　are　required　to　tell　some　story　peculiar　to　their　separate

walks　of　life；　and　it　is　these　stories　which　afford　the　best

description　we　have　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　fourteenth

century；　as　well　as　of　its　leading　sentiments　and　ideas。



The　knight　was　required　to　tell　his　story　first；　and　it　naturally

was　one　of　love　and　adventure。　　Although　the　scene　of　it　was　laid

in　ancient　Greece；　it　delineates　the　institution　of　chivalry　and

the　manners　and　sentiments　it　produced。　　No　writer　of　that　age；

except　perhaps　Froissart；　paints　the　connection　of　chivalry　with

the　graces　of　the　soul　and　the　moral　beauty　which　poetry　associates

with　the　female　sex　as　Chaucer　does。　　The　aristocratic　woman　of

chivalry；　while　delighting　in　martial　sports；　and　hence　masculine

and　haughty；　is　also　condescending；　tender；　and　gracious。　　The

heroic　and　dignified　self…respect　with　which　chivalry　invested

woman　exalted　the　passion　of　love。　　Allied　with　reverence　for　woman

was　loyalty　to　the　prince。　　The　rough　warrior　again　becomes　a

gentleman；　and　has　access　to　the　best　society。　　Whatever　may　have

been　the　degrees　of　rank；　the　haughtiest　nobleman　associated　with

the　penniless　knight；　if　only　he　were　a　gentleman　and　well　born；　on

terms　of　social　equality；　since　chivalry；　while　it　created

distinctions；　also　levelled　those　which　wealth　and　power　naturally

created　among　the　higher　class。　　Yet　chivalry　did　not　exalt　woman

outside　of　noble　ranks。　　The　plebeian　woman　neither　has　the　graces

of　the　high…born　lady；　nor　does　she　excite　that　reverence　for　the

sex　which　marked　her　condition　in　the　feudal　castle。　　〃Tournaments

and　courts　of　love　were　not　framed　for　village　churls；　but　for

high…born　dames　and　mighty　earls。〃



Chaucer　in　his　description　of　women　in　ordinary　life　does　not　seem

to　have　a　very　high　regard　for　them。　　They　are　weak　or　coarse　or

sensual；　though　attentive　to　their　domestic　duties；　and　generally

virtuous。　　An　exception　is　made　of　Virginia；　in　the　doctor's　tale；

who　is　represented　as　beautiful　and　modest；　radiant　in　simplicity；

discreet　and　true。　　But　the　wife　of　Bath　is　disgusting　from　her

coarse　talk　and　coarser　manners。　　Her　tale　is　to　show　what　a　woman

likes　best；　which；　according　to　her；　is　to　bear　rule　over　her

husband　and　household。　　The　prioress　is　conventional　and　weak；

aping　courtly　manners。　　The　wife　of　the　host　of　the　Tabard　inn　is　a

vixen　and　shrew；　who　calls　her　husband　a　milk…sop；　and　is　so

formidable　with　both　her　tongue　and　her　hands　that　he　is　glad　to

make　his　escape　from　her　whenever　he　can。　　The　pretty　wife　of　the

carpenter；　gentle　and　slender；　with　her　white　apron　and　open　dress；

is　anything　but　intellectual；a　mere　sensual　beauty。　　Most　of

these　women　are　innocent　of　toothbrushes；　and　give　and　receive

thrashings；　and　sing　songs　without　a　fastidious　taste；　and　beat

their　servants　and　nag　their　husbands。　　But　they　are　good　cooks；

and　understand　the　arts　of　brewing　and　baking　and　roasting　and

preserving　and　pickling；　as　well　as　of　spinning　and　knitting　and

embroidering。　　They　are　supreme　in　their　households；　they　keep　the

keys　and　lock　up　the　wine。　　They　are　gossiping；　and　love　to　receive

their　female　visitors。　　They　do　not　do　much　shopping；　for　shops

were　very　primitive；　with　but　few　things　to　sell。　　Their　knowledge

is　very　limited；　and　confined　to　domestic　matters。　　They　are　on　the

whole　modest；　but　are　the　victims　of　friars　and　pedlers。　　They　have

more　liberty　than　we　should　naturally　suppose；　but　have　not　yet

learned　to　discriminate　between　duties　and　rights。　　There　are　few

disputed　questions　between　them　and　their　husbands；　but　the　duty　of

obedience　seems　to　have　been　recognized。　　But　if　oppressed；　they

always　are　free　with　their　tongues；　they　give　good　advice；　and　do

not　spare　reproaches　in　language　which　in　our　times　we　should　not

call　particularly　choice。　　They　are　all　fond　of　dress；　and　wear　gay

colors；　without　much　regard　to　artistic　effect。



In　regard　to　the　sports　and　amusements　of　the　people；　we　learn　much

from　Chaucer。　　In　one　sense　the　England　of　his　day　was　merry；　that

is；　the　people　were　noisy　and　rough　in　their　enjoyments。　　There　was

frequent　ringing　of　the　bells；　there　were　the　horn　of　the　huntsman

and　the　excitements　of　the　chase；　there　was　boisterous　mirth　in　the

village　ale…house；　there　were　frequent　holidays；　and　dances　around

May…poles　covered　with　ribbons　and　flowers　and　flags；　there　were

wandering　minstrels　and　jesters　and　jugglers；　and　cock…fightings

and　foot…ball　and　games　at　archery；　there　were　wrestling　matches

and　morris…dancing　and　bear…baiting。　　But　the　exhilaration　of　the

people　was　abnormal；　like　the　merriment　of　negroes　on　a　Southern

plantation；a　sort　of　rebound　from　misery　and　burdens；　which　found

a　vent　in　noise　and　practical　jokes　when　the　ordinary　restraint　was

removed。　　The　uproarious　joy　was　a　sort　of　defiance　of　the　semi…

slavery　to　which　workmen　were　doomed；　for　when　they　could　be

impressed　by　the　king's　architect　and　paid　whatever　he　chose　to

give　them；　there　could　not　have　been　much　real　contentment；　which

is　generally　placid　and　calm。　　There　is　one　thing　in　which　all

classes　delighted　in　the　fourteenth　century；　and　that　was　a　garden；

in　which　flowers　bloomed；things　of　beauty　which　were　as　highly

valued　as　the　useful。　　Moreover；　there　was　a　zest　in　rural　sports

now　seldom　seen；　especially　among　the　upper　classes　who　could

afford　to　hunt　and　fish。　　There　was　no　excitement　more　delightful

to　gentlemen　and　ladies　than　that　of　hawking；　and　it　infinitely

surpassed　in　interest　any　rural　sport　whatever　in　our　day；　under

any　circumstances。　　Hawks　trained　to　do　the　work　of　fowling…pieces

were　therefore　greater　pets　than　any　dogs　that　now　are　the　company

of　sportsmen。　　A　lady　without　a　falcon　on　her　wrist；　when　mounted

on　her　richly　caparisoned　steed　for　a　morning's　sport；　was　very

rare　indeed。



An　instructive　feature　of　the　〃Canterbury　Tales〃　is　the　view　which

Chaucer　gives　us　of　the　food　and　houses　and　dresses　of　the　people。

〃In　the　Nonne's　Prestes'　Tale　we　see　the　cottage　and　manner　of　life

of　a　poor　widow。〃　　She　has　three　daughters；　three　pigs；　three　oxen；

and　a　sheep。　　Her　house　had　only　two　rooms；an　eating…room；　which

also　served　for　a　kitchen　and　sitting…room；　and　a　bower　or

bedchamber；both　without　a　chimney；　with　holes　pierced　to　let　in

the　light。　　The　table　was　a　board　put　upon　trestles；　to　be　removed

when　the　meal　of　black　bread　and　milk；　and　perchance　an　egg　with

bacon；　was　over。　　The　three　slept　without　sheets　or　blankets　on　a

rude　bed；　covered　only　with　their　ordinary　day…clothes。　　Their

kitchen　utensils　were　a　brass　pot　or　two　for　boiling；　a　few　wooden

platters；