beacon lights of history-iii-2-第13章

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

platters；　an　iron　candlestick；　and　a　knife　or　two；　while　the

furniture　was　composed　of　two　or　three　chairs　and　stools；　with　a

frame　in　the　wall；　with　shelves；　for　clothes　and　utensils。　　The

manciple　and　the　cook　of　the　company　seem　to　indicate　that　living

among　the　well…to…do　classes　was　a　very　generous　and　a　very　serious

part　of　life；　on　which　a　high　estimate　was　placed；　since　food　in

any　variety；　though　plentiful　at　times；　was　not　always　to　be　had；

and　therefore　precarious。　　〃Guests　at　table　were　paired；　and　ate；

every　pair；　out　of　the　same　plate　or　off　the　same　trencher。〃　　But

the　bill　of　fare　at　a　franklin's　feast　would　be　deemed　anything　but

poor；　even　in　our　times；〃bacon　and　pea…soup；　oysters；　fish；

stewed　beef；　chickens；　capons；　roast　goose；　pig；　veal；　lamb；　kid；

pigeon；　with　custard；　apples　and　pears；　cheese　and　spiced　cakes。〃

All　these　with　abundance　of　wine　and　ale。



The　〃Canterbury　Tales〃　remind　us　of　the　vast　preponderance　of　the

country　over　town　and　city　life。　　Chaucer；　like　Shakspeare；　revels

in　the　simple　glories　of　nature；　which　he　describes　like　a　man

feeling　it　to　be　a　joy　to　be　near　to　〃Mother　Earth；〃　with　her　rich

bounties。　　The　birds　that　usher　in　the　day；　the　flowers　which

beautify　the　lawn；　the　green　hills　and　vales；　with　ever…changing

hues　like　the　clouds　and　the　skies；　yet　fruitful　in　wheat　and

grass；　the　domestic　animals；　so　mute　and　patient；　the　bracing　air

of　approaching　winter；　the　genial　breezes　of　the　spring；of　all

these　does　the　poet　sing　with　charming　simplicity　and　grace；　yea；

in　melodious　numbers；　for　nothing　is　more　marvellous　than　the　music

and　rhythm　of　his　lines；　although　they　are　not　enriched　with

learned　allusions　or　much　moral　wisdom；　and　do　not　march　in　the

stately　and　majestic　measure　of　Shakspeare　or　of　Milton。



But　the　most　interesting　and　instructive　of　the　〃Canterbury　Tales〃

are　those　which　relate　to　the　religious　life；　the　morals；　the

superstitions；　and　ecclesiastical　abuses　of　the　times。　　In　these　we

see　the　need　of　the　reformation　of　which　Wyclif　was　the　morning

light。　　In　these　we　see　the　hypocrisies　and　sensualities　of　both

monks　and　friars；　relieved　somewhat　by　the　virtues　of　the　simple

parish　priest　or　poor　parson；　in　contrast　with　the　wealth　and

luxury　of　the　regular　clergy；　as　monks　were　called；　in　their

princely　monasteries；　where　the　lordly　abbot　vied　with　both　baron

and　bishop　in　the　magnificence　of　his　ordinary　life。　　We　see　before

us　the　Mediaeval　clergy　in　all　their　privileges；　and　yet　in　all

their　ignorance　and　superstition；　shielded　from　the　punishment　of

crime　and　the　operation　of　all　ordinary　laws　（a　sturdy　defiance　of

the　temporal　powers）；　the　agents　and　ministers　of　a　foreign　power；

armed　with　the　terrors　of　hell　and　the　grave。　　Besides　the　prioress

and　the　nuns'　priest；　we　see　in　living　light　the　habits　and

pretensions　of　the　lazy　monk；　the　venal　friar　and　pardoner；　and　the

noisy　summoner　for　ecclesiastical　offences：　hunters　and　gluttons

are　they；　with　greyhounds　and　furs；；　greasy　and　fat；　and　full　of

dalliances；　at　home　in　taverns；　unprincipled　but　agreeable

vagabonds；　who　cheat　and　rob　the　people；　and　make　a　mockery　of　what

is　most　sacred　on　the　earth。　　These　privileged　mendicants；　with

their　relics　and　indulgences；　their　arts　and　their　lies；　and　the

scandals　they　create；　are　treated　by　Chaucer　with　blended　humor　and

severity；　showing　a　mind　as　enlightened　as　that　of　the　great

scholar　at　Oxford；　who　heads　the　movement　against　Rome　and　the

abuses　at　which　she　connived　if　she　did　not　encourage。　　And　there

is　something　intensely　English　in　his　disgust　and　scorn；brave　for

his　day；　yet　shielded　by　the　great　duke　who　was　at　once　his

protector　and　friend；　as　he　was　of　Wyclif　himself；in　his　severer

denunciation；　and　advocacy　of　doctrines　which　neither　Chaucer　nor

Duke　of　Lancaster　understood；　and　which；　if　they　had；　they　would

not　have　sympathized　with　nor　encouraged。　　In　these　attacks　on

ecclesiastics　and　ecclesiastical　abuses；　Chaucer　should　be　studied

with　Wyclif　and　the　early　reformers；　although　he　would　not　have

gone　so　far　as　they；　and　led；　unlike　them；　a　worldly　life。　　Thus　by

these　poems　he　has　rendered　a　service　to　his　country；　outside　his

literary　legacy；　which　has　always　been　held　in　value。　　The　father

of　English　poetry　belonged　to　the　school　of　progress　and　of

inquiry；　like　his　great　contemporaries　on　the　Continent。　　But　while

he　paints　the　manners；　customs；　and　characters　of　the　fourteenth

century；　he　does　not　throw　light　on　the　great　ideas　which　agitated

or　enslaved　the　age。　　He　is　too　real　and　practical　for　that。　　he

describes　the　outward；　not　the　inner　life。　　He　was　not　serious

enoughI　doubt　if　he　was　learned　enoughto　enter　into　the

disquisitions　of　schoolmen；　or　the　mazes　of　the　scholastic

philosophy；　or　the　meditations　of　almost　inspired　sages。　　It　is　not

the　joys　of　heaven　or　the　terrors　of　hell　on　which　he　discourses；

but　of　men　and　women　as　they　lived　around　him；　in　their　daily

habits　and　occupations。　　We　must　go　to　Wyclif　if　we　would　know　the

theological　or　philosophical　doctrines　which　interested　the

learned。　　Chaucer　only　tells　how　monks　and　friars　lived；　not　how

they　speculated　or　preached。　　We　see　enough；　however；　to　feel　that

he　was　emancipated　from　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　and　had　cast

off　their　gloom；　their　superstition；　and　their　despair。　　The　only

things　he　liked　of　those　dreary　times　were　their　courts　of　love　and

their　chivalric　glories。



I　do　not　propose　to　analyze　the　poetry　of　Chaucer；　or　enter　upon　a

critical　inquiry　as　to　his　relative　merits　in　comparison　with　the

other　great　poets。　　It　is　sufficient　for　me　to　know　that　critics

place　him　very　high　as　an　original　poet；　although　it　is　admitted

that　he　drew　much　of　his　material　from　French　and　Italian　authors。

He　was；　for　his　day；　a　great　linguist。　　He　had　travelled

extensively；　and　could　speak　Latin；　French；　and　Italian　with

fluency。　　He　knew　Petrarch　and　other　eminent　Italians。　　One　is

amazed　that　in　such　an　age　he　could　have　written　so　well；　for　he

had　no　great　models　to　help　him　in　his　own　language。　　If

occasionally　indecent；　he　is　not　corrupting。　　He　never　deliberately

disseminates　moral　poison；　and　when　he　speaks　of　love；　he　treats

almost　solely　of　the　simple　and　genuine　emotions　of　the　heart。



The　best　criticism　that　I　have　read　of　Chaucer's　poetry　is　that　of

Adolphus　William　Ward；　although　as　a　biography　it　is　not　so　full　or

so　interesting　as　that　of　Godwin　or　even　Morley。　　In　no　life　that　I

have　read　are　the　mental　characteristics　of　our　poet　so　ably

drawn；〃his　practical　good　sense；〃　his　love　of　books；　his　still

deeper　love　of　nature；　his　naivete；　the　readiness　of　his

description；　the　brightness　of　his　imagery；　the　easy　flow　of　his

diction；　the　vividness　with　which　he　describes　character；　his

inventiveness；　his　readiness　of　illustration；　his　musical　rhythm；

his　gaiety　and　cheerfulness；　his　vivacity　and　joyousness；　his

pathos　and　tenderness；　his　keen　sense　of　the　ridiculous　and　power

of　satire；　without　being　bitter；　so　that　his　wit　and　fun　are

harmless；　and　perpetually　pleasing。



He　doubtless　had　great　dramatic　talent；　but　he　did　not　live　in　a

dramatic　age。　　His　especial　excellence；　never　surpassed；　was　his

power　of　observing　and　drawing　character；　united　with　boundless

humor　and　cheerful　fun。　　And　his　descriptions　of　nature　are　as　true

and　unstinted　as　his　descriptions　of　men　and　women；　so　that　he　is

as　fresh　as　the　month　of　May。　　In　his　poetry　is　life；　and　hence　his

immortal　fame。　　He　is　not　so　great　as　Spenser　or　Shakspeare　or

Milton；　but　he　has　the　same　vitality　as　they；　and　is　as　wonderful

as　they　considering　his　age　and　opportunities；a　poet　who

constantly　improved　as　he　advanced　in　life；　and　whose　greatest　work

was　written　in　his　old　age。



Unfortunately；　we　know　but　little　of　Chaucer's　habits　and

experiences；　his　trial