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　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　condescendin