554. _the lyf of seint Cecyle_, i. e. the Second Nun's Tale. This notice is
important, because it inseparably links the Canon's Yeoman's Tale to the
preceding one. [415]
555. _fyve myle_, five miles. Tyrwhitt says that it is five miles 'from
_some place_, which we are now unable to determine with certainty.' He adds
that he is in doubt whether the pilgrims are here supposed to be riding
_from_ or _towards_ Canterbury; but afterwards thinks that 'the manner in
which the Yeman expresses himself in ver. 16091, 2 [i. e. ll. 623, 624]
seems to shew that he was riding _to_ Canterbury.'
It is really very easy to explain the matter, and to tell all about it. It
is perfectly clear that these two lines express the fact that they were
riding _to_ Canterbury. It is even probable that _every one_ of the extant
Tales refers to the outward journey: for Chaucer would naturally write his
first set of Tales before beginning a second, and the extant Tales are
insufficient to make even the first set complete. Consequently, we have
only to reckon backwards from Boughton (see l. 556) for a five-mile
distance along the _old_ Canterbury road, and we shall find the name of the
place intended.
The answer to this is--Ospringe. The matter is settled by the discovery
that Ospringe was, as a matter of fact, one of the halting-places for the
night of travellers from London to Canterbury. Dean Stanley, in his
Historical Memorials of Canterbury, p. 237, quotes from a paper in the
Archæologia, xxxv. 461, by Mr. E. A. Bond, to shew that queen Isabella,
wife of Edw. II., rested in London on June 6, 1358; at Dartford on the 7th;
at Rochester on the 8th; at _Ospringe_ on the 9th; and at Canterbury on the
10th and 11th; and returned, on the 12th, to _Ospringe again_. See this,
more at length, in Dr. Furnivall's Temporary Preface to the Canterbury
Tales (Chaucer Soc.), pp. 13, 14.
Dr. Furnivall quotes again from M. Douet-d'Arcq, concerning a journey made
by king John of France from London to Dover, by way of Canterbury, in 1360.
On June 30, 1360, king John left London and came to Eltham. On July 1, he
slept at Dartford; on July 2, at Rochester; on July 3, he dined at
Sittingbourne (noted as being thirty-nine miles and three-quarters from
London), and slept at _Ospringe_; and on July 4, came to Canterbury (noted
as being fifty-four miles and a half from London).
These extracts clearly shew (1) that the whole journey was usually made to
occupy three or four days; (2) that the usual resting-places were (at
least) Dartford, Rochester, and Ospringe; and (3) that Sittingbourne was
considered as being about fifteen miles from Canterbury.
Now, in passing from Sittingbourne to Canterbury, we find that the distance
is divided into three very nearly equal parts by the situations of Ospringe
and Boughton, giving five miles for each portion. The distance from
Ospringe to Canterbury, only ten miles, left very little to be done on the
last day; but pilgrims liked arriving at Canterbury in good time. Chaucer
says, as plainly as possible, that the pilgrims really _did_ rest all night
on the road, at a place which can only be Ospringe; see ll. 588, 589.
Mr. Furnivall also notes (Temp. Pref. p. 29), that Lydgate, in his [416]
Storie of Thebes (in Speght's Chaucer, 1602, fol. 353 back, col. 2) makes
the pilgrims, on their homeward-journey, return from Canterbury to Ospringe
to dinner.
556. _Boghton-under-Blee._ Here _Blee_ is the same as _the blee_ in Group
H, l. 3, which see. It is now called Blean Forest, and the village is
called Boughton-under-Blean, in order to distinguish it from other villages
of the same name. I find, in a map, Boughton Aluph between Canterbury and
Ashford, Boughton Malherb between Ashford and Maidstone, and Boughton
Monchelsea between Maidstone and Staplehurst.
557. _A man_, i. e. the Canon. This is an additional pilgrim, not described
in the Prologue, and therefore described here in ll. 566-581, 600-655, &c.
'The name of Canon, as applied to an officer in the Church, is derived from
the Gk. [Greek: kanôn] (_kanôn_) signifying a rule or measure, and also the
roll or catalogue of the Church, in which the names of the Ecclesiastics
were registered; hence the clergy so registered were denominated Canonici
or Canons. Before the Reformation, they were divided into two classes,
Regular and Secular. The Secular were so called, because they canonized _in
saeculo_, abroad in the world. Regular Canons were such as lived under a
rule, that is, a code of laws published by the founder of that order. They
were a less strict sort of religious than the monks, but lived together
under one roof, had a common dormitory and refectory, and were obliged to
observe the statutes of their order. The chief rule for these [regular]
canons is that of St. Augustine, who was made bishop of Hippo in the year
395.... Their habit was a long black cassock with a white rochet over it,
and over that a black coat and hood; from whence they were called _Black_
Canons Regular of St. Augustine.'--Hook's Church Dictionary. And see
_Canon_ in the New E. Dictionary.
There were several other orders, such as the Gilbertine Canons of
Sempringham in Lincolnshire, the Praemonstratenses or _White_ Canons, &c.
See also the description of them in Cutts's Scenes and Characters of the
Middle Ages, p. 19; and see Rock, Church of our Fathers, ii. 79, 84. At the
latter reference, Dr. Rock says:--'Some families of canons regular still
require their members, whenever they go out of the house, to wear over
their cassock _a linen surplice_, and above that a large, full, black
canon's _cope_.'
I should imagine, from the description of the Canon's house in l. 657, and
from the general tenor of the Tale, that Chaucer's Canon was but a secular
one. Still, their rule seems to have been less strict than that of the
monks.
558. I have omitted to note that E. has _wered a_, where all the other MSS.
read _hadde a whyt_.
561. _priked myles three_, ridden hard for three miles. The Canon and his
yeoman may be supposed to have ridden rather fast for the first two miles;
and then, finding they could not otherwise overtake [417] the pilgrims,
they took to the best pace they could force out of their horses for three
miles more.
562. _yeman_, yeoman, attendant, servant. His face was all discoloured with
blowing his master's fire (ll. 664-667), and he seems to have been the more
honest man of the two. He is the teller of the Tale, and begins by
describing himself; l. 720.
565. 'He was all spotted with foam, so that he looked like a magpie.' The
word _He_ (like _his_ in l. 566) refers to the Canon, whose clothing was
_black_ (l. 557); and the white spots of foam upon it gave him this
appearance. The horse is denoted by _it_ (l. 563), the word _hors_ being
neuter in the Oldest English. Most MSS. read _he_ for _it_ in l. 563, but
there is nothing gained by it. _Flecked_, in the sense of 'spotted,' is
still in use; see N. and Q. 7 S. i. 507, ii. 96.