The Canterbury Pilgrims: A Comedy

“O KINDLY Muse! let not my weak tongue falter

In telling of this goodly company,

Of their old piety and of their glee;

But let a portion of ethereal dew

Fall on my head, and presently unmew

My soul; that I may dare, in wayfaring,

To stammer where old Chaucer used to sing.”

“Bifel that, in that seson on a day,

In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay

Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage

To Caunterbury, with ful devout corage,

At night was come into that hostelrye

Wel nyne and twenty in a companye

Of sondry folk, by aventure y-falle

In felawshipe, and pilgrims were they alle,

That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.”

Time: April 16th, 1387. Late afternoon.

Scene: The Tabard Inn at Southwark, near London.

When the scene opens, about half of the Pilgrims have arrived; the others come in during the first part of the act. Those already arrived are the Miller, Shipman, Cook, Parson, Ploughman, Franklin, Doctor,Friar, Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, Tapicer, Clerk, and Chaucer.

At rise of curtain, the Host is just moving to receive the Knight, Squire, and Yeoman at the door, back. Chaucer sits with a big volume on his knee in the corner by the fireplace, left; right front, the Miller and the Cook are wrestling, while those near look on.