Whilst it was preparing, I sat at the window musing and gazing into
the court-yard, and conjuring up recollections of the scenes depicted
in such lovely colours by the poet, until, by degrees, boxes, bales
and hampers, boys, wagoners and dogs, faded from sight, and my fancy
peopled the place with the motley throng of Canterbury pilgrims. The
galleries once more swarmed with idle gazers, in the rich dresses of
Chaucer's time, and the whole cavalcade seemed to pass before me.
There was the stately knight on sober steed, who had ridden in
Christendom and heathenesse, and had "foughten for our faith at
Tramissene;"--and his son, the young squire, a lover, and a lusty
bachelor, with curled locks and gay embroidery; a bold rider, a
dancer, and a writer of verses, singing and fluting all day long, and
"fresh as the month of May;"--and his "knot-headed" yeoman; a bold
forester, in green, with horn, and baudrick, and dagger, a mighty bow
in hand, and a sheaf of peacock arrows shining beneath his belt;--and
the coy, smiling, simple nun, with her gray eyes, her small red mouth,
and fair forehead, her dainty person clad in featly cloak and
"'ypinched wimple," her choral beads about her arm, her golden brooch
with a love motto, and her pretty oath by Saint Eloy;--and the
merchant, solemn in speech and high on horse, with forked beard and
"Flaundrish bever hat;"--and the lusty monk, "full fat and in good
point," with berry brown palfrey, his hood fastened with gold pin.
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