262 CHAUCER. 



" Eld the hoar 



That was in the vauntward, 

 And bare the banner before death," 



and he softens to a sweetness of sympathy beyond Chau- 

 cer when he speaks of the poor or tells us that Mercy is 

 " sib of all sinful " ; but to compare " Piers Ploughman" 

 with the " Canterbury Tales " is to compare sermon with 

 song. 



Let us put a bit of Langland's satire beside one of 

 Chaucer's. Some people in search of Truth meet a pil- 

 grim and ask him whence he comes. He gives a long 

 list of holy places, appealing for proof to the relics on his 

 hat : 



" ' I have walked full wide in wet and in dry 

 And sought saints for my soul's health.' 

 ' Know'st thou ever a relic that is called Truth? 

 Couldst thou. show us the way where that wight dwelleth ? ' 

 4 Nay, so God help me,' said the man then, 

 ' I saw never palmer with staff nor with scrip 

 Ask after him ever till now in this place.' " 



This is a good hit, and the poet is satisfied ; but, in what 

 I am going to quote from Chaucer, everything becomes 

 picture, over which lies broad and warm the sunshine of 

 humorous fancy. 



" In olde dayes of the King Artour 

 Of which that Britouns speken gret honour, 

 All was this lond fulfilled of fayerie : 

 The elf-queen with her joly compaignie 

 Danced ful oft in many a grene mede: 

 This was the old opinion as I rede; 

 I speke of many hundrid yer ago: 

 But now can no man see none elves mo, 

 For now the grete charite and prayeres 

 Of lymytours and other holy freres 

 That sechen every lond and every streem, 

 As thick as motis in the sonnebeam, 

 Blessyng halles, chambres, kichene's and boures, 

 Citees and burghes, castels hihe and toures, 

 Thorpes and berne?, shepnes and dayeries, 

 This makith that ther ben no fayeries. 

 For ther as wont to wa>ken was an elf 



