272 



THE SEA. 



DUEL BETWEEN FRENCH AND ENGLISH SHIPS. 



Chaucer gives us a graphic description of the British sailor of the fourteenth century 

 in his Prologue to the " Canterbury Tales/' It runs as follows : 



" A schipman was ther, wonyng fer by Weste : 

 For ought I woot, he was of Dertemouthe, 

 He rood upon a rouncy, as he couthe, 

 In a goun of faldying to the kne. 

 A dagger hangjmg on a laas hadde he 

 Aboute his nekke under his arm adoun. 

 The hoote somer had maad his hew al broun; 

 And certainly he was a good felawe. 

 Ful many a draught of wyn had he drawe 

 From Burdeux-ward, whil that the chapman sleep. 

 Of nyce conscience took he no keep. 

 If that he foughte, and hadde the heigher hand, 

 By water he sent hem hoom to every land. 

 But of his craft to rikne wcl the tydes, 

 His stremes and his dangers him bisides, 

 His herbergh and his mane his lode menage, 

 Ther was non such from Hulle to Cartage. 

 Hardy he was, and wys to undertake; 

 With many a tempest hadde his herd ben schakfe. 



