Transcriber’s Notes

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

The table of contents has been added for the reader's convenience.

Notes on music for the cantos included at the end of the play:

• The [original image] consists of 5 separate antiphons in medieval neumes notation. These have each been transcribed into modern notation image and audio files.
• As is often the case with medieval neumes, tempo, pitches, note durations, and time signatures can only be guessed. The music transcribers consulted the manuscript Sarum Antiphoner of 1519, a modern transcription at the Gregorian Institute of Canada, and recordings by the Schola Hungarica (Laudes - Memory of Thomas Becket, available on YouTube), to assist in creating the modern transcription.
• Each antiphon in the original image is followed by a text excerpt from a psalm, indicated by “ps.” These psalm excerpts have not been included in the modern notation version.
• Proper names in the original are given initial capitals in the modern notation image, and hyphens between syllables have been added where appropriate.
• The MusicXML notation files (.mxl) are for the use of those who wish to download the notation into a music notation program. They were created from the audio versions of the antiphons.
• Click on the [Listen] links to hear the music and on the [View] or [Download] links to see and download a modern transcription of the notation. As of the date of posting, these links to external files will work only in the HTML version of this e-book.

The Canterbury Pilgrims
A COMEDY

The Canterbury Pilgrims

A COMEDY

BY

PERCY MACKAYE

THE TABARD INN

New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd.
1909
All rights reserved

Copyright, 1903,
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

Set up and electrotyped. Published March, 1903. Reprinted
September, 1908; September, 1909.

Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing Co.—Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

To
C. A. Sothern
In Friendship

CONTENTS

“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.”

[Keats: Endymion.]

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

1. Characters based on “The Canterbury Tales.”

MEN

WOMEN

• The Wife of Bath (Alisoun).
• The Prioress (Madame Eglantine).
• A Nun, her attendant.
• Mistress Bailey, of the Tabard Inn.

II. Characters not based on “The Canterbury Tales.”

MEN

• Richard II, King of England.
• John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, uncle of the King, brother-in-law of Chaucer, and patron of Wycliffe.
• The Duke of Gloucester, his brother.
• De Vere, Duke of Ireland, Richard’s favourite.
• The Archbishop of Canterbury.
• John Wycliffe, the religious reformer, founder of the “Lollards.”
• Bottlejohn, Host of the One Nine-pin inn, at Bob-up-and-down.
• His Prentices (Ned and Dick).
• A Kitchen-boy.
• A Vender of Relics.
• Another Vender.
• A Black Friar.
• A Grey Friar.
• A Priest of Canterbury Cathedral.
• Heralds.
• Choir-boys.

WOMEN

• Johanna, Marchioness of Kent.
• Canterbury Brooch-girls.
• Serving-maids.

Note.—Those designated as Alisoun’s “Swains” are the Friar, Cook, Shipman, Miller, Manciple, Summoner, Pardoner.

ACT FIRST

“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.”

ACT I

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.

COOK

Now, masters, see a miller eat bran!

MILLER

Corpus!

I’d liever wrastle with a butterfly.

SHIPMAN

Tackle him aft.

FRANKLIN

Grip, mon.

[They clutch each other.]

A SERVING-MAID

[Aside to Friar.]

A diamond pin?

FRIAR

[Lisps slightly.]

One of thy glances stickéd through my heart!

[Offers her the pin.]

SERVING-MAID

The Master is not looking now.

FRIAR

A bargain?

[Maid nods, takes the pin, and hurries off to serve at table. Friar follows.]

HOST

Welcome, Sir Knight!

KNIGHT

Is this the Tabard Inn?

HOST

[Points through the open door to his swinging sign.]

Lo yonder, sir, is Herry Bailey’s shirt

Flappeth in the wind; and this is Herry himself.

[Claps his hands for a serving-boy.]

Knave!

WEAVER

[Pounds on the table with a jug, while Carpenter tosses
dice.]

Ale, here! Ale!

[A shout from the pilgrims, front.]

MILLER

[Throwing the Cook.]

Down!

SHIPMAN

Jolly chuck!

COOK

[Getting to his feet with a bloody nose and fisting.]

’Sblood! Thou—

FRANKLIN

Hold, Master Cook, sith thou hast licked the platter,

Go now and wash the gravy off thy nose.

Look to him, doctor.

DOCTOR

Here!

FRANKLIN

[To the Miller.]

And thou shalt eat

A sop of wine with me. By God, thy hand!

PARSON

[To Ploughman, drawing him away.]

He sweareth like Sathanas. Come!

PLOUGHMAN

Toot, brother!

A little swearing saveth from the gallows.

MILLER

[Laughing at the Cook.]

His nose is like a tart.

CLERK

[To Chaucer, feasting his eyes on his book.]

Grant pardon, sir.

In vanitate humanorum rerum,

I’ the world’s uproar, ’tis sweet to find a scholar.

CHAUCER

A book’s a mistress all the world may love

And none be jilted.

CLERK

Then am I in love.

What is the book?

CHAUCER

A medley, like its master,

Containing many divers characters,

Bound in one hide. Whoso shall read it through

He shall behold Troilus and Launcelot

Sighing in Cæsar’s face, and Scaramouche

Painting with grins the back of Aristotle.

CLERK

[Sparkling.]

What!—Aristotle?

CHAUCER

[Rising, hands him the volume.]

I prithee look it through.

CLERK

Grammercy—somewhat farther from the piping.

[Draws farther away from the Squire, who is beginning to play a few strains on his flute, in front of the fire.]

MAN OF LAW

[Entering with Merchant.]

For this recognisance—

MERCHANT

The ship was wrecked.

MAN OF LAW

Depardieux! Then your property is flotsam

And liable to salvage. Therefore you

Will need me as your man-of-law.

KNIGHT

[To Chaucer.]

I knew

You were a soldier by your bearing, sir.

You were at Cressy?

CHAUCER

Nay, Sir Knight, I played

With tin swords then. Though I have often fought

At Frenchmen’s heels, I was but six years old

When our Black Edward won his spurs.

KNIGHT

Runs time

So swiftly?—One and forty years ago!

HOST

[To a serving-maid.]

Belive, wench!

FRIAR

[Stealing a kiss from her.]

In principio—

HOST

What’s here?

MAID

The gentle friar!

HOST

Gentle flower-de-luce!

[Makes after Friar, who dodges behind Mistress Bailey.]

MISTRESS BAILEY

[Shrewishly.]

Hold; goodman Herry! ’Tis a friend of mine.

[Host retires; Friar mocks him.]

KNIGHT

I am returning from the Holy Land

And go to pay my vows at Canterbury.

This is my son.

CHAUCER

Go you to Canterbury

As well, Sir Squire?

[The Squire, putting down his flute, sighs deeply.]

KNIGHT

My son, the gentleman

Accosts thee!

SQUIRE

Noble gentleman—Ah me!

[He turns away.]

CHAUCER

[Follows him.]

My dearest heart and best beloved foe,

Why liketh you to do me all this woe?

What have I done that grieveth you, or said,

Save that I love and serve you, high and low?

And whilst I live I will do ever so.

Wherefore, my sweet, do not that I be dead;

For good and fair and gentle as ye be,

It were great wonder if but that ye had

A thousand thousand servants, good and bad:

The most unworthiest servant—I am he!

SQUIRE

Sir, by my lady’s grace, you are a poet

And lover, like myself. We shall be brothers.

But pardon, sir, those verses are not yours.

Dan Chaucer wrote them. Ah, sir, know you Chaucer?

CHAUCER

Twelve stone of him!

SQUIRE

Would I did! Is he not

An amorous divinity? Looks he

Like pale Leander, or some ancient god?

CHAUCER

Sooth, he is like old Bacchus round the middle.

SQUIRE

How acts he when in love? What feathers wears he?

Doth he sigh oft? What lady doth he serve?

Oh!

[At a smile from Chaucer, he starts back and looks at him in awe; then hurries to the Knight. Chaucer walks among the pilgrims, talking with them severally.]

MILLER

[To Franklin.]

Ten gallon ale? God’s arms! I take thee.

MAN OF LAW

What’s

The wager?

FRANKLIN

Yonder door; this miller here

Shall break it, at a running, with his head.

The door is oak. The stakes ten gallon ale.

SHIPMAN

Ho, then, I bet the miller shall be drunk.

MERCHANT

What bet?

SHIPMAN

Twelve crown upon the miller.

MERCHANT

Done.

[At the door appears the Prioress, accompanied by a Nun and her three Priests, one of whom, Joannes, carries a little pup. The Host hurries up with a reverence.]

HOST

Welcome, my lady dear. Vouchsafe to enter

Poor Herry Bailey’s inn.

PRIORESS

Merci.

HOST

[To a serving-boy.]

Knave, show

My lady Prioress to the blue chamber

Where His Majesty, King Richard, slept.

PRIORESS

Joannes,

Mark, Paulus, stay! have you the little hound

Safe?

JOANNES

Yes, my lady.

PRIORESS

Carry him before,

But carefully.

MILLER

[To Yeoman.]

Here, nut-head, hold my hood.

YEOMAN

Wilt try bareheaded?

FRIAR

’Mass!

FRANKLIN

Ho, for a skull!

Miller, thou art as tough a knot as e’er

The Devil tied. By God, mine ale is spilled.

[The priests and Prioress have just reached the door, left front, which the Miller is preparing to ram.]

PLOUGHMAN

The door is locked.

JOANNES

But, sir, the Prioress—

SHIPMAN

Heigh! Clear the decks!

[The Miller, with clenched fists, and head doubled over, runs
for the door.]

YEOMAN

Harrow!

PARSON

Run, Robin.

GUILD-MEN

[Rise from their dice.]

Ho!

[With a crash, the Miller’s head strikes the door and splits it. At the shock, he rebounds against Joannes, and reaching to save himself from falling, seizes the puppy.]

MILLER

A twenty devils!

GUILD-MEN

[All but the Weaver, clambering over the table.]

Come on!

PLOUGHMAN