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sense. I could add much more on this subject, but lest you should think the garrulity of an old man, one who confesses himself to be "Laudator temporis acti," too tiresome, I shall conclude with signing myself

Your most obedient servant,

AN ADMIRER OF HANDEl.

THE ARTS.

No. II.

THE PROCESSION OF CHAUCER'S

CANTERBURY.

PILGRIMS TO

Painted by Thomas Stothard, Esq. R. A. and to be Engraved by Bromley,
He made the boke of Caunterbury Tales
Whan the pylgryms rode on pylgrymage
Throughout Kent, by hylles and by dales,
And all the stories told in their passage
Endited them full well in our langage.

LIDGATE:

THE father of English poetry has received considerable attention from the present age. TYRWHITT has restored the text of his Canterbury Tales to its original purity, and accompanied it with "a glossary, notes, and illustrations, executed with method, acumen, and perspicuity, no where exceeded among allthe Commentators on books." WARTON's observations are highly valuable. GODWIN has lately employed himself upon a Life of the illustrious poet, in which, if very little is added to the facts before recorded, much new and interesting information is afforded, and some ingenious conjectures are offered, respecting the manners, opinions, arts and literature of his age. Mr. STOTHARD, an artist whose talents have long withstood the ordeal of criticism, has now transferred all the characters of the Canterbury Tales to the canvas, and with so much justness, force and discrimination, that "we see all the pilgrims, their humours, their features, and their very dress, as distinctly as if we had supped with them at the Tabard, in Southwark." It is the ut pictura poesis of Horace, in its most emphatic signification.

* Dryden's Preface to his Fables.

This exquisite painting combines more variety of costume and character, than usually occurs in the productions of an individual: few minds possessing a fancy sufficiently creative to compose a subject so multifarious in its expression as the one before us. We know not, in an assemblage of so many personages of different designations, which most to admire, the appropriate grouping of the objects, the acute discrimination of multiplied characters, or the critical acuinen observed in the de coration; forming together a climax of excellence, that must for ever establish the artist's reputation in this walk of art; and we are happy to say that the decisions of WEST, OPIE, HOPPNER, BEECHEY, and other distinguished members of the Royal Academy, are in strong confirmation of this opinion.

"The general prologue," as Mr. Neve has remarked, "is justly the most celebrated part of Chaucer's works. The acuteness of his observation, his judgment and discrimination of character are there alike conspicuous. Nor is it wonderful, that a mind, possessing much native humour, and enriched by long experience, and extensive information, should exhibit characters, such as are there found, with striking resemblance to nature and living manners." From this prologue, Mr. STотHARD has taken his picture; but to afford a more complete idea of the whole, we shall quote the words of Mr. TYRWHITT. "Chaucer pretends, that intending to pay his devotions at the shrine of Thomas à Becket, he set up his horse at the Tabard inn, in Southwark; that he found in the inn a number of pilgrims, who severally proposed the same journey; and that they all agreed to sup together, and to set out the next morning on the same party. The supper being finished, the landlord, a fellow of sense and drollery, conformable to his character and calling, makes them no disagreeable proposal, that, to divert them on their journey, each of them should be obliged to tell two stories, one going, the other coming back; and that whoever in the judgment of the company, should succeed best in this art of taletelling, by way of recompence, at their return to his inn, should be entitled to a good supper at the common cost; which proposal assented to, he promises to be their governor and guide. At the entrance of the poein, the characters of all the pilgrims are distinctly drawn,

and a plan of the comedy, in which they stand for the dramatis persona; and, to the honour of our author be it spoken, every part of his plan is performed with equal justice and spirit; and above all, the character of the host is most admirably kept up, and the same wit, spirit, and humour is preserved through the whole journey, that strikes and astonishes the reader so much at the very beginning, where the original character of this incomparable person is drawn at full length."

Introductory discourse.

The scene of the picture is laid in that part of the road to Canterbury, which commands a view of the Dulwich hills-the time, a beautiful and serene April morning. The interest of the procession is considerably heightened by the cheerfulness of the accompanying landscape. The pilgrims are grouped with a decorum suited to their respective characters, and in the order in which we may suppose Chaucer himself to have seen them, headed by the Miller, playing upon his pipe (a), under the guidance of Harry Baillie, the host; who, as master of the ceremonies, is represented on horseback, standing in his stirrups, in the act of commanding attention to the proposal he is about to make of drawing lots to determine which of the company shall tell the first tale (b). Near to him is a line of five characters— the Knight (c); his Son, the young Squire (d); the

(a) A baggepipe wel coude he blowe and soune, And therwithall he brought us out of toune.

(b) And ther our hoste began his hors arest,
And saide; lordes, herkeneth if you lest.

Ye wete your forword, [promise] and I it record.
If even song and morwe song accord,

Let se now who shal telle the firste tale.

As ever mote I drinken win or ale,

Who so is rebel to my jugement,

Shal pay for alle that by the way is spent.

Now draweth cutte, or that ye forther twinne [proceed],

He which that hath the shortest shal beginne.

(c) His hors was good, but he ne was not gaie. of fustian he wered a gipon, [short cassock]

Alle besmotrcd [smutted] with his habergeon, [coat of mail]

(d) With lockes crull as they were laide in presse. Of twenty yere of age he was I gesse.

Franklin (e), or Country Gentleman; the Serjeant at Law (f), the Merchant (g), and the Doctor of Physic (h). The Squire is mounted on a white horse near the Knight, and betwixt these two figures is seen the Reve (i). Close hehind the Squire, his Yeoman advances (k),

Of his stature he was of even lengthe,

And wonderly deliver [nimble], and grete of strengthe.
Embrouded was he, as it were a mede

Alle ful of freshe floures, white and rede.

Short was his goune, with sleves long and wide.
Wel coude he sitte on hors, and fayre ride.

(e) White was his berd, as is the dayesie.
Of his complexion he was sanguin.

Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in win.

An anelace (a dagger at the girdle] and a gipciere [pouch] all of silk,

Heng at his girdel, white as morwe milk.

(f) He rode but homely in a medlee [of a mixed colour] cote, Girt with a seint [girdle] of silk, with barres [stripes] smale; Of his array tell I no lenger tale.

(g) A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd,

In mottelee, aud highe on hors he sat,

And on his hed a Flaundrish bever hat.

His bootes clapsed [clasped] fayre and fetisly. [neatly]

(h) In sanguin [blood-red colour] and in perse [a blueish gray] he clad was 'alle

Lined with taffata, and with sendalle. [thin silk]

(i) The REVE was a slendre colerike man,
His berd was shave as neighe as ever he can.
His here was by his eres round yshorne.
His top was docked like a preest beforne.
Ful longe were his legges, and ful lene,
Ylike a staff, ther was no calf ysene.
This reve sate upon a right good stot,

That was all pomelee [dappled] grey, and highte Scot.
A long surcote of perse upon he hade,

And by his side he bare a rusty blade.

(k) And he was cladde in cote and hode of grene.

A shefe of peacock arwes [arrows] bright and kene
Under his belt he bare ful thriftily.
Wel coude he dresse his takel yemanly:
His arwes drouped not with fetheres lowe.
And in his hond he bare a mighty bowe.

A not-hed [head like a nut] hadde he, with a broune visage,
Of wood-craft coude he wel alle the usage.

habited in green. The front of the next groupe is also composed of five characters-The Lady Abbess (1); her Nun (m); the Nun's Priest (m); the Good Parson (n); and his Brother, the Ploughman (0). The figures immediately behind the Lady Abbess are, the Shipman (p); the Oxford Scholar (q); the Manciple (r); and

Upon his arme he bare a gaie bracer,
And by his side a swerd and a bokeler.
And on that other side a gaie daggere,
Harneised wel, and sharpe as point of spere:
A Cristofre on his brest of silver shene.
An horne he bare, the baudrik was of grene.
A forster was he sothely as I gesse.

(1) Ful semely hire wimple [neck covering] ypinched was;
Hire nose tretis [well-shaped]; hire eyen grey as glas;
Hire mouth ful smale, and therto soft and red;
But sikerly [surely] she hadde a fayre forehed.
It was almost a spanne brode I trowe;
For hardily she was not undergrowe.

Ful fetise was hire cloke, as I was ware.
Of smale corall aboute hire arm she bare
A pair of bedes, gauded all with grene;
And therou heng a broche of gold ful shene,
On whiche was first ywriten a crowned A,
And after, Amor vincit omnia.

(m) Another NONNE also with hire hadde she,
That was hire chapelleine, and PREESTES thre.

(n) A good man ther was of religioun,

That was a poure PERSONE of a toun:

But riche he was of holy thought and werk.

(o) A trewe swinker, and a good was he, Living in pees, and parfite charitee. In a tabard he rode upon a mere.

(p) He rode upon a rouncie, [a hack] as he couthe, All in a goune of falding to the knee.

A dagger hanging by a las [lace] hadde hee

About his nekke under his arm adoun.

The hote sommer hadde made his hewe al broun.

(9) As lene was his hors as is a rake,

And he was not right fat, I undertake;

But loked holwe, and therto soberly.

Ful thredbare was his overest courtepy, [short coarse cloak]
For he hadde geten him yet no benefice.

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