Description
Medici 1930. Re-told from classic 24 short stories from 29 pilgrims going to Canterbury, plus their tavern host who promises to judge the winning story, others to contribute cost to meal for winner. First prologue sets mild April scene and merry rich cast; each story has prologue from whoever tells, influenced by conflicts, between miller and reeve, friar and summoner. Christian orientation - miracles instead of magic. Everyone is magnificent, the best dressed, the sweetest tempered, the wealthiest supplies, the finest of everything. Tapestry-like colorful black-outlined people, vivid colored costumes against washed out background fields and trees.
1 Knight - King Theseus has sister Emilia, wanted by two imprisonec Princes of Thebes, Arcite and Palamon.
2 Miller - Young wife and apprentice Nicholas convince carpenter that flood comes tomorrow, and bystanders that husband mad when they see tubs.
3 Reeve - Two Cambridge students John and Alain who need to outwit cheating miller for ground corn.
4 Cook - Gaming apprentice Victualler who "emptied master's till to pay for his sport" is "bade begone". Elder brother John mistreats youngest Gamelyn, who performs many deeds of strength and rules young outlaws in forest.
5 Man of Law - Emporer of Rome sends daughter Christian Lady Constance to Sultan Alla who converts for her. Evil mothers-in-law cause trouble every time her ship lands. She survives at sea by grace of God.
6 Wife of Bath - Since 12, married 5x, tells of year-long search for "what thing it is that women desire most" by knight in time of King Arthur.
7 Friar - Thieving Summoner (tax-collector) swears brotherhood when fellow traveler with similar occupation offers to share wealth. The devil seizes him "body and soul, to the rightful home of all summoners" when cursed by a threatened poor old widow.
8 Summoner - Friar John tries to swindle a sick man, who gets his promise to share his gift, and breathes "the smell of onions full in the Friar's face". The Lord of the Manor's Squire gets a new gown for telling the complainant to breathe from the center of a great cartwheel out to 12 other friars stationed at each spoke.
9 Clerk of Oxford - In Italy at the fertile foot of Mt Vesuvius, people ask their Lord Walter to take a wife, but he tests lovely Griselda by taking away newborn son, then daughter, then returning her to poverty.
10 Merchant - Wise old knight January takes sweet humble beauty May. Struck with blindness, he asks her into garden in July. Pluto, king of the fairies struck blindness when handsome young page Damian reaches pear for faithless wife.
11 Squire - Tartar king brought three gifts - bronze horse for anywhere, magic mirror, and ring to understand bird speech. Youngest daughter, Lady Canacee, rescues falcon from tree. Unfinished.
12 Franklin - Knight Arviragus sails from Brittany. Faithful wife Dorigen, loved for two years by squire Aurelius, tries to let youth down gently by agreeing to grant love if he can clear all the rocks from the shore - she constantly gazes on them and fears for her returning husband.
13 Second Nun - Roman maiden Cecilia wanted to be a virgin, but "bore herself meekly, and wore a hair shirt under her golden robe" when given to marriage.
14 Canon - Yeoman tells of dishonest priest who pretends to Canon with silver held in wood by melted wax that he can sell him the recipe to make silver out of quick-silver.
15 Doctor of Physic - Wicked Judge Appius conspires with evil clerk Claudius to claim daughter Virginia of knight Virginius is slave stolen when young.
16 Pardoner - "Riotous" villains agree to chase down death. An old man directs them to a tree ahead with "seven bushels of florins coined in gold". The youngest buys poison for the others who knife him.
17 Shipman Captain - Lavish spendin
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