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A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the RenaissanceJusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)

History

A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the Renaissance

Name: A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the Renaissance
Author: Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)

Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)

English literature -- History and criticism

Here comes Lady Meed, a lady of importance, whose friendship means
perdition, yet without whom nothing can be done, and who plays an
immense part in the world. The monosyllable which designates her has a
vague and extended signification; it means both reward and bribery.
Disinterestedness, the virtue of noble minds, being rare in this world,
scarcely anything is undertaken without hope of recompense, and what
man, toiling solely with a view to recompense, is quite safe from
bribery? So Lady Meed is there, beautiful, alluring, perplexing; to get
on without her is impossible, and yet it is hard to know what to do with
her. She is about to marry "Fals"; the friends and witnesses have
arrived, the marriage deed is drawn up; the pair are to have the
"Erldome of Envye," and other territories that recall the worst regions
of the celebrated map of the Tendre. Opposition is made to the marriage,
and the whole wedding party starts for Westminster, where the cause is
to be determined; friends, relations, bystanders; on foot, on horseback,
and in carriages; a singular procession!

The king, notified of the coming of this _cortege_, publicly declares he
will deal justice to the knaves, and the procession melts away; most of
the friends disappear at a racing pace through the lanes of London. The
poet hastens to lodge the greatest scoundrels with the people he hates,
and has them received with open arms. "Gyle" is welcomed by the
merchants, who dress him as an apprentice, and make him wait on their
customers. "Lyer" has at first hard work to find shelter; he hides in
the obscure holes of the alleys, "lorkynge thorw lanes"; no door opens,
his felonies are too notorious. At last, the pardoners "hadden pite and
pullede hym to house"; they washed him and clothed him and sent him to
church on Sundays with bulls and seals appended, to sell "pardons for
pans" (pence). Then leeches send him letters to say that if he would
assist them "waters to loke," he should be well received; spicers have
an interview with him; minstrels and messengers keep him "half a yere
and eleve dayes"; friars dress him as a friar, and, with them, he forms
the friendliest ties of all.[643]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the RenaissanceJusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)

History

A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the Renaissance

Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)

English literature -- History and criticism

Here comes Lady Meed, a lady of importance, whose friendship means
perdition, yet without whom nothing can be done, and who plays an
immense part in the world. The monosyllable which designates her has a
vague and extended signification; it means both reward and bribery.
Disinterestedness, the virtue of noble minds, being rare in this world,
scarcely anything is undertaken without hope of recompense, and what
man, toiling solely with a view to recompense, is quite safe from
bribery? So Lady Meed is there, beautiful, alluring, perplexing; to get
on without her is impossible, and yet it is hard to know what to do with
her. She is about to marry "Fals"; the friends and witnesses have
arrived, the marriage deed is drawn up; the pair are to have the
"Erldome of Envye," and other territories that recall the worst regions
of the celebrated map of the Tendre. Opposition is made to the marriage,
and the whole wedding party starts for Westminster, where the cause is
to be determined; friends, relations, bystanders; on foot, on horseback,
and in carriages; a singular procession!

The king, notified of the coming of this _cortege_, publicly declares he
will deal justice to the knaves, and the procession melts away; most of
the friends disappear at a racing pace through the lanes of London. The
poet hastens to lodge the greatest scoundrels with the people he hates,
and has them received with open arms. "Gyle" is welcomed by the
merchants, who dress him as an apprentice, and make him wait on their
customers. "Lyer" has at first hard work to find shelter; he hides in
the obscure holes of the alleys, "lorkynge thorw lanes"; no door opens,
his felonies are too notorious. At last, the pardoners "hadden pite and
pullede hym to house"; they washed him and clothed him and sent him to
church on Sundays with bulls and seals appended, to sell "pardons for
pans" (pence). Then leeches send him letters to say that if he would
assist them "waters to loke," he should be well received; spicers have
an interview with him; minstrels and messengers keep him "half a yere
and eleve dayes"; friars dress him as a friar, and, with them, he forms
the friendliest ties of all.[643]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the Renaissance

A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the Renaissance

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