Than why schulde the remenaunt have a blame, THE CHANOUNES YEMANNES TALE. [IN this tale and its prologue, Chaucer satirizes the prevailing belief in alchemy, which had been introduced to the study of the Western nations from Arabia, as its name implies, in the beginning of the eighth century. From the Arabs Europe derived the rudiments of physical science, but debased by the belief in magical influences which entered into all the speculations of Eastern philosophy. Their astronomy took the form of judicial astrology, their chemistry that of alchemy, and their physics and optics were deformed with strange notions of mysterious and supernatural agencies. The sup position that, by means of the analytical experiments, which, as Boerhaave allows, the Arabs performed with great exactness and success, they might discover the component parts of the precious metals, and, by combining them, produce the metals themselves, was, no doubt, the origin of the hermetic philosophy. On this principle they would have concluded that, because a diamond is one form of carbon, diamonds might be manufactured out of charcoal. To these golden visions, however, we owe the labours of Roger Bacon, who, by his patient analysis of the powers of nature, gave to his still more illustrious namesake the clue by which he was enabled to indicate to his successors the passage into her most secret labyrinths. The belief that comparatively worthless substances might be chemically combined so as to produce gold and silver was very general in England at this period; Edward the Third was persuaded by Raymond Lully even to look to it as a source of national wealth; and it was held as an article of popular faith that the beautiful gold coin, called the Rose Noble, was manufactured by means of this mysterious process. See Ashmol. Theatrum Chemicum, Lond. 1652, p. 443. The impostures which were practised on the public credulity led to the statute of 5 Henry IV., c. 4, noticed by Tyrwhitt, which made it felony 'to multiply gold or silver, or to use the art of multiplication.' The delusion, however, still continued to flourish in some quarters; and, in the reign of Edward the Fourth, we find George Ripley producing a poem on the subject, entitled The Compound of Alchemie, which he dedicated to the King. See Warton, § 25. This poetical alchemist was a Canon Regular of Bridlington, in Yorkshire, a circumstance which curiously confirms Chaucer's charge against that order of clergy; though why the canons should have been peculiarly addicted to this vain pursuit is not easily determined. The knowledge of the terms of art displayed in The Chanounes Yemannes Tale, and the bitterness of the satire, would lead to the supposition that Chaucer, as well as his royal patron, had been at one time duped by some professor of the science of alchemy. All the artillery of his learning, good sense, brilliant wit, and broad humour is brought to bear upon this mischievous delusion and its abettors. The story is probably founded on an actual incident which had come to the poet's knowledge, if, indeed, it had not some direct influence upon his own fortunes in the latter part of his life. Nor is it very unlikely, as Tyrwhitt hints, that the vigour with which he exposes the frauds of the alchemists may have effectually contributed to the introduction of the statute against 'multiplying.'] IN Londoun was a prest, an annueler,1 1 They were called annuelers, not from their receiving a yearly sti. pend, as the Glossary explains it, but from their being employed solely Which was so plesaunt and so servisable And if so be, that thou fynde me fals, Another day hong me up by the hals.' This prest him took a mark, and that as swithe, in singing annuals, or anniversary masses for the dead, without any cure of souls.-See the stat. 36 Edw. III., c. viii., where the chapelleins parochiels are distinguished from others chantanz annales, et a cure des almes nient entendantz. They were both to receive yearly stipends, but the former were allowed to take six marks, and the latter only five. Compare stat. 2 Henry V., c. ii., where the stipend of the chapellein parochiel is raised to eight marks, and that of the chapellein annueler (he is so named in the statute) to seven. The chapelleins annuelers were also called chantry priests, and the chapels, of which numbers still exist in our cathedrals and parish churches, were called chantries, because mass was there sung (chanté.) Of these chantry chapels, Henry the Seventh's, in Westminster Abbey, and Bishop Alcock's, in Ely, lately restored by Jesus Coll., Camb., are well-known examples. At table means at board. That in no wise he breke wol his day; crepe 'What?' quod this chanoun, 'schold I be untrewe? With coveytise anoon thou schalt be blent: O graceles, ful blynd is thy conceyt, This chanoun was my lord, ye wolde weene; For reedenes have I noon, right wel I knowe, Of metals, which ye han me herd reherse, And went him forth, and com anoon agayn |