The Canon's Yeoman's Tale

"The Canon's Yeoman's Tale" is one of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

The Canon's Yeoman's Tale

The Canon and his Yeoman are not mentioned in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, where most of the other pilgrims are described, but they arrive later after riding fast to catch up with the group.[1] The tale the Canon's Yeoman tells is in two parts. The first part is an exposé of the shady business of his master the Canon as an alchemist. The second part is about another canon who is also an alchemist who is even more devious than the first.

It is not known if the introduction of these characters was an afterthought by Chaucer or if they were part of the design of the Tales from the start. It is believed it was one of the last tales to be written and it seems to many scholars that Chaucer must have had a real person in mind while writing such a lively attack on alchemists. In 1374 a chaplain called William de Brumley confessed to making counterfeit gold coins after being taught by William Shuchirch. Shuchirch was a canon at King's Chapel, Windsor and in 1390 Chaucer supervised repairs of the chapel so he may have known Shuchirch.[2]

No sources have survived for the tale although similarities can be found to one by Ramon Llull.[3] Chaucer probably got much of the technical detail from Speculum Naturale (Mirror of Nature) by Vincent of Beauvais, and Arnold of Villanova is mentioned within the tale itself although he may have read many other alchemical texts. Chaucer's grasp of alchemy seems very accurate and in the 17th century the tale was cited by Elias Ashmole as proof that Chaucer was master of the science.[4] Chaucer did have a great interest in science and technology, writing a Treatise on the Astrolabe.

  1. ^ "8.2 The Canon's Yeoman's Tale". chaucer.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  2. ^ Archives, The National (2019-10-09). "The National Archives - The Alchemist's Tale: Geoffrey Chaucer and alchemy". The National Archives blog. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  3. ^ "Chaucer--Canon's Yeoman". faculty.goucher.edu. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  4. ^ Ashmole, Elias (1652). Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum. Vol. I. London: Nathaniel Brooke. p. 467. One Reason why I selected out of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, that of the Chanon's Yeoman was, to let the World see what notorious Cheating there has beene ever used, under pretence of this true (though Injur'd) Science; Another is, to show that Chaucer himselfe was a Master therein.