Nel 1170, il re Enrico II è in conflitto con Tommaso à Becket, 52enne Arcivescovo di Canterbury, circa i rispettivi poteri di Stato e Chiesa, ed esclama: "Chi mi toglierà di mezzo questo prete turbolento?" Quattro cavalieri, credendo di interpretare il desiderio del re, si recano alla cattedrale ed uccidono l'arcivescovo [il luogo è ancora oggi segnalato sul pavimento della cattedrale]. Enrico nega di aver istigato l'assassinio, e Tommaso viene canonizzato nel 1172. Il suo reliquario, fino alla distruzione nel 1538 ad opera di Enrico VIII, diventa oggetto di pellegrinaggio.

Nell'opera di Chaucer (del 1387 circa), 29 pellegrini ingannano le lungaggini del viaggio da Londra a Canterbury (circa 100 km) raccontandosi delle storie. Nel Prologo Generale, i pellegrini si stanno radunando nella taverna Tabbard a Southwark (Londra), e vengono descritti dall'autore.

Il seguente brano fa parte della descrizione della Priora:

And she was cleped madame Eglentyne. And she was called Madame Eglentyne.
Full weel she soong the service dyvyne, She sang the divine service very well
Entuned in hir nose ful semely, Intoned in her nose in a very seemly manner
And Frenssh she spak full faire and fetisly, And she spoke French very well and elegantly
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe, After the school of Stratford-Bow [il suo convento]
For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe. For she did not know the French [accent] of Paris.
At mete wel ytaught was she with alle: Moreover, her table-manners were good
She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle, She let no morsel fall from her lips
Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe; Nor dipped her fingers deeply in her sauce;
Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe She could lift a morsel delicately, taking good care
That no drope ne fille upon hire brest. That not a drop should fall down her front.
In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest. She took great pleasure in polite manners.
Hir over-lippe wyped she so clene She wiped her upper lip so clean
That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene That no grease-spot was to be found in her cup
Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte. After she had drunk her draught.
Ful semely after hir mete she raughte. She reached for her food in a seemly fashion.
And sikerly she was of greet desport, And certainly she was a very cheerful person,
And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port, And very pleasant and of amiable disposition
And peyned hire to countrefete cheere She took pains to imitate courtly behaviour
Of court, and to been estatlich of manere, And to be dignified in her bearing,
And to ben holden digne of reverence. And to be held worthy of esteem.


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