http://trashotron.com/agony/images/2003/03-columns/10-29-03/ellesmerechaucer.

jpg Wise Fools (and Summoners)That's Chaucer the Pilgrim above, from the Ellesmere manuscri t, and Chaucer the !uthor belo", in the #occleve ortrait$ %on't the& almost loo' li'e the& could be the same gu&( Weird, huh( )o" for the details of Chaucer %a&* Some adults and members of the class of 2014 ill be circulating about campus on !riday 4/2"# earing badges that ill identify them as $%ummoners.$ &f a %ummoner summons you# that is# if a %ummoner re'uests your presence-- there ill be no fleeing# and no chasing in(ol(ed-- you may be re'uired by that )fficial *erson to recite the first 1+ lines of $,he -eneral *rologue$ of .haucer/s Canterbury Tales$ +ou ma& also as' a Summoner for ermission to recite the lines in an attem t to earn the badge$ ,f the Summoner is leased b& &our recitation, that -fficial Person ma& a"ard &ou a in' badge "hich "ill reveal to the "orld that &ou have achieved the ran' of .Palmer$. ,f the Summoner is not satisfied, &ou must tr& again, with a different Summoner. Siblings ma& not a"ard badges to siblings$ /ee in mind that Summoners ma& be corru t, but have been sternl& instructed to acce t no insubstantial bribes$ %- )-T 0-SE T#,S 1!%2E* -nce &ou have earned &our in' .Palmer. badge, &ou need onl& sho" the badge to an& Summoner to avoid his or her re3uest that &ou recite again$ +ou must earn &our in' .Palmer. badge b& the end of the da& on Frida&$ +our in' .Palmer. badge "ill be re3uired for admission to class on the follo ing 4onda& or ,uesday. 0ise !ools ho do not present the badge hen see1ing admission to class ill be re'uired to participate in a public recital during class on 2onday/ ,uesday. Each Summoner "ill also carr& one, and onl& one, gold .Palmer5 badge, to be a"arded to the single best Palmer that he or she hears on Chaucer %a&$ Summoners have been

encouraged to "ithhold the gold .Palmer. badge until after lunch so that they might hear many (oices before selecting a fa(orite. 2old Palmers "ill have the o ortunit& to recite again during class the follo"ing 4onda&/,uesday in order to compete for the co(eted .haucer 3456)s. --Semel& *aul# % eete 7li8abeth# and 2entil 0eanne

The #occleve Portrait of Chaucer

Thomas #occleve (born c$ 6789, died c$ 6:;<) 'ne" Chaucer ersonall& and claims ( erha s meta horicall&) that Chaucer tried to teach him ho" to "rite verse (he adds, in a Chaucerian touch, .1ut , "as dul, and lerned lite or naught.)$ #is oems do indeed sho" the heav& influence of Chaucer= for a sam le see his translation of Christine da Pisan's 7pistle of .upid (6:<>)$ ,n his Regiment of Princes 91412: he includes se(eral passages in praise of .haucer and the portrait reproduced abo(e. http://icg.fas.har(ard.edu/;<7chaucer/canttales/sirthop/hoccport.htm