The Squire

During the time of Middle English, love and romance was a very common theme
for many stories and poems. The Squire, a well-dressed and proper man traveling
around with the other pilgrims, shares a tale that is romantic with a twist of magic
within the story. His tale may be what he hopes to one day gain in his future
instead of carrying the reputation he has now throughout the rest of his life; or so
that is what it seems like. In the Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer,
we are introduced to a character that seems to know a lot about love and romance.
Also the son of a high ranking Knight “a fine young Squire, / a lover and cadet, a
lad of fire.” (General Prologue, 81-83). He is described as a very handsome, young
20 year old man but he does not have just one true love rather he has been with
quite a few women in his time so far. He carries the reputation of a man who sleeps
around with many women and “he slept as little as a nightingale” ( General
Prologue 100) meaning that he would spend all night long with the multiple lovers
on different nights until the morning sun rose. Besides being described as a guy
who got around a lot, he was a very loyal cadet to his father and serviceable about
his duty. As a soldier in training he has traveled around the land with his father and
has 

witnessed a lot of magical moments in his life already and so he shares a tale about
a knight who tries to win over a king’s daughter. The tale that he shares with the
other pilgrims seems to be the opposite of whom he is. In part one of the tale, a
king celebrates twenty years of his reign by throwing a huge feast. A strange
knight arrives, bearing a few gifts that have unique powers about them and
presents them to the king. The Squire reflects how love and magic go hand in hand
and that both can be very powerful. One gift in particular that the knight had
brought along with him had a certain power that will bring out the honesty and
trueness of certain people in relation to the one looking into it.  “ ‘This mirror, too,
that I hold in my hand 

Such power had that in it one may see 

Whenever there’s to come adversity 
Upon your realm, upon yourself also, 
And openly who is your friend or foe.‘ “ (Squire’s Tale 132-136) Whoever takes a look into
the mirror with questions about whom and who isn’t true will be told who is a friend and who
happens to be an enemy. There is another gift that he hands over, a ring, and whoever
wears this magical ring will have the power to understand the language of 

any bird. The wearer happens to be the king’s daughter, Canace, and now that she wears it
she is able to understand the language of every bird and to know quick remedies for the
healing of any injuries or sickness that a bird may have. The knight also carries a sword by
his side, without a cover, that has the ability to cut through any man’s armor. There is
another power with this sword, the only way to heal the wound that the sword may inflict, is
to place the sword on its flat side over the wound and it will disappear. The last but not least
gift the knight has with him is the horse he rode in on, it is a brass steed which has the
power of teleportation and can take anyone wherever they please in a moments notice. But
the thing is that the only person who knows how to get the steed to react is the knight until
he shares the secret with the king “You have to turn a knob that’s in his ear.” (Squire’s Tale
316). 

The second part of the tale begins with Canace dreaming of the mirror and the ring and
getting a wonderful night full of sleep then awakes earlier than everyone else and takes a
walk. She comes across an injured falcon that is crying in anguish. Since Canace is wearing
the ring she is able to heal this falcon. While Canace gathers herbs for medicine to heal the
bird, the falcon shares a story how she fell in love with a male falcon that had fallen in love
with her but had also fallen in love with a kite and ended up choosing the other love. The
story is never finished by Chaucer and some believe it is because he ran out of time or that
the Franklin had interrupted the Squire whilst he was sharing his tale. 

Since the Squire has yet to be a knight, it seems that a story similar to this one would be
what he hopes to one day find. “It’s more than any dull man could recite;
He must know love and how to serve it right, 

And be a festive man as fresh as May,

Who’d give you an account of such array. “ (Squire’s Tale 279-282) especially if he is trying
to please one lady in particular, The Queen “Of time, in hope to win his lady’s grace.”