Lia’s Reviews > The Canterbury Tales By Night Omnibus > Status Update

Emmeline came over, a wizened apple in her hand. Bayard stilled and plucked it from her fingers.

I really adore spoiled, pampered, entitled Bayard! life just isn’t fair sometimes.

Emmeline came over, a wizened apple in her hand. Bayard stilled and plucked it from her fingers.

I really adore spoiled, pampered, entitled Bayard! life just isn’t fair sometimes.

‘I am glad we fight. I have always hated you. You, with your manners, your easy ways, full of courtly piety. I used to watch you and Baron Simon walk arm in arm then hear how the King would make you sit by him at table and carve your meat. Everywhere you went, people stretched out to you. Generosity is a dangerous virtue. No one likes to be a dog waiting for the crumbs from the table.’

Channeling his inner Sir Kay.

He said “nothing new under the sun”: he was referring to the ancient sin of adultery. He died pointing to the fireplace where my father’s coat of arms were depicted... he was, in fact, pointing to the eagle carrying the iron bar. The word “to carry” in Latin is “ferre”, the word for iron is “ferrum”.’

I doubt a dying man would use Latin and emblems to vaguely signal his murderer. 🙄

Many, many years ago, long before the Conqueror came with his Normans, a great battle was fought here between the Saxons and foreigners from across the sea.

Gildas...Norman conquest... This one is going to be Arthurian, isn’t it?

On the side of the drawbridge was painted a red cross at least four feet high. ‘There’s plaque in the manor,’

‘16 of us are dead. God shrive them for we have no priest. The chaplain died first, five nights ago, and the others followed him.’
Richard drew back.
‘It’s the same throughout the village!’ the man continued. ‘At the top of the hill you’ll find a farm house. God knows if they are dead or not!’

‘what a brilliant plot! To die of the plague or some pestilence. No one would dare to go near her corpse. The coffin was sealed, placed in a leaden casket and taken to London to be mourned by the king and all the great ones of the land. What did it contain, I wonder- a statue, stones?’

🤔 A useful plague.

‘On August 22nd last, Isabella, mother of our noble lord Edward III, died of the pestilence at Castle Rising in Norfolk....’

Just how common is this in literature?

I’m rereading this section, I totally missed this last time.