The Clerkenwell TalesFrom the foremost contemporary chronicler of London’s history, a suspenseful novel that ingeniously draws on Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales to recreate the city’s 14th century religious and political intrigues. London, 1399. Sister Clarice, a nun born below Clerkenwell convent, is predicting the death of King Richard II and the demise of the Church. Her visions can be dismissed as madness, until she accurately foretells a series of terrorist explosions. What is the role of the apocalyptic Predestined Men? And the clandestine Dominus? And what powers, ultimately, will prevail?In Peter Ackroyd’s deft and suprising narrative, The Miller, the Prioress, the Wife of Bath and other characters from Canterbury Tales pursue these mysteries through a pungently vivid medieval London. |
Contents
The Friars Tale | 14 |
The Clerks Tale | 35 |
The Franklins Tale | 56 |
The Knights Tale | 72 |
The Physicians Tale | 87 |
The Manciples Tale | 105 |
The Millers Tale | 121 |
The Cooks Tale | 146 |
The Man of Laws Tale | 164 |
The Shipmans Tale | 183 |
The Second Nuns Tale | 200 |
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Common terms and phrases
Agnes de Mordaunt Anne Strago asked Bartholomew began Bishop of London Bogo Bridget called Camomile Street chamber Cheapside child Christ church citizens clerk Clerkenwell cloth Coke Bateman convent crossed Dame Agnes Dame Alice dark death Dominus door Emnot Hallyng Exmewe's face fear Ferrour fire Fleet Fleet river friar Gabriel Garret Barton gate Geoffrey de Calis Greek fire Gybon Hamo Fulberd hand head heard Henry Bolingbroke holy hood horse Janekin John Duckling Jolland knew known Lane laughed leech Lollards looked Magga manciple Master Gunter matter Miles Vavasour monk murmured night nun's nun's priest nuns passed Paul's Peter Ackroyd physician pray predestined priest prioress prison Radulf Robert Rafu seemed seen sergeant sergeant-at-law singing Sir Miles Sister Clarice smell Smithfield stone Street Swinderby Thomas Gunter token told took turned Turnmill Umbald voice walked walls whispered Wife of Bath William Exmewe wooden words young