merry story of this kind, written in
the reign of Henry VI. It is full of a rough kind of hostile humour,
and shows the sort of things which amused at that time. Here we have a
burlesque upon the deeds of chivalry. A mock tournament is held, the
prize is to be the Reve of Tottenham's daughter, a brood hen, a dun cow,
a grey mare, and a spotted sow. The combatants--clowns and
rustics--provide themselves with flails, and poles, and sheep skins

"They armed tham in mattes;
They set on ther nollys (heads)
For to kape ther pollys,
Gode blake bollys (bowls)
For t' batryng of battes (cudgels)."

The fierceness of the combat is described:

"And fewe wordys spoken,
There were flayles al to-slatered,
Ther were scheldys al to-flatred,
Bollys and dysches al to-schatred,
And many hedys brokyn."

We find some specimen of the kind of tales called Comedies, which
preceded acted Comedy, in the works of Chaucer, who died in 1400.
Scarcely any part of Chaucer's writings would raise a laugh at the
present day, though they might a blush.[52] But he was by no means a man
who revelled in indelicacy. We may suppose that he was moderate for the
time in which he lived, and when he makes an offensive allusion, he
usually adds some excuse for it. The antiquated language in which his
works are written prevents our now appreciating much of the humour they
contained; generally, there is more refinement and grace in his
writings. No doubt at the time he was thought witty, and his tendency in
this direction is shown by his praise of mirth in the "Romaunt of the
Rose."

"Full faire was mirth, full long and high,
A fairer man I never sigh:
As round as apple was his face,
Full roddie and white in every place,
Fetis he was and well besey,
With meetly mouth and eyen gray,
His nose by measure wrought full right,
Crispe was his haire, and eke full bright,
His shoulderes of large trede
And smallish in the girdlestede:
He seemed like a purtreiture,
So noble was he of his stature,
So faire, so jolly, and so fetise
With limmes wrought at point devise,
Deliver smart, and of great might;
Ne saw thou never man so light
Of berd unneth had he nothing,
For it was in the firste spring,
Full young he was and merry of thought,
And in samette with birdes wrought
And with golde beaten full fetously
His bodie was clad full richely.
Wrought was his robe in strau