Joe Stadolnik

Touching the Real in the Canon's Yeoman's Tale : Alchemy, Anecdote, and the Archives of London Goldwork

In Chaucer's Canon's Yeoman's Tale, when a self-styling alchemist needs someone to certify a bit of silver as the real thing, he turns to “som goldsmyth” of London to render conclusive judgment. This essay fixates on this minor incident in the tale as a critical focal point, attempting to reinscribe the scene with its...