1. The manciple
Ryan Parimi
From Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

2. What is a manciple? Kind of like a caterer today
A manciple is in charge of purchasing food and supplies for an institution
Kind of like a caterer today
Title still exists today – Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Freemasons, London Charterhouse

3. Chaucer’s manciple Unlearned – illiterate
worked for an inn of court, “the temple,” which was a place where lawyers would live or gather
Unlearned – illiterate
Quick to point out the flaws in others. Very proud
Questionable ethics – always made money every time he purchased food for the lawyers
Chaucer is kind of sarcastic in the way he describes the manciple.
It seems as if an unethical nature is the only way to have financial success.

4. The Manciple’s tale
Asks the cook to tell a story, but the cook is way too drunk to tell one
Makes fun of the cook. The cook threatens to find flaws in the manciple’s financial accounts. The manciple responds by giving him even more wine
The manciple then tells a story because the cook can’t

5. The manciple’s tale Owns a white crow that can talk and sing
Phoebus - ideal man, main character of the story, loves his wife very much
Owns a white crow that can talk and sing
Phoebus’s wife cheats on him while he is gone, and the crow tells him about it when he returns
Phoebus kills his wife in his rage and later regrets it when he finally calms down. He then plucks the crow’s feathers and takes away its ability to talk
Moral of the manciple’s tale: Restrain your tongue