By Tristan Haight

A Summoner was a man who delivered summonses for alleged public sinners to appear at the Archdeacon's ecclesiastical court when accused of public immorality. The job offered opportunities for serious abuse such as bribery (which is how the Summoner got paid because the church didn’t pay much to live off of), extortion, and especially blackmail of those who went with prostitutes.

The Summoner would range from the lower class to the ecclesiastical middle class (boarder line with the church.) The Summoner would fit into society as kind of bounty hunter or the police who brings possible sinners to be tried, which could a rivalry with another Summoner. The Summoner would be paid by the church and braveries he would collect for not being turned in because excommunication was a common punishment.

Summoner's physical appearance is kind of cringe- inducing: his face is covered in sores that no ointment can heal and his narrow eyes are covered by fierce, bushy eyebrows. So hideous is his face, in fact, that children are afraid of it. On top of that, the Summoner likes to eat smelly vegetables like onions, garlic, and leeks.

men: hooded cloak (bad weather) tunic skirt-belt- breeches with feet clumsy leather shoes women: coarse tunic knee-length stockings-rough shoes

 "And he had finches of his own to feather" (140). In other words he takes care of his own interests.  "He was a noble varlet and a kind one, You'd meet none better if you went to find one" (140). This describes that he is a kind fellow, but also a secretly devious character.  "And drinking strong red wine till all was hazy. Then he would shout and jabber as if crazy" (139).

The narrator is a naive character who takes everything literal and views the Summoner as a man with a disturbing appearance who drinks a lot. Chaucer would think differently because he would sarcastically approves of the Summoner dialogue.

“He was a noble varlet and a kind one, You'd meet none better if you went to find one" (140). This quote just means that the Summoner can be both kind, and devious person. Almost like…

One day, a friar was brought to hell and led up and down by angel, and was surprised to see no friars there. Are friars so graceful, he asked, that they never come to hell? The angel told him that many millions of friars came to hell, and led him directly to Satan. Satan had a tail as broad as a sailing ship, and the angel called to Satan to lift up his tail. Satan did, and twenty thousand friars swarmed out of his rear end like bees from a hive.

The job of a Summoner was to bring accused sinners to the church to be tried. The Summoner is an enforcer of church law like a bounty hunter or police office.