ABSTRACT
This chapter concentrates on the first function of the ornamental border as emphasized by the representations of the Knight and of some of the other pilgrims whose social status has been adjusted. The ornamental and figural embellishments framing the Ellesmere manuscript ensure the acceptance and preservation of the text by appealing to an aristocratic audience to shape their reading experience on their own terms, by promoting an appreciation of the eloquence. While the designation applies more particularly to Chaucer’s early works, especially those actually set in gardens, the visual presentation of the Canterbury Tales as a literary garden in the Ellesmere minimizes the originality of much of its content. The Ellesmere artist adds a kind of visual “Amen” by means of the backward-looking dragon who has also slayn Chaucer, implying that this manuscript was made after Chaucer’s death, thereby beginning the process of posthumous laureation and fulfilling his own sense of planting a literary garden for posterity.
