ABSTRACT
WeowetooneofthemostfamousChauceriansofourtimethe discoverythatwhatonceseemedthemostbeautifulexampleof paraclausithyroninourliteraturecontainsanobscenepunononeofthe mostoffensivewordsinourlanguageinthatline"'0thowlanterneof whichqueyntisthelight."' 3Suchareadingraisesdifficulties-of
physiology as well as syntax - and it may seem to prove the justice of John Dennis's famous observation, "A man who would make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket." But I hasten to assure you that the discoverer of this pun is one of Chaucer's most moral critics. His pious intent was to prove that Chaucer's works are deeply and consistently religious, and, as you may have observed, to maintain this thesis it is frequently necessary to argue that poor Geoffrey was completely depraved. For this critic, it was almost an act of charity to demonstrate the presence of this disgusting pun.
