s might.

Visions of these eternal principles or characters of human life appear
to poets in all ages; the Grecian gods were the ancient Cherubim of
Phoenicia; but the Greeks, and since them the Moderns, have neglected
to subdue the gods of Priam. These gods are visions of the eternal
attributes, or divine names, which, when erected into gods, become
destructive to humanity. They ought to be the servants, and not the
masters of man or of society. They ought to be made to sacrifice to
man, and not man compelled to sacrifice to them; for, when separated
from man or humanity, who is Jesus the Saviour, the Vine of Eternity?
They are thieves and rebels, they are destroyers.

The Ploughman of Chaucer is Hercules in his supreme Eternal State,
divested of his Spectrous Shadow, which is the Miller, a terrible
fellow, such as exists in all times and places for the trial of men,
to astonish every neighbourhood with brutal strength and courage, to
get rich and powerful, to curb the pride of Man.

The Reeve and the Manciple are two characters of the most consummate
worldly wisdom. The Shipman, or Sailor, is a similar genius of
Ulyssean art, but with the highest courage superadded.

The Citizens and their Cook are each leaders of a class. Chaucer has
been somehow made to number four citizens, which would make his whole
company, himself included, thirty-one. But he says there was but
nine-and-twenty in his company:

Full nine and twenty in a company.

The Webbe, or Weaver, and the Tapiser, or Tapestry Weaver, appear to
me to be the same person; but this is only an opinion, for 'full nine
and twenty' may signify one more or less. But I daresay that Chaucer
wrote 'A Webbe Dyer', that is a Cloth Dyer:

A Webbe Dyer and a Tapiser.

The Merchant cannot be one of the Three Citizens, as his dress is
different, and his character is more marked, whereas Chaucer says of
his rich citizens:

All were yclothed in o liverie.

The characters of Women Chaucer has divided into two classes, the Lady
Prioress and the Wife of Bath. Are not these leaders of the ages of
men? The Lady Prioress in some ages predominates; and in some the Wife
of Bath, in whose character Chaucer has been equally minute and exact;
because she is also a scourge and a blight. I shall say no more of
her, nor expose what Chaucer has left hidden; let the young reader
study what he has said of her: it is useful as a scarecrow. There are
of such characters bor