The Sergeant of the Law and The Merchant
The Merchant has a forked beard and is a representative of the rising middle classes. The Sergeant at Law is a man of considerable importance as he is in the highest rank of barrister group from which the judge chooses at court proceedings. He is the first professional pilgrim that Chaucer introduces. Both the Merchant and the Sergeant at Law are experts in their professions.
The Merchant is well dressed with motley which implies that his clothes are in mixed colours. This indicates variety and that the Merchant may be showy in appearance. “Hye on horse he sat” which may mean literally that he sat high on his horse perhaps because his horse was lively or it can also imply that he is riding in an arrogant way. The Merchant wears a fashionable Flemish beaver hat, “Flaundrissh bever hat”. This creates a sense that this may be held against him as there is competition between Flemish and English craftsmen. He wears expensive, good quality boots. His overall appearance is stylish and showy may be because it may help to attract more clientele. He is solemn in speaking his opinions and bases it on what would be favourable to his trade “sowninge alwey th’encrees of his winning”. The Sergeant of Law has often been at the ‘parvys’; i.e., porch of St. Paul’s church where lawyers often met for consultations. He is highly renowned for his knowledge and knows all the statutes by heart. The Sergeant as well as the Merchant is very skilled in his profession yet in contrast the Merchant does not wear his legal uniform and instead is dressed in a homely way.
