The Royal Wedding

The dignitaries, the dresses, the hats (!), the DRESS, and finally the vows.

A bit of Chaucer, quoted in the ceremony.

From the Franklin's Tale, here in interlinear translation.


761         For o thyng, sires, saufly dar I seye,
                    For one thing, sirs, I dare say confidently,
762         That freendes everych oother moot obeye,
                    That friends must obey each other,
763         If they wol longe holden compaignye.
                    If they will long hold company.
764         Love wol nat been constreyned by maistrye.
                    Love will not be constrained by mastery.
765         Whan maistrie comth, the God of Love anon
                    When mastery comes, the God of Love immediately
766         Beteth his wynges, and farewel, he is gon!
                    Beats his wings, and farewell, he is gone!
767         Love is a thyng as any spirit free.
                    Love is a thing free as any spirit.
768         Wommen, of kynde, desiren libertee,
                    Women, by nature, desire liberty,
769         And nat to been constreyned as a thral;
                    And not to be constrained like a slave;
770         And so doon men, if I sooth seyen shal.
                    And so do men, if I shall say the truth.

Translation provided on
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/frkt-par.htm#PROLOGUE

Still to come: "the kiss."