Jack of Dover

 By chance I saw the book Jack of Dover in Dover Library1, and borrowed it on a whim.

It's a charming tale of a medieval character from Dover, who walks to London to seek his fortune. Unfortunately, being the Greatest Fool in Christendom, things do not go smoothly for him, but of course it all turns out well in the end. The tale reminds me somewhat of Voltaire's Candide, with an innocent learning wisdom in the face of adversity.

The book is written by Richard Garnett and was published in 1966. It has fine engravings by Graham Oakley, with the one shown above depicting the road into Canterbury.

It is based on an older book of the same name, "a collection of merry tales published at the beginning of the sixteenth century", an original of which is held in the Bodleian Library.

The origin of the name "Jack of Dover" is unknown, but according to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales it was referred to a kind of pie or pasty:

The later book is followed by a second tale, the Penniles Parliament of Threed-Bare Poets, which holds a mine of wisdom, such as "leave your controversies if you love a woman, for a mince-pie is better than a musket". It end with this final advice......

1   Dover Library is a fine place with helpful, friendly staff. So is Deal Library.