The Secret of Chaucer's Pardoner 597 Chaucer himself indicates in this passage the secret of the Pardoner; he is most unfortunate in his birth. He carries upon his body and has stamped upon his mind and character the marks of what is well known to the medieval physiognomists as a eunuchus ex natimtate. The Sophist Admantius (ca. the middle of the fourth century) 22 devotes one whole section to eunuchs of this type: Qui ex naturae vitio sunt eunuchi; mala signa habent ceu prae aliis hominibus, vt plurimum enim sunt crudeles, insidiosi, malefici, tamen alii magis prae aliis. 23 The Greek version of Polemon gives a like account, but draws a sharp distinction between the eunuchus ex natimtate and the eunuchus qui castratus est. He says: Eunuchis prauae, pro- creationis, eadem sunt signa, quae aliis competunt hominibus; ac vt plurimum sunt eiusdem mentis, insidiosi, malefici. Alii vero et aliorum dolorum sunt operarii. Qui vero in honore consti- tutus est eunuchus in uno differt, simul enim conatu audaci instigatur, et plus ingenuae naturae habet, et tanquam non robustus in eodem permanet. 24 Rasis, an eminent Arabian physician of the tenth century, 25 adds a few details concerning physical appearance: Eunuchus malorum est morum. est enim stultus et cupidus et praesumptuosus. Qui autem castratus non fuit, sed sine testiculis natus vel parvissimos habens eunu- chus apparet, cui videlicet barba nunquam nascitur, 26 deterior est. 27 The anonymous author mentioned above, discussing the Carpenter, Prologue etc. Reference to the Physiognomies, however, shows that it bears a logical relation to the last line just as does the information concerning the beard. 22 Scrip, physiog., Foerster, Vol. I, Cliff. 23 Admantii Sophistae Physiognomonicon (Gr.) trans, by Franzius, Scrip, physiog. vet., p. 376. An additional Greek version may be found in Scrip, physiog., Foerster, Vol. I, pp. 294 ff. 24 Polemonis Physiognomonicon (Gr.), trans. Franzius, Scrip, physiog. vet., p. 308. 1 * Razi (Mohammed Abou-Bekr Ibn-Zacaria), born at Rey (Rages), and died 923. Cf . Biographic Universelle, Michaud. 26 Baptista Porta, referring to Polemon, has this to say in addition regarding men without beard: Imberbis viri mulieribus & spadonis similes existunt. Ait Polemon, spadones naturali nequitia pessimis esse moribus, ingenio immites, dolosos, facinorosos, aliisque sceleribus se immiscentes. De Humana Physiog- nomonia, Hanoviae, 1593, p. 261. 27 Rasis Physiognomoniae versio Latina a Gerardo Cremonensi facta, Scrip,
physiog., Foerster, Vol. II, p. 178.
