Chapter Suckfist to Sumpnor's Tale of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Summer of All Saints, the fine weather which generally occurs in October and November; also called St. Martin’s Summer (L’été de S. Martin) and St. Luke’s Summer.

Then followed that beautiful season,
Called by the pious Acadian peasants the summer of All Saints.
   —Longfellow: Evangeline, i. 2 (1849).

All Saints’ Day, November 1; St. Martin’s Day, November 11; St. Luke’s Day, October 18.

Expect St. Martin’s summer, halcyon days.
   —Shakespeare: 1 Henry VI. act i. sc. 2 (1589).

All Hallowen Summer is the same as “All Saints’ Summer.”

Farewell, all Hallowen summer.
   —Shakespeare; 1 Henry VI. act i. sc. 2 (1589).

Summerland, supposed to be the Crimea or Constantinople “over the Hazy Sea.” This is given by Thomas Jones of Tregaron as the place from which the Britons originally emigrated.—T. Jones: The Historical Triads (sixteenth century).

Summerson (Esther). (See Esther Hawdon, p. 341.)

Summons to Death.

(1) Jacques Molay, grand-master of the Knights Templars, as he was led to the stake, summoned the pope (Clement V.) within forty days, and the king (Philippe IV.) within forty weeks, to appear before the throne of God to answer for his murder. They both died within the stated times.

(2) Montreal DAlbano, called “Fra Moriale,” knight of St. John of Jerusalem, and captain of the Grand Company in the fourteenth century, when sentenced to death by Rienzi, summoned him to follow within the month. Rienzi was within the month killed by the fickle mob.

(3) Peter and John de Carvajal, being condemned to death on circumstantial evidence alone, appealed, but without success, to Ferdinand IV. of Spain. On their way to execution, they declared their innocence, and summoned the king to appear before God within thirty days. Ferdinand was quite well on the thirtieth day, but was found dead in his bed next morning.

(4) George Wishart, a Scotch reformer, was condemned to the stake by cardinal Beaton. While the fire was blazing about him, the martyr exclaimed in a loud voice, “He who from you high place beholdeth me with such pride, shall be brought low, even to the ground, before the trees which have supplied these faggots have shed their leaves.” It was March when these words were uttered, and the cardinal died in June.

(5) Nanning Koppezoon, after enduring the most horrible tortures, was led to execution, when Jurian Epeszoon tried to drown what he said by praying in a very loud voice. Nanning summoned Jurian to appear before the judgment-seat within three days, and within three days he actually did die.—Motley: The Dutch Republic, pt. iv. 2.

Sumpnor’s Tale (The), in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. This is rather a satire on the interminable begging of the friars. The mendicant is bamboozled by Farmer Thomas. However, the friar told the tale of a certain king who commanded his officer to take to execution a man charged with murder. On the way they encountered the man supposed to be murdered, and the officer led back the accused. The king, instead of discharging the innocent man, commanded all the three to be put to death—the officer, for disobeying orders; the accused, because the king had commanded him to be executed; and the man supposed to have been murdered, because he was the cause of death to the other two. (See Piso’s Notion of Justice, p. 850.)

A sumpnor is a packman or pedlar.