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THE GIFT OF
ENGLISH
OF
THE XIVTH CENTURY.
ENGLISH
OF
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THE XIV™ CENTÜRY,
ILLUSTRATED BY NOTES, GRAMMATICAL
AND PHILOLOGICAL,
ON
Ci)aucer'ö jprologue anö fiinigijt'ö Cale.
DESIGNED TO SERVE AS
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF
ENGLISH LITERATURE.
V
BY
STEPHEN H. CARPENTER, A.M.,
PROFESSOR OF RHETORIC AND ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE STATE
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.
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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872. vy
STEPHEN H. CARPENTER,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
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PREFACE.
This book has been prepared with the design of afford¬
ing the means of a critical study of the English Language
to a younger class of pupils than have hitherto been able
to pursue it proritably ; and, as it is only from a careful
study of literature that a thorough acquaintance with a
language can be gained, the work is also intended to
sei*ve as an introduction to the study of'English Literature,
I have therefore endeavored to render the Notes and Glos¬
sary sufficiently full to remove every difficulty that would
meet a student of average ability; intending, if erring
on either side, to err on the side of giving too much
rather than too little assistance. Particular attention has
been given to the grammatical construction, in the belief
that the true way to study a language is not from the
dead rules of grammar, but from the living forms of liter¬
ature. I see no reason why the English, studied with
the same care and thoroughness which are given to the
ancient classics, may not afford equal mental discipline ;
especially if an author be studied whose archaisms will
prevent the common error of mistaking familiarity with
forms and idioms for a critical knowledge of the structure
of the language.
vî
PREFACE.
To Chaucer is assigned the third place among Eng¬
lish poets, only Shakspeare and Milton ranking above
him ; and yet, to the mass of English readers, he is as
much a stranger as -^schylus or Virgil, the slight
archaism of his language being sufficient to repel all but
special students. It is no credit to our scholarship that
our own language has been thus neglected in our higher
courses of study, whilst such ample provision has been
made for the study of ancient and modern tongues. If
this volume shall sei*ve in any degree to awaken a more
general interest in the critical study of a language which
need not fear comparison with any, either ancient or
modern, and familiarize our students with an author
who for five centuries has maintained his place among
the great poets of the world, its object will be fully
realized.
«
The text here given is mainly that of Morris, in the
dlarendon Press Series, to whose labors I am much
indebted ; occasionally, however, I have given a different
reading, for reasons given in the Notes. I have referred
to Morris's edition by the letter M. ; to Tyrwhitt's, by
the letter T.
My first design was to include extracts from the Vision
of Piers Plowman ; but as the diction of that poem dif¬
fers so materially from that of Chaucer, — representing
rather the language in its transitional state, — I have
deferred an edition of that Poem until some future time.
University of Wisconsin,
October, 1872.
CONTENTS.
Introduction ix
The Prologue i
The Knightes Tale 26
Notes to the Prologue 93
Notes to the Knightes Tale 191
Glossarial Index 253
INTRODUCTION
LIFE OF CHAUCER.
Of the early life of Geoffrey Chaucer, but little i3
known. Even the date of his birth is uncertain. Ac-
%
cording to some authorities he was born at London in
the year 1328; by others this event is placed as late
as 1340. His writings reveal but the merest glimpses
of his personal history, so that the only authentic data for
an account of his life are a few scattered allusions in the
public records. Both Oxford and Cambridge claim the
honor of his education, but there is no certain evidence
that he studied at either. He seems to have been of
gentle blood, as we find him at a very early period of his
life attached to the royal household.
In 1359, Chaucer joined the army of Edward III.,
which invaded France in November of that year. In the
campaign which followed, he was taken prisoner, but
was probably released upon the conclusion of the Great
Peace in 1360. In 1367 he received a pension of twenty
marks, in consideration of past and future services.
From 1370 to 1380, Chaucer was in the ro3'al service,
being employed on various diplomatic missions, which
X
INTRODUCTION.
he discharged so successfully as to receive additional
tokens of favor. In the prosecution of these duties he
travelled extensively, visiting the Low Countries, and
Italy, — then the resort of learned men, — and where he
formed the acquaintance of Petrarch, then in the full
splendor of his fame.
Chaucer's wife was Philippa de Roet, whose sister
Katharine was afterwards wife of John of Gaunt, the
founder of the powerfuL House of Lancaster, to whose
fortunes the poet was thus naturally attached. While
Richard II. was under the influence of this powerful
nobleman, Chaucer enjoyed the royal favor, but, as the
Duke's influence waned, the poet was reduced to poverty.
Richard II. came to the throne upon the death of his
grandfather, in 1378. Being but twelve years of age,
the government was placed in the hands of a council
composed of his three uncles, the Dukes of Lancaster,
York, and Gloucester. The insurrection under Wat
Tyler was hardly quelled, when a contest arose between
the nobles, which did not end until Henry Bolingbroke,
son of John of Gaunt, ascended the throne from which
Richard had been deposed by the act of Parliament.
For a time Richard continued the favor which Edward
III. had shown the poet ; in 1386, however, Chaucer
was dismissed from all his offices, and his pensions were
reduced, for some reason which has not been very satis¬
factorily explained. It is probably owing to this fact that
we possess the Canterbury Tales, — the work by which he
is best known. His active and cultivated mind, relieved
from the cares and duties of public life, sought a more
congenial employment in literature, which he had already
cultivated to a degree remarkable for that age.
INTRODUCTION
xi
Chaucer was admirably fitted for his future eminence
by this varied life, so rich in adventure, — now with the
chivalrous hosts which conquered the armies of the
French, and captured their king, — now in the English
Court, at the head of which was Edward III. and his no
less illustrious son, the Black Prince, — now in diplo¬
matic service abroad, or sitting at the feet of the greatest
scholars of the day,— now an interested witness of the
troublous times which ended In the deposition and
tragical death of Richard II. ; and finally in aged and
honorable retirement, writing from the rich fund of his
varied experiences these inimitable Tales, which still,
after the lapse of five centuries, are as fresh as a spring
landscape after a shower.
On the return of Henry Bolingbroke from Spain, Chau¬
cer had once more a powerful protector. His grants
were restored, and, upon the accession of Henry to the
throne, largely increased. His enjoyment of this pros¬
perity, however, was brief. In 1400, a little more than
a year after the son of his old friend had been raised tö
the throne, the poet was gathered to his fathers, full of
years and honors.
GRAMMATICAL OUTLINE.
Chaucer's English is substantially that of the present
day. It differs from Anglo-Saxon in being analytic or
uninflected, although it may fairly be questioned whether
the spoken Anglo-Saxon ever fully conformed to the
cumbrous inflections of the written language. The fol¬
lowing brief sketch gives an outline of the grammar of
Chaucer.
INTRODUCTION
NOUNS.
Singular, — The nominative answers to the modern
nominative. The genitive answers to the modern pos¬
sessive, and regularly ends in cs; sometimes this case
takes no inflection, and sometimes it ends in e. The
dative denotes the relation expressed by the prepositions
to or for; it regularly ends in e. The accusative an¬
swers to the modern objective, and regularly ends like
the nominative.
The Plural regularly ends in es; remnants of the old
n-declension are also found ; some nouns take no inflec-
^ tion in the plural.
PARADIGMS.
Sijig. NOM.
lippe
hors wyf
lady
assche
man
Gen.
lippes
horses wyfes
ladye
assches
mannes
Dat.
lippe
horse wvve
ladye
assche
manne
Agg.
lippe
hors wyf
lady
assche
man
Plur*
lippes
hors wyfes
ladies
asschen
men
ADJECTIVES.
Adjectives have two forms, — the Definite and the In- .
definite. The Definite, preceded by some definitive word>
terminates in e; this termination is usually dropped in
words of more than one syllable. The Indefinite takes
no inflection in the singular, but the plural ends regu¬
larly in <?, which is usually dropped in predicate ad
jectives, and in words of more than one syllable.
INTRODUCTION,
xui
PRONOUNS.
Sing.
\si Pers.
Nom.
I, Ic
Gen.
min, mi
Dat. >
Acc. 5
me
Plural.
Nom.
we
Gen.
our, cure
Dat. )
?
us
Acc. >
2d Pers
thou
thin, thi
the, thee
id Pers.
he she
his hire, hir
hit, it
his
him hir, hire hit, it
ye
thei, they
yow
hem
The usoal relative is the indeclinable but
this pronoun is often combined with the personal,
thus : that he == who ; that his = whose ; that him =
whom. Who,^ tvhich,^ what^ are regularly interrogative,
but who is sometimes used indefinitely. There and
where are sometimes used as dative neuters of the and
what. Ale and men are used indefinitely, like the Ger¬
man man,
verbs.
In the inflection of the verb, final n denotes either the
plural, the infinitive, or the past participle- The so-
called regular verbs need no further explanation. The
irregular or strong verbs change the vowel in the pret¬
erite ; some make a further change in the preterite plural ;
as, pres. inf. smiten; prêt. sing, snioot,, pi. smiten. The
subjunctive in both tenses takes e in the singular, and en
in the plural ; but n readily drops. The imperative sing¬
ular is the root of the verb ; the plural usually ends in
eth. The infinitive ends in ^72; the « frequently drops.
The gerundial infinitive, or dative case of the infinitive
with the preposition ^0, occasionally occurs, as to seene^
to see.
xiv
INTRODUCTION,
paradigm.
Pres. Fret.
Subj' Imp- Ind. Subj.
Sing, I. helpe helpe halp holpe
2. helpest helpe help halp holpe
3. helpeth helpe halp holpe
PI. helpe (n) helpe (n) (2) helpeth holpe (n) holpe (n)
Inf. helpe (n) Pres. Part, helpinge P. Part, holpe (n)
Occasional irregularities will be fully explained in the
Notes and in the Glossary.
PRONUNCIATION.
Vowels. —A. â, â as in French ; ai = ah-ee., as aye;
au = ah-00.
E. ê like French i; ë as in met; e final indicating
oblique cases, feminine gender, plurals, adverbs, inflec¬
tions of verbs, to be lightly pronounced ; but regularly
elided before a vowel or h; also in the pronouns hire^
herey ourey youre. This rule is liable to exceptions. Ea as
in break; ee = ê; ei = ai; eo = ê ; eu = « / ey = ay.
L i = ee; ï as in pit.
O. ö as in oar; ö (i) = French b; (2) = ü, as sonne ;
(3) == 00 as in move. Oi = ob-eCy as French out; 00 = 0.
Qu (i) = 5Ö as loud (lood) ; (2) = as aus (us) ; (3) =
a-oOy as soul (sowl).
U. Ü = ^« as in but.
Consonants as at present, except, —
Gh — German chy sometimes softened to a " hissed y."
This sound is represented in the text by an italic y^ or gh.
Ä" final was also a guttural, first softened and then silent.
If it is found too difficult to give these sounds, read as
in modern English, adding the final e when necessary to
the metre.
\
CHAUCER.
CHAUCER.
' i
¿ '
/
THE PROLOGUE.
Whan that Aprille with his schowres swoote
The drought of Marche hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertue engendred is the flour ;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breethe
Enspired hath in eveiy holte and heethe
The tendre croppes, and the j^onge sonne
Hath in the Ram his hälfe cours i-ronne,
And smale fowles maken melodie,
That slepen alle night with open eyhe,
So priketh hem nature in here corages : —
Thanne longen folk to gon on pilgrimages,
And palmers for to seeken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwçs^ koyÛie in sondry londes ; 'J
And specially, from every schires ende \
Of Engelond, to Cantliçbury they wende,
The holy blisful mártir for to seeke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
Byfel that, in that sesoun on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay,
Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage
To Canturbury with ful devout corage,
At night was come into that hostelrie
2
THE PliOLOGüE
Wei nyne and twenty in a companye,
Of sondry folk, by aventure i-falle
In felawschipe, and pilgryms were thei alle,
That toward Canturbury wolden ryde ;
The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
And wel we weren esed atte beste.
And schortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
So hadde I spoken with hem everychon,
That I was of here felawschipe anon,
And made forward erly for to ryse,
To take our weye ther as I yow devyse.
But natheles, whiles I have tyme and space,
Or that I further in this tale pace,
Me thinketh it acordant to resoun,
To telle ^ow al the condicioun
Of eche of hem, so as it semede me,
And which they weren, and of what degre ;
And eek in what array that they were inne :
And at a knight than wol I first bygynne.
A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man,
That from the tyme that he first bigan
To ryden out, he lovede chyvalrye,
xTrouthe and honour, fredom and curtesie.
Ful worthi was he in his lordes werre,
And thereto hadde he riden, noman ferre.
As wel in Cristendom as in hethenesse.
And evere honoured for his worthinesse.
At Alisandre he was whan it was wonne,
Ful ofte tyme he hadde th£jord bygonne
Aboven alle naciouns in Pruce.
In Lettowe hadde he reysed and in Ruce,
No cristen man so ofte of his degre.
In Gernade atte siege hadde he be
Of Algesir, and riden in Belmarie.
At Lieys was he, and at Satalie,
TEE ITIOLOGUE
Whan they were wonne ; and in the Greete see
At many a noble arive hadde he be.
At mortal batailles hadde he ben fiftene,
♦
And foughten for oure feith at Tramassene
jystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.
This like worthi knight hadde ben also
Sometynie with the lord of Palatye,
Ageyn another hethene in Turkye :
And everemore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
And though that he was worthy, he was wys,
And of his port as meke as is a mayde.
He nevere j/it no vilonye ne sayde
In al his lyf, unto no maner wight.
He was a verray perfi^^t gentil knight.
But for to telle j^ou of his array,
His hors was good, but he ne was nou^^t gay.
Of fustyan he werede a gepoun
Al bysmotered with his habergeoun.
For he was late ycome from his viage,
And wente for to doon his pilgrimage.
With him ther was his sone, a_yong SquYER,
A lovyere, and a lusty bacheler,
With lokkes crulle as they were leyde in presse.
Of twenty yeex of age he was I gesse.
Of his stature he was of evene lengthe.
And wonderly delyvere, and gret of strengthe..
And he hadde ben somtyme in chivachie^ />iof
In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Picardie,
And born him wel, as in so litel space.
In hope to stonden in his lady grace.
Embrowded was he, as it were a rnede
Al ful of fresshe floures, white and reede.
Syngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day ;
He was as fressh as is the moneth of May.
Schort was his goime, with sleeves longe and w
4
THE PROLOGUE
Wei cowde he sitte on hors, and faire ryde.
He cowde songes make and wel endite,
Juste and eek daunce, and wel purtraye and write.
So hote he lovede, that by nightertale
He sleep nomore than doth a nightyngale.
( Curteys he was, lowely, and servysable,
And carf byforn his fadur at the table.
A i^MAN hadde he, and servante^ nomoo
At that tyme, for him luste ryde soo ;
And he was clad in coote and hood of grene.
A shef of pocok arwes brighte and kene
Under his belte he bar ful thriftily.
Wel cowde he dresse his takel_yoraanly ;
His arwes drowpede nou^^t with fetheres lowe.
And in his hond he bar a mighty bowe.
A not-heed hadde he with a broun visage.
Of woode-craft wel cowde he al the usage.
Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer,
J^nd by his side a swerd and a bokeler,
A-nd on that other side a gay daggere,
Harneysed wel, and scharp as poynt of spere ;
A Cristofre on his brest of silver schene.
An horn he bar, the ¿awdrik was of grene ;
A forster was he sothly, as I gesse.
Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse,
That of hire smylyng was ful symple and coy ;
Hire gretteste ooth ne was but by seynt Loy ;
And sehe was cleped madame Englentyne.
Ful wel sehe sang the servise divyne,
Entuned in hire nose ful semely ;
And Frensch sehe spak ful faire and fetysly,
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,
For Frensch of Parys was to hire unknowe.
At mete wel i-taught was sehe withalle ;
Sehe leet no morsel from hire lippes falle,
TEE PROLOGUE
Ne wette hire fyngres in hire sauce deepe.
Wei cowde sehe carie a morsel, and wel keepe,
That no drope ne fil uppoji hire breste.
In cui'tesie was set ful moche hire leste.
Hire overlippe wypede sehe so dene,
That in hire cuppe was no ferthing sene
Of greece, whan sehe dronken hadde hire draughte.
Fill semely after hire mete sehe raiighte,
And sikerly sehe was of gret disport, •
And ful plesant, and amyable of port,
And peynede hire to eountrefete cheere
Of court, and ben estatlich of manere.
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But for to speken of hire conscience,
Sehe was so charitable and so pitous,
Sehe Wolde weepe if that sehe sawe a mous
Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
Of smale houndes hadde sehe, that sehe fedde
With rosted fleissh, or mylk and wastel breed.
But sore wepte sehe if oon of hem were deed,
Or if men smot it with a yerde smerte :
And al was conscience and tendre herte.
Ful semely hire wymple i-pynched was ;
Hire nose tretys ; hire eyen greye as glas ;
Hire mouth ful smal, and therto softe and reed ;
But sikerly sehe hadde a fair forheed.
It was almost a spanne brood, I trowe ;
For hardily sehe was not undergrowe.
Ful fetys was hire cloke, as I was waar.
Of smal coral aboute hire arm sehe baar
*
A peire of bedes gauded al with grene ;
And theron heng a broch of gold ful schene,
On which was first i-write a crowned A,
And after, Amor vincit omnia*
6
THE PROLOGUE
Another Nonne with hire hadde sehe,
That was hire chapelleyn, and Prestes thre.
A Monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie.
An oiit-rydere, that lovede venerye ;
A manly man, to ben an abbot able.
Full many a deynté hors hadde he in stable:
And whan he rood, men mighte his bridel beere
Gynglen in a whistlyng wynd as cleere.
And eek as lowde as doth the chapel belle.
Ther as this lord was kepere of the selle.
The reule of seynt Maure or of seint Beneyt,.
Bycause that it was old and somdel streyt,
This ilke-fnonk leet olde thinges pace,
And held after the newe world the trace.
He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen.
That seith, that hunters been noon holy men ;
Ne that a monk, whan he is reccheles
Is likned to a fissch that is waterles ;
This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre.
But thilke text held he not worth an oystre.
And I seide his opinioun was good.
What schulde he Studie, and make himselven wood,
Uppon a book in cloystre alway to powre ;
Or swynke with his handes, and laboure,
As Austyn ^t? How schal the world be served?
Lat Austyn have his swynk to him reserved.
Therfore he was a pricasour aright ;
Greyhoundes he hadde as swifte as fowel in flight;
Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
I saugh his sieves pi^fijfid atte honde
With grys, and that the fyneste of a londe.
And for to festh^ his hood under his chynne
He hadde of gold y-wrought a curious pynne :
THE PROLOGUE,
A love-knotte in the grattera ende ther was.
His heed was balled, and schon as any glas,
And eek his face as he hadde ben anoynt.
He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt ;
His eyen steepe. and rollyng in his heede,
That stemede as a forneys of a.Jeede ;
His bootes souple, his hors in gret estate.
Now certainly he was a fair prelate ;
He was not pale as a for-pyned goost.
A fat swan lovede he best of any roost.
His palfray was as broun as is a berye. J
A Frere ther was, a wantoun and a merye,
A lymytour, a ful solempne man.
In alle the ordres foure is noon that can
— _ — — —-
So moche of daliaunce and fair langage.
He hadde i-mad ful many a manage
Of _yonge wymmen, at his owne cost.
Unto his ordre he was a noble post.
Ful wel biloved and famulier was he
With frankeleyns over-al in his cuntre.
And eek with worthi wommen of the toun;
For he hadde power of confessioun,
As seyde^himself, more than a curat.
For of his ordre he was licentiat.
Ful sweetely herde he confessioun,
And plesaunt was his absolucioun ;
He was an esy man to_yeve penance
Ther as he wiste han a good pitance ;
For unto a poure ordre for to^ive
Is signe that a man is wel j-schrive.
For if he _yaf, he dorste make avaunt,
He wiste that a man was repentaunt.
For many a man so hard is of his herte.
He may not wepe although him sore smerte.
Therfore in stede of wepyng and preyeres,
8
TEE PROLOGUE
Men mootj/ive silver to the pourc freres.
His typet was ay farsed ful of knyfes
And pynnej, for to j/iv¿ faire^wyfes.
And certaynli he hadde a mery noote ; ass
Wei couthe he synge and pleyen on a rote.
Of j/eddynges he bar utterly the prys.
His nekke whit was as the flour-de-lys.
Therto he strong was as a champioun.
He knew the tavernes wel in every toun, 240
And everych hosteller and tappestere,
Bet than a lazer, or a beggestere,
For unto such a worthi man as he
Acordede not, as by his faculté,
To han with sike lazars aqueyntaunce. 245
It is not honest, it may not avaunce,
For to delen with no such poraille,
But al with riche and sellers of vitaille.
And overal, ther as profyt schulde arise,
Curteys he was, and lowely of servyse. 250
Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous.
He was the beste beggere in his hous,
For though a widewe hadde noght 00 schoo,
So plesaunt was his In principio.,
2et wolde he have a ferthing or he wente. 255
His purchas was wel better than his ren^.
And rage he couthe and pleyen as a whelpe,
In love-dayes couthg^ he mochel help^.
For ther he was not like a cloysterer,
With thredbare cope as is a poure scoler, 260
But he was like a maister or a pope.
Of double worstede was his semy-cope, ^
That rounded as a belle out of the presse.
Somwhat he lipsede, for his wantounesse,
To make his Englissch swete upon his tunge ; 205
And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde sunge,
TEE PROLOGUE
His ey^^en twynkeld in his heed aright,
As don the sterres in the frosty night.
This worthi lymytour was clep^ Huberd.
A Marchaunt was ther with a forked herd.
In ipqtteleye, and high on horse he sat,
Uppon his heed a Flaundrisch bever hat ;
His botes elapsed faire and fetysly.
His resons he spak ful solempnely,
Sowjiynge alway thencres of his wynnynge.
He wolde the see were kept for eny thinge
Betwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle.
Wei couthe he in eschaunge scheeldes selle.
This worthi man ful wel his wit bisette ;
Ther wiste no man that he was in dette,
So estately was he of governaunce,
With his bargayns, and with his ch^ys^nce.
For sothe he was a worthi man withalle,
But soth to sayn, I not what men him calle.
A Clerk ther was of Oxenford also.
That unto logik hadde longe i-go.
As len£was his hors as is a rake,
And he was not right fat, I undertake ;
But lokede holwe, and therto soberly.
Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy,
For he hadde geten him yit no benefice.
Ne was so worldly for to have office.
For him was lever have at his beddes heede
Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reede.
Of Aristotle and his philosophie,
Then robes riche, or fithel, or gay sawtrie.
But al be that he was a philosc^hre.
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre ;
But al that he mighte of his frendes hente,
On bookes and on lernyng he it spente.
And busily gan^for the soules preye
lo
THE PROLOGUE
Of hem that^af him wherwith to scoleye,
Of Studie took he most cure and most heede.
Not oo word spak he more than was neede,
And that was seid in forme and reverence
And schort and quyk, and ful of high sentence.
^Sownynge in moral vertu was h[s speche,
And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.
A Sergeant of Lawe, war and wys,
That often hadde ben atte parvys,
Ther was also ful riche of excellence.
Discret he was, and of gret reverence :
He semede such, his wordes weren so wise,
Justice he was ful often in assise,
By patent, and by pleyn commissioun ;
For his science, and for his heih renoun,
Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.
So gret a purchasour was nowher noon.
Al was fee symple to him in effecte,
His purchasyng mighte nought ben enfecte.
Nowhe^o^besy_a man as he ther_naSj
And yit he seemede besier than he was.
In termes hadde he caas and domes alle,
That fro the tyme of kyng William were falle.
Therto he couthe endite, and make a thing,
Ther couthe no wight pynche at his writyng ;
And every statute couthe he pleyn by roote.
He rood but hoomly in a medié coote,
Gird with a seynt of silk, with barres smale ;
Of his array telle I no lenger tale.
A Frankeleyn was in his companye ;
Whit was his berde, as is the dayesye.
Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.
Wei lovede he in the morwe a sop in wyn.
To lyven in delite was al his wone,
For he was Epicurus owne sone.
TUE PROLOGUE
That heeld opynyoun that pleyn delyt
Was verraily felicité perfyt.
An houshaldere, and that a gret, was he ;
Seynt Julian he was in his countré.
His breed, his ale, was alway after oon ;
A bettre envyned man was nowher noon,
Withoute bake mete was nevare his hous,
Of fleissch and fissch, and that so plentyvous,
Hit snewede in his hous of mete and drynke,
Of alle deyntees that men cowde thynke.
After the sondry sesouns of the ^eer.
So chaungede he his mete and his soper.
Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in mewe,
And many a brem and many a luce in stewe.
Woo was his cook, but-if his sauce were
Poynaunt and scharp, and redy al his gere.
His table dormant in his halle alway
Stood redy covered al the longe day.
At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire.
Ful ofte tyme he was knight of the schire.
An anlas and a gipser al of silk
Heng at his gerdel, whit as morne mylk,
A schirreve hadde he ben, and a countour ;
Was nowher such a worthi vavasour.
An Haberdassher and a Carpenter,
A Werbe, a Deyere, and a Tapicer,
Weren with us eek, clothed in oo lyveré.
Of a solempne and gret fraternité.
Ful freissh and newe here gere apiked was ;
Here knyfes were i-chaped nat with bras,
But al with silver wrought ful dene and wel.
Here gurdles and here pouches every del.
Wel semede ech of hem a fair burgeys,
To sitten in a_yeldehalle on a deys.
Everych for the wisdom that he can.
12
TEE PROLOGUE.
Was schaply for to ben an alderman.
For catel hadde they inough and rente.
And eek here wyfes wolde it wel assente ;
And elles certeyn were thei to blame.
It is right fair to ben yclept madame^
And for to gon to vigiles al byfore,
And han a mantel riallyche i-bore.
A Cook thei hadde with hem for the nones,
To boyle chyknes with the mary bones,
And poudre-marchaunt tart, and galyngale.
Wel cowde he knowe a drau^-ite of Londone ale.
He cowde roste, and sethe, and broille, and frie,
Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.
But gret harm was it, as it thoughte me.
That on his schyne a mormal hadde he,
For blankmanger he made with the beste.
A ScHiPMAN was ther, wonyng fer by weste :
For ought I woot, he was of Dertemouthe.
He rood upon a rouncy, as he couthe,
In a gowne of faldyng to the kne.
A daggere hangyng on a laas hadde he
Aboute his nekke under his arm adoun.
The hoote somer hadde maad his hew al broun ;
And certeinly he was a good felawe.
Ful many a draughte of wyn hadde he ydrawe
From Burdeux-ward, whil that the chapman sleep.
Of nyce conscience took he no keep.
If that he faughte, and hadde the hei^>ier hand,
By water he sente hem hooni to every land.
But of his craft to rekne wel his tydes,
His stremes and His daungers him bisides.
His herbergh and his mone, his lodemenage,
Ther was non such from Hulle to Cartage.
Hardy he was, and wys to undertake ;
With many a tempest hadde his berd ben schake.
THE PROLOGUE.
He knew wel alle the havenes, as thei were,
From Gootlond to the cape of Fynestere,
And every cryke in Bretayne and in Spayne ;
His barge y-cleped was the Magdelayne.
Thar was also a Doctour of Phisik,
In al this world ne was ther non him lyk
To speke of phisik and of surgerye ;
For he was grounded in astronomye.
He kepte his pacient wonderly wel
In honres by his magik naturel.
Wel cowde he fortunen the ascendent
Of his ymages for his pacient.
He knew the cause of every maladye,
Were it of hoot or cold, or moyst, or drye,
And where engendrad, and of what humour ;
He was averrey parfi^^t practisour.
The cause i-knowe, and of his harm the roote,
Anon hejyaf the syke man his boote.
Ful redy hadde he his apotecaries,
To sende him dragges, and his letuaries,
For ech of hem made other for to wynne ;
Here frendschipe nas not newe to begynne,
Wel knew he the olde Esculapios,
And Deiscorides, and eek Rufus ;
Old Ypocras, Haly, and Galien ;
Serapyon, Razis, and Avycen ;
Averrois, Damascen, and Constantyn ;
Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.
Of his diete mesurable was he.
For it was of no superfluité.
But of gret norisching and digestible.
His Studie was but litel on the Bible.
In sangwin and in pers he clad was al.
Lined with taffata and with sendal.
Andyit he was but esy of dispence ;
H
THE PROLOGUE
He kepte that he wan in pestilence.
For gold in phisik is a cordial,
Therfore he lovede gold in special.
A Good WiF was ther of byside Bathe, 445
But sehe was soindel deef, and that was skathe.
Of cloth-makyng she hadde such an liaunt,
Sehe passede hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.
In al the parisshe wyf ne was ther noon
That to the offryng byforn hire schulde goon, 450
And if ther dide certeyn so wroth was sehe,
That sehe was out of alle charité.
Hire keverchefs ful fyne weren of grounde ;
I durste swere they wey^^eden ten pounde
That on a Sonday were upon hire heed. 45s
Hire hosen weren of fyn scarlett reed,
Ful streyte y-teyd, and schoos ful mojaste and newe.
Bold was hire face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
Sehe was a worthy womman al hire lyfe,
Housbondes at chirche dore sehe hadde fyfe, 460
Withouten other companye in youthe ;
But therof needeth nou^^t to speke as nouthe.
And thries hadde sehe ben at Jerusalem ;
Sehe hadde passed many a straunge streem ;
At Rome sehe hadde ben, and at Boloyne, 465
In Galice at seynt Jame, and at Coloyne.
Sehe cowde moche of wandryng by the weye.
Gattothed was sehe, sothly for to seye.
Uppon an amblere esily sehe sat,
Ywympled wel, and on hire heed an hat 470
As brood as is a bocler or a targe ;
A foot-mantel aboute hire hipes large,
And on hire feet a paire of spores scharpe.
In felawschipe wel cowde sehe lawghe and carpe.
Of remedyes of love sehe knew parchaunce, 475
For of that art sehe couthe the olde daunce.
THE PROLOGUE
A good man was ther of religioun,
And was a poure Persoun of a toun ;
JBut riche was of holy thought
He was also a lerned man, a clerk
That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche ;
His parischens devoutly wolde he teche.
Benigne he was, and wonder diligent.
And in adversité ful pacient ;
And such he was i-proved ofte sithes.
Ful loth were him to curse for his tythes.
But rather wolde he j^even out of dowte,
Unto his poure parisschens aboute,
Of his offrynge, and eek of his substaunce.
He cowde in litel thing han suffisaunce.
Wyd was his parisch, and houses fer äsender,
But he ne lafte not for reyne ne thonder,
In siknesse nor in meschief to visite
The ferreste in his parissche, moche and lite,
Uppon his feet, and in his hond a staf.
This noble ensample to his scheep he j/af,
That first he wroughte, ^d after that he taughte,
Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte,
And this figure he addede eek therto,
That if gold ruste, what schal yren doc ?
For if a prest be foul, on whom we truste.
No wonder is a lewed man to ruste ;
And schame it is, if that a prest take kepe,
A [foul] schepherde and a dene schepe ;
Wei oughte a prest ensampleJbr to j/ive,
By his clennesse, how that his scheep schulde lyve
He sette not his benefice to byre.
And leet his scheep encombred in the myre,
And ran to Londone, unto seynte Poules,
To seeken him a chaunterie for soules,
Or with a bretherhede to ben withholde ;
lö
THE PROLOGUE
But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,
■ So that the wolf ne made it not myscarye.
He was a schepherde and no mercenarie ;
And though he holy were, and vertuous,
He was to sinful man nought dispitous,
Ne of his speche daungerous ne digne,
But in his teching discret and benigne.
To drawe folk to heven by fairnesse.
By good ensample, was his busynesse :
But it were eny persone obstinat,
What so he were, of high or lowe estât.
Him wolde he snybbe scharply for the nones.
A bettre preest I trowe ther nowher non is.
He waytede after no pompe and reverence,
Ne makede him a spiced conscience,
ButJ]h-istes lore, and Ins apostles twelve,
He taughte, and first he folwede it himselve.
With him ther was a Ploughman, was his brother,
That hadde i-lad of dong ful many a fotlier,
A trewe swynkere and a good was he,
Lyvynge in_pees and perfi^y^t charitee.
God lovede he best with al his hoole herte
At alle tymes, though him gamede or smerte,
And thanne his neighebour right as himselve.
He wolde threisshe, and therto dyke and delve,
For Cristes sake, with every poure wight,
Withouten hyre, if it laye in his might.
His tythes payede he ful faire and wel,
Bothe of his owne swynk and his catel.
In a tabard he rood upon a mere.
Ther was also a Reeve and a Meliere,
A Sompnour and a Pardoner also,
A Maunciple, and my self, ther were no mo.
The Mellere was a stout carl for the nones.
Ful big he was of braun, and eek of boones ;
THE FltOLOQUE
17
That prevede wel, for overal ther he cam,
At wrastlynge he wolde have alwey the ram.
He was schort schuldred, brood, a thikke knarre,
Ther nas no dore that he nolde heve of harre, sso
Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed.
H is berd as onv sowe or fox was reed,
And therto brood, as though it were a spade.
Upon the cop right of his nose he hade
A werte, and theron stood a tuft of heres, 355
Reede as the berstles of a sowes eeres.
His nose-thurles blake were and wyde.
A swerd and bocler baar he by his side,
His mouth as wyde was as a gret forneys.
He was a jangler, and a golyardeys, 560
And that was most of synne and harlotries.
Wel cowde he stele corn, and tollen thries ;
And yet he hadde a thombe of gold pardé.
A whit cote and a blewe hood werede he.
A baggepipe cowde he blowe and sowne, 56s
And therwithal he broughte us out of towne.
A gentil Maunciple was ther of a temple,
Of which achatours mighten take exemple
For to be wys in beyying of vitaille.
For whether that he payde, or took by taille, 570
Algate he waytede so in his achate.
That he was ay biforn and in good state.
Now is not that of God a ful fair grace.
That such a le^xd mannes wit schal pace
The wisdom of an heep of lernede men? 57s
Of maystœshadde he moo than thries ten,
That were of lawe expert and curious ;
Of which ther were a doseyn in that house,
Worthi to ben stiwardz of rente and lond
Of any lord that is in Engelond, sSo
To make him iyve by his propre good,
* 2
i8
TBE PROLOGUE
In honour detteles, but-if he were wood,
Or lyve as scarsly as hym list desire ;
And able for to helpen al a schire
In any caas that mighte falle or happe ;
And y\t this maunciple sette here aller cappa.
The Reeve was a sklendre colerik man,
His berd was schave as neigh as evere he can.
His hear was by his eres round i-shorn.
His top was docked lyk a preest biforn.
Ful longe wem his legges, and ful lene,
Y-lik a staf, ther was no calf y-sene.
Wei cowde he kepe a gerner and a bynne ;
Ther was non auditour cowde on him wynne.
Wei wiste he by the droughte, and by the reyn,
The yeeldyng of his seed, and of his greyn.
His lordes scheep, his neet, his dayerie,
His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrie,
Was holly in this reeves governynge,
And by his covenaunt ^af the rekenjmge,
Syn that his lord was twenti_yeer of age ;
Ther couthe noman bringe him in arréragé.
Ther nas baillif, ne herde, ne other hyne,
That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne ;
They were adrad of him, as of the dethe.
His wonyng was ful fair upon an hethe,
With grene trees i-schadwed was his place.
He cowde bettre than his lord purchace.
Ful riche he was i-stored prively,
His lord wel couthe he plese subtilly,
To j/eve and lene him of his owne good,
And have a thank, a cote, and eek an hood.
In^outhe he lerned hadde a good mester;
He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter.
This reeve sat upon a ful good stot,
That was al pomely gray, and highte Scot.
THE PROLOGUE.
t
A long surcote of pars uppon he hade,
And by his side he bar a i*usty blade.
Of Northfolk was this reeve of which I telle,
Byside a toun men callen Baldeswelle.
Tukked he was, as is a frere, aboute,
And evere he rood the hyndreste of the route.
A SoMPNOUR was ther with us in that place,
That hadde a fyr-reed cherubynes face,
For sawceflein he was, with ey^^en narwe.
«•••••••
- With skalled browes blake, and piled berd ;
Of his visage children weren aferd.
Ther nas quyksilver, litarge, ne bremstoon, ^
Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon,
Ne oynement that wolde dense and byte,
That him mighte helpen of his whelkes white,
Ne of the knobbes sittyng on his cheekes.
Wei lovede he garleek, oynouns, and ek leekes,
And for to drinke strong wyii reed as blood.
Thanne wolde he speke, ^and crye as he were wood.
And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,
Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn.
A fewe termes hadde he, tuo or thre,
That he hadde lerned out of som decree ;
No wonder is, he herde it al the day ;
And eekye knowen wel, how that a jay
Can clepen Watte, as wel as can the pope.
But who so couthe in other thing him grope,
Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophie,
Ay, ^uestio quid juris.^ wolde he crye.
He was a gentil harlot and a kynde ;
A bettre felawe schulde men noght fynde.
20
THE FROLOGUE.
And prively a fynch eek cowde he pulle.
And if he fond owher a good felawe,
He wolde techen him to han non awe
In such a caas of the archedeknes curs, 655
But-if a mannes soule were in his purs ;
For in his purs he scholde punyssched be.
' Purs is the erchedeknes helle,' quod he.
But wel I woot he lyede right in dede ;
Of CLirsyng oghte ech gulty man him drede; 660
For curs wol slee right as assoillyng saveth ;
And also war of him a signißcavit.
In daunger hadde he at his owne assise
The^yonge guiles of the diocise,
And knew here counseil, and was al here red. 66s
A garland hadde he set upon his heed,
As gret as it were for an ale-stake ;
A bokeler hadde he maad him of a cake.
With him ther rood a gentil Pardoner
Of Rouncival, his frend and his comper, 670
That streyt was comen from the court of Rome.
Ful lowde he sang, Com hider, love, to me.
This sompnour bar to him a stif burdoun,
Was nevere trompe of half so gret a soun,
This pardoner hadde hear as yelwe as wex, 675
But smothe it heng, as doth a strike of flex ;
By unces hynge his lokkes that he hadde,
And therwith he his schuldres overspradde.
Ful thinne it lay, by culpons on and oon,
But hood, for jolitee, ne werede he noon, 680
For it was trussed up in his walet.
Him thoughte he rood al of the newe get,
Dischevele, sauf his cappe, he rood al bare.
Suche glaryng e^-^^en hadde he as an hare.
A vernicle hadde he sowed on his cappe. 6S5
His walet lay byforn him in his lappe,
THE FROLOGUE
Bret-ful of pardoun come from Rome al hoot
A voys he hadde as smal as eny goot.
No bard ne hadde he, ne nevare scholde have,
As smothe it was as it were late i-schave ;
• •••••••
But of his craft, fro Berwyk into Ware,
Ne was ther such another pardoner.
For in his male he hadde a pilwebeer.
Which that, he seide, was oure lady veyl :
He seide, he hadde a gobet of the seyl
That seynt Peter hadde, whan that he wente
Uppon the see, til Jhesu Crist him heute.
He hadde a cros of latoun ful of stones,
And in a glas he hadde pigges bones.
But with thise reliques, whanne that he fond
A poure persoun dwellyng uppon lond,
Upon a day he gat him more moneye
Than that the persoun gat in monthes tweye.
And thus with feyned flaterie and japes,
He made the persoun and the people his apes.
But trewely to teilen atte laste.
He was in churche a noble ecclesiaste.
Wei cowde he rede a lessoun or a storye.
But altherbest he sang an oflertorie ;
For wel he wyste, whan that song was songe.
He moste preche, and wel affyle his tonge.
To Wynne silver, as he right wel cowde ;
Therefore he sang ful meriely and lowde.
Now have I told_you schortly in a clause
Thestat, tharray, the nombre, and eck the cause
Why that assembled was this companye
In Southwerk at this gentil hostelrie.
That highte the Tabai'd, faste by the Belle.
But now is tyme to_yow for to telle
How that we bare us in that ilke night,
22
THE PROLOGUE
Whan we were in that hostelrie alight ;
And after wol I telle of cure viage,
And al the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage.
But first I pray_you of your curtesie,
Thatj/e ne rette it nat my vileinye,
Though that I speke al pleyn in this matere,
To telle ^ou here wordes and here cheere ;
Ne though I speke here wordes properly.
For this ye knowen also wel as I,
Whoso schal telle a tale after a man,
He moot reherce, as neigh as evere he can,
Everych a word, if it be in his charge,
Al speke he nevere so rudelyche and large ;
Or elles he moot telle his tale untrewe.
Or feyne thing, or fynde wordes newe.
He may not spare, although he were his brother
He moot as wel seyn oo word* as another.
Crist spak himself ful broode in holy writ,
And wel j^e woot no vileinye is it.
Eek Plato seith, whoso that can him rede,
The wordes mote be cosyn to the dede.
Also I praye yon to foi^eve it me,
Al have I nat set folk in here degre
Here in this tale, as that thei schulde stonde ;
My wilt is schort, yo may wel understonde.
Greet cheere made oure host us everichon.
And to the souper sette he us anon ;
And ser\'ede us with vitaille atte beste.
Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste.
A semelv man oure boost he was withalle
For to han been a marschal in an halle ;
A large man he was with e3'^^en stepe,
A fairere burgeys was ther noon in Chepe :
Bold of his speche, and wys and wel i-taiight,
And of manhede him lakkede right naught,
o O
THE PROLOGUE
23
Eek therto he was right a mery man,
And after soper playen he bygan,
And spak of myrthe amonges othre thinges,
Whan that we hadde maad our rekenynges ; 760
And sayde thus : ' Lo, lordynges, trewely
2e ben to me right welcome hertely :
For by my trouthe, if that I schal not lye,
I ne saugh this^eer so mery a companye
At oones in this herbergh as is now. 76s
Fayn wolde I don^ow mirthe, wiste I how.
And of a mirthe I am right now bythought,
To doonjoix eese, and it schal coste nought.
2e goon to Caunturbury ; God^you speede,
The blisful mártir quyte^ou j^oure meede ! 770
And wel 1 woot, as ye gon by the weye,
2e Schapen j^ow to talen and to pleye ;
For trewely comfort ne mirthe is noon,
To ryde by the weye domb as a stoon ;
And therfore wol I maken_you disport, 775
As I seyde erst, and do j/ou som confort.
And if yow liketh alle by oon assent
Now for to standen at my juggement ;
And for to werken as I schal ^ou seye,
To morwe, whanj^e riden by the weye, 780
Now by my fadres soule tliat is deed,
But^ye be merye, smyteth of myn heed.
Hold up jvoure hond withoute more speche.'
Oure counseil was not longe for to seche ;
Us thoughte it nas nat worth to make it wys, 78$
And grauntede him withoute more avys,
And bad him seie his verdite, as him leste.
' Lordynges,' quoth he, ' now herkneth for the beste ;
But taketh it not, I praye^you, in disdayn ;
This is the poynt, to speken schort and playn, 79^
That ech of yow to schorte with j/oure weie,
#
H
THE PROLOGUE.
In this viage, schal telle tales tweye,
To Caunturburi-ward, I mene it so,
And hom-ward he schal teilen other tuo,
Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.
And which of yovf that bereth him best of alle,
That is to seyn, that telleth in tliis caas
Tales of best sentence and most solas,
Schal han a soper at_youre alther cost
Here in this place sittynge by this post.
Whan that we come ageyn from Canturbury
And for to maken you the more mery,
I wol myselven gladly with you ryde,
Right at myn owen cost, and be_youre gyde.
And whoso wole my juggement withseie
Schal paye al that we spenden by the weye.
And if ye vouchesauf that it be so,
Telle me anoon, withouten wordes moo,
And I wole erely schape me therfore.'
This thing was graunted, and oure othes swore
With ful glad herte, and pray den hirn also
That he wolde vouchesauf for to doon so.
And that he wolde ben oure governour,
And of oure tales jugge and reportour.
And sette a souper at a certeyn prys ;
And we wolde rewled be at his devys.
In heygh and lowe ; and thus by oon assent
We been acorded to his juggement.
And therupon the wyn was fet anoon ;
We dronken, and to reste wente echoon,
Withouten eny lengere taryinge.
A morwe whan the day bigan to sprynge.
Up roos oure host, and was oure alther cok,
And gadrede us togidre alle in a flok,
And forth we* riden a litel more than paas.
Unto the waterynge of seint Thomas.
TEE PROLOGUE
25
And there oure host bigan his hers areste,
And seyde ; * Lordes, herkeneth if j>/ow leste.
2e woote^oure forward, and I it^ou recorde.
If even-song and morwe-song accorde, 830
Lat se now who schal telle first a tale.
As evere I moot drinke wyn or ale,
Whoso be rebel to my juggement
Schal paye for al that by the weye is spent.
Now draweth cut, er that we forther twyniie ; 835
Which that hath the schorteste schal bygynne.'
' Sire knight,' quoth he, ' my maister and niy lord.
Now draweth cut, for that is myn acord.
Cometh ner,' quoth he, ' my lady prioresse ;
And^e, sir clerk, lat bejyoure schamfastnesse, 840
Ne studieth nat ; ley hand to, every man.'
Anon to drawen every wight bigan.
And schortly for to teilen as it was.
Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,
The soth is this, the cut fil to the knight, 845
Of which ful blithe and glad was every wight;
And telle he moste his tale as was resoun,
By forward and by composicioun.
As _ye han herd ; what needeth wordes moo ?
And whan this goode man seigh that it was so, 850
As he that wys was and obedient
To kepe his forward by his fre assent,
He seyde : ' Syn I schal bygynne the game,
What, welcome be thou cut, a Goddes name )
Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye.' 855
And with that word we riden forth oure weye ,
And he bigan with right a merie chere
His tale anon, and seide in this manere.
THE KNIGHTES TALE.
WnitOM, as olde stories teilen us,
Ther was a duk that highte Theseus ;
Of Äthanes he was lord and governour,
And in his tyme swich a conquerour,
That grettere was ther non under the sonne.
Ful many a riche contré hadde he wonne ;
That with his wisdam and his chivalrie
He conquerede al the regne of Femynye,
That whilom was i-cleped Cithea ;
And weddede he the queen Ipolita,
And broughte hire hoom with him in his contré
With moche glorie and gret solempnité,
And eek hire j/onge suster Emelye.
And thus with victorie and with melodye
Lete I this noble duk to Äthanes ryde,
And al his host, in armes him biside.
And certes, if it nere to longe to heere,
I wolde han told_yow fully the manere,
How wonnen was the regne of Femenye
By Theseus, and by his chivalrye ;
And of the grete bataille for the nones
Bytwixen Äthanes and the Amazones ;
And how aseged was Ypolita,
The faire hardy quen of Cithea ;
THE KNIQHTES TALE
And of the feste that was at hire wedclynge.
And of the tempest at hire hoom comynge ;
But al that thing I mot as now forbere.
I have, God wot, a large feeld to ere.
And wayke ben the oxen in my plough,
The remenaunt of the tale is long inou^h :
O O ■
I wol not lette eek non of al this rowte,
Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute,
And lat see now who schal the soper vvynne,
And ther I lafte, I wol agayn begynne.
This duk, of whom I make mencioun,
Whan he was come almost unto the toun,
In al his wele and in his moste pryde,
He was war, as he caste his ey^^e aside,
Wher that ther knelede in the hye weye
A companye of ladies, tweye and tweye,
Ech after other, clad in clothes blake ;
But such a cry and such a woo they make,
That in this world nys creature lyvynge,
That herde such another weymentynge,
And of this cry they nolde nevere stenten,
Til they the reynes of his bridel henten,
' What folk ben_ye that at myn hom comynge
PertOLirben so my feste with cryinge?'
Qiiod Theseus, 'have j'e so gret envye
Of myn honour, that thus compleyne and crie?
Or who hath_yow misboden, or offended?
And telleth me if it may ben amended ;
And why that_ye ben clad thus al in blak?'
The eldeste lady of hem alle spak.
When sehe hadde swowned with a dedly chere.
That it was routhe for to seen or heere ;
And seyde ; ' Lord, to whom Fortune hath_yev<
Victorie, and as a conquerour to lyven.
Nought greveth us_youre glorie and honour ;
28
THE KNIGHTES TALE
But we beseken mercy and socour.
Have mercy on cure woo and oure distresse.
Som drope of pitee, thurgh_youre gentilnesse,
Uppen us wrecchede Wommen lat thou falle.
For certes, lord, ther nys noon of us alle,
That sehe nath ben a duchesse or a queene ;
Now be we caytifs, as it is wel seene :
Thanked be Fortune, and hire false wheel,
That noon estât assureth to ben weel.
And cartes, lord, to abiden^oure presence
Here in the temple of the goddesse Clemence
We han ben waytynge al this fourtenight ;
Now help us, lord, syth it is in thy might.
I wrecche, which that wepe and waylle thus,
Was whilom wyf to kyng Capaneus,
That starf at Thebes, cursed be that day ;
And alle we that ben in this array,
And maken al this lamentacioun.
We losten alle oure housbondes at the toun,
Whil that the sege ther aboute lay.
Andj/et the olde Creon, welaway !
That lord is now of Thebes the citee,
Fulfild of ire and of iniquité,
He for despyt, and for his tyrannye,
To do the deede bodyes vileinye,
Of alle oure lordes, whiche that ben i-slawe.
Hath alle the bodies on an heep y-drawe,
And wol not suffren hem by noon assent
Nother to ben y-buried nor y-brent,
But maketh houndes ete hem in despite.'
And with that word, withoute more respite,
They filien gruf, and criden pitously,
' Have on us wrecchede wommen som mercy,
And lat oure sorwe synken in thyn herte.'
This gentil duk doun from his courser sterte
THE KNIGHTES TALE
With herte pitous, whan he herde hem speke.
Him thoughte that his herte wolde brake,
Whan he seyh hem so pitous and so maat^
That whilom waren of so gret estât.
4
And in his armes he hem all up hcnte,
And hem conforteth in ful good entente ;
And swor his oth, as he was trewe knight,
He wolde don so ferforthly his niiglit
Upon the tyraunt Creon hem to wreke,
That al the people of Grece scholde speke
How Creon was of Theseus y-served,
As he that hadde his deth ful wel deserved.
And right anoon, withoute more abood
His baner he desplayeth, and forth rood
To Thebes-ward, and al his hoost bysyde ;
No nerre Athenes wolde he go ne ryde.
Ne take his ease fully half a day.
But onward on his way that nyght he lay ;
And sente anoon Ypolita the queene,
And Emelye hire_yonge suster schene,
Unto the toun of Athenes to dwelle ;
And forth he ryt ; ther is no more to telle.
The reede statue of Mars with spere and targe
So schyneth in his white baner large,
That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun ;
And by his baner was born his pynoun
Of gold ful riche, in which ther was i-bete
The Minatour which that he slough in Crete.
Thus ryt this duk, thus ryt this conquerour,
And in his hoost of chevalrie the Hour,
Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighte
Faire in a feeld ther as he thoughte fighte.
But schortly for to speken of this thing,
With Creon, which that was of Thebes kyng,
He faught, and slough him manly as a knight
30
THE KNIGHTES TALE
In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight ;
And by assaut he wan the cité after,
And rente doun bothe wal, and sparre, and rafter
And to the ladies he restorede agayn
The bones of here housbondes that were slayn.
To don exequies, as was tho the gyse.
But it were al to longe to devyse
The grete clamour and the wa3'mentynge
Which that the ladies made at the brennynge
Of the bodyes, and the grete honour
That Theseus the noble conquerour
Doth to the ladyes, whan they from him wente.
But schortly for to telle is myn entente.
Whan that this worthy duk, this Theseus,
Hath Creon slayn, and Thebes wonne thus,
Stille in the feelde he took al night his reste,
And dide with al the contré as him leste.
To ransake in the tas of bodyes dede
Hem for to streepe of herneys and of wede,
The pilours diden businesse and cure,
After the bataile and disconfiture.
And so byfil, that in the tas thei founde,
Thurgh-girt with many a grevons blody wounde,
Two j/onge knightes liggyng by and hy^
Bothe in oon armes, wroght ful richely ;
Of whiche two, Arcite highte that oon,
And that other knight highte Palamon.
Nat fully quyke, ne fully deede they were.
But by here coote-armures, and by here gere,
The Heraudes knewe hem best in special.
As they that weren of the blood real
Of Thebes, and of sistren tuo i-born.
Out of the taas the pilours han hem torn.
And han hem caried softe unto the tente
Of Theseus, and he ful sone hem sente
TUE KNIG ETES TALE
latlienes, for to dwellen in prisoun
Perpetuelly, he nolde no raunceoun.
And whan this worthy duk hath thus i-doon,
He took his host, and horn he ryt anoon
With laurer crowned as a conquerour ;
And there he lyveth in joye and in honour
Terme of his lyf 3 what nedeth wordes moo?
And in a tour, in angwische and in woo,
This Palamon, and his felawe Arcite,
For everemo, ther may no gold hem quyte.
Thus passeth j/eer by _yeer, and day by day,
Til it fel oones in a morwe of May
That Emelie, that fairer was to seene
Than is the lilie on hire stalke grene,
And fresscher than the May with floures newe
For with the rose colour strof hire hewe,
I not which was the fayrere of hem two —
Er it were day, as was hire wone to do,
Sehe was arisen, and al redy dight ;
For May wole han no sloggardye anight.
The sesoun priketh every gentil herte.
And maketh him out of his sleepe sterte,
And seith, ' Arys, and do thin observance/
This makede Emelye han remembrance
To don honour to May, and for to ryse.
I-clothed was sehe fresshe, for to devyse ;
Hire j/elwe heer was browded in a tresse,
Byhynde hire bak, a_yerde long I gesse.
And in the gardyn at the sonne upriste
Sehe walketh up and doun, and as hire liste
Sehe gadereth floures, party whyte and reede,
To make a sotil gerland for hire heede.
And as an aungel hevenly sehe song.
The grete tour, that was so thikke and strong.
Which of the castel was the cheef dongeoun,
32
THE KNIGHTES TALE
(Ther as the knightes waren in prisoun, w¡
Of which I tolde j'ow, and telle schal)
Was evene joynyng to the gardeyn wal,
Ther as this Emely hadde hire pleyynge.
Bright was the sonne, and deer that morwenynge,
And Palamon, this woful prisoner, 20s
As was his wone, by leve of his gayler
Was risen, and romede in a chambre on heigh,
In which he al the noble cité seigh.
And eek the gardeyn, ful of braunches grene,
Ther as the fresshe Emely the scheene 210
Was in hire walk, and romede up and doun.
This sorweful prisoner, this Palamon,
Gooth in the chambre, romyng to and fro.
And to himself compleynyng of his woo ;
That he was born, ful ofte he seyde, alas ! 215
And so byfel, by aventure or cas.
That thurgh a wyndow, thikke of many a barre
Of Iran greet, and squar as eny sparre,
He caste his eyen upon Emelya,
And therwithal he bleynte and cryede, a ! 220
As though he stongen were unto the herib.
And with that crye Arcite anon up sterte,
And seyde, ' Cosyn myn, what eyleth the,
That art so pale and deadly on to see?
Why crydestow ? who hath the doon offence ? 225
For Goddes love, tak al in pacience
Oure prisoun, for it may non other be ;
Fortune hath j/even us this adversité.
Som wikke aspect or disposicioun
Of Saturne, by sum constellacioun, 230
Hath jj/even us this ; although we hadde it sworn —
So stood the heven whan that we were born —
We moste endure it ; this is the schort and pleyn.'
This Palamon answerde, and seyde ageyn.
THE KNIGHTES TALE.
' Cosyn, for sothe of this opynyoun
Thou hast a veyn ymaginacioun.
This prisoun causede me not for to crye.
But I was hurt right now thurghout inyn eyl
Into myn harte, that wol my bane be.
The fairnesse of that lady that I see
2ond in the gardyn rome to and fro,
Is cause of al my cryying and my wo.
I not whether sehe be w^omman or goddesse
But Venus is it, sothly as I gesse.'
And therwithal on knees adoun he fil,
And seyde : ' Venus, if it be _youre wil
2bw in this gardyn thus to transfigure,
Biforn me sorweful wrecche creature,
Out of this prisoun help that we may scape.
And if so be my destiné be schape
By eterna word to deyen in prisoun.
Of oure lynage have sum compassioun,
That is so lowe y-brought by tyrannye.'
And with that word Arcite gan espye
Wher as this lady romede to and fro.
And with that sighte hire beauté hurte him
That if that Palamon was wounded sore,
Arcite is hurt as moche as he, or more.
And with a sigh he seyde pitously :
' The freissche beauté sleeth me sodeynly
Of hire that rometh yonder in the place ;
And but I have hire mercy and hire grace.
That I may see hire atte leste weye,
1 nam but deed ; ther nys no more to seye.
This Palamon, whan he tho wordes herde,
Dispitously he lokede, and answerde :
'Whether seistow this in ernest or in pley?'
'Nay,' quoth Arcite, ' in ernest by my fey.
God helpe me so, me lust ful evele pleye,*
* 3
34
TUE KXIGHTES TALE
This Palamon gan knytte his browes tweye : 270
• It nere/ quod he, ' to the no gret honour,
For to be fais, ne for to be traytour
To me, that am thy cosyn and thy brother
I-swore ful deepe, and ech of us to other.
That nevere for to deyen in the payne, 275
Til that the deeth departe schal us twayne,
Neyther of us in love to hyndren other,
Ne in non other cas, my leeve brother ;
But that thou schuldest trewely forthren me
In every caas, and I schal forthren the. 280
This was thyn oth, and myn also certayn ;
I wot right wel, thou darst it nat withsayn.
Thus art thou of my counseil out of doute.
And now thou woldest falsly ben aboute
To love my lady, whom I love and serve, 2:5
And evere schal, unto myn herte sterve.
Now certes, false Arcite, thou schalt not so.
I lovede hire first, and tolde the my woo
As to my counseil, and my brother sworn
To forthre me, as I have told biforn. 290
For which thou art i-bounden as a knight
To helpe me, if it lay in thi might.
Or elles art thou fais, I dar wel sayn.'
This Arcite ful proudly spak agayn.
' Thou schalt,' quoth he, ' be rather fais than 1. 205
But thou art fais, I telle the utterl}'.
Y ox par amour I lovede hire first er thow.
What wolt thou sayn? thou wistest notylt now
Whether sehe be a womman or goddesse.
Thyn is affeccioun of holynesse, ^oo
And myn is love, as to a creature ;
For which I tolde the myn aventure
As to my cosyn, and my brother sworn.
I pose, that thou lovedest hire biforn ;
THE KNIGHTES TALE
Wost thou nat wel the olde Clerkes sawe,
That who schal yeve a lover eny lawe ?
JL.ove is a grettere lawe, by my pan,
TTien may be yeve to eny eilMy man.
Therfore posityf lawe, and such decré,
Is broke alday for love in ech degree.
A man moot needes love maugre his heed.
He may nought flen it, though he schulde be deed,
Al be sehe mayde, or widewe, or elles wyf.
And eek it is nat likly al thy lyf
To stonden in hire grace, no more schal I ;
For wel thou wost thyselven verraily.
That thou and I been dampned to prisoun
Perpetuelly, us gayneth no raunsoun.
We stryve, as dide the houndes for the boon,
They foughte al day, and j/it here part was noon ;
Ther com a kyte, whil that they were so wrothe,
And bar awey the boon bitwixe hem bothe.
And therfore at the k3mges court, my brother,
Ech man for himself, ther is non other.
Love if the list ; for I love and ay schal ;
And sothly, leeve brother, this is al.
Here in this prisoun moote we endure.
And everych of us take his aventure.'
Gret was the stryf and long bytwixe hem tweye.
If that I hadde leyser for to seye ;
But to theffect. — It happede on a day,
(To telle itjKOW as schortly as I may)
A worthy duk that highte Perotheus,
That felawe was unto duk Theseus
Syn thilke day that they were children lyte,
Was come to Athenes, his felawe to visite,
And for to pleye, as he was wont to do,
For in this world he lovede noman so :
And he lovede hiry as tenderly agayn.
36
KNIGHTES TALE
So wel they lovede, as olde bookes sayn,
That whan that con was deed, sothly to telle,
His felawe wente and soughte him doun in helle ;
But of that story lyst me nought to write.
Duk Perotheus lovede wel Arcite,
And hadde him knowe at Thebes ^eer by ^eer ;
And fynally at requeste and prayer
Of Perotheus, withouten any raunsoun
Duk Theseus him leet out of piisoun,
Frely to gon, wher that him luste overal,
In such a gyse, as I_you telle schal.
This was the forward, playnly for tendite,
Bitwixe Theseus and him Arcite :
That if so were, that Arcite were yfounde
Evere in his lyf, by daye or night, o jtpund
In eny contré of this Theseus,
And he were caught, it was acorded thus,
That with a swerd he scholde lese his heed ;
Ther nas noon other remedy ne ree^
But took his leeve, and homward he him spedde;
Let him be war, his nekke lith to wedde.
How gret a sorwe suffreth now Arcite !
The deth he feleth thurgh his herte smyte ;
He weepeth, weyleth, cryeth pitously ;
To sien himself he wayteth pryvyly.
He seyde, ' Alias the day that I was born !
Now is my prisoun werse than biforn ;
Now is me schape eternally to dwelle
Nought in purgatorio, but in helle.
Allas ! that evere knew I Perotheus !
For elles hadde I dweld with Theseus
I-fetered in his prisoun evere moo.
Than hadde I ben in blisse, and nat in woo.
Oonly the sighte of hire, whom that I serve,
/
Though that I nevere hire grace may deserve,
THE KNIGHTES TALE,
Wolde han sufficed right ynough for me.
O dere cosyn Palamon,' quod he,
' Thyn is the victoire of this aventure,
Ful blisfully in prisoun maistow dure ;
In prisoun? certes nay, but in paradys !
Wei hath fortune y-torned the the dys,
That hast the sighte of hire, and I thabsence.
For possible is, syn thou hast hire presence.
And art a knight, a worthi and an able.
That by soin cas, syn fortune is chaungable,
Thou inaist to thy desir somtyme atteyne.
But I that am exiled, and bareyne
Of alle grace, and in so gret despeir,
That ther nys erthe, water, fyr, ne eyr,
Ne creature, that of hem maked is,
That may me helpe or doon confort in this.
Wei oughte I sterve in wanhope and distresse
Farwel my lyf, my lust, and my gladnesse.
Alias, why playnen folk so in comune
Of puryeance of God, or of fortuncj
That^eveth hem ful ofte in many a gyse
^ Wei better than thei can hemself devy^?
Som man desireth for to han richesse,
That cause is of his morthre or gret seeknesse
And som man wolde out of his prisoun fayn.
That in his hous is of his mayné slayn.
Infinite harmes ben in this mateere ;
We witen nat what thing we prayen heere.
We faren as he that dronke is as a mows.
A dronke man wot wel he hath an hous,
But he not which the righte wey is thider,
And to a dronke man the wey is slider,
And certes in this world so faren we ;
1 We seeken faste after felicité,
Bul we gon wrong ful ofte trewely_.
»mwm IUI mm» w «v
38
THE KNIGIITES TALE,
Thus may we seyen alle, and namelyche I,
That wende and hadde a gret opinioun,
That_yif I mighte skape fro prisoun.
Than hadde I ben in joye and perfyt hele,
Ther now I am exiled fro my wele.
Syn that I may not sen_yow, Emelye,
I nam but deed ; ther nys no remed3'e.'
Uppon that other syde Palamon, '
Whan that he wiste Arcite was agoon,
Such sorwe he maketh, that the grete tour
Resowneth of his ^ollyng and clamour.
The pui'e fettres on his schynes grete
Weren of his bittre salte teres wete.
' Alias ! ' quod he, ' Arcita, cosyn myn.
Of al cure strif, God woot, the fru^'t is thin.
Thow walkest now in Thebes at thi large,
And of my woo thou Revest litel charge.
Thou maist, syn thou hast wysdom and manhede,
Assemblen al the folk of oure kynrede,
And make a werre so scharpe on this cité,
That by som aventure, or som traté,
Thou mayst have hire to lady and to wyf,
For whom that I mot needes leese my l^'f.
For as by wey of possibilité,
Syth thou art at thi large of prisoun free,
And art a lord, gret is thin avantage,
More than is myn, that starve here in a kage.
For I moot weepe and weyle, whil I lyve,
With al the woo that prisoun may me_yyve,
And eek with peyne that love me j'eveth also,
That doubleth al my torment and my wo.'
Therwith the fyr of jelousye upsterte
Withinne his breste, and hente him by the harte
So wodly, that he lik was to byholde
The box-tree, or the asschen deede and colde.
THE KNIGHTES TALE.
Tho seyde he : ' O cruel goddes, that governe
This world with byndyng of ^oure word eterne,
And writen in the table of athamaunte
2bure parlement, and _youre eterne graunte !
What is mankynde more unto j^ow holde
Than is the scheep, that rouketh in the folde?
For slayn is man right as another beest,
And dwelleth eek in prisoun and arreest,
And hath seknesse, and greet adversité,
And ofte tymes gilteles, pardé.
What governaunce is in this prescience,
That gilteles tormenteth innocence?
And _yet encreceth this al my penaunce,
That man is bounden to his observaunce
For Goddes sake to letten of his wille,
Ther as a beest may al his lust fulfille.
And whan a beest is deed, he hath no peyne ;
But man after his deth moot wepe and pleyne,
Though in this world he have care and woo :
Withouten doute it may stonde so.
The answere of this I lete to divinis,
But wel I woot, that in this world gret pyne is.
Alias ! I se a serpent or a theef,
That many a trewe man hath doon mescheef,
Gon at his large, and wher him lust may turne.
But I moot ben in prisoun thurgh Saturne,
And eek thurgh Juno, jalons and eek wood,
That hath destroyed wel neyh al the blood
Of Thebes, with his waste walles wyde.
And Venus sleeth me on that other syde
For jelousye, and fere of him Arcyte.'
Now wol I stynt£^ of Palamon a lite,
And lete him in his prisoun stille dwelle,
And of Arcita forth I wol_you telle.
T..J sonier passeth, and the nightes longe
40
THE KNIGHTES TALE
Encrescen double wise the peynes strenge
Bothe of the lover and the prisoner.
I noot which hath the wofullere myster.
For schortly for to seyn, this Palamon
Perpetuelly is dampned to prisoun,
In cheynes and in fettres to be deed ;
And Arcite is exiled upon his heed
For evere mo as out of that contré,
Ne nevere mo he schal his lady see.
2bw loveres axe I now this question,
Who hath the worse, Arcite or Palamon.^
That on may se his lady day by day,
But in prisoun he moste dwelle alway.
That other wher him lust may ryde or go,
But seen his lady schal he nevere mo.
Now deemeth as_you luste,jxe that can,
For I wol telle forth as I bigan.
Whan that Arcite to Thebes comen was,
Ful ofte a day he swelte and seyde alas.
For seen his lady schal he nevere mo.
And schortly to concluden al his wo,
So moche sorwe hadde nevere creature,
That is or schal whil that the world may dure.
His sleep, his mete, his drynk is him byraft,
That lene he wex, and drye as is a schaft.
His eyen holwe, and grisly to biholde ;
His hewe falwe, and pale as asschen colde,
And solitary he was, and evere alone,
And waillyng al the night, making his moone.
And if he herde song or instrument,
Then wolde he wepe, he mighte nought be stent
So feble eek were his spirites, and so lowe.
And chaunged so, that no man couthe knowe
His speche nother his vois, though men it herde.
And in his geere, for al the world he ferde
THE KNÍQHTES TALE
Nought oonly lyke the lovers maladye
Of Hereos, but rather lik manye
Engendred of humour melancolyk, ^
Byforen in his seile fantastyk. ,
And schortly turned was al up-so-doun
Bothe habyt and eek disposicioun
Of hirh, this woful lovere dann Arcite.
What schulde I alday of his wo endite?
Whan he endured hadde a _yeer or tuoo
This cruel torment, and this pe3me and woo,
At Thebes, in his contré, as I seyde,
Upon a night in sleep as he him leyde.
Him thoughte how that the wenged god Mercuric
Byforn him stood, and bad him to be murye.
His slepy verde in bond he bar uprighte ; ^
An hat he werede upon his heres brighte.
Arrayed was this god (as he took keepe)
As he was whan that Argous took his sleepe ;
And seyde him thus : ' To Athenes schalt thou wende ;
Ther is the Schapen of thy wo an ende.'
And with that word Arcite wook and sterte.
' Now trewely how sore that me smerte.'
Quod he, ' to Athenes ri_^^t now wol I fare ;
Ne for the drede of deth schal I not spare
To see my lady, that I love and serve ;
In hire presence I recche nat to ^terve_.'
And with that word he caughte a gret myrour,
And saugh that chaunged was al his colour,
And saugh his visage al in another kynde.
And right anoon it ran him into mynde.
That sith his face was so disfigured
Of maladie the which he hadde endured,
He mighte wel, if that he bar him lowe,
Lyve in Athenes evere more unknowe,
And seen his lady wel neihjay by day.
42
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And right anon he chaungede his aray,
And cladde him as a poure laborer.
And al alone, save oonly a squyer,
That knew his pryvyté and al his cas,
Which was disgysed povrely as he was,
To Athenes is he gon the nexte way.
And to the court he wente upon a day,
And at the_yate he profrede his servyse,
To drugge and drawe, what so men wol devyse.
And schortly of this matier for to seyn.
He fel in office with a chamberleyn,
The which that dwellyng was with Emelye ;
For he was wys, and couthe sone aspye
Of every ser\'aunt, which that servede here.
Wei couthe he hewe woode, and water here,
For he was_yong and mighty for the nones,
And therto he was strong and bygge of bones
To doon that eny wight can him devyse.
A j/eer or two he was in this ser\'ise.
Page of the chambre of Emelye the brighte ;
And Philostrate he seide that he highte. •
But half so wel byloved a man as he
Ne was ther nevere in court of his degree.
He was so gentil of condicioun,
That thurghout al the court was his renoun.
They seyde that it were a charité
That Theseus wolde enhaunse his deeree,
And putten him in worschipful sen'yse,
Ther as he mighte his vertu exercise.
And thus withinne a while his name is spronge
Bothe of his dedes, and his goode tonge,
That Theseus hath taken him so neer
That of his chambre he made him a squyer,
And j^af him gold to mayntene his degree ;
And eek men brouo:hte him out of his countré
O
THE KNIGHTE8 TALE
43
Fro _yeer to _yeer ful pryvyly his rente ; 585
But honestly and sleighly he it spente,
That no man wondrede how that he it hadde.
And thre j/eer in this wise his lyf he laclde,
And bar him so in pees and eek in werre,
Ther nas no man that Theseus hath derre. 590
And in this blisse lete I now Arcite,
And speke I wole of Palamon a lyte.
In derknesse and horrible and strong prisoun
This seven _yeer hath seten Palamoun,
Forpyned, what for woo and for dislresse. 595
Who feleth double sorwe and hevynesse
But Palamon? that love destreyneth so,
That wood out of his wit he goth for wo ;
And eek therto he is a prisoner
Perpetuelly, nat oonly for a jyeer. 600
Who couthe ryme in Englissch proprely
His martirdam ? for sothe it am nat I ;
Therfore I passe as lightly as I may.
Hit fel that in the seventhe _yeer in May
The thridde night, (as olde bookes seyn, 605
That al this storie teilen more pleyn)
Were it by aventure or destiné,
(As, whan a thing is Schapen, it schal be,)
That soone after the niydnyght, Palamoun
By helpyng of a freend brak his prisoun, 610
And fleeth the cité faste as he may goo.
For he hadde jyive his gayler drinke soo
Of a clarré, maad of a certeyn wyn,
With nercotyks and opye of Thebes fyn,
That al that night though that men wolde him schake, 615
The gayler sleep, he mighte nou^^t awake.
And thus he fleeth as faste as evere he may.
The night was schert, and faste by the day,
That neecles-cost he moste himselven hyde.
44
THE KNIUHTES TALE
And til a grove faste ther besyde
With dredful foot than stalketh Palanioun.
%
For schorti}' this was his opynyoun,
That in that grove he wolde him hyde al day,
And in the night then wolde he take his way
To Thebes-ward, his frendes for to preye
On Theseus to helpe him to werreye ;
And schorteliche, or he wolde lese his lyf,
Or wynnen Emelye unto his wyf.
This is theffect and his entente playn.
Now wol I torne unto Arcite agayn,
That litel wiste how nyh that was his care,
Til that fortune hadde brought him in the snare.
/ The busy larke, messager of daye,
Salueth in hire song the morwe graye ;
And fyry Phebus ryseth up so brighte,
I That al the orient laugheth of the lighte,
1 And with his stremes dryeth in the greves
kThe silver dropes, hongyng on the leeves.
And Arcite, that is in the court ryal
With Theseus, his squyer principal.
Is lisen, and loketh on the merye day.
And for to doon his observance to May,
Remembryng on the poynt of his desir.
He on his courser, stertyng as the fir.
Is riden into the feeldes him to pleye,
Out of the court, were it a myle or tweye.
And to the grove, of which that I _yow tolde,
By aventure his wey he gan to holde.
To maken him a garland of the greves.
Were it of woodebynde or hawthorn leves,
And lowde he song aj/ens the sonne scheene :
' May, with alle thy floures and thy greene,
Welcome be thou, wel faire freissche May,
I hope that I som grene gete may.'
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And fro his courser, with a lusty herte,
Into the grove ful hastily he sterte,
And in a path he rometh up and doun,
Ther as by aventure this Palamou,n
Was in a busche, that no man mighte him see,
For sore afered of his deth was he.
Nothing ne knew he that it was Arcite ;
God wot he wolde han trowed it ful lite.
But soth is seyd, goon sithen many_yeres,
That feld hath eyen, and the woode hath ceres.
It is ful fair a man to here him evene,
For al day meteth men at unset stevene.
Ful litel woot Arcite of his felawe,
That was so neih to herken al his sawe.
For in the busche he sytteth now ful stille.
Whan that Arcite hadde romed al his fille,
And songen al the roundel lustily.
Into a Studie he fel al sodeynly.
As don thes lovers in here queynte geeres,
Now in the croppe, now doun in the brercs,
Now up, now doun, as boket in a welle.
Right as the Friday, sothly for to telle,
Now it schyneth, now it reyneth faste,
Right so can gery Venus overeaste
The hertes of hire folk, rigiit as hire day
Is gerful, right so chaungeth sehe aray.
Seide is the Fiyday al the wyke i-like.
Whan that Arcite hadde songe, he gan to sike,
And sette him doun withouten eny more :
' Alas ! ' quod he, ' that day that I was bore !
How longe Juno, thurgh thy cruelté,
Wiltow werreyen Thebes the citee ?
Alias! i-brou^^t is to confusioun
The blood royal of Cadme and Amphioun ;
Of Cadmus, which that was the firste man
THE KNIGHTES TALE.
That Thebes bulde, or first the toun bygan,
And of that cité first was crowned kyng, -
Of his lynage am I, and his ofspring
By verray lyne, as of the stok ryal :
And now I am so caytyf and so thral,
That he that is my mortal enemy,
I serve him as his squyer povrely.
And _yet doth Juno me wel more schame,
For I dar nought byknowe myn owne name,
But ther as I was wont to hote Arcite,
Now hoote I Fhilostrate, nou^^t worth a myte.
Alias ! thou feile Mars, alias ! Juno,
Thus hath youre ire owre kynrede al fordo.
Save oonly me, and wrecched Palamoun,
That Theseus martyreth in prisoun.
And over al this, to sleen me utterly,
Love hath his fyry dart so brennyngly
I-styked thurgh my trewe careful herte.
That Schapen was my deth erst than my scherte.
Te sien me with yovire eyhen, Emelye ;
Te ben the cause wherfore that I dye.
Of al the remenant of myn other care
Ne sette I noii^/¿t the mountaunce of a tare,
So that I couthe don aught to_youre plesaiince.'
And with that word he fel doun in a traunce
A long tyme ; and afterward he upsterte
This Falamon, that thou^^te thurgh his herte
He felte a cold swerd sodeynliche glyde ;
For ire he quook, no lenger nolde he byde.
And whan that he hadde herd Arcites tale.
As he were wood, with face deed and pale,
He sterte him up out of the bussches thikke.
And seyde : ' Arcyte, false traitour wikke,
Now art thou hent, that lovest my lady so,
For whom that I have al this peyne and wo,
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And art my blood, and to my counseil sworn,
As I ful ofte have told the heere byforn,
And hast ^japed here duk Theseus,
And falsly chaunged hast thy name thus ;
I wol be deed, or elles thou schalt dye.
Thou schalt not love my lady Emelye,
But I wil love hire oonly and no mo ;
For I am Falamon thy mortal fo.
And though that I no wepen have in this place,
But out of prisoun am y-stert by grace,
I drede not that other thou schalt dye,
Or thou ne schalt not loven Emelye.
Ches which thou wilt, for thou schalt not asterte.'
This Arcite, with ful despitous herte,
Whan he him knew, and hadde his tale herd,
As fers as lyoun pullede out a swerd,
And seide thus : ' By God that sit above,
Nere it that thou art sike and wood for love,
And eek that thou no wepne hast in this place,
Thou schuldest nevere out of this grove pace,
That thou ne schuldest deyen of myn hond.
For I defye the seurté and the bond
Which that thou seyst I have maad to the.
What, verray fool, think wel that love is fre !
And I wol love hire mawgre al thy might.
But, for as muche thou art a worthy knight.
And wilnest to dereyne hire by batayle,
Have hear my trouthe, to morwe I nyl not fayle,
Withouten wityng of eny other wight,
That heer I wol be founden as a knight,
And bryngen harneys right inough for the ;
And ches the beste, and lef the worste for me.
And mete and drynke this night wil I brynge
Inough for the, and clothes for thy beddynge.
And if so be that thou mv ladv wvnne,
48
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And sie me in this woode ther I am inne,
Thou maist wel han thy lady as for me.'
This Palamon answerede : ' I graunte it the.'
And thus they ben departed til a-morwe,
When ech of hem hadde leyd his feith to borwe.
O Cupide, out of alle charité !
O regne, that wolt no felawe han with the !
Ful soth is seyd, that love ne lordschipe
Wol not, his thonkes, han no felaweschipe.
Wel fynden that Arcite and Falamoun.
Arcite is riden anon unto the toun,
And on the morwe, or it were dayes light,
Ful prively two harneys hath he dight,
Bothe suffisaunt and mete to darreyne
The batayle in the feeld betwix hem tweyne.
And on his hors, alone as he was born,
He caryeth al this harneys him byforn ;
And in the grove, at tyme and place i-set,
This Arcite and this Palamon ben met.
Tho chaungen gan the colour in here face.
Right as the honter in the regne of Trace
, That stondeth in the gappe with a spere,
Whan honted is the lyoun or the bere,
And hereth him come ruschyng in the greves.
And breketh bothe bowes and the leves,
And thinketh, ' Here cometh my mortel enemy,
Withoute faile, he mot be deed or I ;
For eyther I mot sien him at the gappe,
Or he moot sleen me, if that me myshappe ; '
So ferden they, in chaungyng of here hewe,
As fer as everich of hem other knewe.
Ther nas no good day, ne no saluyng ;
But streyt withouten wordes rehersyng,
Everych of hem help for to armen other,
As frendly as he were his owne brother ;
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And after that with scharpe spares stronge
They foynen ech at other wonder longe.
Thou myghtest wene that this Palamon
In his fightyng were as a wood lyoun,
And as a cruel tygre was Arcite :
As wilde booi'es gonne they to smyte,
That frothen white as fome for ire wood.
Up to the ancle foughte they in here blood.
And in this wise I lete hem fightyng dwelle ;
And forth I wol of Theseus _yow telle.
The destyné, mynistre general,
That executeth in the world over-al
The purveauns, that God hath seyn byforn ;
So strong it is, that though the world hadde sworn
The contrary of a thing byj^e or nay,
2et somtyme it schal falle upon a day
That falleth nought eft withinne a thousend _yeere.
For certeynly oure appetites beere,
Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love,
Al is it reuled by the sighte above.
This mene I now by mighty Theseus,
That for to honten is so desirous.
And namely at the grete hert in May,
That in his bedde ther daweth him no day,
That he nys clad, and redy for to ryde
With honte and horn, and houndes him byside.
For in his hontyng hath he such delyt,
That it is al his joye and appetyt
To been himself the grete hertes bane,
For after Mars he serveth now Diane.
Cleer was the day, as I have told or this,
And Theseus, with alle joye and blys.
With his Ypolita, the fayre queene,
And Emelye, clothed al in greene.
On hooting be thay riden ryally.
5 o THE KNIGHTES TALE,
And to the grove, that stood fid faste by,
In which ther was an hert as men him tolde,
Duk Theseus the streyte wey hath holde.
And to the launde he rydeth him ful righte,
For thider was the hert wont have his fl ighte,
And over a brook, and so forth in his wove.
This duk wol have a cours at him or tweyc
With houndes, swiche as that him lust comaunt
And whan this duk was come unto the Inunde,
Under the sonne he loketh, and anon
He was war of Arcite and Palamon,
That foughten breeme, as it were boores tuo ;
The brighte swerdes wente to and fro
So hidously, that with the leste strook
It seemede as it wolde feile an ook ;
But what they were, nothing he ne woot.
This duk his courser with his spores smoot,
And at a stert he was betwix hem tuoo,
And pullede out a swerd and cride, ' Hoo !
Nomore, up peyne of leesyng of ^our heed.
By mighty Mars, he schal anon be deed,
That smyteth eny strook, that 1 may seen !
But telleth me what mester men ye been,
That ben so hardy for to fighten heere
Withoute jugge or other officere,
As it were in a lystes really? '
This Palamon answerde hastily.
And seyde : ' Sire, what nedeth wordes mo ?
We han the deth desei*ved bothe tuo.
Tuo woful wrecches been we, and kaytyves.
That ben encombred of oure owne lyves ;
And as thou art a rightful lord and juge.
Ne ^eve us neyther mercy ne refuge.
And sie me first, for seynte charité ;
But sie my felawe eek as wel as me.
THE KNIGHTES TALE
Or sie him first; for, though thou knowj it lytí
This is thy mortal fo, this is Arcite,
That fro thy lond is banyscht on his heed,
For which he hath deserved to be deed.
%
For this is he that com unto thi gate
And seyde, that he highte Philostrate.
Thus hath he japed the ful many a j/er,
And thou hast maked him thy cheef squyer.
And this is he that loveth Emelye.
For sith the day is come that I schal dye,
I make pleynly my confessioun.
That I am thilke woful Palamoun,
That hath thy prisoun broke wikkedly.
I am thy mortal foo, and it am I
That loveth so hoote Emelye the brighte,
That I wol dye present in hire sighte.
Therfore I aske deeth and my ju^se ;
But slee my felawe in the same wyse,
For bothe han we deserved to be slayn.*
This worthy duk answerde anon agayn,
And seide, ' This is a schort conclusionn :
2óur owne mouth, by^our confessioun,
Hath dampned j^ou, and I wil it recorde.
It nedeth nou^^t to pyne^ow with the corde.
le schul be deed by mighty Mars the reede ! '
The queen anon for verray wommanhede
Gan for to wepe, and so dede Emelye,
And alle the ladies in the companye.
Gret pité was it, as it thoughte hem alle,
That evere such a chaunce schulde falle ;
For gentil men thei were, of gret estate,
And nothing but for love was this debate.
And sawe here bloody woundes wyde and sore
And alle cryden, bothe lesse and more,
' Have mercy, Lord, upon us worn men alle ! *
52
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And on here bare knees adoun they falle,
And wolde han kist his feet ther as he stood,
Til atte laste aslaked was his mood ;
For pi té renneth sone in ge ntil hert^
And though he first for ire quok and sterte,
He hath considerd shortly in a clause,
The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause
And although that his ire here gylt accusede,
2et in his resoun he hem bothe excusede ;
And thus he thoughte wel that every man
Wol helpe himself in love if that he can,
And eek delyvere himself out of prisoun;
And eek his herte hadde compassioun
Of Wommen, for they wepen evere in oon ;
And in his gentil herte he thoughte anoon.
And softe unto himself he seyde : ' Fy
Upon a lord that wol han no mercy,
But be a lyoun bothe in word and dede,
To hem that ben in repentaunce and drede.
As wel as to a proud dispitous man,
That wol maynteyne that he first bigan !
That lord hath litel of discrecioun,
That in such caas can no divisioun ;
But weyeth pride and humblesse after oon.'
And schortly, whan his ire is thus agon,
He gan to loken up with eyen lighte.
And spak these same wordes al in highte.
' The god of love, a ! benedicite^
How mighty and how gret a lord is he !
Agayns his might ther gayneth non obstacles,
He may be cleped a god for his miracles ;
For he can maken at his owne gyse
Of everych herte, as that him lust devyse.
Lo her this Arcite and this Palamoun,
That quytly weren out of my prisoun,
THE KNIGHTES TALE.
And mighte han lyved in Thebes ryally,
And witen I am here mortal enemy,
And that here deth lith in my might also,
And _yet hath love, maugre here ey^^en tuo,
I-brought hem hider bothe for to dye.
Now loketh, is nat that an heih folye?
Whojnay not ben a fool, if that he love?
Byhold for Goddes sake that sit above,
Se how they blede ! be they nought wel arrayed
Thus hath here lord, the god of love, y-payed
Here wages and here fees for here servise.
And yet they wenen for to ben ful wise
That serven love, for ought that may bifalle.
But this is^yet the beste game of alle,
That sehe, for whom they han this jolitee.
Can hem therfore as moche thank as me.
Sehe woot no more of al this hoote fare,
By God, than wot a cuckow or an hare.
But al moot ben assayed, hoot and cold ;
A man moot ben a fool or^yong or old ;
I woot it by myself ful _yore agon :
For in my tyme a servant was I on.
And therfore, syn I knowe of loves peyne,
And wot how sore it can a man destreyne.
As he that hath ben caught ofte in his laÊe^
I you forj'eve al holly this trespace.
At request of the queen that kneleth heere,
And eek of Emelye, my suster deere.
And ye schul bothe anon unto me swere.
That neveremo_ye schul my corowne dere,
Ne make werre upon me night ne day,
But ben my freendes in al that _ye may.
I _yow foi^eve this trespas every del.'
And they him swore his axyng fayre and wel,
And him of lord#chipe and of mercy prayde.
54
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And he hem graunteth grace, and thus he sayde :
' To speke of real lynage and richesse,
Though that sehe were a queen or a pryncesse,
Ech of ^ow bothe is worthy douteles
To wedden when tyme is, but natheles
I speke as for my suster Emelye,
For whom ye. han this stryf and jelousye,
2e wite j/OLireself sehe may not wedde two
' At oones, though ye fighten evere mo :
"That oon of _yow, al be him loth or leef,
He mot go pypen in an ivy leef ;
This is to sayn, sehe may nought now han bothe,
Al be ye nevere so jelous, ne so wrothe.
And for-thy I you putte in this degré,
That ech of _you schal have his destyné,
As him is schape, and herkneth in what wyse ;
Lo here jour ende of that I schal devyse.
My wil is this, for plat conclusioun,
Withouten eny repplicacioun,
If that jou liketh, tak it for the beste.
That everych of jou schal gon wher him leste
Frely withouten raunsoun or daungeer;
And this day fyfty wykes, fer ne neer,
Everich of jou schal brynge an hundred knightes,
Armed for lystes up at alle rightes,
Al redy to derayne hire by batayle.
And this byhote I jou withouten fayle
Upon my trouthe, and as I am a knight.
That whether of jow bothe that hath might,
This is to seyn, that whether he or thou
May with his hundred, as I spak of now,
Sien his contrarye, or out of lystes dryve,
Thanne schal I jeven Emelye to wyve,
To whom that fortune jeveth so fair a grace.
The lystes schal I maken in this place.
THE KNIGHTES TALE.
And God so \vjsly on my sowie rewe,
As I schal evene juge ben and trewe.
2e schul non other ende with me make,
That oon of _yow ne schal be deed or take.
And if yon thinketh this is wel i-sayd,
Sayeth _youre avys, and holdeth _yow ^ayd.
This is_youre ende and j/oure conclusioun.'
Who loketh lightly now but Palamoun ?
Who spryngeth up for joye but Arcite?
Who couthe telle, or who couthe it endite.
The joye that is maked in the place
Whan Theseus hath don so fair a grace ?
But down on knees wente every maner wight,
And thanken him with al here herte and miht,
And namely the Thebans ofte sithe.
And thus with good hope and with herte blithe 1020
They take here leve, and hom-ward gonne they ryde
To Thebes with his olde walles wyde.
I trowe men wolde deme it necligence,
If I forjj/ete to telle the dispence
Of Theseus, that goth so busily 1025
To maken up the lystes rially ;
That such a noble theatre as it was,
I dar wel sayn that in this world ther nas.
The circuit a myle was aboute.
Walled of stoon, and dyched al withoute. 1030
Round was the schap, in maner of compaas,
Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty paas,
That whan a man was set in o degré
He lette nought his felawe for to se.
Est-ward ther stood a gate of marbel whit, io:s
West-ward right such another in the opposit.
And schortly to conclude, such a place
Was non in erthe as in so litel space ;
For in the lond^tlier nas no crafty man,
55
1005
IOIC
s
1015
56
THE KXIGETES TALE
That geometry or arsmetrike can,
Ne portreyour, ne kervere of ymages,
That Theseus ne^af hem mete and wages
The theatre for to maken and devyse.
And for to don his ryte and sacrifise,
He est-ward hath upon the gate above,
In worschipe of Venus, goddesse of love,
Don make an auter and an oratorye ;
And west-ward in the mynde and in memorye
Of Mars, he hath i-maked such another,
That coste largely of gold a fothcr.
And north-ward, in a toret on the walle,
Of alabaster whit and reed coralle
An oratorye riche for to see,
In worschipe of Dyane, of chastité,
Hath Theseus doon wrought in noble wise.
ButjKit hadde I foi^eten to devyse
The noble kervyng, and the purtreitures,
The schap, the contenaunce and the figures,
That weren in these oratories thre.
First in the temple of Venus maystow se
Wrought on the wal, ful pitons to byholde,
The broken slepes, and the sykes colde ;
The sacred teeres, and the waymentyng ;
The fyry strokes of the desiryng.
That loves servauntz in this lyf enduren ;
The othes, that here covenantz assuren.
Plesance and hope, desyr, fool-hardynesse.
Beauté and j/outhe, baudery and richesse.
Charmes and force, lesynges and flaterye.
Dispense, busynesse, and jelousye,
That werede of yelwe guides a garland,
And a cukkow sittyng on hire hand ;
Festes, instruinentz, carols, and daunces.
Lust and array, and alle the circiimstaunces
•>
THE KNIGHTES TALE.
Of love, which that I rekned have and schal,
By ordre weren peynted on the wal.
And mo than I can make of mencioun.
For sothly al the mount of Citheroun,_
Ther Venus hath hire principal dwellyng,
Was schewed on the wal in portraying,
With al the gardyn, and the lustynesse.
Nought was for_yete the porter Ydelnesse,
Ne Narcisus the fayre of yore agon,
Ne^et the folye of kyng Salamon,
Ne eek the grete strengthe of Hercules,
Thenchauntementz of Medea and Circes,
Ne of Turnus with the hardy fiers corage,
The riche Cresus caytif in servage.
Thus may_ye seen that wisdom ne richesse.
Beauté ne sleighte, strengthe, ne hardynesse,
Ne may with Venus holde champartye,
For as hire lust the world than may sehe gye,
Lo, alle thise folk i-caught were in hire las,
Til they for wo ful often sayde alias.
Sufficeth heere ensamples oon or tuo,
And though I couthe rekne a thousend mo.
The statu of Venus, glorious for to see,
Was naked fletyng in the large see,
And fro the navel doun al covered was
With wawes grane, and brighte as eny glas.
Apitoie in hire right hond hadde sehe,
And on hire heed, ful semely for to see,
A rose garland fresch and wel smellyng,
Above hire heed hire dowves fiikeryng.
Biforn hire stood hire sone Cupido.
Upon his schuldres wynges hadde he tuo ;
And blynd he was, as it is often seene ;
A bowe he bar and arwes brighte and kene.
Why schulde I ncj^ight as wel eek telle you alle
58
THE KNIGHTES TALE
The portraiture, that was upon the walle
Withinne the temple of mighty Mars the reede
Al peynted was the wal in lengthe and breede
Lik to the estres of the grisly place,
That highte the grete temple of Mars in Trace,
In thilke colde frosty regioun,
Ther as Mars hath his sovereyn mancioun.
First on the wal was peynted a forest,
In which ther dwelleth neyther man ne best,
With knotty knarry bareyn trees olde
Of stubbes scharpe and hidous to byholde :
In which ther ran a swymbel in a swough,
As though a storm schulde bersten every bough
And downward on an hil under a beute,
Ther stood the temple of Marz armypotentf.
Wrought al of burned steel, of which theiUid
Was long and streyt, and gastly for to see.
And therout cam a rage and such a vese,
That it made al the gates for to rese.
The northen light in at the dores schon.
For wyndowe on the wal ne was ther noon,
Thurgh which men mighten any light discerne.
The dores were alle of ademauntz eterne,
l-clenched overthwart and endelong
With iren tough ; and, for to make it strong.
Every piler the temple to susteene
Was tonne greet, of iren bright and schene.
Ther saugh I first the derke ymaginyng
Of feloyne, and al the compassyng ;
The cruel ire, as reed as eny gleede ;
The pikepurs, and eek the pale drede ;
The smyier with the knyf under his cloke ;
The schepne brennyng with the blake smoke ;
The tresoun of the murtheryng in the bed ;
The open werre, with woundes al bi-bled ;
THE KNIOHTES TALE,
Contek with bloody knyf, and scharp manace.
AI ful of chirkyng was that sory place.
The sleere of himself _yet saugh I there,
His herte-blood hath bathed al his here ;
The nayl y-dryven in the schode a-nyght ;
The colde deth, with mouth gapyng upright.
Amyddes of the temple sat meschaunce,
With disconfort and sory contenaunce.
2et saugh I woodnesse laughying in his rage ;
Armed complaint, outhees, and fiers outrage.
The caroigne in the bussh, with throte y-corve :
A thousand slain, and not of qualme y-storve ; --
The tiraunt, with the prey by force y-raft :
The toun destroied, ther was no thyng laft.
2et sawgh I brent the schippes hoppestei es ;
The hunte strangled with the wilde beres :
The sowe freten the child right in the cradel ;
The cook i-skalded, for al his longe ladel.
Nought was fordeten by the infortune of Marte ;
The cartere over-ryden with his carte,
Under the whel ful lowe he lay adoun.
Ther were also of Martz divisioun,
The harbour, and the bochei*, and the smyth,
That forgeth scharpe swerdes on his stith.
And al above depeynted in a tour
Saw I conquest sittyng in gret honour,
With the scharpe swerd over his heed
Hangynge by a sotil twyne threed.
Depeynted was the slaughtre of Julius,
Of grete Nero, and of Anthonius ;
Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn,
2et was here deth depeynted ther byforn.
By manasyng of Mars, right by figure,
So was it schewed in that purtreiture
As is depeynted in the sterres above.
6o
THE KNIG ETE S TALE
Who schal be slayn or elles deed for love. nso
Sufficeth oon ensample in stones olde,
I may not rekne hem alle, though I wolde.
The statue of Mars upon a carte stood,
Armed, and lokede grym as he were wood ;
And over his heed ther schynen two figures u 's
Of sterres, that been cleped in scriptures,
That oon Fuella, that other Rubeus.
This god of armes was arayed thus : —
A wolf ther stood byforn him at his feet
With eyen reede, and of a man he eet ; 1190
With sotyl pencel depeynted was this storie,
In redoutyng of Mars and of his glorie.
Now to the temple of Dyane the chaste
As schortly as I can I wol me haste,
To telle ^ou al the descripcioun, 1195
Depeynted ben the walles up and down,
Of huntyng and of schamefast chastité.
Ther saugh I how woful Calystopé,
Whan that Dyane agreved was with here,
Was turned from a womman to a here, xaoo
And after was sehe maad the Joode-sterre ;
Thus was it peynted, I can say no ferre ;
Hire sone is eek a sterre, as men may see.
Ther sawgh I Dane yturned til a tree,
I mene nou^^t the goddesse Dyane, 1205
But Peneus dou^^ter, which that highte Dane.
Ther saugh I Atheon an hert i-maked.
For vengeaunce that he saugh Dyane al naked ;
I saugh how that his houndes han him caught,
And freten him, for that they knewe him naught, 1210
Tit peynted was a litel forthermoor,
How Atthalaunte huntede the wilde boor,
And Meleagi-e, and many another mo,
For which Dyane wroughte hem care and woo.
THE EN IG ETE S TALE
Ther saugh I many another wonder storye,
The whiche me list not drawe to memorye.
This goddesse on an hert ful hyhe seet,
With smale houndes al aboute hire feet,
And undernethe hire feet sehe hadde a moone,
Wexyng it was, and schulde wane soone.
In gaude greene hire statue clothed was,
With bowe in honde, and arwes in a cas.
Hir ey^^en caste sehe ful Iowa adoun,
Ther Pluto hath his derke regioun.
• •••« • ••
• •••••••
Wei couthe he peynte lyfly that it wrou^/^te.
With many a floren he the hewes boughte.
Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus
That at his grete cost arayede thus
The temples and the theatre every del,
Whan it was don, hym likede wonder wel.
But stynte I wil of Theseus a lite.
And speke of Palamon and of Arcite.
The day approcheth of here retournynge,
That everych schulde an hundred kni^^tes brynge,
The bataille to derreyne, as I_you tolde ;
And til Athenes, here covenant to holde,
Hath everych of hem brought an hundred knightes
Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes.
And sikerly ther trowede many a man
That nevere, siththen that the world bigan,
As for to speke of knighthod of here hond,
As fer as God hath maked see or lend,
Nas, of so fewe, so noble a companye.
For every wight that lovede chyvalrye,
And wolde, his thankes, have a passant name,
62
THE KNIGHTES TALE
Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game ;
And wel was him, that therto chosen was.
For if ther felle to morwe such a caas,
2e knowen wel, that every lusty knight,
That loveth paramours, and hath his might,
Were it in Engelond, or elleswhere,
They wolde, here thankes, wilne to be there.
To fighte for a lady ; benedicitel
slghte for to see.
And right so ferden they with Falamon.
With him ther wente knyghtes many oon ;
Som wol ben armed in an habergoun,
In a brest-plat and in a light gypoun ;
And somme woln have a peyre plates large ;
And somme woln have a Pruce scheid, or a targe
Somme woln been armed on here legges weel,
And have an ax, and somme a mace of steel.
Ther nys no newe gyse, that it nas old.
Armed were they, as I have you told,
Everich after his opinioun.
Ther maistow sen comyng with Palamoun
Ligurge himself, the grete kyng of Trace ;
Blak was his herd, and manly was his face.
The cercles of his eyen in his heed
They gloweden bytwixe ^elwe and reed ;
And lik a griffoun lokede he aboute.
With kempe heres on his browes stowte ;
His lymes greete, his brawnes harde and strenge,
His schuldres broode, his armes rounde and longe.
And as the gyse was in his contré.
Ful heye upon a char of gold stood he,
With foure white boles in the trays.
Instede of cote armure over his harnays,
With nayles^yelwe, and brighte as en}' gold.
He hadde a beres skyn, col-blak, for-old.
THE KNIGHTES TALE. 63
His longe hear was kembd byhynde his bak, ises
As any ravens father it schon for-blak-
A wrethe of gold arm-gret, of huge wighte,
Upon his heed, set ful of stoones brighte,
Of fyne rubies and of dyamauntz.
Aboute his char ther wenten white ^auntz, »go
Twenty and mo, as grete as any steer,
To hunten at the lyoim or the deer,
And folwede him, with mosel faste i-bounde,
Colers of golde, and torettz fyled rounde.
An hundred lordes hadde he in his route »95
Armed ful wel, with hertes sterne and stoute.
With Arcita, in stories as men fynde,
The grete Emetreus, the kyng of Ynde,
Uppoii a steede bay, trapped in steel,
Covered with cloth of gold dyapred wel, 1300
Cam rydyng lyk the god of armes. Mars.
His coote armure was of cloth of Tars,
Cowched with perles whyte and rounde and grete.
His sadel was of brend gold ne we ybete ;
A mantelet upon his schuldre hangyng 1305
Bret-ful of rubies reede, as fir sparclyng.
His crispe beer lik rynges was i-ronne,
And that was j'elwe, and gliteryng as the sonne.
His nose was heigh, his eyen bright cytryn.
His lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn, 1310
A fewe freknes in his face y-spreynd,
Betwixe _yelwe and somdel blak y-meynd,
And as a lyoun he his lokyng caste.
Of fyve and twenty jeer his age I caste.
His herd was wel bygonne for to sprynge ; 1315
His voys was as a trumpe thunderynge.
Upon his heed he werede of laurer grene
A garlond freisch and lusty for to sene.
Upon his hond he bar for his deduyt
#
64
THE KNIGHTES TALE
An egle tame, as any lylie whyt 1320
An hundred lordes hadde he with him ther,
Al armed sauf here hedes in here ger,
Ful richely in alle maner thinges.
For trusteth wel, that dukes, erles, kynges,
Were gadred in this noble companye, 132s
For love, and for encres of chivalrye.
Aboute this kyng ther ran on every part
Ful many a tame lyoun and lepart.
And in this wise thise lordes alle and some
Been on the Sonday to the cité come 1330
Aboute prime, and in the toun alight.
This Theseus, this diik, this worthy knight,
Whan he hadde brought hem into his cité,
And ynned hem, everich at his degré
He festeth hem, and doth so gret labour 133s
To esen hem, and don hem al honour,
Thatj^it men wene that no mannes wyt .
Of non estât ne cowde amenden it.
The mynstralcye, the servyce at the feste,
The grete ^iftes to the moste and leste, 1340
The riche aray of Theseus paleys,
Ne who sat first ne last upon the deys,
What ladies fayrest ben or best daunsynge,
Or which of hem can daunce best and singe,
Ne who most felyngly speketh of love ; 1345
What haukes sitten on the perche above.
What houndes liggen on the floor adoun :
Of al this make I now no mencioun,
But of theffect ; that thinketh me the beste ;
Now comth the poynt, and herkneth if you leste. 1353
The Sonday night, or day bigan to springe.
When Palamon the larke herde synge,
Although it nere nought day by honres tuo,
TA sang the larke, and Palamon also
THE KNIGHTES TALE
With holy herte, and with an heih corage
He rocs, to wenden on his pilgryrnage
Unto the blisful Citherea benigne,
I mene Venus, honorable and digne.
And in hire hour he walketh forth a paas
Unto the lystes, ther hire temple was,
And dpun he kneleth, and, with humble cheere
And herte sore, he seide asj^e schul beere.
' Faireste of faire, O lady myn Venus,
Doughter of Jove, and spouse to Vulcanus,
Thou gladere of the mount of Citheroun,
For thiike love thou haddest to Adeoun
Have pité of my bittre teeres smerte,
And tak myn humble prayere to thin herte.
Alias ! I ne have no langage to telle
Theffectes ne the tormentz of myn helle ;
Myn herte may myn harmes nat bewreye ;
I am so confus, that I can not seye.
But mercy, lady brighte, that knowest wele
My thought, and seest what harmes that I fele,
Considre al this, and rewe upon my sore,
As wisly as I schal for evermore,
Emforth my might, thi trewe servaunt be,
And holden werre alway with chastité ;
That make I myn avow, so^e me helpe.
I kepe nat of armes for to_2^^e.
Ne I ne aske nat to-morwe to have victorie,
Ne renoun in this caas, ne veyne glorie
Of pris of armes, blowen up and doun,
But I wolde have fully possessioun
Of Emelye, and dye in thi servise ;
Fynd thou the maner how, and in what wyse
I recche nat, but it may better be.
To have Victoria of him, or he of me.
So that I have my lady in myn armes.
* 5
66
THE KNIGHTES TALE
For though so be that Mars is god of armes,
2bure vertu is so gret in heven above,
That if you list I schal wel han my love.
Thy temple wol I worschipe everemo.
And on thin auter, wher I ryde or go,
I wol don sacrifice, and f3'res beete.
And if yQ wol nat so, my lady sweete.
Than praye I the, to morwe with a spere
That Arcita me thurgh the herte here.
Thanne rekke I nat, whan I have lost my Jyf,
Thoughfcthat Arcite wynne hire to his wyf.
This is thefiect and ende of my prayere,
l^if me my love, thou blisful lady deere,'
Whan ^orisoun was doon of Palamon,
His sacrifice he dede, and that anoon
Ful pitously, with alle circumstances,
Al telle I nat as now his observances.
But atte laste the statu of Venus schook,
And made a signe, wherby that he took
That his prayere accepted was that day.
For though the signe schewede a delay,
2et wiste he wel that graunted was his boone ;
And with glad herte he wente him horn fui soone
The thi'idde hour inequal that Palamon
Bigan to Venus temple for to goon,
Ijp roos the sonne, and up roos Emelye,
And to the temple of Diane gan sehe hye.
Hire maydens, that sehe thider with hire ladde.
Ful redily with hem the fyr they hadde,
Thencens, the clothes, and the remenant a)
'lhat to the sacrifice longen schal ;
The homes fülle of meth, as was the gyse ;
Ther lakkede nou^^t to don hire sacrifise.
Smokyng the temple, ful of clothes faire,
This Emelye with herte debonaire
THE EN IG ETE S TALE. 67
Hire body wessch with water of a welle ; mzs
But how sehe dide hire rite I dar nat telle,
But it be eny thing in general ;
And j/et it were a game to heren al ;
To him that meneth wel it were no charge :
But it is good a man be at his large. 1430
Hire brighte heer was kempt, untressed al ;
A corone of a grene ok cerial
Upon hire heed was set ful faire and meete.
Tuo fyres on the auter gan sehe beete,
And dide hire thinges, as men may biholde 1435
In Stace of Thebes, and thise bokes olde.
Whan kynled was the fyr, with pitons cheere
Unto Dyane sehe spak, as_ye may heere.
' O chaste goddesse of the woodes greene.
To whom bothe heven and erthe and see is scene, 1440
Queen of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe,
Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe
Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire,
As keep me fro thi vengeaunce and thin yre.
That Atheon aboughte trewely ; 1445
Chaste goddesse, wel wost thou that I
Desire to ben a mayden al my lyf,
Ne nevere wol I be no love ne wyf.
I am, thou wost, y'lt of thi companye,
A mayde, and love huntyng and venerye, 1450
And for to walken in the woodes wylde,
• • ••••••
Now help me, lady, syth _ye may and kan,
For tho thre formes that thou hast in the. 1455
And Palamon, that hath such love to me.
And eek Arcite, that loveth me so sore.
This grace I praye the withouten more.
As sende love and pees betwixe hem two ;
68
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And fro me torne awey here hartes so, u'''©
That al here hoote love, and here desir,
And al here bisy torment, and here fyr
Be queynt, or turned in another place ;
And if so be thou wolt do me no grace,
Or if my destyne be Schapen so, 1465
That I schal needes have on of hem two,
As sende me him that most deslreth me.
Bihold, goddesse of dene chastité,
The bittre teeres that on my cheekes falle.
Syn thou art mayde, and kepere of us alle, 1470
My maydenhode thou kepe and wel conserve,
And whil I lyve a mayde I wil the serve/
The fyres brenne upon the auter cleere,
Whil Emelye was thus in hire preyere ;
But sodeinly sehe saugh a sighte queynte, 1475
For right anon on of the fyres queynte,
And quykede agayn, and after that anon
That other fyr was queynt, and al agon ;
And as it queynte, it made a whistelyng.
As doth a wete brond in his brennyng. 14^0
And at the brondes ende out-ran anoon
As it were bloody dropes many oon ;
For which so sore agast was Emelye,
That sehe was wel neih mad, and gan to crie,
For sehe ne wiste what it signifyede ; 1485
But oonly for the feere thus sehe cryede
And wep, that it was pité for to beere.
And therwithal Dyane gan appeere,
With bowe in bond, right as an hunteresse,
And seyde : ^ Doughter, stynt thyn hevynesse. 1490
Among tlie goddes hye it is affermed,
And by eterne word write and conformed.
Thou schalt ben wedded unto oon of tho
That han for the so moche care and wo ;
THE KNIGHTES TALE
But unto which of hem I may nat telle.
Farwel, for I ne may no lenger dweiie.
The fyres which that on myn auter brenne
Schuln the declaren, or that thou go henne,
Thyn aventure of love, as in this caas.'
And with that word, the arwes in the caas
Of the goddesse clatren faste and rynge,
And forth sehe wente, and made a vanysschynge,
For which this Emelye astoneyd was.
And selde, ' What amounteth this, alias !
I putte me in thy proteccioun,
Dyane, and in thi disposicioun.'
And hoom sehe goth anon the nexte waye.
This is theffect, ther nys no more to saye.
The nexte houre of Mars folwynge this,
Arcite unto the temple walked is
Of fierse Mars, to doon his sacrifise,
With alle the rites of his payen wise.
With pitous herte and heih devocioun.
Right thus to Mars he sayde his orisoun :
' O stronge god, that in the regnes colde
Of Trace honoured art and lord y-holde,
And hast in every regne and every londe
Of armes al the bridel in thyn honde,
And hem fortunest as the lust devyse,
Accept of me my pitous sacrifise.
If so be that myjyouthe may deserve,
And that my might be worthi for to serve
Thy godhede that I may ben on of thine,
Then praye I the to rewe upon my pyne.
yo THE KNIOHTES TALE.
For thilke sorwe that was in thin herte,
Have reuthe as wel upon my péynes smarte.
I am ^ong and unkonnyng, as thou wost,
And, as I trowe, with love ofTended most,
That evere was eny lyves creature ;
For sehe, that doth me al this wo endure,
Ne rekketh nevere wher I synke or fleete.
And wel I woot, or sehe me mercy h^te,
I moot with strengthe wynne hire in the place
And wel I wot, withouten help or grace
Of the, ne may my strengthe noughte avayle.
Then help me, lord, to-morwe. in my batayle,
For thilke fyr that whilom brente the,
As wel as thilke fir now brenneth me ;
And do that I to-morwe have victorie.
Myn be the travaile, and thin be the glorie.
Thy soverein temple wol I most honouren
Of any place, and alway most labouren
In thy plesaunce and in thy craftes stronge.
And in thy temple I wol my baner honge.
And alle the armes of my companye ;
And evermore, unto that da}^ I dye,
Eterne fyr I wol biforn the fynde.
And eek to this avow I wol me bynde :
My berd, myn heer that hangeth longe adoun,
That nevere _yit ne feite offensioun
Of raseur ne of schere, I wol the j^^ive,
And be thy trewe servaunt whil I lyve.
Now lord, have rowthe uppon my sorwes sore
2^if me the victorie, I aske the no more.'
The preyere stynte of Arcita the stronge,
The rynges on the temple dore that honge,
THE KNIG ETE S TALE.
And eek the dores, clatereden ful faste,
Of which Arcita somwhat hym agaste.
The fyres brende upon the auter brighte,
That it gan al the temple for to lighte ;
And swote smel the ground anon upyaf,
And Arcita anon his hand up-haf,
And more encens into the fyr he caste,
With othre rites mo ; and atte laste
The statu of Mars bigan his hauberk rynge.
And with that soun he herde a murmurynge
Ful lowe and dym, that sayde thus, ' Victorie.'
For which he_yaf to Mars honour and gloríe»
And thus with joye, and hope wel to fare,
Arcite anoon unto his inne is fare,
As fayn as foul is of the brighte sonne.
And right anon such stiyf ther is bygonne
For thilke grauntyng, in the heven above,
Bitwixe Venus the goddesse of love.
And Mars the sterne god armypotente,
That Jupiter was busy it to stente ;
Til that the pale Saturnus the colde,
That knew so manye of aventures olde,
Fond in his olde experiens an art.
That he ful sone hath plesed every part.
As soth is sayd, eelde hath gret avantage,
In eelde is bothe wisdom and usage ;
Men may the olde at-renne, but nat at-rede.
Saturne anon, to stynte stryf and drede,
Al be it that it is agayns his kynde,
Of al this stryf he gan remedy fynde.
' My deere dou^^ter Venus,' quod Saturne,
' My cours, that hath so wyde for to turne.
Hath more power than woot eny man.
Myn is the drenchyng in the see so wan ;
Myn is the pris^un in the derke cote ;
72
THE ENI O H TE S TALE
Myn is the strangle and hangyng by the throte ; 1600
The murmure, and the charles rebellyng,
The groyning, and the pryvé empoysonyng ;
I do vengeance and pleyn correctioun,
Whiles I dwelle in signe of the lyoun.
Myn is the ruyne of the hihe halles, 1605
The fallyng of the toures and the walles
Upon the mynour or the carpenter.
I slowh Sampsoun in schakyng the piler-
And myne ben the maladies colde.
The derke tresoun, and the castes olde ; 1610
Myn lokyng is the fader of pestilence.
Now wep nomore, I schal don diligence
That Palamon, that is thyn owne knight,
Schal have his lady, as thou hast him hight.
Though Mars schal helpe his knight, yet natheles i6is
Bitwixej/ou ther moot som tyme be pees,
Al be_ye nought of 00 complexioun,
That causeth al day such divisioun.
I am thi ^elj redy at thy wille ;
Wep thou nomore, I wol thi lust fulfille.' 1620
Now wol I stynten of the goddes above,
Of Mars, and of Venus goddesse of love,
And telle J'en, as pleinly as I can,
The grete effect for which that I bigan.
Gret was the feste in Athenes that da}-, 1625
And eek the lusty sesoun of that May
Made every wight to ben in such plesaunce.
That al that Monday jousten they and daunce,
And spenden hit in Venus heigh servise.
But by the cause that they schulde arise 1630
Erly for to seen the grete fight.
Unto their reste wente they at nyght.
And on the morwe whan that day gan sprynge,
Of hors and herneys noyse and claterynge
THE KNIGIITES TALE
73
Ther was in the hostelryes al aboute ; 1633
And to the paleys rood ther many a route
Of lordes, upon steedes and palfreys.
Ther mayst thou seen devysyng of herneys
So ^cowth and so riche, and wrought so wel
Of goldsmithry, of browdyng, and of steel ; 1640
The scheldes brighte, t^ers, and trappures ;
Gold-beten helmes, hauberkes, cote-armures ;
Lordes in paramentz on here courseres,
Knightes of retenu, and eek squyeres
Naylyng the speres, and helmes bokelyng, 1645
Giggyng of scheeldes, with layneres lasyng ;
Ther as need is, they were nothing ydel ;
The fomy steedes on the golden bridel
Gnawyng, and faste the armurers also
With fyle and hamer prikyng to and fro : 1650
Yemen on foote, and communes many oon
With schorte staves, thikke as they may goon ;
Types, trompes, i^k^rs, and clariounes,
That in the batai'"^ blowe bloody sownes ;
The paleys ful of peples up and doun, 1655
Heer thre, ther ten, holdvng here questioun,
Dyvynyng of thise Thebane knightes two.
Somme seyden thus, somme seyde it schal be so ;
Somme beeide with him with the blake herd,
Somme with the balled, somme with the thikke herd ; x66o
Somme sayde he lokedé grym and he wolde fighte ;
He hath a sparth of twenti pound of wighte.
Thus was the halle ful of devynynge,
Longe after that the sonne gan to springe.
The grete Theseus that of his sleep awaked 1665
With menstralcye and noyse that was maked.
Held _yit the chambre of his paleys riche,
Til that the Thebane knyghtes bothe i-liche
Honoured were^ into the paleys fet.
74
THE KNI0HTE8 TALE
Duk Theseus was at a wyndow set, 1670
Arayed right as he were a god in trone.
The peple preseth thider-ward ful sone
Him for to seen, and doon heigh reverence,
And eek to herkne his hest and his sentence.
An herowd on a skaffold made an hoo, 1675
Til al the noyse of the peple was i-doo ;
And whan he sawh the peple of noyse al stille,
Tho schewede he the mighty dukes wille.
'The lord hath of his heih discrecioun
Considered, that it were destruccioun 1680
To gentil blood, to fighten in the gyse
Of mortal bataille now in this emprise ;
Wherfore to Schapen that they schuln not dye,
He wol his firste purpos modifye.
No man therfore, up peyne of los of lyf, 1685
No maner schot, ne pollax, ne schort knyf
Into the lystes sende, or thider brynge ;
Ne schort swerd for to stoke, with point bytynge,
No man ne drawe, ne bere by his side.
Ne noman schal unto his felawe ryde 1690
But oon cours, with a scharpe ygrounde spere ;
Foyne if him lust on foote, himself to were.
And he that is at meschief, schal be take,
And nat slayn, but be brought unto the stake,
That schal ben ordeyned on eyther syde ; 1695
But thider he schal by force, and ther abyde.
And if so falle, the cheventein be take
On eyther side, or elles sie his make,
No lenger schal the turneynge laste.
God spede _you ; go forth and ley on faste. 1700
With long swerd and with mace your fille.
Goth now_youre way; this is the lordes wille.'
The voice of peple touchede the heven,
So lowde cride thei with mery Steven :
THE KNIOHTES TÂLE
' God save such a lord that is so good,
He wilneth no destruccioun of blood ! '
Up gon the trompes and the melodye.
And to the lystes ryt the companye
By ordynaunce, thurghout the cité large,
Hangyng with cloth of gold, and not with sarge.
Ful lik a lord this noble duk gan ryde,
These tuo Thebanes upon eyther side ;
And after rood the queen, and Emelye,
And after that another companye.
Of oon and other after here degré.
And thus they passen thurghout the cite,
And to the lystes come thei by tyme.
It nas not of the day^et fully pryme.
Whan set was Theseus ful riche and hye,
Ypolita the queen and Emelye,
And other ladyes in degrees aboute.
Unto the seetes preseth al the route ;
And west-ward, thurgh the_yates under Marte,
Arcite, and eek the hundred of his parte.
With baner red ys entred right anoon ;
And in that selve moment Palamon
Is under Venus, est-ward in that place.
With baner whyt, and hardy cheere and face.
In al the world, to seeken up and doun,
So evene withouten variacioun,
Ther nere suche companyes tweye.
For ther nas noon so wys that cowthe seye,
That any hadde of other avauntage
Of woi'thinesse, ne of estaat, ne age,
So evene were they chosen for to gesse.
And in two renges faire they hem dresse.
And whan here pames rad were everychon,
That in here nombre gile were ther noon,
Tho were the sehet, and cried was lowde :
76
THE KNIGHTES TALE
* Doth now^our devoir, ^onge knightes proude ! * 1740
The heraldz lafte here prikyng up and doiin ;
Now ryngen trompes loude and clarioim ;
Ther is nomore to sayn, but west and est
In gon the speres ful sadly in arest ;
In goth the scharpe spore into the side. 1745
Ther seen men who can juste, and who can ryde ;
Ther schyveren schaftes upon scheeldes thykke ;
He feeleth thurgh the herte-spon the prikke.
Up springen speres twenty foot on highte ;
Out goon the swerdes as the silver brighte. 1750
The helmes thei to-hewen and to-schrede ;
Out brest the blood, with sterne stremes reede.
With mighty maces the bones thay to-breste.
He thurgh the thikkeste of the throng gan threste.
Ther stomblen steedes stronge, and doun goon alle. 1755
He rolleth under foot as doth a balle.
He foyneth on his feet with a tronchoun,
And he him hurtleth with his hors adoiin.
He thurgh the body is hurt, and siththen take
Maugre his heed, and brou^^t unto the stake, 1760
As forward was, right ther he moste abyde.
Another lad is on that other syde.
And som tyme doth hem Theseus to reste.
Hem to refreissche, and drinken if hem leste.
Ful ofte a-day han thise Thebanes twoo 1765
Togidre y-met, and wrought his felawe woo ;
Unhorsed hath ech other of hem tweye.
Ther nas no tygre in the vale of Galgopheye,
Whan that hire whelpe is stole, whan it is lite,
So cruel on the hunte, as is Arcite 1770
For jelous herte upon this Palamon :
Ne in Belmarye ther nis so fel lyoun.
That hunted is, or for his hunger wood,
Ne of his prey desireth so the blood,
THE KNIG RTE S TALE
77
As Palamon to sien his fco Arcite. 1775
The jelous strokes on here helmes byte ;
Out rennetli blood on bothe here sides reede.
Som tyme an ende ther is of every dede ;
For er the sonne unto the reste wente,
The stronge kyng Emetreus gan hente 1780
This Palamon, as he faught with Arcite,
And made his swerd depedn his fleisscli to byte ;
And by the force of twenti is he take
Unyolden, and i-drawe unto the stake.
And in the rescous of this Palamon 1785
The stronge kyng Ligurge is born adoun ;
And kyng Emetreus for al his strengthe
Is born out of his sadel a swerdes lengtlie,
So hitte him Palamon er he were take ;
But al for nought, he was brought to the stake. 1790
His hardy herte mighte him helpe nought';
He moste abyde whan that he was caught,
By force, and eek by composicioun.
Who sorweth now but woful Palamoun,
That moot nomore gon agayn to fighte ? 1795
And whan that Theseus hadde seen this sighte,
Unto the folk that foughten thus echon
He cryde, ' Hoo ! nomore, for it is doon !
I wol be trewe juge, and nou^^t partye.
Arcyte of Thebes schal have Emelye, iSoo
That by his fortune hath hire faire i-wonne.'
Anoon ther is a noyse of people bygonne
For joye of this, so lowde and heye withalle,
It semede that the listes scholde falle.
What can now fayre Venus doon above? 1805
What seith sehe now? what doth this queen of love?
But wepeth so, for wantyng of hire wille,
Til that hire teeres in the lystes fille ;
Sehe seyde : ' lam aschamed douteles.'
78
THE EXIGETE S TALE
Saturnus seyde : ' Dou^^ter, hold thy pees. xSio
Mars hath his wille, his knight hath al his boone,
And by myn heed thou schalt ben esed soone.'
The trompes with the lowde mynstralcye,
The herawdes, that ful lowde j^olle and crye,
Been in here wele for joye of daun Arcyte. iSis
But herkneth me, and stynteth now a lite,
Which a miracle ther bifel anoon.
This fierse Arcyte hath of his helm ydoon,
And on a courser for to schewe his face,
He priketh endelonge the large place, 1820
Lokyng upward upon his Emelye ;
And sehe agayn him caste a frendlych
(For Wommen, as to speken in comune,
Thay folwen al the favour of fortune)
And sehe was al his cheere, as in his hei te. 1825
Out of the ground a fyr infernal starte,
From Pluto sent, at request of Saturne,
For which his hors for feere gan to turne,
And leep asyde, and foundrede as he leep ;
And or that Arcyte may taken keep, 1830
He pighte him on the pomel of his heed,
That in the place he lay as he were deed.
His brest to-brosten with his sadel-bowe.
As blak he lay as eny col or crowe,
So was the blood y-ronnen in his face. 1835
Anon he was y-born out of the place
With herte soor, to Theseus paleys.
Tho was he corven out of his harneys.
And in a bed y-brought ful faire and blyve,
For he was ^it in memoiy and on lyve, 1840
And alway crying after Emelye.
Duk Theseus, with all his companye,
Is comen horn to Athenes his cité,
With alle blysse and gret solempnité.
THE KNIQ ETE S TAlE. 79
Al be it that this aventure was falle, 1845
He nolde nought disconforten hem alle.
Men seyde eek, that Arcita schal nought dye,
He schal ben heled of his maladye.
And of another thing they were as fayn,
That of hem alle was ther noon y-slayn, 1850
Al were they sore hurt, and namely con,
That with a spere was thirled his brest boon.
To othre woundes, and to broken armes,
Some hadde salves, and some hadde charmes,
Fermacyes of herbes, and eek save 1855
They dronken, for they wolde here lymes have.
For which this noble duk, as he wel can,
Conforteth and honoureth every man,
And made revel al the longe night,
Unto the straunge lordes, as was right. 18^
Ne ther was holden no disconfytyng,
But as a justes or a turneying ;
For sothly ther was no disconfiture,
For fallynge nis not but an aventure ;
Ne to be lad with fors unto the stake 1865
Unyolden, and with twenty knightes take,
O persone alione, withouten moo,
And haried forth by arme, foot, and too.
And eek his steede dryven forth with staves.
With footmen, bothe_yemen and eek knaves, 1870
It nas aretted him no vyleinye,
Ther may no man clepe it no cowardye.
For which anon Duk Theseus leet crie,
To stynten alle rancour and envye, «
The gree as wel of o syde as of other, 1875
And either side ylik as otheres brother ;
And j/af hem ^iftes after here degré.
And fully heeld a feste dayes thre ;
And conveyede the kynges. worthily
8o
THE KN LOHTE S TALE
Out of his toun a journee largely.
And hom wente every man the righte way.
Ther was no more, but ' Farwel, have good day
Of this bataylle I wol no more endite,
But speke of Palamon and of Arcyte.
Swelleth the brest of Arcyte, and the sore
Encresceth at his herte more and more.
The clothred blood, for eny leche-craft,
Corrumpeth, and is in his bouk i-laft,
That nother veyne blood, ne ventusyng,
Ne drynke of herbes may ben his helpyng.
The vertu expulsif, or animal.
Fro thilke vertu cleped natural.
Ne may the venym voyde, ne expelle.
The pypes of his longes gan to swelle,
.tvnd every lacerte in his brest adoun
Is schent with venym and corrupcioun.
Him gayneth nother, for to gete his lyf,
Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif ;
Al is to-brosten thilke regioun.
Nature hath now no dominacioun,
And certeynly ther nature wil not wirche,
Farwel phisik ; go ber the man to chirche.
Th is al and som, that Arcyta moot dye.
For which he sendeth after Emelye,
And Palamon, that was his cosyn deere.
Than seyde he thus, as jq schul after beere.
' Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte
Declare a poynt of alle my sorwes smerte
To _you, my lady, that I love most ;
But I byquethe the service of my gost
To yow aboven every creature,
Syn that my lyf ne may no lenger dure.
Alias, the woo ! alias, the peynes stronge.
That I for jKOu have suffred, and so longe !
THE KNIOHTES TALE. 81
Alias, the deth ! alas, myri Emelye ! ¡9,5
Alias, departyng of our companye !
Alias, myn hartes queen ! alias, my wyf I
Myn hertes lady, andere of my lyf !
What is this world? what asken men to have?
Now with his love, now in his colde grayg 1920
Alione withouten eny companye.
Farwel, my swete foo ! myn Emelye !
And softe tak me in _youre armes tweye,
For love of God, and herkneth what I seye.
I have hear with my cosyn Falamon 1925
Had stryf and rancour many a day i-gon,
For love of jow, and for my jelousie.
And Jupiter so wis my sowie gye,
To speken of a servaunt proprely.
With alle circumstaunces trewely, 1930
That is to seyn, truthe, honour, and knighthede,
Wysdom, humblesse, estaat, and hey kynrede,
Fredom, and al that longeth to that art,
So Jupiter have of my soule part,
As in this world right now ne knowe I non 1935
So worthy to be loved as Palamon,
That serveth^ou, and wol don al his lyf.
And if that evere _ye schul ben a wyf,
Foryet not Palamon, the gentil man.'
And with that word his speche faile gan ; 1940
For fro his feete up to his brest was come
The cold of deth, that hadde him overcome.
And yet moreover in his armes twoo
The vital strengthe is lost, and al agoo.
Only the intellect, withouten more, 194s
That dwellede in his herte sik and sore,
Gan faylen, when the herte felte deth,
Dusken his eyghen two, and fayleth breth.
But on his lady^it caste he his ye ;
• 6 J
4
82
THE KNIGHTES TALE
His laste word was, ' Mercy, Emelye ! ' igso
His spiryt chaungede hous, and wente ther.
As I cam nevere, I can nat teilen when
Therfore I stynte, I nam no dyvynistre ;
Of seules fynde I not in this registre,
Ne me ne list thilke opynyouns to telle 195s
Of hem, though that thei writen wher they dwelle.
Arcyte is cold, ther Mars his seule gye ;
Now wol I speke forth of Emelye.
Shrighte Emelye, and howleth Palamon,
And Theseus his suster took anon i960
Swownyng, and bar hire fro the corps away.
What helpeth it to taryen forth the day.
To teilen how sehe weep bothe eve and morvve?
For in swich caas wommen can han such sorwe,
Whan that here housbonds ben from hem ago, 1965
That for the more part they sorwen so,
Or elles fallen in such maladye,
That atte laste certeynly they dye.
Infynyte been the sorwes and the teeres
Of olde folk, and folk of tendre yeeres ; 1970
For him ther weepeth bothe child and man
In al the toun, for deth of this Theban ;
So gret a wepyng was ther noon certayn.
Whan Ector was i-brought, al freissh i-slayn.
To Troye ; alias ! the pite that was ther, 1975
Cracchyng of cheekes, rending eek of heer.
'Why woldest thou be deed,' thise wommen crye,
'And haddest gold ynowgh, and Emelye?'
No man ne mighte gladen Theseus,
Savyng his olde fader Egeus, 1980
That knew this worldes transmutacioun.
As he hadde seen it tornen up and doun,
Joye after woo, and woo after gladnesse :
And schewede hem ensamples and liknesse.
THE KNIGHTES TALE. 83
' Right as ther deyde never man,' quod he, 1985
* That he ne lyvede in erthe in som degree,
Right so ther lyvede nevere man,' he seyde,
' In al this world, that som tyme he ne deyde.
This world nys but a thurghfare ful of woo,
And we ben pilgryms,^£assyng to and frooj^ 1990
Deth is an ende of every worldly sore.'
And over al this yit seide he mochel more
To this effect, ful wysly to enhorte
The peple, that they schulde hem reconforte.
Duk Theseus, with al his busy cure, 1995
Cast now wher that the sepulture
Of good Arcyte may best y-maked be,
And eek most honourable in his degré.
And alte laste he took conclusioun,
That ther as first Arcite and Palamon aooo
Hadden for love the bataille hem bytwene,
That in that selve grove, soote and greene,
Ther as he hadde his amorous desires^
His compleynt, and for love his hoote fyres.
He wolde make a fyr, in which thoffice 2005
Of funeral he mighte al accomplice ;
And leet comaunde anon to hakke and hewe
The okes olde, and leye hem on a rewe
In culpouns wel arrayed for to brenne.
His officers with swifte feet they renne, 2010
And ryde anon at his comaundement.
And after this, Theseus hath i-sent
After a beer, and it al overspradde
With cloth of gold, the richeste that he hadde.
And of the same sute he cladde Arcyte ; 2015
Upon his hondes hadde he gloves white ;
Eek on his heed a croune of laurer grene.
And in his hond a swerd ful bright and kene.
He leyde him bare the visage on the beere,
84
THE ENI G UTE S TALE
Tlierwith he weep that pité was to heere.
And for the people schulde seen him alle,
Whan it was day he broughte hem to the halle,
That roreth of the crying and the soun.
Tho cam this woful Theban Palamoun,
With flotery berd, and ruggy asshy heeres,
In clothes blake, y-dropped al with teeres ;
And, passyng other of wepyng, Emelye,
The rewfulleste of al the companye.
In as moche as the service schulde be
The more noble and riche in his degré,
Duk Theseus leet forth thre steedes brynge,
That trapped were in steel al gliterynge,
And covered with the armes of dan Arcyte.
Upon thise steedes, that weren grete and white,
Ther seeten folk, of which oon bar his scheeld,
Another his spere up in his hondes heeld ;
The thridde bar with him his bowe Turkeys,
Of brend gold was the caas and eek the herneys
And riden forth a paas with sorweful chere
Toward the grove, as ye schul after heere.
The nobleste of the Grekes that ther were
*
Upon here schuldres carieden the beere,
With slake paas, and eyghen reede and wete,
Thurghout the cité, by the maister streete,
That sprad was al with blak, and wonder hye
Right of the same is al the strete i-wrye.
Upon the right hond wente olde Egens,
And on that other syde duk Theseus,
With vessels in here hand of gold wel fyn,
Al ful of hony, mylk, and blood, and wyn ;
Eek Palamon, with ful gret companye ;
And after that com woful Emelye,
With fyr in hond, as was that time the gyse.
To do thoffice of funeral servise.
THE KNIGHTES TALE
85
Hey^'/i labour, and ful gret apparailyng 2055
Was at the service and the fyr makyng,
That with his grene top the heven raughte,
And twenty fadme of brede tharmes straughte;
This is to seyn, the boowes were so brode.
Of stree first ther was leyd ful many a loode. 2060
But how the fyr was maked up on highte,
And eek the names how the trees highte,
As 00k, fyr, birch, asp, alder, holm, popler,
Wilwe, elm, plane, assch, box, chesteyn, lynde, laurer,
Maple, thorn, beech, hasel, ewe, wyppyltre, 2065
How they weren feld, schal nou^^t be told for me ;
Ne how the goddes ronnen up and doun,
Disheryt of here habitacioun,
In which they woneden in rest and pees,
Nymphes, Faunes, and Amadrydes ; 2070
Ne how the beestes and the briddes alle
Fledden for feere, whan the woode was falle ;
Ne how the ground agast was of the lighte.
That was nought wont to seen the sonne brighte ;
Ne how the fyr was couched first with stree, 2075
And thanne with drye stykkes cloven a three,
And thanne with grene woode and spicerie,
And thanne with cloth of gold and with perrye,
And gerlandes hangyng with ful many a flour,
The myrre, thensens with al so greet odour ; 2080
Ne how Arcyte lay among al this,
Ne what richesse aboute his body is ;
Ne how that Emely, as was the gyse,
Putte in the fyr of funeral servise ;
Ne how she swownede when men made the fyr, 2085
Ne what sehe spak, ne what was hire desir ;
Ne what jewels men in the fyr tho caste.
Whan that the fyr was gret and brente faste ;
Ne how summe tfaste here scheeld, and summe liere spere.
86
THE KNIGHTES TALE
And of here vestimentz, which that they were, »090
And cuppes ful of wyn, and mylk, and blood,
Into the fyr, that brente as it were wood ;
Ne how the Grekes with an huge route
Thre tymes ryden al the fyr aboute
Upon the lefte hond, with an heih schoutyng, 2095
And thries with here speres clateryng ;
And thries how the ladyes gonne crye ;
Ne how that lad was hom-ward Emelye ;
Ne how Arcyte is brent to aschen colde ;
Ne how that liche-wake was y-holde a 100
Al thilke night, ne how the Grekes pleye
The wake-pleyes, ne kepe I nat to seye ;
Who wrastleth best naked, with oyle enoynt,
Ne who that bar him best in no disjoynt.
I wol not teilen eek how that they goon 2105
Horn til Athenes whan the pley is doon.
But schortly to the poynt than wol I wende,
And maken of my longe tale an ende.
By processe and by lengthe of certeyn yeres
Al stynted is the mornyng and the teeres 2110
Of Grekes, by oon general assent.
Than semede me ther was a parlement
At Athenes, on a certeyn poynt and cas ;
Among the whiche poyntes yspoken was
To han with certeyn contrées alliaunce, ans
And han fully of Thebans obeissaunce.
For which this noble Theseus anon
Let senden after gentil Palamon,
Unwist of him what was the cause and why ;
But in his blake clothes sorwefully 2120
He cam at his comaundement in hye.
Tho sente Theseus for Emelye.
Whan they were set, and husst was al the place,
And Theseus abyden hadde a space
THE KXIÜ'HTES TALE
Or eny word cam fro his wyse brest,
His eyen sette he ther as was his lest,
And with a sad visage he sykede stille,
And after that right thus he seide his wille.
* The firste moevere of the cause above,
Whan he first made the fayre cheyne of love,
Gret was theffect, and heigh was his entente ;
Wei wiste he why, and what therof he mente
For with that faire cheyne of love he bond
The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the lond
In certeyn boundes, that they may not flee ;
That same prynce and moevere eek,' quod he,
' Hath stabled, in this wrecchede world adoun
Certeyne dayes and duracioun
To alle that ben engendred in this place,
Over the whiche day they may nat pace,
AI mowe they ^it tho dayes wel abregge ;
Ther needeth non auctorité tallegge ;
For it is preved by experience.
But that me lust declare my sentence.
Than may men by this ordre wel discerne,
That thilke moevere stable is and eterne.
Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool,
That every part deryveth from his hool.
For nature hath nat take his bygynnyng
Of no partye ne cantel of a thing,
But of a thing that parfyt is and stable,
Descendyng so, til it be corumpable.
And therfore of his wyse purveaunce
He hath so wel biset his ordenaunce.
That spices of thinges and progressiouns
Schallen endure by successiouns,
And nat eterne be withoute lye :
This maistow understande and sen at eye.
' Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisschyn<
88
THE KNIOHTES TALE.
Fro tyme that it gynneth first to springe, 2160
And hath so long a lyf, as we may see,
Yet atte laste wasted is the tree.
' Considereth eek, how that the harde stooii
Under oure feet, on which we trede and goon,
Tit wasteth it, as it lith by the weye. 2165
The brode ryver som tyme wexeth dreye.
The grete townes seen we wane and wende.
Then may^e see that al this thing hath ende.
' Of man and womman sen we wel also,
That nedes in oon of thise termes two, 2170
That is to seyn, in youthe or elles age,
He moot ben deed, the kyng as schal a page ;
Som in his bed, som in the deepe see,
Som in the large feeld, as men may se.
Ther helpeth naught, al goth that ilke weye. 2175
Thanne may I seyn that al this thing moot deye.
What maketh this but Jupiter the kyng.?
The which is prynce and cause of alle thing,
Convertyng al unto his propre welle.
From which it is dereyved, soth to telle. 2180
And here agayns no creature on lyve
Of no degré avayleth for to stryve.
Than is it wi^om, as it thinketh me,
To^Tiaken vertu of nécessité
And take it wel, that we may nat eschewe, 2185
And namelyche that to us alle is dewe.
And who so gruccheth aught, he doth folye,
And rebel is to him that al may gye.
And certeynly a man hath most honour
To deyen in his excellence and flour, 2190
Whan he is siker of his goode name.
Than hath he doon his freend, ne him, no schame.
And gladder oughte his freend ben of his deth.
Whan with honour up_yolden is his breth.
THE KNIGETES TALE. 89
Thanne whan his name appalled is for age ; 2195
For al forgeten is his vasselage.
Thanne is it best, as for a worthi fame,
To dyen whan a man is best of name.
The contrarye of al this is wilfiilnesse.
Why grucchen we? why have we hevynesse, 2200
That good Arcyte, of chyvalry the flour,
Departed is, with dueté and honour
Out of this foule prisoun of this lyf?
Why grucchen heer his cosyn and his wyf
Of his welfare that lovede hem so wel ? 2205
Can he hem thank? nay, God woot, never a del,
That bothe his soule and eek hemself ofTende,
And j'et they mowe here lustes nat amende.
' What may I conclude of this longe serye,
But after wo I rede us to be merye, 2210
And thanke Jupiter of al his grace?
And or that we departe fro this place,
I rede that we make, of sorwes two,
O parfyt joye lastyng ever mo :
And loketh now wher most sorwe is her-inne, 2215
Ther wol we first amenden and bygynne.
' Suster,' quod he, ' this is my fülle assent,
4
With al thavys heer of my parlement,
That gentil Palamon,^our owne knight,
That serveth j/ow with herte, wille, and might, 2220
And evere hath doon, syn that ye fyrst him knewe,
That_ye schul of j^oure grace upon him rewe,
And take him for jj'oure housbond and for lord :
Leen me^youre hand, for this is oure acord.
Let see now of j'oure wommanly pité. 2225
He is a kynges brother sone, pardee ;
And though he were a poure bacheler,
Syn he hath served _you so many a yeer,
And had for j/ou%o gret adversité,
4
90
THE KNIGHTES TALE,
It moste be considered, leeveth me.
For gentil mercy aughte passe right.'
Than seyde he thus to Falamon the knight ;
'J trowe ther needeth litel sermonyng
To makenjKOu assente to this thing.
Com neer, and tak^youre lady by the hond.'
Bitwixe hem was i-maad anon the bond,
That highte matrimoyn or mariage,
By al the counseil and the baronage.
And thus with alle blysse and melodye
Hath Palamon i-wedded Emelye.
And God, that al this wyde world hath wrought,
Sende him his love, that hath it deere a-bought.
For now is Palamon in alle wele,
Lyvynge in blisse, in richesse, and in hele.
And Emelye him loveth so tendrely,
And he hire serveth al so gentilly,
That nevera was ther no word hem bitweene
Of jelousye, or any other teene.
Thus endeth Palamon and Emelye ;
And God save al this fayre companye !
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
94
NOTES TO THE FROLOGUE
words longer, shorter, &c., . . it turkeneth (disturbs) all things
at pleasure, for example .... power for powre*^ See note
1. i8.
Swoote plural of swot-, sweet. Final e denotes either the
plural or the definite declension. This, although the older
form, is here probably a mere orthographic variation for the
sake of rhyme, of which liberty there are many instances in the
early poets: it may, however, indicate an unsettled pronun¬
ciation; cf, 1. 5 also, "me iveleth his swete swotness." A.R., 92.
"Thes cos is a swetnesse and a délit of heorte so unimete swote
and swete.*' lb. 102.
3. every. Literally ever-eeuh = ever-like-this.
swich = such. O.E. swylc^ of which the Gothic gives the full
form swa-ieiks^ in which swa is an old form of the relative pronoun
preserved in so, whoso.
The following pronominal roots are compounded with lie :
i (he) the who swa
iike (each). thilke. whilke (which). swilke (such).
licour. Accent on ultimate, which shows that the word was
considered as foreign.
4. which, O.E. whilh, Goth, hwa-leiks, i.e., like what, of
what kind, (Lat. qua-lis) originally used only as an interroga¬
tive.
vertue, accent on ultimate. Vital energy. Literally, manli'
ness, (Lat. t/V) hence the distinguishing characteristic of man or
woman, that is, energy and chastity, bravery standing for all
good qualities. See note 1. 515.
5. breethe. Final e denoting dative.
6. holte, heethe. Final e denoting dative.
7. croppes, .£5 plural termination ; usually syncopated. From
A.S. crop, the top, an ear of corn : some, however, derive from
ge-rip, what is reaped.
yonge sonne. Because just entered upon his annual course
through the signs of the zodiac.
, 8. Ram, " There is a difterence, in astronomy, between the
sign Aries and the co?istellation Aries. In April the sun is,
theoretically, in the sign Taurus, but visibly in the constellation
Aries." M.
hälfe, adv. Final e denoting dative, which in A.S. was
used adverbially. In half, halt, we have a remnant of an old
word for 07te, ha.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
95
Ha-lf =5 ha^ one, leibay part; halt is from the root Utk to go,
and thus = one-limbed.
t-ronncy pp. run. The prefix / or y usually denotes the past
participle ; A.S. and Ger. ge» It sometimes, however, is equivalent
to the intensive prefix be; cf. y^ronneny A.S. be-urnen, K , 1835.
9. makeuy pi.—The present ind. pl. ending in A.S. was athy
which in some dialects changed to s as in the third sing. The
pr. pi. ending was on. En seems to be the result of a tendency
towards uniformity. So also slepen in the next line.
10. that, the A.S. relative; who, which, what, being always
interrogative.
alte nighty acc. of time. "The extent of time and space is
put in the accusative after verbs." March, A.S. Gr., § 295. We
still say all night, all day, but, except in such idiomatic expres¬
sions, we prefix the article ; SiS, all the year ; cf. "He continued C
all night in prayer." Luke vi. 12. • " He was al nyght dwellinge
in the preier of God." lb. ; Wiclif. To denote timQ :when the A.S.
used the genitive or dative, which idiom we have still preserved,
although we have lost the case termination. "But (she) served
God with fastings and prayers night and day." Luke ii. 37.
" Daeges and nihtes theowigende." A.S. In such expressions
we also denote the case relation by a preposition ; as, by night,
Morris reads, "al the night." I follow Tyrwhitt as being
more idiomatic; cf. alday. K., 522.
eyhe = A.S. eage; ^changing into y ; cf. daeg, day.
11. friketh = inciteth, spurreth. It sometimes means to ride
on horseback ; as, —
" A gentle knight was pricking on the plaine." F.Q^, i. i, § i.
hem = them, A.S. him. We have taken the A.S. dative for
our acc. or objective case of the pronouns, as the modern
French forms the nominative case of nouns from the Latin ac¬
cusative. The form them has been assumed from the plural of
the demonstrative sg, seo, thaet. Hem is still in colloquial use;
as, "Give 'em to me." This affords a good illustration of the
growth of language; the plural of the personal pronouns has
disappeared, while its place has been filled by the plural of the
definite article, for which we had no further use.
nature, accented on the ultimate.
herc =- their, of them. A.S. heora, gen. pi. = of them. See
remarks on hem. Cf. "here ailer cappe," p. 586= the caps of
them all.
#
96
NOTES TO THE PROLOQUE
corageSf hearts. We use heart in this sense; as, to take
heart."
12. Thanne = then. See note 1. i. Then and than were origi¬
nally the same word, and in E.E. there is great confusion in their
orthography; then being usually written than, and than, then,
*'The Cambric (is) sooner stayned then the course canvas."
When parents have more care how to leave their children
wealthywise, and are more desirous to have them mainteine'
the name then the nature of a gentleman." Euphues, Arber's
ed. p. 34.
To gon=io go, infinitive. The A.S. inf. ending was an,
which changed to en; then dropped the «, and finally the e,
which bi-ings us to the present form.
13. palmers, strictly persons who had made a pilgrimage to
the Holy Land, and brought back a palm branch as a token :
here used as synonymous yixih.pi'lgrtm, A palmer was one who
made a business of visiting shrines, while a pilgrim was one who
made such a journey in pursuance of a vow, and then returned
to his usual avocation.
for to seehen. The A.S. verb, besides the common infinitive,
had another substantive form of the verb, answering to the
dative case of the infinitive, which is called the gerund, and
which was always preceded by to, while the infinitive wanted
this prefix. This gerund denoted the action rather than the act.
Having lost the power of distinguishing cases by terminations,
the construction was indicated by prepositions, as in the case
•of nouns; the infinitive taking the prefixand the dative or
gerundia! infinitive prefixing for to the regular infinitive. To
Keeken must be construed as a verbal in the dative after for. We
find the gerundial construction in E.E. without for, thus adopt¬
ing the A.S. construction. " Art thou he that art to cummynge."
Matt. xi. 3; Wiclif. "Eart thu the to cumenne eart." A.S.
But the gerund without for, generally in E.E,, and always in
modern English, appears in the form of the present participle ;
•e. g., *^Nyle ye gesse that I am to accusinge you." Jno. v. 45;
Wiclif. Seeing is believing." This gerundial in modern Eng¬
lish is infiected in all the cases, with the prepositions for, to,
or <7, e. g., He has a strong passion for painting;" " I go a-
fishing." Sometimes the gerundial has the form of the infinitive,
from which it must then be carefully distinguished. " And fools
who came to scoff remained to pray." The following observa-
NOTES TO THE FT OL OQUE.
97
tions may aid in distinguishing gerundial forms from infinitives,
and from nouns and participles in in^^: (a) An ùififiitive is
always either the subject or object of a verb; as, "To err is
human ; " " He told me to go." Gerundial forms are found,
however, after intransitive and passive verbs. "Why run to
meet what you would most avoid.?" " Slain to make a Roman
holiday." (b) Gerundial forms are often connected with adjec¬
tives or nouns, apparently being governed by them; as, "Apt
to teach;" " A time to build ; " " A house to let." (c) If ending
in ùig'y gerundials may be governed by a preposition, and also
govern a case; as, "He spent a fortune in educating his son."
The primary object of the gerundial form is to express purpose,
fitness, &c., — to consider the act done rather than the doing it.
The distinction between these two meanings of the modern Eng¬
lish infinitive is important, because different A.S. forms are rep¬
resented, and because they correspond to different constructions
in the classic languages. Partly from Angus's Handbook, p. 205.
14. to ferne halives. Construe with langen to gon. Read ;
"Then people long to go on pilgrimages to distant shrines."
15. sckireSf gen. of schire»
ewi/e = extremity. "His going forth is from the end of the
heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it." Ps. xix. 6.
16 Engelond; i.e., land of the Angles, — England.
Canturbury, three syllables.
luend = go. Went, the assumed prêt, of go, is the prêt, of
wend. The original prêt- of go was eode or yode, which indicates
the root to, from which go has been derived by strengthening t
into y and then into^. We still use the expression " Wending
one's way."
17. /toly, A.S. halig, /tal, hale; tg, adj. termination. It is
curious to notice that the words in A.S. denoting virtues and
vices are the same as those which denote bodily graces or de¬
fects; as, /lalig, holy, from hale, whole, sound; wrong from
wringan, to twist; wicked from wt'can, to yield: A holy man is
a healthy man; a wicked man is a weak man; a wrong action
is an action wrung or twisted out of proper shape.
mártir, Thomas à Becket.
for to see/ie = iox to seeken. See 1. 13 and note.
18. 7'>4a/=who. The A.S. relative was that, who being al¬
ways interrogative.
holpen p.p. of helpen.
«
7
98
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
ivhan that. See note 1. i. Such expressions reveal the pro¬
nominal force of the adverb, that referring to ivhen considered as
a pronoun. As the interrogative force of who and its derivatives
was lost, the relative word was dropped.
seeke = sick, ill. This use of the word is now called an Ameri¬
canism, the English having restricted its use to nausea. The
orthography is varied for the sake of the rhyme. ** It is some¬
what more tolerable to help the rime by false orthographie then
to leaue an vnpleasant dissonance to the eare by keeping trewe
orthographie and loosing the rime ; as, for example, it is better to
rime Dare with Restore^ then in his truer orthographie which is
Doorc ; and to this word Desire to say Fier, then fyre, though
it be otherwise better written fire''* Puttenham's Arte of Poesie,
ii. 8.
19. ByfcL Construe with was come, 1. 23.
that, dem. pron. Whenever in a sentence a leading element
is replaced by a sentence which, for emphasis or grace, is thrown
out of its natural position, or when placed at such a distance
from the leading verb as otherwise to form a blind construction,
the demonstrative pronoun that is used to call attention to the
element already or hereafter to be introduced: e.g., "To be or
not to be, that is the question ; " " We hear it not seldom said
that ignorance is the mother of admiration " = We not seldom
hear ignorance is, &c., said. " We cannot place a verb or a
sentence in the accusative relation without prefixing to it a con¬
junction; i.e., a pronoun which is the bearer of the case relatiot
in which the sentence appears." Bopp, Comp. Gr., 1414. Some
grammarians call that, when so used, the " sentence article,"
which is perhaps its best and most expressive designation. The
demonstrative force of the word is shown bv the fact that when
the exact words of another are quoted, that is omitted, as : " He
said * I will come ' " = He said that he would come. We use the
definite article similarly before nouns in the predicate; as, " He
spoke the truth." When the language was inflected, pronouns
being the most highly inflected of the parts of speech, the
demonstrative would by its terminations indicate most clearly
the construction. Thus, in Greek, the infinitive or a sentence
may be construed as a substantive ; the construction in such cases
being always shown by the inflection of the neuter article pre¬
fixed, which exactly corresponds to the case under consideration.
In the case now before us, that calls the attention to the fact that
LiMi cr.^ r
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE. U^ARf
the subject of hyfel has not been introduced ; it therefore qualifies
"Wei nyne and twenty, &c., was come."
That in such cases is also sometimes explained as having a
relatival force, but it is better considered as a substantival sign.
See also note, 1. 43.
20. Tabard, "A jaquet or slevelesse coat worne in times
past by noblemen in the warres, but now only by heraults [her¬
alds], and is called theyre 'coate of armes in servise.' It is the
signe of an inne in Southwarke by London, within the which
was the lodging of the Abbot of Hyde by Winchester. This is
the hostelrie where Chaucer and the other pilgrims mett together,
and, with Henry Baily, their hoste, accorded about the manner
of their journey to Canterbury." Speght.
23. was come. An intransitive pluperfect form. Intransitives
in A.S. formed the perfect and pluperfect with the auxiliary to be^
as ic eom, waes cumen; ic si, waere cumen.
hostelrie,, a lodging, an inn, usually abbreviated into hotel.
'•''Hostler properly signifies the keeper of an inn, and not, as
now, the servant who looks after the horses." M. We still call
the keeper of an inn " mine host."
24. Wet = full, adv.
in a company. We would now omit the article, which here
has the force of one; in one company, i.e., together.
25. Of sondry folk = of various kinds, different classes of
people; gen. after numerals.
folk,, coll. noun = people. This word has no plural form.
by aventure ifallc = by chance fallen into fellowship or com¬
pany.
aventure = ad-venture. By aventure = Fr. peradventure.
We find at a venture = ^t aventure, and adventure, "A certain
_ man drew a bow at a venture." i Kg. xxii. 34.
26. felawschipe, fellowship. From felaw, a companion. The
suffix ship (from A.S. scapan, to make) denotes state, office;
cf. landscape.
thei. It is worthy of notice that Chaucer always uses the
personal forms here,, hem for the oblique cases, but the demon¬
strative form thei for the nominative plural of the personal
pronouns.
Alle, dissyllable. Final e denotes the plural.
27. wolden, pr. pi. of will.
ryde = riden, inf.^ final e sounded.
lOO
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
chambres — stables, private and public rooms. (?) Stable lit¬
erally means a standing place, but in this connection perhaps
alludes to the public rooms of the inn (the standing places), as
compared with the private rooms or chambers (sleeping places).
" And he . .. ledde into a stable and dide the cure of hym."
Luke X. 34. Wicllf,
" Ther was not place to hym in the comyn stable."
Luke ii. 7. lb.
29. Tvel—esed: a translation of the French bien aisés. Easy
retains this force in such expressions as A man in circum¬
stances."
atte = at the, O.E. at than, atten, A.S. at tham. Atte is usu¬
ally followed by the dative as in E.E., and when followed by a
feminine noun the corresponding form is alter,
beste, adjective in dative, used adverbially with ellipsis of
noun.
30. schortly=^\n a little while.
to reste = i.e., had set. Zi? and are different forms
of the same word ; cf. Lat. ad,
31. So correlates with that in next line.
Everychon = every one. The y in every represents the word
each, and thus gives to the word its distributive force.
32. here = their, gen. pl., used adjectively.
anon = in one (moment), an = in. Gower writes in one."
"And loke upon her ever in one." Con. Am., iii. 28.
*
" But ever in one min eye longeth." Ib., 29.
33. made, dissyllable ; contracted from maked,
34. ther as lyow devyse= to that place that I speak to you of.
Ther 05 = where. When followed by a5, ther seems to retain its
pronominal force, while as serves as its correlative pronoun.
When the pronominal force was wholly lost, as was dropped.
Where was originally used only as an interrogative.
devyse = to speak of. We still use advise in the same sense ;
as, " He was advised of the fact."
35. natheles ^ none-the-less, nevertheless; cf. Lat. quominus,
vjJiiles = whilst. The O.E. Jivjile is still in good colloquial
use, the comparatively modern form vjhilst being generally pre¬
ferred in written discourse.
36. Or that = before that, ere that. Or = A.S. aer, ere.
" Clear was the day as I have told or this." K., 825.
"Or ever thou hadst formed the earth." Ps. xc. 2.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE,
lOI
37. Mtt/iinketh = \t seems (proper) to me. Aie is dative after
the so-called impersonal construction. In A.S. this verb had
two forms, — an 2ícú\q, t/iencan, to think, and an intransitive,
thtncan, to seem. We have confused the two verbs in modern
English by spelling both alike ; whilst in the case of set, sit ; lay,
lie, we have retained the distinction in the spelling as well as
in the sense. "And the watchman said, Me thinketh the run¬
ning of the foremost," etc. 2 Sam. xviii. 27. We still use me-
ikinks, but without any conception of its true construction. The
grammatical subject of thinketh is the inf. to telle, which is here
anticipated by it, according to our common idiom ; it, therefore,
refers to to telle as its antecedent.
In illustration of this construction compare the expression
" If you please," where y«?« is dative, and please a subjunctive by
inflection.
according to, with the French participial ending.
resoun, accented on the ultimate.
38. To telle = to teilen. Final e sounded.
yow, dative after to telle,
con-dAcLoun.
39. hem = them.
so as: so limits to-telle; as (also) is a conjunction.
it semede me = it seemed to me. Me, dative.
40. -which (A.S. hwydic, like what) here means tvhat sort of
persons, noting an indirect question.
degre degree, station in life. This word originally denoted
the steps, or seats in an amphitheatre arranged in the form of
steps, and came, as here, to denote rank, from the custom of as¬
signing certain seats to the different classes of society; cf. de*
grade = to seat one lower; cf. also K., 11. 576, 1032.
41. what array that. The relative that is added because of the
interrogative force of what: it is also added to all cases of who,
which, what, to form the relative. The full construction would
be, " In what array it was that they were in."
Inne, adv. In O.E. the prep, is in, the adv. inne.
42. knight, " It was a common thing in this age for knights
to seek emploj'ment in foreign countries which were at war." M.
than =-\hen,
âyginne ^hegin ; inf. e final is sounded as sign of the inf.
Ey has been corrupted into he in several words; e.g., because for
bycause. ^
102 NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
43. t/ier, indefinite pronoun, and like it used to anticipate
or designate the subject, which is usually introduced subse¬
quently: the expression here is equivalent to, *'Ther was a
knight," but poetic license has restored the order, although the
word which denotes the inversion in prose is still retained. Ther
acts like a demonstrative, calling attention to the subject, if already
introduced, or anticipating it if placed after the verb ; and its use
is best explained by that (see note, 1. 19) when used to call atten¬
tion to a leading element, either by way of emphasis, or for the
sake of clearness. That there in such cases is a pronoun, and
not an adverb or an exj>letive as it is sometimes called, may be
seen by a comparison of the two words thus used, viz., it and
there^ as the same reasoning will apply to both; cf. Thaer
weard geworden micel eorthbifung." A.S. "^5 geschah ein
grosses erdheben." Ger. Matt, xxviii. 2. Cf. also, "These are
times that try men's souls," and, "There are times that try men's
souls." The first expression = " These times try men's souls ; "
the second = Certain times try men's souls." The first is a
definite statement; the second is indefinite: the difference is,
of course, due to the subject, which in one case is a definite de¬
monstrative, and in the other an indefinite demonstrative.
and that = and that one (he). The demonstrative is used to
emphasize the word to which it refers. Cf. Gr. koI tovto, Eph.
ii. 8. " We still use * and that* to give emphasis, and call atten¬
tion to an additional circumstance; e.g., 'He was condemned,
and that unheard. * " Abbott, Sh. Gr., § 70.
44. ^^a/ = who; to be construed with he in next line. We
also find that his ^ vi\vose, K., 1853. That Ä//w = whom; ivho
being used interrogatively, and that being a general relative was
rendered definite by the addition of the personal pronoun, which
could not be used relatively without some relative word. We
have obviated the difficulty by using who as a personal relative,
retaining the indefinite relative that.
45. chyvalrye =■ the profession of a knight. F. chevalier. The
Lat. cahallus has passed into English as cob^ with a singular
change in meaning, not denoting a spirited horse, but the re¬
verse.
46. honour^ fredom^ accented on the ultimate.
curtesie co\xr\\y manners.
" I take thy word,
And trust thy honest offered courtesy.
NOTES TO THE FROLOQLE,
103
Which oft is sooner found in lowly sheds
With smoky rafters, than in tapestry halls
And courts of princes, where it first was named
And yet is most pretended."
Comus, 322.
47. lordes^ gen. of lord, — lord's, — the apostrophe marking
the elision of the vowel.
48. hadde^ pronounced had.
riden., p.p. = ridden.
ferre., comp, of far. Thus, also, ¿/erre = dearer ; ner =
nearer; 5¿zrre = sorer ; tt/¿7rre = worse.
49. Christendom — heihenesse = \n Christian lands — heathen
countries. Hethenesse is from the root heath = the open country.
The same low idea of the morals of country people is seen in the
word t^///¿ir/«, which means villager; that is, the person attached
to the villa or farm as opposed to citizen.
As in, to be read '5 in.
50. honoured, supply he tuas.
Scan : And ev | ere hon | oured for | his worth | inesse.
51. Alisandre. Alexandria was won (and immediately after
abandoned) in 1365, by Pierre de Lusignan, King of Cyprus.
Walsingham says: * Interfuerunt autem huic captione cum rege
Cypriœ plures Anglici.'" T.
52. Eul ofte tyme = i\x\\ many a time, — very many times.
He hadde the bord bygonne. He had been placed at the
head of the table, the usual compliment to extraordinary merit."
T. Mr. Marsh suggests (which suggestion is adopted by Mor¬
ris) that bord is the Low Ger. boort, joust, tournament. Wright's
Diet. Ob. and Prov. Eng. gives '•^Bordes (A. N. behordeis)
tournaments ; " but the following extract from Gower's Confessio
Amantis, iii. 298, would seem to be conclusive in favor of
Tyrwhitt's explanation : —
**The floure of all the town was there
And of the court also there were,
And that was in a large place
Right even before the Kinges face,
Whiche Artestrates thanne hight,
The pley was pleied right in his sight.
And who most worthy was of dede
Receive he shttlde a certain mede,
And in the citee here a price \_prize'\.
NOTES TO THE PBOLOGUE.
Appollinus, which ware and wise,
Of every game couth an ende \_a pciri']^
He thought assay, howso it wende,
And fell among hem into game,
And there he wanne him such a name
So as the king himself accompteth
That he all other men surmounteth,
And bare the prise above hem alle.
The king bad that into his halle
At souper time he shall be brought.
At souper time netheles
The king amiddes all the près
Let clepe him up amonge hem alle
And bad his mareshall of his halle
To setten him in suck degre
That he upon him mighte sc.
The king was sone sette and served
And he which had his prise deserved,
After the kinges owne worde
Was made begin a middel borde
That bothe king and quene him sigh [might see~\,'*
53. Aboven alle naciouns. He took the precedence of the rep¬
resentatives of all other nations at the Court of Prussia. When
our English knights wanted employment, it was usual for them
to go and serve in Pruce or Prussia, with the Knights of the
Teutonic order, who were in a state of constant warfare with
their heathen neighbors in Lettow (Lithuania), Ruce (Russia),
and elsewhere." T.
Pruce; i.e. Borussia = Lower Russia.
55. Read : " No Christian man of his rank had reysed (raided)
so often in Lithuania and in Russia."
56. Gernade— Granada. Algezir was taken from the Moor¬
ish king of Granada in 1344-
atte = at the. See note, 1. 29.
he = been. The final en dropped as in the infinitives. The
A.S. beon had no past participle ; cf. ydo — ydon.
57. riden = ridden. Pronounced rid'n.
Belmarie and Tremassene were Moorish kingdoms in
Africa." M.
58- Lieys in Armenia was taken from the Turks by Pierre de
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
Lusignan about 1367, and Satalie (Attalia) by the same prince
soon after.
59. Greete See = that part of the Mediterranean between the
Greek islands and the coast of Syria. " Ye shall even have the
great sea for a border." Numb, xxxiv. 6.
60. arive. Literally a landing, an arrival, but here denoting
a hostile landing. Terms denoting travel in E.E. denote quite
frequently warlike movements ; cf. rider, Ger. ritter=^z. warrior.
" Fro thenne he goth toward Itaile
By ship, and there his arrivaile
Hath take, and shope him for to ride [ra/V/]."
Gower, ii. 4.
"And forth he goth, as nought ne were,
To Troy, and was the firste there,
Which londeth and toke arrivaile,
For him was lever in the bataile.
He saith, to deien as a knight
Than for to live in all his might
And be reproved of his name." lb , 66.
"Tho saw I eke all the arivaile
That .¿Eneas had made in Itaile." H. of F., i. 451.
Scan : At man | y a no | bl' arriv | e hadde \ he be.
Tyrwhitt reads armee.
61. mortal batta¿lles = áQ2^á\y conñ\cts\ as distinguished from
mere tournaments or listes, as in 1. 63, which denotes single
combat or duel.
battailles^ battles. Primary signification, the blows given in
combat; hence a company of men engaged in battle. "Their
battles are at hand." Shak. J. C., v. i. (i.e., battalions^.
62. foughten-» P-P*» badde.
63. lystes = tournaments ; single combats. So called from
the line (Lat. liciuin) enclosing the field of combat.
"The field with listes was all about enclosed,
To barre the prease of people farre away."
Spenser, F. Q¿, iv. 3, § 4.
Listes also denotes the enclosed space : —
"At last arriving by the listes side,
Shee with her rod did softly smite the raile."
F. iv. 3, § 46.
ay ~ alway, i.e., each time; not as now denoting continuous
duration.
io6
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
64. tike = same ; cf. " of that ilk."
65. Some tyme = at one time. Some is the A.S. indefinite
pronoun. Sum man = aliquis* Tyme in the acc. of time.
lord = sovereign. Lord, which in modern English has
become synonymous with nobleman, was in A.S. hlaford^ which
is supposed by some to mean, — ord^ the origin of, hlaf^ loaf ;
while others look upon it as a corruption of hlaf'^veard^ the
warder of bread. It corresponds to the German Brot-kerr, and
meant originallj* employer, master, lord." Max Müller. But this
etymology is doubtful. See note under 1. 6oi.
Palatye in Anatolia; one of the lordships held by Christian
knights under the Turks.
66. hethene^ sc. king. The word heathen acquired its mean¬
ing from the fact that, at the introduction of Christianity into
Germany, the wild dwellers on the heaths [open country] longest
resisted the truth." Trench on Words.
" Hethen is to mene after heeth and untiled erthe."
Piers PI.
67. sovereyn frys = a superior renown ; the highest praise.
68. though that ~ though. This expression is perhaps best
explained by considering it as elliptical, and supplying it he, as
in the expression *Mf so be that."
69. of his -port = in his deportment; an imitation of the A.S.
gen. of part or relation. See March, A.S. Gr., § 321.
mayde = a maiden. This word in the A.S. has a variety of
meanings; e.g., maid, daughter, family, relation, tribe, people,
country. From the root magan, to be able, whence also the form
tnaeg, in the masculine, denoting son, relation, neighbor. The
literal meaning would therefore be " the strength of a family,"
a designation peculiarly applicable to children when each family
composed a clan, which would be strengthened as well by the
matrimonial alliances of the daughters, as by the number of the
sons.
70. no — ne: In E.E. as in French, the noun and the verb
were each negatived, the two negations not making an affirma¬
tive. We have here three negatives, never — no — ne,
vilonye = conduct unbecoming a gentleman. '^The word
villain is, first, the serf or peasant; villanus, because attached to
the villa or farm. He is, secondly, the peasant, who, it is fur¬
ther taken for granted, will be churlish, selfish, dishonest, and
generally of evil moral conditions; those having come to be
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE. 107
assumed as always belonging to him, and to be permanently
associated with his name, by those higher classes of society who,
in the main, commanded the springs of language. At the third
step, nothing of the meaning which the etymology suggests,
nothing of the vtlla survives any longer; the peasant is wholly
dismissed, and the evil moral conditions of him who is called by
this name alone remain ; so that the name would now, in this its
final stage, be applied as freely to peer, if he deserved it, as to
peasant." Trench, Eng. Past and Pres , 262.
The villain or villein in England was a feudal tenant of the
lowest class, and hence the transfer of meaning in the word had
probably a better foundation than aristocratic pride.
71. maner = manner of wight; sort of person. In
E.E. of \% omitted after manner. "And all manner vessels of
ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood." Rev.
xviii. 12.
" So in swiche maner rime is Dantes tale." C. T., 6709.
72. verray = \x\x^. In E.E. used as an adjective. "Art thou
my very son Esau" Gen. xxvii. 25. " Very God of very God."
Creed.
= noble ; with the manners of the higher orders of
society ; well-bred. This word comes from the Latin ^(^«5, which
signified a clan, and was used particularly to designate those
patrician families who had descended from the senators selected
by Romulus and Tarquín. Gentile is the same word, meaning
the clans or tribes; hence all clans but ours. Cf. genteel,
gentleman.
73. Bnt — i.e., " I will omit further encomium."
you'y dative, indirect object of telle.
izr/'ay — outfit. "Whos schulen tho thingis be that thou
hast arayed." Luke xii. 20; Wiclif.
74. ne — nought, the usual double negative.
nought = in no respect (from A.S.//a—zuiht). We use the
full form as a noun, and the contracted form as the adverb;
cf. naught, nought, not.
gay=. lively, fast. Morris says : " Gay here seems to signify
decked out in various colors," but we still speak of n gay horse,
meaning one full of mettle.
75. 'werede, preterite of wear. A.S., werian pr. iverede. In
this case the general tendency of the language towards the sub¬
stitution of the weak for the strong conjugation has been over-
io8
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
come by the more powerful influence of analogy; so that this
verb, which in A.S. was conjugated according to the weak form,
has in modern English taken a strong preterite.
76. w/V^ = by ; cf. Ger. mit. With and by are closely allied in
many of their uses, the original signification of either denoting
proximity.
" He is attended with a desperate train."
Shak. Lear, ii. 4.
h^hergeoun^ a diminutive of hauberk (A.S. halsbeoyg= neck-
guard), but often used as synonymous with it; a piece of defen¬
sive armor, descending from the neck to the middle : according
to some, " armor protecting the head and shoulders." The fol¬
lowing extract from the Rime of Sir Thopas, § 24, 25, describes
the arrjor of a knight : —
He didde next his white lere [^shùi']
Of cloth of take \linen\ fine and clere
A breche and eke a sherte ;
And next his shert an kaketon [cassock']
And over that an habergeon
For percing of his herte;
And over that a fine hauberk^
Was all ywrought of Jewes werk.
Ful strong it was of plate ;
And over that his cote-armoure.
As white as is the lily floure,
In which he wold debate [ßght]"
77. ycome, p.p. come. The prefix / or y denotes the past parti¬
ciple of verbs. It is still used as an archaism \n yclept. In A.S.
it Avas also prefixed to the preterite tense.
viage, a journey either by sea or land. The journey to Can¬
terbury is called a viage in 1. 792.
78. pilgrimage^ which he had vowed in case of his safe return.
It was usual to perform such votive pilgrimages in the dress
worn on the journey.
80. lovyere. This is still the vulgar pronunciation, but which
is only an archaism; formed from A.S. lufian^ pronounced loof-
y an,
Lîisty^ vigorous, handsome; without the opprobrious force
the word has since acquired.
hacheler, " A soldier not old or rich enough to lead his re¬
lations into battle with a banner. The original sense of the word
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE. 109
IS lütle-, smally young", íromV^eXihbachP Webster. The func¬
tions of a knight were complete when he rode at the head of his
retainers assembled under his banner, which was expressed by
the term 'lever bannière.' So long as he was unable to take
this step, either from insufficient age or poverty, he would be
considered only as an apprentice in chivalry, and was called a
knight bachelor." Wedgwood, 2d ed.
81. <75= as if. The verb ivei'e leyde being in the subjunctive,
rendered the conjunction unnecessary, so long as the conditional
mode was indicated by inflection. Having lost the power of
indicating contingency by the form of the verb, we now use the
conjunctions if, though, &c. The construction without if is fre¬
quent in Shakspeare. See Craik's E. of S., p. 279.
82. of tvjc7ity yeer, A.S. gen. of time how long, "And whanne
Jhesus was maad of twelve yeeres." Luke ii. 42; Wiclif. The
A.S. more generally expressed this idea by ivinire.
yeer, pi. In E.E. neuters took no inflection in the plural ;
thus hors, deer, Sic. Harvest is the primitive signification of
our English word year, and its representative in the cognate
languages. I am aware that this is not the received etymology
oiyear, nor do I propose it with by any means entire confidence.
... In Anglo-Saxon ear signifies an ear of grain ; and by sup¬
plying the collective prefix ge, common to all the Teutonic lan¬
guages, we have gear, an appropriate expression for harvest, and
at the same time a term which, as well as winter, was employed
as the name of the entire year. The corresponding words, in
the cognate languages, admit of a similar derivation ; and this,
to me, seems a more probable etymology than those by which
these words are connected with remoter roots." Marsh, Lect.
on E. L., p. 245, note.
= should think ; subj. The idea of uncertainty does not
attach to this word in E.E.
83. eve7telengthe — '^xo'^txbc\^\.', i.e., neither too tall nor too
short, — the usual height.
84. gret — %r9:2X\ definite form
Of strengthenregards strength. This use of is com¬
mon in Shakspeare. "A valiant man of his hands." Abbott's
Sh. Gr., § 113. Cf. " Swift of foot." " A zeal of God." Rom.
X. 2. It is the A.S. adjunct genitive denoting the part or relation
in which the quality is conceived. See March, A.S. Gr., §321.
85. chevachie, military service. " It most properly means an
9
no
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
expedition with a small party of cavalry, but is often used gen¬
erally for any military expedition. Hollinshed calls it a rode
[i.e., a ratd'\* T.
87. Afid born him behaved bravely.
as — so* As is a contraction of a/so (A.S. ea/-s'zva)f the a//
merely emphasizing the so. As = in that way; to that degree
that. Read: **And had borne himself bravely — all in so little
time — in hope to stand in his lady's favor." Tyrwhitt reads
**as of so," which would mean " for one of his years," an easier
reading, though the other gives the same general meaning.
88. /adj/ ^race = lady's grace. Lady is for Ladye, gen. sing,
(not pi. as Morris's ed. reads). In E.E. the genitive of some
feminine nouns ended in e; other nouns ending in e were some¬
times inflected in a similar manner. ^*That biteth the horse
heels." Gen. xlix. 17, where, however, /¿orse may be gen. pl-
A.S. horsa.
89. Embroided= einhroideredy — /V, i.e., his clothing.
90. a¡, adv. used intensively.
fresshe* "The English brisk, fyisky^ and fresh, all come from
the same source. . . . Fresh has passed through a Latin chan¬
nel, as may be seen from the change of its vowel, and, to a cer¬
tain extent, in its taking the suffix ment in refreshment, which is
generally, though not entirely, restricted to Latin words. Under
a thoroughly foreign form it exists in English as fresco, so called
because the paint was applied to the walls whilst the plaster was
still fresh or damp." M. Müller.
91. ßoytynge = flaying on the flute.
" And many a floyte and litling home." H. of F., iii. 133.
al the day, acc. of time.
92. = month. " is a very old word. Jtwasmona
in A.S. For month, we have in A.S. monath, in Gothic menoth.
in Sanskrit we find mas for moon, and masa for month. Now
this 7nas in Sanskrit is clearly derived from a root ma, to meas¬
ure, to mete. The moon, therefore, is the measurer, and month
is the portion of time measured by it." See Sei. of Lang., Mül¬
ler, ist Series, p. 16.
93. 'wyde = \ax%e. We read in the poem on the Deposition of
Richard II. of " Sieves that slode uppon the erthe." p. 22.
94. sitte and ryde, infinitives for and riden depending on
co^de.
on hors = on horseback. The loss of inflection has rendered
NOTES TO TEE PROLOGUE. m
necessary a large increase of definitive words. We would be
obliged to use the article here.
fatre = Í2i\T\y, well. Any adjective in A.S. could be used in
the dative as an adverb ; having lost the infiection, we restrict
the adverb to the form in ly, A.S. lice.
95. make., endite, juste, daunce, piirtraye, and write, are infini¬
tives depending upon cowde.
96. j>urtraye= dmw, sketch. We restrict the noun portrait
to a painting of a face or person.
write. To be able to write was a rare accomplishment ; cf.
clergy = clericus = clerk.
97. nigktertale = "A.S. nihtern-dael. Lyd-
gate uses nightertyme." T. Morris explains as night tale = the
reckoning or time of night.
98. sleep = The addition of t changes this verb to
the weak conjugation. It was a useless addition.
nygktynga/e= nightingale. A.S. nihte, by night; gale, a
singer, from galan, to sing; cf. Lat. gallus.
99. Curteys. See note, 1. 46.
servysable^ willing to render service.
ICQ. carf=eax\ed, —pr. of kerven, to carve.
ICI. Teman. "Yeman, or yeoman, is an abbreviation of
yeongeman, as youtke is of yeongthe. Young men being most
usually employed in service, servants have, in many languages,
been denominated from the single circumstance of age. The
title of yeoman was given, in a secondary sense, to people of
middling rank, not in service. The appropriation of the word
to signify a small landholder is more modern, I apprehend." T.
More probably, a countryman. Frisic, gaeman, a villager.
he, i.e., the knight.
servantes, dissyllable, accented on ultimate.
no moo = no more. An abbreviated comparative of many.
Mo, moe, are common in Shakspeare.
102. him luste = it pleased him. Him maybe construed as
dative after the impersonal construction, or, perhaps better, as
in A.S., as acc. after impersonal of feeling. "Impersonale of
appetite or passion, in A.S., govern an accusative of the person
suffering." March, § 290. So hunger, thirst, list, long, loath,
irk, rue, dream, tickle, smart, game.
Ryde, inf. subject of luste.
103. hood—hat^ Ger. hut. Hood now denotes a covering
112
NOTES TO THE PEOLOQÜE,
for the head worn hy women. It literally means a protection,
or covering.
Grefte was the favorite color of hunters. Immediately he
clothed the chiefest of his men in Lincoln green, with black
hats, and white feathers, all alike." Robin Hood in Thom's
E. E. Prose Rom., p. iii.
104. pocok arwest arrows feathered with peacock feathers.
Ascham in his Toxophilus (p. 129, Arber's ed.) says: "And
trewelye at a short but, which some man doth use, ye Pecock
fether doth seldome kepe vp ye shaft eyther ryght or leuel," to
which bad reputation Chaucer evidently alludes in 1. 107.
= arrows. A.S. arewe^ arvje^, ixova ar (ore), copper,
and therefore equivalent in meaning to " the weapon," — as we
say " the steel " for " the sword." Copper, being found pure and
easily worked, was the earliest metal made use of by man, and
in most languages has given the generic name for metal. Thus
Hesiod says (Op. 149): "The ancients had copper implements
(weapons) and copper houses, and they wrought (dealt) in
copper, for they did not have the black iron." Thus the Greek
term for copper, was used by Homer for the general term
weapon and also metal. So A.S. ar, O.N. or. Eng. ore, Oer.
erz, Lat. ces {aer-s), all point to one and the same metal, — cop¬
per; and as the Greeks called the sword and the Latins
designated weapons by aera (" Ardentis clipeos atque aera mi-
cantia cerno," Virgil, Aen. ii. 734), so our ancestors used the
same word to designate their chief weapon. Wedgwood, how¬
ever, refers the name " to their vjhirrtng through the air."
brighte. Formerly applied to sounds as well as to objects.
" Heosong so schille and so brihie." O. and N. 1654.
" The phenomena from whence all representative words are im¬
mediately taken must, of course, belong to the class which
addresses itself to the ear; and we find accordingly that the
words expressing attributes of light are commonly derived from
those of sound." Wedgwood.
105. ihriftily, carefully, with the air of a man who under¬
stood his business.
106. yomanly, in a manner becoming a yeoman.
107. ivith fetheres, because of the bad adjustment of the
feathers. This use of -withis, common in Skakspeare. "With
(which like by signifies juxtaposition) is often used to express
the juxtaposition of cause and effect." Shak. Gr., § 193.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
113
lou'e, adv. modifying drowpede.
109. Not-keed, a head with close-cut hair. Tyrwhitt's Glos¬
sary explains as a head like a nut."
111. bracer^ armor for the arm to protect it from the recoil
of the bow-string. "A bracer serueth for two causes, one to
saue his arme from the strype of the strynge, and his doublet
from wearynge, and the other is, that the strynge glydynge
sharpelye and quicklj^e of the bracer, may make the sharper
shoote." Toxophilus, Arber's ed., 108.
112. bokeîer^ a dissyllable.
113. that other The neuter of the A.S. demon¬
strative, which we have taken as the definite article, was thaet^
and in E.E. was often used where we would now use the posses¬
sive pronoun. The same usage prevails in Greek.
daggere. " The syllable or represents the noise of
a blow with something sharp; then the instrument with which
the blow is given, or any thing of similar form." Wedgwood.
114. Harneysed, fitted with hangings.
115. Cristofre-, an image of St. Christopher, patron saint of
the weather and forests, and especially reverenced by the lower
orders of society; it was worn as a brooch, and was considered
as having power to shield the wearer from hidden danger.
117. forstevy a forester; one who had charge of a forest.
119. symple. Elide final e before a vowel. The original
meaning of simple lacked the idea of stupidity which we gen¬
erally attach to it. Simple has come to us through the French ;
while complex^ from the same root, has come from the Latin direct.
120. gretteste. Final e denotes definite declension.
Ne — but=on]y. Still used in England in the form
Wright's Die. The second negative is here supplied by b/it^
which has a negative force. The thief cometh not but for to
steal." Gr. el fih' Jno. x. 10. Cf. also, " There were but ten"
= there were no more than (only) ten. See Abbott's Shak. Gr.,
§§ 118-130.
Toy = E\oyy i.e., St. Eligius. Tyrwhitt reads: nasbiit by
St. Eloy."
122. sang the servise = \ntontá the service. And bi the
weie ase heo geth, go singinde hire beoden " (beads, prayers).
An. R., 424.
Servise., prayers, — not mass, which could be celebrated only
by a priest. ^
8
114
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
123. Entuned in her nose» The notion that there is a peculiar
solemnity in a nasal tone is not yet extinct.
semely, hecomingly : trissyllable.
124. From the time of William the Conqueror, who filled all
offices in Church and State with Normans, and thus made
French the aristocratic language, until nearly, if not quite, to
the time of Chaucer, familiarity with the French language was
esteemed a mark of high breeding and education. Gower, a
contemporary of Chaucer, wrote one of his long poems in
French, one in Latin, and one in English. The confusion of
the speech of the different classes of people between these three
tongues — Latin being spoken by ecclesiastics, French by the
nobility, and English by the common people — is admirably
shown by the specimens given in the " Political Songs of Eng¬
land," edited by Thos. Wright for the Camden Society, 1839.
En seynt eglise sunt multi saepe priores ;
Summe beoth wyse, multi sunt inferiores." p. 251.
Robert of Gloucester (i. 364) gives the following account of the
introduction of French : —
Thus come lo ! Engelond into Normannes honde.
And the Normans ne couthe speke tho bote her owe speche,
And speke French as dude at om and here chyldren dude also
teche
So that hey men of thys lond, that of her blod come,
Holdeth alle thulke speche that hii of hem nome.
For bote a man couthe French, me tolth of hym wel lute ;
Ac lowe men holdeth to Englyss and to her kunde speche
yute."
That is: Thus came England into the Normans' hands; and the
Normans could not then speak any but their own language; and
they spoke French as they did at home, and so taught their chil¬
dren ; so that the nobility of this land that descended from them
all (hold to) continue to use that language that they received of
them. For, except a man understood French, one made but
little of him; but the common people continue to use English
and their native speech yet.
Prof, Earle, in his Philology of the English Tongue," says :
During this long interval (from the 12th to the 14th cen¬
tury) the reigning language was French; and this fashion, li^e
all fashions, went on spreading and embracing a wider area,
and ever growing thinner as it spread, till in the thirteenth and
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
fourteenth centuries it was become an acknowledged subject of
derision." p. 65.
125. scale of Stratford^ after the style spoken in the rural
districts of England, rather than that spoken in Paris.
126. Frensck of Paris, Of the various dialects spoken in
France, that spoken at the capital early became the standard.
For a most interesting account of this subject, see Brachet's
Historical French Grammar. " Chaucer thought but meanly
of the English French spoken in his time. It was proper, how¬
ever, that the Prioress should speak some sort of French, not
only as a woman of fashion (a character which she is repre¬
sented to affect), but as a religious person." T.
p.p. = unknown. The tendency to drop final ;/,
which has prevailed in the case of the infinitive, is here ex¬
hibited in the case of the participle, where it has in most cases
successfully resisted.
127. at mete = at the table.
'witkalle, besides, with all her other accomplishments.
128. Fallcy inf., to be construed withf^^/(pr. of let).
129. Ne wette hyre fyngres. The use of knives and forks at
table is one of the refinements of modern civilization; cf. He
that dippeth his hand with me in the dish." Matt. xxvi. 23.
130. keefe-i sc. cowde sehe = she knew how to take care. A.S.
cefan=to take, to attempt, to regard, heed, keep.
To take keep = Xo take care. ** He that keepeth [i.e., careth
for] Israel shall not slumber nor sleep." Ps. cxxi, 4. See K.,
1380.
132. leste =■ pleasure, that to which she gave attention. The
verb as well as the noun lust in E.E. simply denoted pleasure,
and was not restricted to base passion as at present. With the
second meaning given above, cf. listless,
ferthing^ literally, a fourth part; hence any small por¬
tion. For the same tendency to restrict a definite part to mean¬
ing a small part, cf. = tenth, moiety — one-ha.\í,
135. dronken^ p.p. drunk. A.S. drincariy p. dranCy p.p. druti'
cen. The prêt, and p.p. of this class of verbs should be carefully
distinguished.
136. Ful sem-e-ly, very prettily, becomingly.
razigkte = prêt, of recke. This old prêt, is obso¬
lete, and a new one has been formed after the analogy of weak
verbs.
ii6
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
137. of gret disport^ attributive genitive; cf. **He is a man
of means." She was very fond of gajetj.
139. peynede hire = took pains. The reflexive use of this verb
is obsolete.
to countrefete ckeere ^ \.o imitate the manner. The idea of
imitation for a fraudulent purpose, which now attaches to coun-
#
terfeit, is wanting in E.E., where counterfeit not unfrequently
denotes a portrait.
140. estatlichi like one possessed of an estate ; hence stately,
high-bred.
court. Cohors or Cors was first used in the sense of a hur¬
dle, an enclosure, a cattle yard. The cohortes^ or divisions of
the Roman army, were called by the same name; so many
soldiers constituting a pen or a court. Thus cors^ cortiSf from
meaning a pen, a cattle-yard, became in mediseval Latin
Curtis^ and was used, like the German Hof of the farms and
castles built by Roman settlers in the provinces of the Em¬
pire. Lastly, from meaning a fortified place, curtís rose to the
dignity of a royal residence, and became synonymous with
palace." Max Müller, Sei. Lang., 269.
141. to ben holden-=\.o be considered.
142. but = ^t\\\ further, indicating simply a change in the
point of view. But is in A.S. butan for bi-utan, that is by-
out= wiihout^ near-but-out. It gradually loses its adversative
force, and becomes a simple conjunction.
for to speken, the gerund or verbal noun. We would now
say speakings &c., using the independent participial construction.
144. If that —\i so be that; if it happened that. Accord¬
ing to this explanation, that is the sentence article, belonging
to the sentence she saw^ See., which is the subject of the sup¬
plied verb. This explanation will also apply to the other ca^es
where that follows a conjunction.
146. of smale houndes, a partitive genitive; cf. A.S. ''Ic
haebbe his her" —I have some (of it) here. Perhaps, however,
this is an imitation of the French idiom. The A.S. generally
uses the genitive, sometimes the preposition of
147. tvastel breed =fint white bread. Dogs were usually fed
on coarse lentil bread baked for that purpose.
148. ^«/ = and; it is equivalent to an emphatic conjunction,
its adversative force calling especial attention to the new partic¬
ular.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
117
Scan : But so | re wepte | sch' if con | of hem | were deed.
149. men, the indefinite pronoun {one), now unfortunately
obsolete. It is also written me, which must be carefully dis¬
tinguished from the dat. and acc. of /.
5/WÍ3/, prêt, singular; the plural would he smiie. So in A.S.
he smoi, we smiton,
yerde = 2i stick, a rod. A.S. gyrd, geard. This word means :
(i) an enclosed place (Goth, garda, a gard or fold, gards, a
house), a garden; (2) the means by which such enclosure is
effected, i.e., palings or sticks; (3) finally, the word comes to
denote a lineal measure determined by the usual length of such
palings. So, also, rod has passed to denote a measure of dis¬
tance; and rood, a measure of area.
152. = slender, well-proportioned.
" Her face gentil and tretise." Rom. R., 1016.
Eyen=^eyt^, A remnant of the n declension of nouns; cf.
oxen, chicken, kine.
255. a Spanne broad, acc. of measure.
¿ro7oe = think, should think.
156. hardily, assuredly, certainly. Hard originally denotes
strength (cf. hardy), thence reliability.
157. I ivas Tvaar, I was aware, I observed.
159 peire—2^ set; used to denote any thing, the parts of
which, or the natural divisions of which, are equal to each
other.
bedes — ht?iás, a rosary. Bead is derived from the A.S. bid-
dan, Oer. beten, to pray; it means: (i) a prayer; (2) a string
of balls upon which the tale or tally of prayers was kept: hence
the phrase to tell one's beads " = to say one's prayers.
gauded al iviili grene, with green gaudes. The gaudees were
large beads upon the rosary indicating a Pater Noster,
160. broch-*^'- brooch, signified: (i) a pin; (2) a breastpin;
(3) a buckle or clasp ; (4) a jewel or ornament. It was an orna¬
ment common to both sexes. The ' crowned A.' is supposed to
represent Amor or Charity, the greatest of all the Christian
graces." M.
162. Amor vincit omnia. Love (charity) conquers (surpasses)
all things.
163. Another Nonne^ Tyrwhitt says: *'No nun could be a
chaplain." Probably a nun who assisted her in her duties as
prioress, and called a chaplain from the analogy.
ii8
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
164. chapellyn. This word may be used here as equivalent to
assistant. Tyrwhitt, however, rejects these two lines as interpo¬
lations, because of the difficulty mentioned above. According
to Spelman, the word chapel has passed through the following
significations : (i) a chest or coffer, in which the relics of martyrs
were preserved; (2) a building in which these capellae of-relics
were kept; (3) a place of prayer, because of the peculiar sanctity
of such places. Accordingly the word chaplain would pass
through corresponding changes, and would mean : (i) a keeper
of such a cofter of relics; (2) one whose duty it was to superin¬
tend the building in which the coffer was kept, or that part of
the building in which the shrine was erected; (3) one whose
duty it was to read prayers. Inferior clergy can read prayers,
while no one but a consecrated priest can celebrate mass. Hence
the idea of inferiority would naturally attach to the word chap¬
lain., and the word might come in time to denote a servant in a
religious house. The same idea of inferiority attaches to a chapel
as compared with a church. Webster's Dictionary gives another
derivation of chapel : "Originally a short cloak, hood, or cowl,
a sacred vessel, chapel. It is said that the king of France in
war carried St. Martyn's hat into the field, which was kept in a
tent as a precious relic, whence the place took the name capella,
a little hat, and the priest who had the custody of the tent was
called capellanus, now chaplain." Wedgwood says, and we think
with good reason, alluding to the foregoing derivation: "But
we have no occasion to resort to so hypothetical a derivation.
The canopy or covering of an altar where mass was celebrated
was called capella, a hood. . . . And it can hardly be doubted
that the name of the canopy was extended to the recess in a
church in which an altar was placed, forming the capclla or
chapel of the saint to whom the altar was dedicated."
165. a fair for the maistrie = SL fair one for the position of
master. " The phrase for the maistre is equivalent to the French
four la maistrie, which in old books of physic was applied to
such medicines as we usually call sovereign [specific] or excel¬
lent above all others. In the same sense the monk is said to be
fair for the maistrie — above all others." T.
166. An Out-rydere =oxiQ who rides after the hounds in hunt¬
ing. Out in composition often denotes to a great degree, intensi¬
fying the word to which it is joined ; cf. out-and-out=thovoughly ;
utter, &c.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
119
^enerye^hunting] a practice of the monks which occasioned
great scandal.
"And these abbotes and priours don agein here rihtes;
Hii riden wid hauk and hound, and contrefeten knihtes."
Pol. Songs, 329.
167. ¿0 ben-, inf., construed with able»
to ben an abbot able» His qualifications for this holy oihce
aiford a fine opportunity for Chaucer's satire. In a similar strain
of satire we speak of corpulent men as "fit for aldermen."
168. Ful matij a. Many must be construed as an adverb
modifying a, which is here equivalent to the numeral one» In
semi-Saxon (Layamon) we find the two words joined; nom.
monienne, gen. monieiines» In illustration of this use of cf.
" With him ther wente knyghtes many oon." K., 1260. " Of fees
and robes hadde he many oon." P., 317. " In the same way the
Germans say mancher (adj.) Manny but solch (adv.) ein Mann.
In A.S. the idiom was ' many man,' not ' many a man.' " Abbott,
Shak. Gr., § 85. At present the use of the article is simply to
allow the word many to stand with a singular noun; in such
cases many a = many times ay causing the word to be taken dis-
tributively; while many used with the plural would denote the
collective use of the noun to which it belonged. The distribu¬
tive use is more intensive, as it fixes the attention upon the
unit. The force of the expression has caused it to be retained,
although its true syntax is no longer obvious.
stablcy article omitted.
169. bridel heere gynglen. The verb heere governs bridel
gynglen as its object. The infinitive when construed as a noun
retains its verbal force. Bridel is the acc. subject of gynglen*
"After verbs of perceiving . . . and some others, the logical
object is the infinitive clause." March, § 293. "Anciently no
person seems to have been gallantly equipped on horseback,
unless the horse's bridle or some other part of the furniture was
stuck full of small bells. Wiclif, in his TrialogCy inveighs
against the priests for "their fair hors and jolly and gay sad-
eles, and bridles ringing by the way." Warton, 167.
170. Gyngleny inf. jingling. Tyrwhitt reads gyngeling. Pro¬
long the first foot=^-/;w^-ling.
171. laude and cleere are adverbs.
dotky sc. gynglen.
172. There a5 = there where = where. In such expressions
120
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
as was probably added to indicate the relative force of what
otherwise might be taken for the demonstrative adverb; cf.
whereas (Shak.) = where that. In E.E. tkere and then are used
in cases where we would write ivhere and when ; the former
being in E.E. both demonstrative and relative, and the latter
being interrogative. As is added to all the interrogative adverbs
to render them relative, and may have also been added to those
which by their form were either demonstrative or relative, to
determine their relative character, or the addition may have
been due to the force of analogy.
173. Maure — Beneyt— — Benedict. St. Maur was a
disciple of St. Benedict. The rule (discipline) of these saints
was the oldest, and consequently the strictest form of discipline
in the Catholic church.
174. Bycause because, for the reason that; cf. *^by the
cause." K., 1630. In compounds where ¿y precedes, it is changed
to be; as, before, behind, beside; where it follows, it retains its
form; as, thereby, hereby, &c. The prefix be, in English verbs,
stands in the place of three prefixes originally distinct: (i) be,
the intensive prefix, as bereave (Goth., biraubon) ; (2) the inten¬
sive or collective prefix ¿^e, as believe, Oer. glauben (Goth., ga-
laubjan); (3) the preposition by, as become = by-come. Be in
the ist and 3d cases was undoubtedly originally the same, de¬
noting nearness, hence intensity.
that refers to cause considered as a noun; cf. "In the place
that the tree falleth " = where the tree falleth, or, as it would be
in E.E., where that; cf. also therefore— for this, that.
somdel = someyvbdit. We still say "a good deal."
176. trace. Other readings are space, pace.
To hold the trace = to follow the track.
177. of that text. That which suggests a mental state is in
A.S. put in the genitive. The statement of the act in this case
is but an expressive way of showing his utter contempt for the
strict discipline of the early monks. Of is here equivalent to
concerning,
a pulled hen. moulting hen, a worthless hen, because
neither laying eggs nor fit for food." M. "The French poulet,
which then meant a young child, is Anglicized into something
which looks like the participle of the verb to pull in the Prol¬
ogue, 177." Earle's Philology. Neither of these explanations
appears to me satisfactory. I think it means a hen reduced to a
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
121
mere skeleton, — as we say, mere skin and bones." The word
is variously written pulled^ peeled^ pilled^ pollid, and is probably
allied to French//7/cr, to plunder, and hence figuratively = poor.
"Thou must not pil and powle the tenant." Latimer, vii. Ser. 51,
A.rber.
"Thus ye derid hem unduly with droppis of anger,
And stonyed him with stormes that stynted nevera.
But plucked and pulled hem anon to the skynnes,
That the ifresing ifrost ffreted to here hertis."
Dep. Ric., 12.
"A nation scattered and peelled." Is. xviii. 2. Some derive
the word from depllaius, bald. " And if it is a foul thing to a
womman to pollld, or to be maad ballidP Wiclif, i Cor. xi. 6.
"As pyled as an ape was his skulle." C. T., 3933.
"With skalled browes blake and piled berd." P., 627.
178. That selth, that. First that, rel. pron. referring to text ;
second thai, sentence article, modifying the sentence which is the
object of seith.
noon not at all, in no case: an emphatic negative = no
one. It must be explained as an adverbial accusative.
179. = reckless : regardless of the laws of his order.
Tyrwhitt supposes Chaucer to have written reghelles (A.S. regol,
rule) =without rule, but the other explanation suits the context
better.
180. ts likened^ is to be likened to : is like to.
—out of water. Words in less are now used only
subjectively.
181. This is to 5i?y«=that is to say. Philosophically, it is
more correct to use the near demonstrative in such cases,/but
our present idiom is fixed otherwise.
to seyn, predicate with is.
a monk, &c., sc. is likened.
182. worth, an abbreviated form of worthy, which in A.S. was
followed by a gen. of price. We have retained this construction
with worthy; with worth, however, we use, as here, the acc. of
definition.
183. I seide—\ should say. Subj. prêt.
opiniou7i, trissyllable.
good. The usual etymology refers this word to the same root
as God, with the original meaning of moral excellence. It is,
however, pi-obaJ)le that the resemblance is only accidental, and
122
NOTES TO THE PROLOQUE
that the original force of good is given more nearly in this pas¬
sage, — an opinion that xvill hold,
184. = why, wherefore, Lat. Common in Shak-
speare.
Studie-, inf. The auxiliary verbs are followed by the infini¬
tive, although they have degenerated into hardly more than
modal or tense signs.
himselven, ace. sing. For dative, see 1. 528. As we inflect
self only in the plural, v does not occur in the sing.
ivood, crazy, mad. This root is preserved in Wednesday
(Wodensday), so named from the A.S. god Woden, — the Raging
one, — an appropriate designation for the god of war. Scot, ivud,
mad, distracted, wild. An' just as wud as wud can be." Burns.
185. Z£7/öTf/'e = to pore, to be construed studie, "Why
should he devote himself (study, cf. Lat. studere) to poring over
books in a cloyster, and make himself mad.^"
186. = labor, inf., construe with what schulde, 1. 184.
This word is now obsolete, although used by Milton.
187. Hovj schal, &c. A fine bit of special pleading, or sar¬
casm. This whole passage is punctuated differently ; someplace
an exclamation point after what, and only commas until byt f
Morris prints a full stop after foure. With the first pointing,
which seems to give the easiest reading, the sense would be
"what! should he study, &c , how shall the world be served."
With this pointing, schulde and sivynke will be subjunctives.
With the pointing given in our text, " How schal," &c., is rather
an assertion under cover of a question = if he should study, &c.,
the world could not be served.
188. " Let Austin keep his labor for himself."
189. fricasour= a hard rider. Literally " a spurrer," one
who rode with " whip and spur."
aright^ on indeed. We now use dowîiright with a
similar force.
190. Scan : Greyhoundes | he hadde [ as swifte | as fowel | in
flight.
fowel, pi. = birds. Now usually restricted to domesticated
birds.
192. Was al his lust = his pleasure was wholly.
for no cost, &c. = "for no expense would he abstain from
these sports." M, Perhaps, better, " he would on no account
refrain, —for no reason. The verb cost is sometimes used figu-
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
123
rativelj as nearly equivalent to cause; e.g., Slavery cost the
country a four years' war." So also needes'Cost=^ for the reason
of need; on account of necessity.
193. furfiledj embroidered. Purfil (subst.) signifies the em¬
broidered or furred trimming of a dress ; hence the verb comes
to have the general meaning to ornament.
aite = at the.
194. tJiat^ sc. which was. Or and tJuU may be explained as an
emphatic conjunction = and that too.
195. Hood. "With an hode on his bed, a lousi hatte aboue."
P.P. V. 195.
197. love-knott an intricate knot, typical of an indissoluble
union. Such minute touches of description reveal the charac¬
ter of the monk with a wonderful life-likeness.
198. balled=hd\á. "The original meaning seems to have
been: (i) shining; (2) white." M. "Smooth as a ball." T.
"Besides signifying void of hair, bald is used in the sense of
having a white mark on the face." Wedgwood. Cheap whiskey
which fires the face is called bald-face (see Bartlett's Diet. Am.),
in which the O.E. bal^ a blaze, is clearly recognizable.
199. And eek connects face with the subject schon, as though
it had been separately expressed.
= anointed, p.p. Verbs ending in d or t contract the
ending Ci/.- (1) by dropping the d or t ; (2) by transposing the
letters ed and uniting the consonants; (3) or by transposing
the letters of the termination: e.g., bilte ==huilded; caste —
casted ; let — letted ; fedde = feded.
200. lord, a title of honor, like Sir, given to persons of su¬
perior rank, and to monks.
in good point, a translation of the French embonpoint, — ro¬
tundity of figure.
201. eyen steep = hr'ight eyes.
" Stepe stayred stones of his stoute throne." E.E. Al Poems,
ii. 1396.
rollyng in his heede, quick in their movements ; cf. Gr. é2J,iiQip,
a frequent epithet of youths.
202. That, rel. pron. pi. relating to "That shone like
the fire under a caldron."
203. bootes souple. The term boot at first probably denoted
a brogan or moccason. a bag of leather laced on the instep. Prob¬
ably so named from their being made of the entire skin of the
animal ; cf. botñe.
124
NOTES TO THE PROLOQUE
20^* forpyned goos.t=-^ spirit wasted away by punishment#
The force of for in composition (Ger. ver) is opposition, dete¬
rioration, &c. The Greek Trapa is similarly used, and (being
from the same root) affords a good explanation of the prefix,
riapá means aîojig side of: hence as a prefix denotes that which
fails of coming up to a certain mark.
207. hroun^ connected with byrnan^ to burn.
herye. B/taksh in Sanskrit=:to eat: hence Lat. bacca, Goth.
basja (A.S. heria), a berry. What a wonderful revelation of the
primitive condition of man is given in the simple fact that the
word for food is berrj^, — that which grows of its own accord Î
208. The fonre Ordres vitTQ I (i) The Dominicans, or preach¬
ing friars; (2) The Franciscans, or Gray Friars; (3) The Car¬
melites, or White Friars ; (4) The Augustine (Austin) Friars.
w<7Ä/a«« = free ; literally, untrained, unrestrained: Wí7«=sun^
f/azt'e« = trained. Schomeleas is the mon . . . that deth eni
untoweschipe" = that doeth any wanton act. An. R., 170; cf.
**Ne [beon heo] so fulitowune"= be they never so coarse. Ib.,
244.
209. solempne— festive. The word literally means annual
and originally denoted those religious ceremonies which were
celebrated annually : hence the word comes to have two mean¬
ings,— (i) demanding reverence ; (2) festive. The latter meaning
is obsolete. The p was inserted to facilitate the pronunciation
of both m and »; having dropped they^, we only sound the m.
211. daliaunce and fair langage = gossip and flattery.
213. wymmen* In early times the sexes were distinguished by
their occupations. Men were called the^'weapon side" of the
family; women, the ** spindle side." The first gave rise to wep-
men ; the second to ivifmen-, the weaving men.
at his OTvne cost. The marriage settlement proposed hy the
friends of the bride was one of her chief attractions. Pepys (in
his Diary, 1662) mentions his objections to the small dowry of
a lady proposed for his brother, and broke off the match on this
account. He also gave his sister £600 as her dowry.
214. Scan : Unto | his ordr' | he was | &c.
Postj support, pillar. Originally 2^post was something pos¬
ited or placed firmly in the ground, such as an upright piece of
wood or stone. . . . As awould often be used to mark a fixed
spot of ground, as in a mile-post, it came to mean the fixed or ap¬
pointed place, where the post was placed, as in a military post,
NOTES TO TEE PROLOGUE
^25
the post of danger or honor, &c. The fixed places where horses
were kept in readiness to facilitate rapid travelling during the
times of the Roman Empire were thus called posis^ and thence
the whole system of arrangement for the conveyance of persons
or news came to be called the posts* The name has retained an
exactly similar meaning to the present day in most parts of
Europe; and we still use it in post-,chaise, post-boy, post-horse,
postilion. A system of post conveyance for letters having been
organized for about two centuries in England and other countries,
this is perhaps the meaning most closely associated with the
word post at present, and a number of expressions have thus
arisen; such as, post-office, postage. . . . Curiously enough we
now have iron letter-posts, in which the word post is restored
exactly to its original meaning." Jevon's Logic, 34. From the
notion fixed or placed^ .the word easily passes to the idea of sup¬
port or any thing placed under.
216. = country. " Gegend in German means region
or country. It is a recognized term; and it signified originally
that which is before or against, what forms the object of our
view. Now, in Latin, gegen., or against, would be expressed by
contra; and the Germans, not recollecting at once the Latin
word regio., took to translating their idea of Gegend, that which
was before them, by contratnm {contra^ or terra contrata* This
became the Italian contrada, the French contrée, the English
country.''^ Max Müller, Sc. of L., 291.
The travelling friars were always welcome guests at the
"houses of men desirous of information, as they alone were pos¬
sessed of any knowledge of foreign countries; and besides the
current news of the day, which no other class had such means
of hearing, they were acquainted with science both experimental
and practical.
217. vjorthi, noble, distinguished: contrasted in rank with
the frankleyns, and as to residence, in town, as opposed to the
country,
toun (A.S. tun), properly a plot of ground enclosed by an
hedge (A.S. tynan, to close) ; many dwellings enclosed; that is,
a village. The word for city is burh (from beorgan, to protect),
which denoted a number of dwellings surrounded by a wall.
Wiclif uses toun in the sense of field : I have bought a toun."
Luke xiv. 18. From this root we have tunftel, an enclosed
space.
126
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
218. con/essioun, quadrisyllable.
219. more than a curat. A curate could not grant absolution
in all cases.
220. Ucentiat. He was a licentiate of his order; that is, he
had license from the Pope to grant absolution in all cases.
224. Ther as he 'wiste han = in those cases where he knew he
would have. //«», inf., contracted from haven ; ace. subject
omitted,
pitance, literally — a mess of victuals given in charity; hence
a gift for a religious purpose. " An extraordinary allowance of
victuals given to monastics in addition to their usual commons."
T. Sometimes an addition allowed to the portion of a single
person, and hence denoting any small portion.
225. For—for to give. The first for is a conjunction; the
second with to, the sign of the gerund. In this case we would
still use the gerundial construction; as, " For, giving unto a
poor order, is a sign," &c.
226. signe = z. sign. In E.E. the article is often omitted,
where our present idiom requires it. Nouns were then rather
the names of things than of conceptions. So Spenser, F. I.
vi. Title : —
Fayre Una is releast whome salvage nation does adore."
is -well i-schrive = \^ worthily shriven; has been worthily
absolved.
227. he gaf he. The first he refers to the penitent, the second
to the friar,
Dorste make avaunt= he felt confident; literally, he dared
to make a boast.
229. of his herte, &c.= is so hard-hearted. This construction
is the A.S. genitive of part in which the quality is conceived; it
is equivalent to the Latin ablative of limitation ; e.g., pedibus
aeger.
230. He may not wepe = he Is not able to weep. The literal
mesLuing o{ may is to be able. A..S. magan. ** Thei schulen not
mowe." Luke xiii. 24, Wiclif. They shall not be able. A. V.
So also in the preterite :
" His felaw Aristippus hight
Which mochel couthe and mochel might."
Gower's Con. Am., iii. 160.
although, emphatic form of though, which is a derivative of
¿he demonstrative pronoun; the ugh is the intensive pronominal
NOTES TO TBE PROLOGUE
127
particle; Goth, uk^ Lat. ce. Though is therefore equivalent to
Lat. quanquatn.
htm sore smer^e= \t might pain him severely: he might be
truly penitent.
Him, ace. after smerte.
231. in stede = in place. Now usually written together.
232. Men moot ont must.
233. typet. ** When the order degenerated, the friar combined
with the spiritual functions the occupation of peddler, huckster,
mountebank, and quack doctor." Brewer (quoted by Morris),
234. ivyfes, dat. pl. of ivif.
235. noote = yo\zt for singing. Note (Lat. notus) is: (i) a
mark by which any thing may be known; (2) (in music) a mark
designating certain sounds; (3) by metonomy, such a sound;
(4) a musical voice, — a voice capable of making the /totes.
236. couihe he synge=-\ntyf he how to sing. Sytige and
fleyen, inf. depending upon couthe.
= a musical instrument. "Notker says that it was the
^incXtvit fsalterium, but altered in shape and with an additional
number of strings." T.
237- yeddynges (dissyllable) = romances or poetic tales, pop¬
ular songs,
utterly = from every one : wholly, to the utmost.
238. ßour'de'lys= lily.
239. Therto — htsiáes, literally = to this.
240. He kneto the tavernes vuel, a recommendation as a fellow
traveller.
241. tappestere = tupster. The termination denotes
a feminine agent, although in the fourteenth century it was not
always thus used ; this may have arisen from the gradual trans¬
fer to men of certain avocations which in more warlike times
belonged exclusively to women. The gradual loss of the idea of
gender in this suffix would indicate the decadence of that state
of society in which the husband was styled the ivaefman (weapon-
man), and the introduction of a higher civilization. We have
also formed a class of words by analogy, in which, however, J)
something of the original idea of feminine inferiority is pre- ^
served; as, youngster. We find in~Ö.E. breivsiere, tvebbestere
(mas. ivebbe), forestere, huchstere, &c. We still use spinster as
a feminine. In the case of songster we have made a double
feminine by ad^Jing the French suffix ess. This termination is
128
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
by some referred to the Sanskrit s^rt, meaning woman : but the
ending /er in all languages of our family signifies the agent or
doer; e.g., Sansk. petar, Lat. pater, Gr. narrip, Goih. fadar,
Ger. vater, Icel. fadtr, A.S. faeder. Eng. father^ the one who
feeds or supports. It is not impossible that an inorganic s may
have been added, thus giving rise to a masculine s ter.
243. vjorthi here refers to social standing; cf. the expression,
worshipful sir."
as he, sc. was.
244. Accordede not=\\. did not comport with his dignity.
The subject of accordede is to han, See., in the next line.
as by his faculté = as tending to lessen his influence.
by here = against ; cf. " I know nothing by myself." i Cor. iv.
4; i.e., against myself.
245. sike, pi. of sick. This use of sick is now called an Amer¬
icanism, the English restricting the meaning of the word to
natisea.
246. " It is not becoming, it may not profit one to associate
(have dealings) with such poor people." This is in explanation
of 11. 243, 244.
honest is here used in its Latin signification honorable.
247. Scan : Fo-r | to del | en with | no such | poraille.
Delen, to share, to have intercourse with. A.S. daelan, to
divide. Hence, as in all commercial transactions there is a
sharing of values, the word easily came to have its present
meaning of doing business. We with the grocer; that is,
we give him 2^ part of our money for a part of his goods. For
in this construction seems only to indicate the gerund : it has
not the force of a preposition, as to delen is the subject of
the sentence. It may possibly be construed as a conjunction
introducing the sentence, but thrown out of its natural place by
the exigencies of the metre.
248. a/= altogether.
riche=\)ae rich, pi. adj. The language, because of the loss
of inflection in adjectives, does not allow the omission of the
article in cases like this. •
sellers i»/" t^/Va/7/^ = those who would give him his livelihood.
Sellers here means givers ; cf. ** Syle tham the thé bidde."
Matt. V. 42. Give to him that asketh.
249. Scan : And o | vVal ther | &c.
schulde == might, subj. prêt.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE,
129
«me = come back. A figure taken from the coming up"
of seed. He was courteous where it would paj.
250. loively of service in performing his services.
251. Notice the negatives n*a$ no man now iter,
= active, energetic, diligent. From Lat. vir, aman.
Virtue is therefore manliness, or manhood, which at first was
synonymous with physical bravery, afterwards applied figura¬
tively to denote moral courage in resisting evil, and finally it
has been applied to the spirit which resists the sins to which
one is peculiarly exposed. What a revelation of character is
given by the employment of this word ; as, virtuoso, to desig¬
nate one skilled in ornamental arts; or vertu, to denote articles
whose only use is ornament!
252. beggere, beggar. That is, a man with a bag, which was
the usual sign of a mendicant. It is a curious and instructive
fact that this word is not from the A.S.; cf. " Scheome, ich
telle. . . . uorte beggen ase on harlot." An. R., 356.
253. Oo schoo=^ 2, Some read a a half-penny.
Scan : For though ] a wid | ew' had | de noght | 00 schoo.
254. In principio. The beginning of St. John's Gospel in
the Vulgate.
256. purchas — = proceeds of begging ; regular income.
wel better ■= much better.
257. rage and pleyen are inf. depending upon couthe.
258. love-dayes. Days appointed upon which differences might
be settled by arbitration, without recourse to law. These arbi¬
trators were usually chosen from the clergy, who thus had a
fine opportunity of enriching themselves, — an opportunity of
which they were not slow to take advantage. "Mr. Kitchin sug¬
gests that these private days of peace are analogous to the trnga
dei,—truce of God, — so often proclaimed by bishops between
a.d. 1000 and 1300. This truce lasted from 3 p.m. Saturday to
6 a.m. on Monday." M. Perhaps, however, the word may be
nothing more than a corruption of law-days, — the days on which
sheriffs held their courts. "They [the lawyers] follow Sises and
Sessions, Letes, Lawdays and Hundredes." Latimer, vii Ser. 53,
Arber. Letes=\.0'^xi courts : hundredes = coui'ts for the hundreds.
The fact that Lawdays, or days upon which terms of court opened,
were usually determined by the festivals of the church, would
facilitate this confusion. " It was ordered by the laws of King Ed¬
ward the Confe|sor, that from Advent to the octave of the Epipha-
Q
I30 NOTES TO THE FEOLOGÜE.
ny, from Septuagésima to the octaveof Easter, from the Ascension
to the octave of Pentecost, and from three in the afternoon of
all Saturdays till Monday morning, the peace of God and of
holy church shall be kept throughout all the kingdom. And so
extravagant was afterwards the regard that was paid to these
holy times that . . . Britton is express that in the reign of King
Edward the First no secular plea could be held, nor any man
sworn on the Evangelists in the times of Advent, Lent, Pente¬
cost, harvest and vintage, the days of the great litanies, and all
solemn festivals. But he adds that the bishops did nevertheless
grant dispensations . . . that assizes and juries might be taken
in some of these holy seasons. . , . The portions of time that
were not included within these prohibited seasons fell naturally
into a fourfold division, and, from some festival day that im¬
mediately preceded their commencement, were denominated the
Terms of St. Hilary, of Easter, of the Holy Trinity, and of St.
Michael. . . . There are in each of these terms stated days called
days in bank; that is, days of appearance in the court of common
bench. They are generally at the distance of about a week from
each other, and have reference to some festival of the church.
On some one of these days in bank all original writs must be
made returnable. . . . But on every return day in the term the
person summoned has three days of grace^ beyond the day
named in the writ, in which to make his appearance." Black-
stone, iii. 276.
259. ther = oxi such occasions; i.e., in putting in pleas.
There, being the dative of the demonstrative, may mean either
in that place, or at that time,
261. maister, chief. Or head of a religious house.
263. That rounded, &c. = that kept its shape round as a bell
in a press or throng, — alluding to the shortness of the garment,
which, upon the full figure of the friar, resembled a bell; and to
the quality and abundance of the material, which kept its shape
even in a press or crowd.
265. To make his Englissch srvete, &c. To those ecclesiastics
whose native language was French the English must have
seemed harsh. We have rendered it much smoother than it
was in the time of Chaucer by silencing the gutturals.
266. harpyng probably = playing on any musical instrument.
See line 236.
268. don,'^\. ÎQ\'doen. This use of í/í? is common, but improper
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE. 131
Do can be used in place of the verb only by ellipsis, in which
case the verb omitted can be restored from the preceding clause.
We evidently cannot say "do twinkled," but we can say "We
love because you do." Originally do could only be followed by
the infinitive; we have relaxed the rule so as further to allow
the infinitive to be suggested by a different mode. The force of
this rule is, that do must not be employed as an auxiliary and as
a leading verb in the same sentence.
269. defied^ called, monosyllable. Still retained in archaic
English in the p. participle yc/e/A
270. forked herd. A forked beard was the fashion at this
time.
271. high on Äi?r5=erect upon his horse; cf. "He carries a
high head." We say "on foot" or "a-foot;" but on horse is
obsolete. We use the preposition with the gerund with the omis¬
sion of the article or relative word, as a-hunting.
272. elapsed =c\2ís^tá. Connected with c//^, to embrace. The
word clip is still used to denote an iron passing around the axle
of a wagon. The tendency to shift the position of the letter s
appears in A.S.; e.g., asce^ or acse^ ashes; ascian or acstan-,\.o
ask, which is still vulgarly pronounced ax.
faire and fetysly—'^tW and neatly.
275. " Always having reference to the increase of his gains."
= boasting, sounding; having reference to ; cf. the
legal phrase " Sounding in damages."
thencres~l\i^ increase. The article (definitive) frequently
coalesces with the defined word when such word begins with a
vowel. The case endings of nouns were originally definitive
words, which have coalesced with the stem form, in the samé
manner as the verbal endings, which were originally pronouns,
have become attached to the stem. So long as the original force
of these endings is felt, the subjects of verbs, when pronouns, are
omitted, and definitive words are in like manner omitted in the
case of nouns. In Early Saxon there is no article; in Early
English it is quite sparingly used : but when the real force of
the inflectional endings was lost, the article and other definitive
words have been introduced to supply their place. From this
tendency to unite the article and noun in pronunciation, — a
sort of inflection at the beginning of the word, — several curious
forms have arisen; e.g., nonce, the initial n being the acc. ter¬
mination of the i^rticle ; so also, nokes (oaks), nale (ale). But one
132
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
of the most curious instances is the Turkish name for Constan¬
tinople,— Stamboul^ which is a corruption of the Greek dç rqv
7ro/U'i/= to the city. The Turks frequently hearing this phrase,
and not knowing its meaning, quite naturally took it to be the
name of the city.
276. vjere kept — \i^ wished the sea to be watched or guarded
so that he should not suifer from pirates or privateers." M.
for e7iy thinge=^zX all hazards, by all means. Por here has
the meaning ùi comparison in preference to. He wished
the sea to be guarded in preference to any thing else. Morris,
however, explains for by for fear of which does not seem to
me satisfactory.
277. Middelburgh^ a port in the Netherlands.
Orewelle^ a port in Essex.
27S. "He knew how to give French crowns in exchange;" that
is, to act as a money-changer, a class of extortioners.
= shillings {shieldings), French crowns marked
with a shield.
279. bis wit bisette = employed his wits. IVit is here used
somewhat as we still use the word to denote the mental faculties,
but with a dash of contempt, as though they were put to an un¬
worthy use; cf. "A clerk had beset his while," Millere's Tale,
= A clerk had employed his time.
280. JVo man wiste, &c., a fine stroke of description.
281. "So stately was he in his demeanor in his bargains,
and in making his arrangements for borrowing money." Mor¬
ris explains so steadily^ probably an error of the press. The idea
is that he had such a confident air that, even when borrowing
money, no man suspected that he was in debt.
282. bargayns, " O. Fr. barguigner^ to chaffer, bargain, or
more properly (says Cotgrave) to wrangle, haggle, brabble, in
the making of a bargain. The proper meaning of the word is
contest, debate, and it was frequently used in O.E. and Scotch
in the sense of fight, skirmish." Wedgwood.
283. ivithalle^ in spite of all, nevertheless. The original force
of with = against, which is still retained in compounds; e.g..
-withstand^ withhold. Withalle is simply an emphatic form ot
witk^ and will vary in meaning as with varies.
284. But introduces an unexpected clause: one would expect
that being a worthy man his name would be known.
= I ne wot. I know not. The negative frequently com-
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
133
bines with the following word; as, nam = \\Q am, = ne was,
nath=- ne hath, 7tolde — ne wolde.
men kitn calle = yi\\zX one might call him, — what his name
was.
285. Clerk = a scholar, an educated person. This word
affords an admirable illustration of the changes which the
meaning of a word undergoes corresponding to certain changes
in the objects designated by it. Clerk is originally the Greek
KX-q^iKQÇy—literally, chosen by lot. It was in very early times
applied to the clergy, because, as is supposed, Matthias was thus
selected to be an Apostle. The word clergy is the same word
derived through the Latin clericatus. During the Middle Ages
the ecclesiastics were possessed of all the learning in the world, f o
that the word clerk became synonymous with learned person ;
and, as the estimation of learning fell, it signified any one who
could read; while clergie was used to denote learning, or men of
learning. The word now signifies one whose chief employment
is writing, or an attendant in a store, probably because writing
was deemed an accomplishment essential to a shop-keeper, in
keeping his accounts.
Oxcnford = Oxford, **as if the ford of the oxen (A S. Oxfia-
ford), but the root ox {esk, ouse) is of Celtic origin, and signifies
-Lvaier." M. Oxenford therefore means "the ford of the (river)
Ouse."
286. That unto logic, &c. Who for a long time had given his
attention to logic Literally, who had gone into logic, &c.
We still speak of going into law or any other profession. The
condition in which the study left the student is a satire upon the
method of teaching logic then in vogue.
286. He; that is, the Clerk. •
288. right fat=s^\ery fat. This use of right is a vulgarism at
present, or confined to colloquial use. We say " right off,"
"right away." "A Southerner would say, * It rains right
hard.'" Bartlett's Diet.
291. geten, p.p.— gotten, got.
him, dative = for himself.
benefice=-^^ ecclesiastical living. This word is the same with
benefit (Lat. bene, facere), and originally signified an estate in
lands granted for life only, and held at the good-will of the
owner. It afterwards technically signified the grant of temporal
authority by tV^ Pope as a fee of the Roman see. Finally,
134
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
Upon the extinction of feudalism, it was restricted to religious
livings.
292. = sufficiently worldly; so is here equivalent
to so as.
293. I^or him 'was lever^ &c. = For he would rather have.
Literally, it was more agreeable to him to have, him^ dative
after lever.
294. Scan : Twen [ ty book | es clad | &c. Twenty was prob¬
ably pronounced T wenty.
296. TAen==^thanf acc. of the definitive; of. Lat. quam.
psaltery, a Greek instrument of music; cf. psalm^
a hymn to be sung to the psaltery.
297. al be = although it be; for al be it, usually written as
one word, albeit. Sometimes we find al standing for this expres¬
sion. Be is here in the subjunctive, which accounts for the
omission of though. "Albeit I do not say to thee." Phile¬
mon, 19.
philosophre. There is a play here upon the word philoso¬
pher, which was used to designate an alchemist, who pretended
to turn base metals into gold by the so-called "Philosopher's
Stone," as well as a lover of learning, a student.
298. hadde, which is usually a monosyllable, is here a dis¬
syllable.
299. of his /rendes — from his friends, genitive of source.
301. gan preye = prayed, did pray. Gan is a contraction of
began, and is used as a past auxiliary.
302. gaf him — gave to him. him, dative. It was not
unusual at this time for students to support themselves at the
universities by begging.
wherwith = with what. This word is still in use in this
sense, and finely exhibits the pronominal force of where (dative
of what) after the preposition with.
306. high sentence = oî great pith or meaning.
307. sownynge in moral vertu = in consonance with moral
virtue. The word consonance preserves the figure, and perhaps
gives the sense more accurately than the usual explanation tend¬
ing to, which would have reference to the hearers, rather than to
the revelation of the speaker's virtue; cf. note, 1. 275.
moral, from the Latin mos, manner, custom, habit, passes to
the meaning correct manners, and right habits,—that which
ought to be as well as that which is.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
135
308. This line aptly describes the true scholar.
309. A Sergeant of Lavje = a lawyer of the highest rank.
" The degrees were those of barristers (first styled apprentices,
from apprendre to learn), who answered to our bachelors; as
the state and degree of a Serjeant, servientis ad legem, did to
that of doctor." Blackstone, i. 23. Sergeant is another form
of servant, g in French words frequently becoming vj ox v in
English.
•war and ivyse = cautious and skilful.
310. That — Vfho.
Parvys* The portico of St. Paul's, where the lawyers were
accustomed to meet for consultation. The frequency of his being
at these consultations indicates his reputation and his practice.
311. Ther, Used to introduce the sentence. It refers to the
subject already mentioned.
312. of gret reverence^ a person to whom great reverence
was shown, entitled to great respect for his opinions. Genitive
of quality or characteristic.
313. He semede suc/t = He appeared like a learned lawyer.
314. Justice . . . in assize. The judges upon their circuits
now sit by virtue of five several authorities. ... 4. A commission
of assize, directed to the justices and serjeants therein named, to
take (together with their associates) assizes in the several
counties." Blackstone, i. 59. These assizes tried real-estate
questions.
315. patent signifies any letter open to public perusal, or
addressed to the public. A document conferring nobility is
called Letters-patent of Nobility. In this country a document
conveying full title to lands by the government, or granting an
exclusive right to an invention, is called a patent. Patent here
refers to his commission as serjeant; commission, to his appoint¬
ment to the assize.
317. fees = money. This word originally signified cattle
(cf. Lat. pecunia from pecus^ ; then, as cattle were used as a
medium of exchange, it signified money or the means of ex¬
change; and as cattle generally constituted a person's property,
it also signified property in general, whether cattle or not.
Cattle being used in early times as a medium of exchange, it
would seem from a passage in ^schylus, Ag. 36, that the value
of coined money was at first regulated by the better known value
of cattle.
136
SOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
"Moreover King Servius, at the firste, when he made brazen
coine, stamped the peeces with the portraiture of Sheepe, Kine and
Oxen." Holland's Plinie, I. 550.
318. furckasour = ^xo^QcutoT. Probably refers to his acts as
king's counsel.
319. fee = possession without restriction. Fee origin¬
ally denoting property, — that to which one had the right of
possession, — naturally came to have the meaning of possession ;
simple (Lat. sine plica^ without a fold) means without any com¬
plications : hence fee symplc would mean possession or a title,
without any of the many complications to which real-estate titles
in England are often subject. These courts of assizes were held
for the purpose of trying landed questions, and the meaning here
is, "No title was to him more difficult of decision than a case in
fee-simple."
320. His purchasyng^ Sic. " His prosecutions might not be
tainted with any suspicion of collusion." M. enfeciey as a legal
phrase, means to contaminate with any illegality.
323. /;/—at the sessions of the court. See note, 1. 258.
Caas and domes alle = He had full knowledge of all the cases
and decisions rendered in the courts from the time of King Wil¬
liam ; i.e., William the Conqueror, a.d. 1066.
324. were falle = were fallen or happened. Intransitives
often form an aorist perfect with the auxiliary be. " When he
was set." Matt. v. 2 (A.V.). "When he hadde sete." Ib.;
Wiclif.
falle — happened. " Sit still until thou know how the matter
will fall." Ruth iii. 18.
325. endite = tc\\ a story.
make a thing•=■a poem. "A poet is as much as to say
a maker. And our English name*well conformes with the Greeke
word; for of to make, they call a maker poeta." Putten-
ham's Arte of Poesy, cap. i (Arber). Prof. Earle, Philology
of the English Tongue, p. 200, certainly against the weight of
authority, explains this line thus : " In such a sense it is said by
Chaucer that his Sergeaunt of Lawe could endite and make a
TH^NG, meaning, he could make a good contract, was a good
conveyancer." Cf. Ger. dingen,, to bargain.
327. pleyn by roote, plead from memory.
328. hoomly, dressed plainly, in the manner one would be
dressed at home. The word implies the absence of ornament,
and is analogically applied to the features.
SOTES TO THE PROLOGUE. 137
329. Gird = girded. Chaucer frequently contracts the preter¬
ites of verbs ending in d or i.
330. idle I no lenger tale = I make no further account.
Litel tale hath he told Of eny drem." Nonne Preestes Tale,
298. Little account made he of any dream. Telle and tale are
from A.S. tcllan, to reckon.
331. Frankeleyn = a wealthy freeholder; the only real dis¬
tinction between him and others of his class being the largeness
of his estate.
332. dayeseye = dd.\sY : literally eye, Chaucer's fayqrite
floAver ; upon the etymology of which he dwells with a lover's
fondness.
Now have I than eke this condicioun
That of alle the floures in the mede,
Than love I most those floures white and rede.
Such that men callen daisies in our toun."
Legende of Goode Women, 40.
"The longe day I shope me for to abide
For nothing elles, and I shall nat lie
But for to look upon the daisie
That wel by reason men it calle maie
The Daisie or els the eye of the day."
Ib., 180.
" Those who transferred the title to our little field flower
meant no doubt to liken its inner yellow disk or shield to the
great golden orb of the sun, and the white florets which encircle
this disk to the rays which the sun spreads on all sides round
him." Trench, St. of Words, 44.
334. Scan : Wel lov | ede h'in | the mor | w' a sop | in wyn.
sop in ivyut bread dipped in wine. Bacon says that sops in
wine inebriate, quantity for quantity, more than wine itself,
which probably accounts for the Frankeleyn's fondness,
335. To lyven in delite = X.o live in luxury. "The gratification
of the appetite for food is the most direct and universal of all
pleasures, and therefore the one most likely to be taken as the
type of delight in general." Wedgwood.
336. owne is used to heighten the idea of personal relation.
The verbs to own and to owe are generally referred to the same
root. A.S. agan (cf. Gr. The original verb took different
forms to express different meanings, —the one denoting pecun-^
iary liability, the other moral obligation. "It may sound odd
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
to speak of a man as owjiin^ -what he oivcs ; yet, if we will think
of it, there are few things that can rightly be said to be more a
man*s own than his debts; they are emphaticallyto him,
or his property^ clinging to him, as they do, like a part of him¬
self. Again, that which a man owns in this sense, or o-ujes^ is
that which it is proper for him, or which he has^ to perform or
to discharge (as the case may be) ; hence the secondary mean¬
ing of ought as applied to that which is one*s duty, or which is
fitting." Craik, E. of S., p. 134.
337. pleyn delyt= perfect physical enjoyment.
339. aud that, emphatic conjunction,—that particularizing
and thus emphasizing the added notion ; cf. Lat. cumque. See
note, 1. 43.
340. Seynt Julian was eminent for providing his votaries
with good lodgings and accommodations of all sorts. In the
title of his Legende, he is called *St. Julian the gode herberjour'
(entertainer)." T.
341. alzvay apter oon — a.\wa,ys the same; i.e., that is always
equally good.
342. envyfted= stored with wine. Vine is from the French,
and ivt'ne from the A.S. It is instructive that all the words which
denote the culture of the vine are of French, while words refer¬
ring to the product are of A.S. origin.
343. Scan ; Without | e bake | mete was | never' | his hous.
Bake — bakeji — hd.V.ed. The p.p. ending in n dropped.
345. Hit— it, — the old form of the neuter pronoun.
Sfietvede, pr. of suee, Prov. Eng., to abound. This is usually
explained as a prêt, of snorv.
mete and dryrike, gen. of means.
346. toothsome rarities, delicacies. W. a tooth.
347. A/ter = a.ccording to. ^'Comfort us again now a/ter
[in proportion to] the time that thou hast plagued us." Ps. xc.
35, Prayer-Book.
348. mete — soper. Mete refers to food in general. Soper to
delicacies or dessert.
350. brem,
" Lazy as the bream
Whose only business is to head-up the stream,
(We call 'em punkin-seed)." Lowell.
ste-we, a small pond in which fish were kept for the table.
351. IVoo was his cooh=-wo was it to his cook, &c. Woe is
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
139
me." Is. vi. 5. Hi's cook must here be construed in the dative,
after an interjection. Wa tham men." Wo to the man. Matt,
xviii. 7; cf. Lat. vae victis. See March, A.S. Gr., § 298 (¿).
Morris explains, erroneouslj, as it seems to me, "sad was his
cook," This explanation is faulty, as it describes the cook,
while the other keeps befcfre us the angry Frankeleyn,
but if-not; if being the true conjunction, the hut used to
negative the whole sentence.
sauce. The Frankeleyn, being a high liver, would be fond
of a highly seasoned sauce. This item became so expensive
that, in the time of Edward III., a statute was passed prohibit¬
ing {inter alia) the use of sauce unless it could be procured at a
moderate cost.
353. table dormant. "Previous to the fourteenth century a
pair of common wooden trestles and a rough plank was deemed
a table sufficient for the great hall. . . . Tables with a board
attached to a frame were introduced about the time of Chaucer,
and from remaining in the hall were regarded as indications of a
ready hospitality." Our Eng. Home, quoted by Morris.
table is the Lat. tabula^ a board; board is the A.S. word
(meaning an edge, a border)., which is still in use to denote
rather the uses of the article than the article itself; e.g., "board
and lodging," " bed and board," " a hospitable board." The use
of the word derived from the French to designate the article of
furniture indicates the origin of the table.
354. covered; i.e., set with food.
355. sessiouns; i.e., of the court. "The freeholders of the
county are the real judges in this [county] court, and the sheriff
is the ministerial officer. ... In those times [Edward the
Elder] the county court was a court of great dignity and splen¬
dour, the bishop and the earldorman (or earl) with the principal
men of the shire sitting therein to administer justice." Black-
stone, iii. 36.
356. knight of the schire = a representative of a county in Par¬
liament. "The knights of the shire shall be chosen of people
whereof every man shall have freehold to the value of forty shil¬
lings by the year within the county. . . . The knights of shires
are the representatives of the landholders or landed interest of
the kingdom." Blackstone, i. 172.
" Shire is a district in England as it is separated from the rest ;
a share is a potion of any thing thus divided off; shears are in-
140
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
struinents eífectíng this process of separation; the shore is the
pltice where the continuity ofland is interrupted or separated by
the sea [better perhaps shore refers to the sharing off or sloping
of the bank ; a common provincial name for a gutter is a shorc^ ;
3i shred is that which is sheared or shorn from the main piece;
a sherd, — as a potsherd (also pot-share, Spenser), — that which
is broken oif and thus divided from the vessel." Trench on
Words, 218. Cf. also short, skirt, shirt,
359. schirreve = sheriff, i.e., reeve of the shire or county.
A.S. gerefa, Ger. Graf. ** He [the sheriff] is the first man in
the county, and superior in rank to any nobleman therein dur¬
ing his office." Blackstone, i. 343-
cou7iíour=-2í\iá\\or, — one appointed to manage the fi&cal
concerns of the county. The former office indicates his popu¬
larity, this his reputation for honesty.
361. Haberdassher. ** Haberdashers were of two kinds,—
haberdashers of small wares, sellers of needles, tapes, buttons,
&c., and haberdashers of hats. The first of these would be well
explained from O.N. hapurtask, trumperj', things of trifling
value. . . . The haberdasher of hats seems named from some
kind of stuff called hapertas, of which probably hats were made."
Wedgwood.
Carpenter— 2^ worker in wood. This word is from the Latin,
through the French. Lat. carpentarius from carpentmn, a wagon,
— literally, a wagon-maker, hence a worker in wood : so we
have house-carpenter, ship-carpenter, &c.
362. Wehhe = 2. weaver (masculine); wehster would be the
feminine : there is, however, a confusion in the use of the termi¬
nations,— either word being used to denote either sex.
363. tyveré = \ivery. Livery denotes what was delivered by
the lord to his subordinates, whether it were money, food, or
clothing. As regards clothing, it hence easily came to denote
external marks of distinction, whether of servants, officers, or
#
tradesmen. As regards food, it came to denote an allowance of
food for horses, and thus a place where horses were kept. The
accent shows the word to be still considered as French.
Scan : Weren with | us eek | clothed in | 00 lyv | eré.
364. fraternité = %\xi\à.. Each trade had its guild (Dan. gilda,
feast, see note, 1. 370) supported by a tax levied upon the mem¬
bers. These guilds were incorporated by the government and
exercised great influence. These mechanics were masters.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
141
365. afik€d=\it^t very neat. The word probably denotes
that nicety of cleansing indicated by picking off particles with
the fingers. " Too xci\xc\\ pickedness is not manly.'' B. Jonson.
366. knyfes. As the gentleman had a dagger (1. 357) the
master-mechanics wore knives.
fitted with silver hooks to the scabbard. The noun
. ?iape is used by Shakspeare.
367. silver» The fact that the scabbards, &c-, worn by these
mechanics were trimmed with silver, indicates that they were of
a superior estate.
Wrought ful dene ^s-wrought very delicately; of fine work¬
manship.
368. pouches. The French form {pocke) of an A.S. word
pocca, which we still use as poke ; cf. " Buy a pig in a pokeP
i.e., pocket. Pocket is a French diminutive of poke. The verb
poach is from the French form; e.g., " to poach eggs " = to cook
them in a small dish like a pocket; to poach, i.e., to rob game =
to put it in a pocket. The verb to poke^ and the noun poke, de¬
noting a contrivance worn by animals to prevent their breaking
out of an enclosure, is from another root, allied to Lat. pungcre,
to prick.
370. yeldehalle = 3L Guild-hall. "The primary meaning [of
guild] is a feast, then the company assembled; and the same
transference of signification will be observed in the word com¬
pany itself, which, signifying in the first instance a number of
persons eating together, has come to be applied to an association
for any purpose." Wedgwood.
deys = dais. Pais denotes first a canopy placed over the heads
of persons of distinction, then the raised platform at the end of
the hall upon which sat persons of distinction. As the table
was usually placed upon this platform, the term dais soon came
to designate it; and, finally, the word included in its significa¬
tion all the ornaments of such platform ; as, hangings, ¿¿c.
371. Everych —each of them. Every is now used only as an
adjective.
that he can = that he knows, — is master of.
372. schaply = ?it. From the verb to shape, hence adapted.
373. property. " Our English word cattle is derived
from the Low Latin catalla, a word of unknown etymology, sig¬
nifying movable property generally, or what the English law
calls chattels.'^ Marsh, Lect. E.L., 246. The origin of the word
142
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
is undoubtedly capitale^ the principal sum in a loan, as dis¬
tinguished from the interest, and hence denoting movable prop¬
erty. See note, 1. 317; see also 1. 540.
= enough. QoWx ganohs^ in which is the intensive
particle, which leaves nauh (Ger. noch) stiil, yet, as the original
word, if this be not an emphatic form of na {nahan, to suffice) ;
cf. Gr. váíu — bpù valov ct/yra, the pails were filled with curd. Od.
ix. 222.
re;i/e= income from business or investments. See note, 1.
256. They had property enough to entitle them to hold the
office of alderman.
374. //, dative = to it.
375. 'zvere='weren, dissyllable. Wright reads "hadde thei
ben to blame."
¿0 blame, blamable. This phrase seems to preserve the force of
the old gerund ; or it may be explained, with less reason, by the
identity of meaning of io and at ; thus, to blame = at blame, at
fault. But it is decidedly better to treat it as a gerund.
376- right = exceedingly pleasant.
madame, the title used in addressing the wife of one who was
entitled to be called Sir.
377. And for to gon. In this line I have followed Tyrwhitt's
reading, with which Wright's substantially agrees. Morris omits
" for to."
= vigils : a religious service held on the evening pre¬
ceding an ecclesiastical holiday. Speght say^ : " It was the man¬
ner in times past upon festival evens, called vigils, for parishioners
to meet in their church-houses or church-yards, and there to have
a drinking fit for the time. Hither came the wives in comely
manner, and they that were of the better sort had their mantles
carried with them, as well as for show as to keep them from cold
at table."
al byfore = yi\\oWy before, before all; in token of rank.
378. riallyche i-bore = \>orne roy^XXy, — in regal style. Royal
and regal are the same word, — the ^ being softened to y. Re¬
gal comes directly from the Latin regalis, while royal is the
same derived through the French. The difference in meaning
between these two words illustrates the use we have made of our
mixed vocabulary. At present, use constantly narrows the
limits of a word, as language requires greater definiteness;
while in the early stages of a language the tendency seems
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
143
to be to enlarge rather than to restrict the signification of
words.
for ihe nones = ÍOY the nonce; for the occasion. In this
instance, the sign of inflection n has escaped destruction by hid¬
ing in the following word. The proper division of the words
would be "for then once," O JE, for than anes. Then {thaii) is
for A.S. tham dative. In the following lines from Spenser,
F. vii. § 14, the force of once is retained : —
"Through all three bodies he him strooke attonce,
That all the three attonce fell on the plaine
Else should he thrise have needed for the nonce^
Them to have stricken, and thrise to have slaine."
So also we have atte nale for at then ale = 0.1 the ale- P. P., vi.
117. Atten ende was also corrupted into at the nende ; cnys
hynnes into eny shynnes. The same tendency may be seen in
alone, atone, in which the idea of 07te is wholly lost.
380. = chickens. The usual sing, was chick, pi. chick¬
en, like ox, oxen; cow, kine : but we have taken the plural as a
singular, and brought the word into the regular declension form¬
ing the plural in s,
382. Londone ale, ale of the best quality.
383. roste, Sethe, broille,frie. Of these words sethe and roste
are Saxon ; broille and frie are French. The names, of course,
indicate the origin of the methods of cooking. These verbs are
infinitives depending upon coivde, as is shown bj"- maken in the
next line.
384. mortretíx = moYirtyíts, Lord Bacon mentions "a mor-
tress made with the braun of capons stamped and strained."
The final e is not silent in bake, which is an inf.
it thoughte me=\X seemed to me, methought. There
were two forms of this verb in A.S. : thincan, the intransitive =
to seem; and thencan, the transitive = to think. The intran¬
sitive verb has become obsolete except in the expressions me-
thinks, methought, in which case me is dative after the impersonal,
as also \syou in " if you please." " The mone thingth the more
for heo so ney ous is." Pop., Tr. on Sc.
387. For = ?i^Xo-, considering. Eot. pro.
Blankmanger = literally, white food. It seems to have bee*
a différent dish in Chaucer's time from that which is now called
by the same name : capon minced was one of the ingredients.
ivith the best0 = as well as the best (cooks).
144
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
2,SS-/er by weste = (div to the west (of London), By (primi¬
tive meaning near) has sometimes the force of nearly^ or towards^.
not implying accurate direction; of. "west by north " = west
towards the north.
389. oughtf usually spelled aught.
Dertemouth — Dartmouth (at the mouth of the river Dart), a
seaport in Devonshire, on the south-west coast of England.
390. as he couthe— as best he might. A seaman does not ap¬
pear well on horseback. As = according as. For this use, see
Abbott, Shak. Gr., § 109.
391. gow7ie = gown, a blouse. To be pronounced go-unc,
giving to the w a vowel sound. See Abbott's Shak. Gr., §§ 477-
4S9.
392. laas=z a belt, which passed over one shoulder and under
the opposite arm.
394. The hoote so7?ier= the hot summer. As the time of the
pilgrimage was in the spring, this must refer to a previous
year. Wright says the summer of 1351 was long known as the
hot dry summer.
395' = companion ; "a partner in goods; from fe,
money, goods, and lag. order, society, community.
* Here now make y the
Myn owne felovj in al wise
Of worldly good and merchandise.' Lydgate."
Wedgwood. This word retains its original force in all com¬
pounds, as fellow-suiferers ; but when used alone it conveys some¬
thing of contempt, — perhaps as a natural outgrowth of intimacy.
"The notion originally involved in companionship would ap¬
pear to have been rather that of inferiority than of equality."
Craik's E. of Sh., 345. In O.E. co77ipanio7i was used in this same
contemptuous sense.
396. "Very many a draught of wine had he drawn (stolen
away, or carried oif) from Bordeaux (cask and all) while the
chapman (merchant or supercargo to whom the wine belonged)
was asleep, for he paid no regard to any conscientious scruples."
M. Perhaps, however, better explained as alluding to a trick
even yet in vogue, of drawing off a certain quantity from casks
of wine or other spirits while on transit, and refilling them with
water.
397- From Bordeaux-zvard = on the trip from Bordeaux.
398. 7iyce = sot\ (foolish). Our word nice seems to be used as
NOTES TO TEE PROLOGUE.
HS
though two distinct words had coalesced, — one derived from the
Latin nesciuSf ignorant; and the other from the A.S hnesc, O.E.
»cs/i, tender, delicate; and the meaning of the word varies be¬
tween these two significations. The original is probably, how¬
ever, the Anglo-Saxon form. We speak of a nice sense of honor,
a nice discrimination. The blending of the notions of folly and
goodness is a little remarkable, but not without its analogies; cf.
5///y, Ger. = blessed : cf. also, Alia was not so nice** —
foolish. C. T. 5508 ; to make it nice = to play the fool. Fr. mais. v,
¿ooií he no keep = he took no care of, — paid no attention to.
From the fact that a man cares for what he possesses, the word
has passed from the idea of care to that of possession.
399. If that = if so be that; if it happened that. See note, 1.
144.
faughte ; i.e., with pirates.
400. By "water he sente hem hoom ; i.e., he cast them into the
sea, from which they could find their way to every land.
hoonty acc. of place where motion ends; used adverbially.
Scan : By water | he sente | &c.
401. But (adversative) notwithstanding these moral delin¬
quencies.
of=^\n regard to; of. Shakspeare's "a valiant man of his
hands." We still use this idiom, — attributive gen., — as, "swift
of foot."
craft — csiUing. "The origin is seen in the notion of seizing,
expressed by the Italian graffiare. The term is then applied to
seizing with the mind." Wedgwood.
to rekne zvel fa's tydes = to calculate accurately the time of
the tides. We would say the instead of his; his restricts the
meaning to cases particularly affecting the mariner, while the
would be general in its application.
403. mone^moQXi'y as influencing the tides, as well as giving
light.
lodemenage = 'f\\o\.^gty — a compound of A.S. and French.
404. Hulle = Hull, a seaport on the north-east of England.
" Hull—well knowen bie reason of the assemblie marte of biers
and sellers." Pol. Virgil, i. 5.
Cartage. Probably Carthagena in Spain; but possibly Car¬
thage.
406. tempest —^Xorvci. The Lat. tempus means : (i) a portion
of any thing; (j) a portion of time; (3) a portion of a year, a
10
146
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
season; (4) a time distinguished by favorable or unfavorable
circumstances, — opportunity or danger, — hence the periods to
be remembered by seamen, as times of storm; and (5) the storm
itself.
407. as thei tvere — where (and what) they were.
Cf. " Here as I point my sword the sun arises."
J. C., ii. I, 106.
408. Gootlond = Gothland. Others read Scotland.
411, Pkisik, From a Greek word signifying that which is
natural : in this sense we use the Latin form of the word fhys-
ical. As applied to science, it denotes a knowledge of the
material world, and hence of the human system, especially its
diseases and their remedies.
412. ne ivas ther non him lyk ~ there was none equal to him.
Him is dative. In A.S. (as still in English) words denoting
nearness and likeness are followed by the dative.
413. To speke of= speaking of; that is to say, in regard to
physic, &c.
414. astronomye — astrology. The ancient notion, that the
sign in which the sun and other heavenly bodies happened to
be had a peculiar influence upon the human body, has furnished
the language with many words; such as^ disaster^ in^iience,
jovial,Trench says that " whenever the word influence
occurs in our English poetry, down to a comparatively modern
date, there is always more or less remote allusion to invisible
illapses, skyey, planetary effects, supposed to be exercised by the
heavenly luminaries upon the lives of men." Eng. Past and
Pres., 240. The same thing may be familiarly illustrated by the
retention of the anatomical diagram and the column for the
moon's place still retained in most almanacs.
416. kepte = watched, took care of.
417. houres, "The honres are the astrological hours. He
carefully watched for a favorable star in the ascendant. A great
portion of the medical science of the Middle Ages depended upon
astrological and other superstitious observances." Wright.
Magic Naturel. These practices are alluded to in the " House
of Fame," iii. 175 : —
"And Clerkes eke, which könne wel,
Alle this magike naturel.
That craftely doon her ententes
To maken in certeyn ascendentes
NOTES TO TEE PROLOGUE
147
Images, lo! thrugh which magike
To maken a man ben hool or sike."
418. ymages. See previous quotation.
420. hoot', &c., the four humors. Of denotes the gen. of
source.
423. t-knotve = known. The prefix ge had in A.S an inten¬
sive force, which may have caused its retention in certain
expressions.
His harm = his malady ; usually denotes a contagious disease.
424. Anon — in one (instant) = immediately.
" But ever in oon y-like sad and kynde."
C. T.. 8478.
boote = remedy. From this sense it gradually passes to the
idea of compensation, — making good a loss, — as man-hot = the
penalty for killing a man. We retain this force in the colloquial
expression to boot; i.e., to compensate for the difference between
two things to be exchanged.
426. dragges — drugs. The original idea of drugs seems to
have been something powdered. The O. Fr. is dragée^ which
had the meaning condiments or spices ; but I think it more likely
that this was a secondary meaning. Pepys in his Diary, Feb. 3,
1665-6, says, " did carry home a silver drudger for my cupboard
of plate." That is, a box for spices. The dredger still in use in
our kitchen is a vessel with a perforated cover to scatter condi¬
ments upon articles of food.
427. other ; we say the other.
428. Here, gen. pl., of them, their. A.S. heora-
429. Escnlapius, the Greek patron of medicine.
430-434. The persons here mentioned were the medical
authorities of the Middle Ages. Rufus was a Greek physician
of Ephesus; Haly, Serapion, and Avicen were Arabian physi¬
cians and astronomers; Rhasis was a Spanish Arab ; Averroes,
a Moor; Damascen, an Arabian; Constantyn, a native of Car¬
thage : all these flourished from the ninth to the eleventh cen¬
turies. Bernard Gordonius, professor of medicine at Montpellier,
lived about the time of Chaucer; Gatesden was a physician of
Oxford, in the early part of the fourteenth century; Gilbertyn is
supposed by Warton to be the celebrated Gilbertus Anglicus.
Condensed from Wright^s note.
436. of no siiperßuite. This must be construed as a genitive
#
14^ NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
limiting a noun; the A.S. attributive gen. denoting quality.
Cf. "a man of means."
437* digestible. Accent third syllable as in French. The use
of this adjective indicates the qualitative force of the preceding
phrases with of.
438. This line affords a good illustration of the manner in
which Chaucer paints a character with a single stroke.
439. sangvjin and in fers-, cloth of deep red and bright blue
colors.
440. taffeta = a fine smooth stuff of silk with a wavy lustre.
sendal— a kind of thin rich silk.
" His stede with sandclle of Frise was trapput to the hele."
Anturs of Arthur, xxx. 9.
"There was mony gonfanoun [banner]
Of gold sendet and siclatoun."
Alexander, 1963.
The names of the cloths mentioned are French.
441. but esy of dispence —hut moderate in his expenses.
442. in Pestilence ; alluding to the great pestilence of 1348-9,
in which, of course, his services were in great demand.
443. gold ifi Phisik. Erastus, combating the prevailing
notion, says, "that gold makes the heart merry, but in no other
sense but as it is in a miser's chest." Burton, Anat. Mel., P. 2,
Sec. 4. Mem. i, Subs. 4.
444. Therfore = {or this reason: ther refers to the previous
statement, probably to be explained by the remark of Erastus
quoted above.
in special = especially.
445. of byside Bathe = from á place near Bath.
446. skathe — misfortune. We still use the verb to scathe.,
and the adj. scatheless. The noun is used by Spenser and Shak-
speare. In like manner we have lost the noun ruth., but we retain
the adj. ruthless. Cf. Ger. Schade.
447. cloth-making. "The west of England, and especially
the neighborhood of Bath, was for a long time celebrated for its
cloth. Ypres and Ghent were the great clothing marts of the
continent." From Wright.
she. Observe change in orthography.
449. parisshe = parish. Parish is from the French paroisse^
from the Greek TrapoUcaj dwelling near. Parishioners are liter-
NOTES TO THE FROLOQUE
149
ally persons dwelling near each other. We preserve the Greek
form \Xi parochial.
450. to the offryng. "An allusion to the offering on Relic
Sunday, when the congregation went up to the altar in succes¬
sion to kiss the relics." M.
Schulde = ought = had a right to go. Schulde is here used
in its original sense of propriety or moral obligation.
453. = kerchiefs. Literally, coverings for the head.
Our ha?idkcrchicf is therefore an incongruous word.
grounde ~ warp, foundation; i.e., not of a cheap material in
the warp, covered with a more costly. Grund is used similarly
in German. Morris explains "of a fine texture."
ten pounde., probably with the ornaments added.
457. Pul streyt yteyd, very closely tied.
Schoos ful moyste, soft, supple; cf. 1. 203.
458. reed of heive — oí ruddy complexion.
459. -worthy = oî high social position, with no reference to
moral character. So worship (worthship) originally signified
honor.
460. Hotisebondes = husbands. A.S. hushanda, from hits, house,
and banda, one dwelling in {buan), with the idea of ownership,
thus = house-master. By an easy transition, the word came to
signify a married man. The same word appears in husbandry,
where the original force is preserved, — that of dwelling upon
the land for the purpose of cultivating it. The word boor is
from the root buan, and means one occupying the land. The
common derivation from house and bond is untenable.
at chirche dore. The priest married the couple at the church
porch.
Hadde — had had, plupf.
461. Withouien = besides; without taking into account,
462. needeth nought —there is no need. The subject of need"
eth is to speke.
463. It was considered an act of great merit to make a pil¬
grimage to Jerusalem to the Holy Sepulchre.
466. Galice. The shrine of St. James at Compostella in Ga¬
licia, whither the body of the saint was said to have been carried
by a ship without a rudder.
Coloyne — Cologne, where the bones of the three wise men
from the East were buried-
467. = knew ; had experience in.
NOTES TO THE FliOLOQUE
ivandryng; usually explained ^vjanderhig^ alluding to
the difficulties of making a pilgrimage in those days, before the
great lines of travel were established: but if I might haEard a
conjecture, it m^y = wandre7ne, trouble, suffering; cf. ivandreih^
sorrow. But the word may be taken as = transgression in a moral
sense. See Wif of Bathes, Prol. 655. "Women that... wol go on pil¬
grimage more for sporte than for deuocion." Kt. La Tour-Landry, 34.
468. Gat-totJiedy with projecting teeth. " Some men there be that
put them [the lips] far out, by reason that they are gag-toothed."
Holland's Plinie, I. 336, L.
sothly for to seye = to speak truly, to tell the truth.
472. foot-7naniel — " a sort of riding-petticoat, such as is now
used by market women." T.
474. = company. See notes, 11. 26, 395.
475* remedyes . . . Xv/ew = she knew [the virtues] of
the remedies for love. A partitive genitive. Knoxv is followed
by the acc. or gen. : by the acc. when the action of the verb is
expressed without restriction ; by the gen. when the verb is lim¬
ited to a part of the object. She hievj the remedies would assert
that she understood the nature and composition of the remedies ;
she knew of the reinedies means she knew what were remedies for
love; cf. "I know the man" and "I know of the man." The
verb with of appears to be equivalent to the verb and a substan¬
tive; i.e. = to have knowledge of.
farchaunce = by experience. She was not a professional, but
had gained her knowledge by experience, as she herself says in
her Prologue, 11. i, 2.
" Experience, though non auctoritee
Were in this world, is right ynough for me."
476. art refers to Ovid's Art of Love, as remedye refers to his
Remedy of Love, — two standard works upon the subject.
conthe = was master of.
the olde daunce, " To know the old dance " is a proverb
meaning to know the old customs.
477. of religioun = of a religious order, — in holy orders.
478- And wa5=who was; and he was. The relative pro¬
noun, by virtue of the relation it expresses, serves as a connec¬
tive; in this case a7td connects the two verbs, and the subject is
omitted as usual in such cases.
a fotire Pe7'soun of a tou7i = a poor parson (priest) of a coun¬
try village; cf. the phrase "a country-parson." Persoun is from
the Latin personare-, to sound or speak through, and originally
NOTES TO THE PBOLOGUE
designated : (i) a mask worn by actors on the Roman stage, so
constructed as to increase their power of voice. As the use of
these masks enabled the same actor to play impersonate^ different
characters, persona came to mean (2) character^ as in the phrases
personam induere^ personam agere. The word in pure Latin
was never used to designate an individual. This use of the word
is still retained in Dramatis Personae = the characters of the play.
By a very easy transition the word came to mean : (3) a dis¬
tinguished character; from this we pass to 0Ç) parson (i.e., per¬
sona ecclesiae), which is an accommodation of the spelling of the
word to the pronunciation. Next we have the common change
of transferring the word from denoting attribute to denoting sub¬
stance, and person no longer signifies character, but (5) an in-
dividual, he who bears the character. So from mask the word
has come to mean man.
479. of holy thought and iverk» Gen. of plenty. We now say
rich in. The use of the gen. is very expressive, as it turns the
attention to the source of the wealth; the dative (with f«) is
more subjective, and brings before the mind the person and the
possessions by which he is made rich.
481. = wished to preach.
482. parischens = parishioners.
devoutly vjolde = he most earnestly (devotedly) wished to
teach.
485. such; i.e., benigne, diligent, and pacient. This presents
us a vivid picture of his parish, wherein was such frequent oppor¬
tunities for the exercise of these virtues.
486. Fill loth ivere him = He was extremely unwilling.
to curse is the subject; loth is the predicate within.the
dative; toere^ prêt. subj.
to curse = to excommunicate. Curse is another form of cross^
and means to imprecate the displeasure of God by the sign of the
cross. He would not excommunicate those who failed throuijh
O
misfortune to pay their tithes.
tythes. The tithe or tenth was that part of one's income in
kind set apart for the service of the church. "And behold I
have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an
inheritance." Num. xviii. 21. "Thou shalt truly tithe all the
increase of thy seed that the field bringeth forth year by year."
Deut. xiv. 22. Hence tithe = any small portion.
152
^OTES TO THE PROLOGUE
487. out of doute == without doubt. In A.S. utan governs the
genitive.
4S9. Of his offrynge = oî his income from contributions; par¬
titive gen.
suhstaunce= the property he had acquired, or the income of
his benefice.
490. ¡/tel little, as opposed to abundance. Thtiig
(A.S. thincg') is properly that which can be seen, any thing visi¬
ble; hence substance, that which has weight. It is here used
collectively, and not distributively, as is now the common usage.
Thing is referred by some to thun^ to do.
491. Scan : Wyd was | his parisch | and hous | es fer | ason-
der.
492. But he ne lafte not — he ceased not.
for — for fear of; literally, in front of ; cf. fore*
reyne = r2Xn* A.S. regen ; thesis first softened toy, then to
/, and finally silent; cf. day from daeg.
Scan : But he | ne laft I e not | for reyne | ne thonder.
494. moche and lite — grezt and small, — of high rank and low.
495* Uppen his feet — on-íoot. He was too poor to keep a
horse.
496. scheep, pi. A S. neuters of the first declension form the
sing, and pi. alike.
497. Thatfirste, &c. That is the sentence article referring he
vjroughte to ensample. After a general statement that introduces
a particular.
after that» That here refers to he vjroughte as to a noun.
501. ^0«/= filthy. K.^» ful, Goth» fuis» The primitive mean¬
ing seems to have been putrid»
502. No vjonder &c. = It is no wonder that an ignorant
man should become filthy. To ruste is the subject of is; leived
man is the ace. subject of to ruste ; wonder is the predicate.
lewed = ignorant, as opposed to the clergy or educated per¬
sons; from A.S. leode, people, hence common people, and as an
adjective denoting the manners of the common people : the same
idea maybe traced in villain, boorish, heathen. That lewd^
which meant at one time no more than lay or unlearned, should
come to signify the sinful, the vicious, is not a little worthy of
note. How forcibly we are reminded here of that saying of the
Pharisees of old, * This people which knoweth not the law js
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
153
cursed ! ' how much of their spirit must have been at work before
the word could have acquired this secondary meaning ! " Trench.
From its primitive meaning, ignorant', it passed to denote one
of the usual concomitants of ignorance, vice; and, lastly, this
general meaning was narrowed to express a predominant form
of vice. The above use of rusty = ñlthy is not yet entirely ob¬
solete in colloquial language.
503. it refers to the proverb given in the next line.
504. foul to be read as a dissyllable. The original word here
is rather forcible than elegant.
505. oughte. "The English defective verb ought is the old
preterite of the verb to otve, which was at an early period used as
a sort of auxiliary with the infinitive, implying the sense of ne¬
cessity, just as we, and many of the Continental nations, now
employ have and its equivalents. . . . Afterwards, by a common
process in language, the general idea of necessity involved in
this use of the word oive resolved itself into two distinct senses,
— the one of pecuniary or other liability in the nature of a debt,
or the return of an equivalent for property, services, or favors
received ; the other that of moral obligation, or, at least of ex¬
pediency. Different forms from the same root were now appro¬
priated to the two senses; to owe with a newly formed weak
preterite, owed, being exclusively limited to the notion of debt,
and the simple form ought being employed in all moods, tenses,
numbers and persons, to express moral obligation." Marsh.
Owe is from the A.S. agan, evidently from the same root as the
Gr. to have; so that the use of the auxiliary have, as above
mentioned, is based upon the same conception as the use of the
word ought. In this passage the meaning inclines towards
the common signification of owe: a priest owes it [to his pro¬
fession] to give example to his flock.
506. how that = in what way it should be that, — how. How
is only another form of why, the instrumental case of what.
That is added with an original reference to the noun, implied by
the interrogative; but as the pronominal force of how was lost,
that was nevertheless retained with the idea of securing greater
definiteness by the use of the definitive. The true construction
is seen in since that — h..S» siththan the, in which case that is
plainly relative, after the demonstrative involved in since, sith*
than. In all such cases, it is best to suppose an ellipsis of the
proper mode and tense of to be.
154
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
507. He setie noiy &c. He did not let out his parochial duties
to some poor curate, and go up to London to seek a more lucra¬
tive position.
settBy causative from siiy hence =to cause to sit, to place; cf.
also lecgan from ltcgan = \2iyy lie; drencauy from drincan^
drench, drink.
benefice, originally, a grant of land to a Roman veteran; an
ecclesiastical living below that of a bishop.
to hyre, a gerund; cf. to let, to rent,
508. /ce/=let (prêt.) == leave. Laetaii (let) is often to be
construed with to be or to go, understood. " Lact thaer thine lac
beforan tham altare." Matt, v, 24. Leave there thy gift before
the altar.
509. seynte Poules, sc. church, — the metropolitan cathedral
church of London, which the king and nobility attended. In
E.E. the diphthong an was sounded as in German, and the word
Paul is here spelled as it was pronounced.
510. him, dative of advantage.
chamiterie for 5<?a/^5 = an endowment for the payment of a
priest for saying masses for the soul of the founder. The orig¬
inal pronunciation of soul (A.S. savjeV) is here indicated by the
rhyme : —
" Persones and parisch prestes pleyned hem to the bischop.
That here parisches were pore sith the pestilence tyme,
To haue a lycence and a leue at London to dwelle
And syngen there for symonye, for siluer is swete."
P. P., Prol., 85.
Latimer (vii. Sermons) severely denounces the chauntery
Priests oî\\\^ day.
513. myscarye-=\.o misbehave, to carry one's self amiss.
514. viercenarie — \v\rtWr\^, " But he that is an hireling and
not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf
coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth
them, and scattereth the sheep." Jno. x. 12.
516. nought = nO'Vjhit=^ not at all. Not is only a contracted
form.
pitiless, uncompassionate. **Dispitous is he that
hath disdain of his neighebour; that is to sayn, of his even
cristen." Persones Tale.
517. dangerous = difñcült to gain. From the meaning of
fenalty, the word passed to signify difficulties about giving
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
155
permission or complying with a request, or to absolute refusal/
Wedgwood. See note, line 663.
518. discret^ discreet, —adapting one's self to circumstances.
"Rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. ii. 15.
519. To draw people to heaven by the beauty [of a godly ex¬
ample].
521. But it = except it were in the case of an obstinate
person. The strict construction is, " Except any person were
obstinate." It, however, refers to the general idea of the sen¬
tence. So Isa., li. 9. " Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab.^"
This use of but is A. S. " Butan hwa beo edniwan gecenned."
Jno. iii. 3. " But a man be borun agen." Wiclif.
522. What so he were = whosoever he might be. What so
is used instead of -who so, as it is used in the preceding line in¬
stead of he; the reference being to the idea in the mind of the
writer, which is here the character of the man rather than the
person. In all such cases, so is a pronoun and not an adverb ;
cf. -whoso with Lat. guisçuis,
524. ther nowher non is = there nowhere is. Non is the real
subject.
525. He -waytede after =■ he looked for.
Scan ; He wayt [ ede aftV | no pompe | and rev | erence.
Such contractions are common, especially with liquids.
526. = for himself, dat. The direct object of makede is
conscience»
spiced conscience = ?L conscience exceedingly particular about
little things. "Thefourthe rule is of spice andof kynde; that
is, of part and of al the hool thing, of the whiche the part is."
Wiclif. Proleg. x, N. T. Spice is an abbreviation of species (Lat.
species), a class distinguished by the possession of particular
qualities. So Chaucer says (Persones Tale), "The spices of
penance ben three." A spiced conscience would then be a con¬
science differing from the usual conscience of men, and laying
great stress upon minor matters, while neglecting weightier
matters. The adversative but with which the next line begins
indicates the opposition between the two ideas — "spiced con¬
science" and following "Cristes lore." A spiced conscience
would therefore be a peculiar (specific) conscience,—one de¬
termined by personal whim or fancy, and not acting according
to general principles. The same expression occurs in the Wif
of Bathe's Tale : —
#
IS6 NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
*'Ye shulden be al patient and meke
And haue a swete spiced conscience." C. T., 6017.
But here spiced seems to belong with swete, — swete spiced=
pleasant, easy. Drugs were called spices, — not drugs in gen¬
eral, but specifics as we still say.
" May no synne be on him sene that useth that spise."
P. P. Prol., 147.
The Italian word for drugs is spezierie, that which is sold in
small quantities, as opposed to groceries (^gross), articles which
are sold in large quantities. With an interpretation drawn from
this meaning, the expression would be equivalent to a conscience
spiritually drugged, and so acting unnaturally. Tyrwhitt quotes
from Beaumont and Fletcher (Mad Lover, Act 3) a passage in
which spiced seems, as here, to signify nice, scrupulous : —
Fy ! no corruption . . .
Cle. Take it ; it is yours :
Be not so spiced ; it is good gold ;
And goodness is no gall to the conscience."
527. his apostles, gen., in same construction with Cristes.
Such an arrangement would be perfectly clear in an inflected
language, but is not allowable in modern English.
528. himselve = by himself, dative. " Himself is often an
abridgment of a prepositional expression used as an adverb : he
did it by himself, of himself, for himself; and being a quasi-
adverb does not receive the adjectival inflection. It follows that
Iby-t In myself, and thyself, are not pronominal adjectives,
but represent inflected cases of the pronouns." Abbott, Shak.
Gr. § 20. We may explain this expression more simply. Him;
f«y=me; /^y = the, are strict datives of possession after self
which is to be construed as the real subject; so that himself=
the self to him ; myself = the self to me. Cf. al him one = him
all alone. Gower. Self is often used in E.E. for an emphatic
subject or object.
"And eke the ladie self he brought away." F. iv, i, 2.
" Such as the maker self could leest by art devize." lb. iv.3, 38.
" Lo where the villaine self," &c. lb. iv. 7, 30.
In all these cases self is preceded by a possessive genitive,
which answers to the possessive dative in ^/Vw-self. The posses¬
sive dative was common in A.8.
529. was his brother = his brother. This omission
of the subject-relative is common in Shakspeare. " I have a
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
m
mind [which] presages." M. of V. i. i. 175. See Abbott, Shak.
Gr., § 244. We still use the same construction after nouns,
although the omission is awkward. See note, 1. 547.
530. i'lad, drawn out, carried, p.p. of lead.
Fotker-, properly a carriage load, and so used here; cf. Ger,
fuder. See K., 1050.
532. charitee (Fr. charité-, Lat. caritas) = love, good-will,
Charis originally signified loveliness, and was first applied to
denote physical grace; hence the Greeks called the Graces
charités. The transfer to spiritual perfections was easy; and
charity signified loveliness of character, prompted by good-will.
It is so used by St. Paul in i Cor. xiii. 4: " Charity suffereth
long," &c. From signifying moral virtue, the word easily came
to signify those acts of benevolence which are the strongest
proof of its possession.
533. God, placed first for emphasis.
534. though him gamede or smerte — though it pleased or
pained him. The subject is the previous sentence, God lovede
he. We usually find it referring to the sentence-subject. Him is
acc. after impersonals of feeling. Smerte, impersonal subj. prêt.
We still use this verb, but always in the sense of physical pain;
cf. It smarts."
535. tkanne~\.\itxi\ see note, 1. 12.
Himselve, acc.
536. dyke ~ ditch, though now restricted to making an em¬
bankment. Dyke and ditch, originally the same word, have
become distinct; one meaning the embankment made, and the
other the trench excavated in making a ditch.
537. For Cristes sake. See Matt. xxv. 40.
538. if it lay Í7i his might = if it were in his power.
541. mere = 2^ mare. To ride upon a mare was held to
be beneath the dignity of a man of distinction. The same
notion prevails among the North American Indians, among
whom the warriors ride upon stallions and the women upon
mares.
542. Reeve — an understeward, whose duty it was to super¬
intend the estate of a gentleman. See 11. 587-622. Also an
officer. Mostly used in composition with a noun denoting the
extent of his jurisdiction; as, fort^reeve, shire-reeve (sheriff),
tow7i-reeve, &c.
543. So7nf>noti^ 2l summon^Y \ an officer employed to sum-
158 NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
mon delinquents to appear in ecclesiastical courts, — now called
an apparitor.
Pardoner — %éWtv oí pardons; one licensed to sell indul¬
gences.
545* nones. See note on 1. 379.
547. That prevede ivel = that proved he well. Subject is
omitted. The same usage is frequent in Shakspeare. This
ellipsis of the nominative may perhaps be explained partly :
(i) by the lingering sense of inflections, which of themselves are
sometimes sufficient to indicate the person of the pronoun under¬
stood, as in Milton : —
* Thou art my son beloved : in him am pleased ; '
partly (2) by the influence of the Latin; partly (3) by the rapid¬
ity of the Elizabethan pronunciation, which frequently changed
he into a (a change also common in E.E.), 'a must needs'
(2 Hen. VI. iv. 2, 59), and prepared the way for dropping he
altogether," Abbott, Shak. Gr., § 402.
overal = every where; cf. Ger. liberal. Overal ¿her may be
construed together = wherever.
548. = always. A.S. all ways ; hence at all
times.
ram. A ram was the usual prize at wrestling matches.
"Of wrastling was ther non his pere,
Ther ony ram shuld stonde."
Rime of Sir Thopas.
549. schort-schuldred : we would say short-ivaisted.
A thikke knarre—2i thick-set stub of a fellow. Knarre—\Lnot
(O.E. A derivative of this word is still in colloquial
use,—gnarly (pronounced nurly'). This figure is used because
of the knohhy appearnnce of the muscles when largely developed.
550. heve of harre = lift off the hinges. Gower uses the
expression " otti of herref which Dr. Pauli leaves unexplained;
may it not be explained as " out of gear" or " off the hinges," as
the colloquial phrase expresses any disorder.^
heve; from this word we have head (A.S. heafod), the part
which is lifted up; heaven (A.S. heafoii)^ that which is lifted up.
— the sky.
552. sovje or fox. The wild hog is of a tawny red color.
553* broad, indicating a disregard of the prevailing
fashion. See line 270 and note.
554. Ufo7t the cop rightupon the top. We retain the-.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE. ' IS9
word cop m cob= a head, the receptacle of Indian corn; so also
in copings that portion of a wall which forms the top or finish.
hade = hadde = had. The orthography and the pronunci¬
ation are changed to accommodate the rhyme.
557. nose-thurles — nos-trils. (A.S. tkyrel, a hole). Spenser
uses intermediate forms: —
*'That flames of fire he threw forth from his large nosethrill."
F. i. II, 22.
"Where proud Encelado whose wide nosthrils burnd."
Ib., iii. 9, 22.
The modern orthography conceals the etymology of the word,
and could only have come into use when the real meaning of the
compound word was lost.
558. siverd and bocler. See 1. 112.
559. forneys = furnace. See 1. 202.
560. jangler= a great talker. From this word we have jangle
to quarrel, and perhaps jingle.
golyardeys = a buffoon (Skeat), a teller of ribald stories.
" The primary type of jollity is eating and drinking, an idea,
expressed in caricature by a representation of the sound of liquor
pouring down the throat. . . . Fr. godailler-, to guzzle, to tipple,
. . . faire gogaille, to make merry, to drink merrily. . . . The
latter half [of gogaille. Eng. coW. guggWl seems to give rise to
the term gaillard, one making merry, enjoying himself, a good
fellow. The word is closely allied in form and meaning with
the O.E. goliard, a loose companion ; from Fr. gouliard, a greedy
feeder." Wedgwood. Tyrwhitt says: "This jovial sect seems,
to have been so called from Golias, the real or assumed name
of a man of wit, toward the end of the thirteenth century, wha
wrote the Apocalypsis Goliae, and other pieces, in burlesque
Latin rhymes, some of which have been falsely attributed ta
Walter Map." It is now generally believed that Golias was a
fictitious character, invented by the jolly father Map, who
named his imaginary bishop Golias, as the hero of Gluttony,
with an allusion to Goliath the Philistine." See Skeat's note,
P.P., p. 98.
561. And that Tvas = and one who was. The antecedent of
the relative must be supplied from the preceding line.
Most = the greatest, a master. Master is from Lat. magnus^
and hence will aptly translate most as here used.
ofsynne, &c., genitives of specification. See 1. 83.
l6o NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
563. a thombe of gold, Tjrwhitt says : the allusion be,
as is most probable, to the old proverb, ' Every honest miller has
a thumb of gold,* this passage may mean that our miller, not¬
withstanding his thefts, was an honest miller; i.e., as honest as
his brethren.'* The skill of the miller is shown by the fineness
and evenness of the flour, to secure which required constant test¬
ing, which was secured by rubbing the flour with his thumb, so
that the line may more probably refer to the miller's skill and
not to his honesty, which would hardly bear any very flattering
notice.
565. haggepipe^ quadrisyllable.
566. = therewith (wholly with this). This use of
therewithal is now obsolete. In this class of words, at is added
simply for emphasis.
567. Gentil = well-bred. See 1. 72, where it rather means
well-born ; although with the further idea of good-breeding.
temple limits maunciple. The headquarters of the Knights
Templar were in London, and went by the name of The Tem¬
ple;** subsequently they were appropriated to the chambers of
the two Inns of Court, or Colleges in which students of Law
reside, and receive instruction, the chief of which are the Inner
Temple and the Middle Temple.
Scan : A gen | tie Maun | c*ple was | &c.
568. Of 'Which = QÎ whom; cf. "Our Father which art in
Heaven.*'
569. For governs the infinitive clause following. Buyers
might take example in regard to buying victuals.
570. whether ///a^ = whether it were that; whether. As an
interrogative = which of two; from this meaning comes
its force as a so-called conjunction, used to introduce the first of
two alternative clauses. These uses of whether are unfortunately
becoming obsolete. " Whether of them twain did the will of hiS
father.^** Matt. xxi. 31. We now say which: we usually omit
the interrogative or alternative whether,
took by taille = ho\ig\\t on credit. Taille tally (Fr. tailler^
to cut). Before reading and writing were such common accom¬
plishments, accounts were kept by notches cut into a stick
Thus one meaning of tally is to count; to keep tally = to keep
count. When there was a running account with debts and
credits, each party kept a tally-stick, and as, if the accounts were
kept correctly, these sticks would be the same, to tally = to
NOIES TO THE PROLOGUE. l6l
agree. This method was in use as late as the Restoration, for
Pepys in his Diary frequently mentions borrowing money on
tallies.
571. vjaytede so = was so attentive to his business.
572. — before (others). A.S. befaran. We have cor¬
rupted this beforan into beforehand^ which again has been
altered to forehanded.
573' ^ fair gracean exceedingly great gift. Grace has
acquired a theological meaning = the favor of God.
574. unlearned. See note, 1. 502.
= judgment; practical knowledge, derived from observa¬
tion, as distinguished from wisdom derived from study. It is
from the unstudied spontaneous character of this knowledge that
the later definitions of wit have arisen.
«
schal pace. We would say should surpass. Schal must be
construed as present subjunctive in a subordinate clause. We
do not now use schal with the pres. subj., although we use should
in the prêt, (conditional).
pace = surpass. The grace of God, which passeth all under¬
standing." Philip, iv. 7.
575. wisdom., learning as contrasted with wit, or common
sense.
heep = 2L large number. This use of heap is still current in
the West and South, where many Old English idioms have been
preserved to be called Americanisms.
576. maystres = masters. Lat. mag/ster, from magnus, great.
As here used it refers to the lawyers whom he served.
hadde he — had he had.
578. which = whom.
house here refers to the temple spoken of, 1. 567.
580. Engelond= Kx\ge\-\oná, i.e., the land of the Angles, one
of the Teutonic tribes that settled the island of Great Britain.
The three leading tribes were the Jutes from Jutland, the Angles
from Anglen in Sleswick, and the Saxons from the mouth of the
Rhine. When the tribes fused together into one people, the
preponderance of the Angles gave the name England to the
country.
581. lyve, inf., second object of make.
propre good = own property. Propre = what is peculiar to
one*s self; hence befitting one's character, station, &c. ; also
suited to what o^ght to be. The original meaning is preserved
11
102 NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
in the legal phrase, " in proper person." The noun property has
also the same meaning, and strictly signifies what is one's own ;
in the case of moral good we use the form propriety. " I have
of mine own proper good." i Chron. xxix. 3. That is, private
property.
"And ofcomun \i\%propre made." Gower, ii. 128.
goods, property. Lat. dona. Or. àyadà. This paral¬
lelism is not a little remarkable. Men have always considered
wealth the highest earthly good, as virtue is the highest spiritual
possession.
582. In honour detteles= honorably and yet without incurring
debt. Honour here means in a way to attract consideration :
from this meaning the transition to that "which entitles one to
is quite easy: thus integrity is the honor o( aman, — "upon
my honor," — and virtue is the honor oî a woman.
except. The force of but is negative.
583. or ly^e ; in same construction as lyve in 1. 581.
as hym list desire = a% it pleases him to desire. Wright reads
" as he can desire."
584. And connects able to ivorthi^ 1. 579.
For governs to helpen^ used substantively.
helpen — to extricate from difficulty.
a = a whole. Al must be construed as an adverb modify¬
ing a considered as a numeral.
" Of al a wyke wirche nought." P.P. vi. 258.
586. maunciple, dissyllable.
sette here aller cappe = would make fools of them all.
Aller is the gen. pi. of alle; here (A.S. heora)^ gen. pi. of he-,
here aller = eorum omnium. " To set one's cap " is to put a fool's
cap on him, to overreach him. For all these lawyers were
so smart, the manciple by his native wit could outwit them
all.
587. colerik =■ irascible, bilious. The bile was supposed to
be the seat of irascibility.
588. neigh — close, nigh. We retain this orthography in
neighbor.
he can : we would use could here, but ever implying a contin¬
uous time (present) throws the verb quite naturally into the
present. We use the present after a future, but not after a
preterite.
589. round i-shorn. Short hair was a mark of inferior con-
NOTES TO THE PBOLOOÜE.
dition. See 11. 8i, 109. The long, lank, lean body of the reeve
is in admirable keeping with his character.
590. docked = cut short. Wages are docked for loss of
time.
592. calf — the fleshy part of the leg. This word is only a
shortened form of collopy a lump, especially of fat : the calf of the
leg is the collop of flesh belonging to it.
593. Wei cowde he kepe = he well knew how to take care of
(keep account of) a granary and a bin.
594. covjdey relative subject ivho omitted. See note, 1. 529.
on him = against him, of him. This use of on is still current
in colloquial language. ** Lest they should tell on us." i Sam.
xxvii. II.
wy««^ = gain the victory in case of disputed accounts; no
auditor could find an error in his accounts.
595. Wei Wiste hey &c. = well knew he by, &c., what would
be the yield of his crops. He could foretell the yield from the
circumstances of the weather.
596. Tieldyng" — i\\t return (A.S. gyldauy to pay): (i) That
which is paid or returned for something; (2) a giving waj--,—
a mental action analogous to paying; (3) the phj'sical act con¬
forming to this mental state. E.g., the yield of a field ; a yield¬
ing temper; yielding to opposition.
597. neet= cattle. A.S. neat a derivative of nyt useful. Neat
cattle was not originally a tautological expression, but was used
as we now use the word cattle. We still use the word in com¬
pounds; e.g., neat-leather,
dayerie = dairy. *^The dey was a servant in husbandry,
mostly a female, whose duty was to make cheese and butter,
attend to the calves and poultry, and other odds and ends of the
farm. . . . The milking of the cows and feeding the weanlings
by hand would naturally fall to the same attendant, and hence
the origin of the name as rightly pointed out by Jamieson. Dan.
daegge to feed with foreign milk." Wedgwood.
" For she was as it were a maner dey."
Nonne Preestes Tale, 26.
599. holly = wholly, A.S. whole, hale ; we thus distin¬
guish the two significations by the orthography.
governynge = control. The literal meaning of govern is to
steer a ship; \^at. gubernarey Gr. Kvßepväv, It then denoted the
control of public affairs, — the ship of state, as we still say,
NOTES TO THE PROLOQUE
unconsciously maintaining the old figure; and finally it denotes
control in general.
6oi. master, employer, A.S. hlaford. This word is
usually derived from loaf, bread, and author, giver;
thus lord = bread-giver. Others derive it from hlaf-iveard
the bread-warder. Lady is also derived from an assumed fem¬
inine hlaf-vjeardige. But these etymologies are extremely
doubtful, if not untenable. " Thorkelin in his Glossary to
Beowulf, under the title Rex, refers the word HIaford to an
Icelandic origin, considering it as a corruption of Ladvard, a
term denoting power and responsibility. His words are: HIaf¬
ord, rectius Ladvard^ Id. Lavardr., a Lady terra, et vaurdr,
custos, adeo HIaford est, reverá, custos terrae, i.e., patriae."
Pref. Ormulum. So also lady^ Id. lavdiy also written in A.S.
hlavedi. The older forms of the words are the simpler, which
would seem to indicate that the resemblance to hlaf is only the
result of corruption.
605. ¿/eMe = pestilence. Trevisa calls the Great Plague of
1349 " the grete deth."
607. placBy i.e. of residence, — used also to denote a collection
of dwellings, as a village; hence the collection of buildings for
the use of a family.
609. i-stored prively = ÍM\\ richly stored was he privately:
his private property was large.
610. suhtilly = QX2LÍú\y, The figure is that of a thread spun
to exceeding fineness, implying great skill and cunning.
611. To geve a7id lene = to give and lend.
of his owne good= partitive gen.
612. ihanky now used only in the pi. From A.S. thencany to
remember.
613. trade. " The Greekmeant originally the
secret doctrines and ceremonies connected with the worship of
particular divinities. In the middle ages the most difficult and
delicate processes of many of the mechanical arts were kept
religiously secret, and hence in all the countries of Europe,
those arts were themselves called mysteriesy as mechanical trades
still are in the dialect of the English law. Thus, when a boy is
apprenticed to a tanner or a shoemaker, the legal instrument or
indenture, by which he is bound, stipulates that he shall be
taught the art and mystery of tanning or shoemaking. After¬
wards mystery came to designate, in common speech, any reg-
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE,
ular occupation, so that a man's mystery was his trade, his
employment, the profession by which he earned his bread; and
as men are most obviously classed and characterized by their
habitual occupations, the question which so often occurs in Old
English writers, 'what mester wight is that?'means what is
that man's employment, and, consequently, condition in life."
Marsh, Lect. Eng. Lang., 251.
" Artificers
Which usen craftes and mestiers
Whose art is cleped mechanique."
Gower, Con. Am. iii. 142.
See K., 1. 852.
This word must be distinguished from maistrie^ Lat. mag's*
terium^ craft, skill, power, and from mister-, Lat. miriisterium,
need, necessity.
" To put him out of all daungere
That he of mete hath no mistereP (need) R.R., 5614.
614. a ivel good=^ very ^ooá: so also ful good,
616. higlite = called: properly a reduplicated passive
form of the verb.
618. a rusty blade-fior show, — being rusty it was evident that
it had not been habitually carried; a fine touch of humor, admi¬
rably illustrating the character of the Reeve.
619. Nort/ifolk=^J^orîo\\iL. The two kingdoms founded by
the Angles in England were called Northfolk and Suffolk, or
north and south folk or people. These names still survive in the
names of counties of England.
620. Byside = r\t^r to, by the side of.
pien is here pi. of man, and not the indefinite pronoun.
621. Takked, &c. He was clothed [tucked about] as is a
friar; i.e., in a long blouse or frock.
622. kyndreste = h\námo%t, is a double superlative ;
est, the modern supl. termination, being added to the old supl.
term. ma.
623. Sompnour. See note 1. 543.
in that place. See 1. 20.
624. cherubynes face, a round, full, ruddy face, such as paint¬
ers give to cherubim.
625. sa^vcefiem=^'àxv indefinite skin disease. Tyrwhitt quotes
the following from the Thousand Notable Things: "Asaws'
fleame or red pipnpled face is helped with the medicine follow¬
ing; " two of the ingredients are quicksilver and brimstone.
lôô NOTES TO THE EROLOGUE,
eyff/ten Chaucer gives the following variations in
orthography : Eyen, Eyghen, Eyhen, Eghen.
627. skalledy having the scall or scab; scurfy. *'If a man or
woman have a plague upon the head or the beard; then the
priest shall see the plague; and behold if it be in sight deeper
than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the
priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a dry scall." Lev.
xiii. 29^ 30.
blake^ light-colored — yellowish (as from leprosy). See yel¬
low thin hair" above. A.S. blac^ pale, pallid, blac-Ztleor^ pale-
faced. Blac^ pale, and blaec, black, are both from blican^ to
shine, to dazzle. " The original meaning of black seems to have
been exactly the reverse of the present sense ; viz. shining, white.
It is in fact radically identical with Fr. hlanc, white, blank. . . .
Then as white is contrasted with any special color, the word
came to signify pale, faded. . , . Again, as colors fade away, the
aspect of the object becomes indistinct and obscure, and thus
the idea of discoloration merges in that of dim, dusky, dark on
the one side, and in that of pale and white on the other. . . .
4
When the idea of dimness or obscurity is pushed to its limit it
becomes absolute darkness or blackness." Wedgwood. " 'To
make his brows blake,' or turn pale, was a common poetical
phrase equivalent to lo va7tquish kim.' " Wright, Prov. Die.
"As blake as a marygold" is a proverbial simile in dialectical
English.
" Some on [pleaseth] for she is pale and bleche."
Gower, C. A. ii. 210.
Morris, however, explains blake as black.
filed herd a thin beard. See note, I. 177. "And the man
whose hair is fallen off his head (margin 'head is filled).''''^
Lev. xiii. 40.
628. = afraid, frightened. "Be not afcard ; the isle
is full of noises." Tempest, iii. 2, 137. This pronunciation is
still common in some parts of this country.
630. oille of la?'tre = B. preparation of white tartar, used as a
cosmetic. " Oyle of tartar is said 'to take away dene all spots,
freckles and filthy wkeales.* These last, I suppose, are what
Chaucer calls whelkes." T.
632. Of kis ivhelkes = that could relieve him of his whelkes.
"She was healed of that plague." Mk. v. 29. So in A.S. with
the idea of separation, "alys us of yfele," deliver us from evil.
Morris explains "to help off;" but helf governs him in the
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
167
dative as in A.S., while help-off must be construed as a com¬
pound verb governing whelkes.
633. staying — in spite of remedies. ♦
635. Scan : And for | to drink | e strong | &c.
to drinke^ inf. to be construed as a noun after for*
636. as he vjere = as if he were. The subjunctive, when indi¬
cated by the termination, did not require the conjunction to
designate the mood.
637. 'ujhan Mi7^ = when; literally " at what [time] that."
heiveldronken hadde=he had drunk a large quantity. Every
man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men
hazfe zvell drunk^ then that which is worse." Jno. ii. 10. "And
when men be dronke." Tyndale.
638. Latyn^ the language of the learned.
639. A fevje termes. As a belongs only to singular nouns,
or nouns to be construed in the singular, it cannot limit termes ;
the real construction is " a few of terms." We find this partitive
construction regularly used after numerals ; e.g., a thousand men
(of men).
= technical terms,—words used in a peculiar sense,
641. No vjonder /5 = it is no wonder; i.e., that he should
learn it, as he heard it all day in the courts. The Law writs all
followed a certain model, and hence each would be a repetition
of the other, except so far as change would be necessary to adapt
it to the particular circumstances of the case. The Summoner
is likened to a jay which learns to repeat words which it has
frequently heard.
642. hotv that = how ; literally " in what way it is that ; " hovj
is the instrumental case of lohat. " That thou mayest know how
that the earth is the Lord's." Ex. ix. 29.
643. Can clepen Watte = can call Watt, just as parrots say
Poll.
644. so is the pronoun, added (cf. Lat. quts-quis^ to render
the interrogative indefinite.
other thing—oi\\tr matters.
grope = try, test; literally, to feel with the hands. The orig¬
inal force of this word is still maintained in the south-western
States; as, to " grabble potatoes," is to thrust the hand into the
hill, and select the largest, leaving the small ones to grow.
645. Thanne hadde he spent. All he knew was the phrases
which he had packed up.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
646. ^uestto quid juris* The question is, what is the law in
the case. **This kind of question occurs frequently in Ralph de
Hingham. After having stated a case, he adds ^uid juris^ and
then proceeds to give the answer to it." T.
648. noght* Wright reads noivlier, — a better reading.
652. To pulle a fynch = to pluck (pill) a finch; i.e., to cheat
one out of his money.
654. //m, — to han. Double acc. after vei'bs of teaching, &c.
—dread. We use the word to denote that degree of fear
inspired by something great or sublime.
655. In such a caas. Morris reads in such caas."
Archedeknes = — an ecclesiastic next in rank
below a bishop, with authority to hold court and try and punish
ecclesiastical oifences. It is worthy of note that the titles of
many of the officers of the church were assumed from words
meaning various grades of servants; e.g., pastor, deacon, bishop,
&c.
656. But except = if his soul were not in his purse.
ntannes = vc\di\ï\. The old full form of the genitive. We indi¬
cate the elision by the (') apostrophe.
657. These four lines may be paraphrased thus : He would,
in such a case, teach him to have no fear of the Archdeacon's
curse, unless his soul was in his purse, for he should be punished
only by a fine."
658. ^uod = quoth he (prêt.) Now used only in the ist
and 3d persons prêt, to give an archaic effect; as, quoth /, quoth
he, sometimes corrupted into quotha.
659. right =siy\x%\.. Right \s still used colloquially to empha¬
size the following word; as, right away, right here, Just now
here. In dede =» indeed, to be construed as an adverb, limited
by right.
660. Him í/reí/e ='* Each guilty man ought to be afraid for
himself of excommunication." Him, dative after ought; evidently
here used with the sense of owe, —a guilty man owes it to him¬
self to be afraid, &c. Wright reads, ** oweth ech gulty man."
661. curs used in the abstract = cursing.
662. And connects war and techen, I. 654, from whence wolde
must be supplied.
War of him = war him of, — warn him against.
significavit = a writ of excommunication, which usually
began, Significavit nobis venerabilis frater."
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
169
663 In daujig-cr =.w\Úún his jurisdiction. The history of
the word danger is most curious and instructive. " In Mid. Lat.
damnum was used to signify a fine imposed by legal authority.
The term was then elliptically applied to the limits over which
the right of a lord to the fines for territorial offences extended,
and then to the inclosed field of a proprietor. ... In this sense
the word was often rendered damage in French. Damage then
acquired the sense of trespass, intrusion into the close of another,
as in the legal phrase damage-feasanty whence Fr, damager^ to
distrain or seize cattle found in trespass. From this verb was
apparently formed the domigerium^ signifying the power
of exacting a damnum or fine for trespass. Then as damage is
written damge in the laws of William the Conqueror, the fore¬
going and the corresponding Fr. domager or dani'
would pass into damger, danger. . . . The term danger
equally applied to the right of exacting a fine for breach of terri¬
torial rights, or to the fine or the rights themselves. . . . To be
in the danger of any one — esfre en son danger — came to sig¬
nify to be subjected to any one, to be in his power, or liable to a
penalty to be inflicted by him or at his suit, and hence the ordi¬
nary acceptation of the word at the present day. As the penalty
might frequently be avoided by obtaining the license of the per¬
son possessed of the right infringed, the word was applied to
such license or to exactions made as the price of permission."
Wedgwood. Littré derives danger from M. Lat. dominium.
assize — assize, court ; properly a court composed of a number
of judges. "The word assise is derived by Sir Edward Coke
from the Latin assideo, to sit together; and it signifies originally
the jury who try the cause, and sit together for that purpose.
By a figure it is now made to signify the court or jurisdiction
which summons this jury together." Blackstone, iii. 185. Tyr-
whitt reads "owen gise"=own way, pleasure.
664. guries = young people of either sex.
"Grammar for gerlys I garte firste to write." P.P.
Cf. A.S. ceorlf a churl, a freeman of the lowest rank. These
two lines = he had the young people of the diocese within the
jurisdiction of his own court.
665. ai here red = whoUy their adviser; their adviser upon
all points; cf. "read me my riddle; " i.e., explain my riddle.
667. as it w^r^=as though it were. In all such cases, the
contingent conjunction is implied in the subjunctive mode of
the verb.
170 NOTES TO THE PROLOQUE
ale-stake, a stake hung with branches and leaves set up in
front of an ale-house for a sign. The custom of adorning the
front of ale-houses with live branches on festal occasions is still
kept up among us, particularly by the Germans.
668. A bokeler, &c. Cakes were sold at the ale-houses; this
novel sort of a buckler was probably suggested to the poet by
the Sompnour's resemblance to an ale-stake.
" But firste, quod he, here at this ale-stake
I wol both drinke and biten ona cake."
C. T., 12,255*
669. Pardoner =2i seller of indulgences, — a class of persons
who brought great scandal upon the church.
670. Rounceval. " Perhaps the name of some fraternity." T.
671. was comen = had come. Intransitive verbs in A.S.
formed the perfect and pluperfect with the auxiliary to be. Comen
is therefore the past participle, and the expression — that was
having recently come, &c. This periphrastic form describes the
actor rather than the act.
court of Rome = the Papal court. Observe that Rome rhymes
with to me; similarly, Gower rhymes time with by me.
672. Ful lowde=yQry loudly. The dative singular of any
adjective could be used as an adverb both in A.S. and in E.E.
From this fact we may easily explain the constant tendency,
particularly in colloquial language, to use adjectives instead of
adverbs.
Come hider, S¿c. Probably the beginning or the refrain of a
well-known popular song.
Scan ; Ful lowde | he sang | Com hid | er lov | e to me.
673. Burdou7t =:hsiss. Burdoun = b. staff or support; hence
in music denoting the fundamental part or bass upon which the
others rest or lean.
674. IVas— there was. Such an omission must be explained,
as the omitted relative subject.
676. Heng= hung. Strong verbs in A.S. changed the vowel
in the preterite, but also sometimes changed this vowel in the
different persons and numbers of the prêt. ; whence arises the
confusion between sang and sung, drank and drunk. A.S. sing.
sang, pi. sungon ; sing, dranc, pi. druncon. According to this
analogy we have hynge (hyngen) in the next line; although in
this verb there is no change in A.S.
^77- Ny unces, &c., in separate portions hung the curls that
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE, 171
he had had, and therewith (i.e. with this dishevelled hair) he
covered his shoulders. The same idea is more clearly expressed
in 1. 679.
679. On and oon = onthy The hair that had been curled
in ringlets hung in straight wisps. This sort of fashionable
carelessness admirably befits the character of the Pardoner.
680. For = because of his gayety. This use of for is
common in Shakspeare. See Abbott, Sh. Gr. § 150. Jolitee,
Some connect this with Eng. y»/e, Christmas, alluding to the
festivities of that occasion.
682. Him tkoughte = it seemed to him that he rode, &c. We
still say metkought without any apprehension of the construc¬
tion, just as we say " if you please " without any recognition of
the dative you.
of the nevje get = after the latest fashion, — the new style.
Of the nexve get is an adverbial element modifying rood ; al
modifies this adv. element.
685. Vérmele^ diminutive of Veronike or Veronica {vera-icon
= true image), a representation of the face of our Saviour,
printed upon a handkerchief, in imitation of the celebrated orig¬
inal preserved with great veneration in St. Peter's church at
Rome. " Some believe that it [the original] is the same kerchief
which was put on Christ's face in the tomb, according to John,
XX. 7; others have persuaded themselves, but without proof, that
it is the kerchief with which a holy woman [St. Veronica] wiped
the Saviour's face when he went to Mount Calvary, bearing his
cross." See Encyc. Am. It was usual for persons returning
from pilgrimages to bring with them certain tokens of the several
places which they had visited, and therefore the Pardoner, who
is just arrived from Rome is represented with ' a vernicle sewed
upon his cappe.'" T.
** A bolle and a bagge he bar by his syde
An hundred of ampulles on his hat seten,
Signes of Synay, and shells of Galice,
And many a crouche on his cloke and keyes of Rome
And the Vernicle bifore, for men sholde knowe
And se by hise signes whom he sought hadde."
P.P. v. 526. Skeat.
686. lafpe = lap. A.S. laeppa., a lap, border, hem. The
original meaning is retained in lapel, a fold of cloth like a hem,
172
NOTES TO THE FROLOGUE
used to hide a seam, &c. ; and in lapf>et sometimes called ßcjp-,
parts of a garment which hang loose; cf. ßabby.
687. = brim-full ; full to the top. Tyrwhitt sajs the
meaning of this word is clearer than the etymology. O.E. brurd-
ful, A.S. brerd, brink. See K. 1306.
bowed in blys bred ful my braynes."
E.E. Allit. Poems, A. 126.
"Er vche bothom wass brurd-ful to the bonkes egges."
lb. B. 383.
al hoot =?i\\ hot or fresh from Rome, — satirically compar¬
ing the sellers of indulgences to the venders of eatables who thus
cry their wares.
" Cokes and here knaves crieden ' hote pies, hote !
Gode gris [pigs] and gees, gowe dyne gowe! [come].
P.P. Prol., 226.
688. voys . . . a voice as weak. "A still small voice."
,i Kg. xix. 12.
690. // refers to the part of the face usually covered with
beard,
692. Berivyk, a seaport on the river Tweed, at the extreme
north of England.
Ware, a seaport on the channel.
693. suck another, We novf %2iy another suck, 2AÍ):\OMgh suck a
is allowable. Another = a or an other; other (a-whether) =
any one [one of any two] ; suck another is therefore in strict
analogy with suck a. Many of these words which have the ter¬
mination of the comparative retain the distributive idea involved
in the notion of comparison : thus = which one of two,
= one of two. " Love one another " = love one of two
= one the other. As the force of the article in another is lost,
suck will become the word of closer definition. Other is also
y used in the plural as 07ie is in A.S. and E.E.
6q4. male = portmanteau. Literally a bag made of leather.
Because such bags are used in transporting matter sent by post,
such matter is called mail, and the bags by a reduplication are
called mail-bags. So also a "coat of mail" was originally a
coat of leather; cf. cuirass^ Lat. corium, leather.
695. Which that = vi\)\c)ci', which as. Which being originally
an interrogative, that may have been added to give it a relatival
force. Abbott, Shak. Or- § 250. But that may here have the
force of as.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
173
tuas oure lady veyL literally = was the veil of the lady of us.
Z,ady gen. for ladye. See note, 1. 88-
696. Gobet^z. small piece. **And they gadered up of the
gobbetes thatt remained." Matt. xiv. 20. (Tyndale).
697. St. Peter, Sic. See Matt. xiv. 22-33.
tehan that. See note, 1. i.
Scan ; That sey | 'nt Pet | er hadde | &c.
700. ptgges hones. Pretending that they were the bones of
some saint. This trade in relics is still kept up at Rome in spite
of all the efforts of the church to suppress it.
701. ^«^ = and yet. Notice the adversative force of but,
implying a false pretence.
702. dvjellyng uppon lond = a parson living in the country.
So used frequently : ** Land of Nod.*' Gen. iv. 16. Cf. landscape.
703. a day = one day.
him, dative of advantage.
moneye-= money. Lat. moneta, a surname of Juno, in whose
temple money was originally coined. Others derive the word
from monere, to advise; that is, gold or silver so marked as to
advise one of its value.
704. Than that = tha,n th&t-which. Abbott (Shak. Gr. § 244)
suggests that the omission of the relative arose from the identity
of the demonstrative that and the relative that; but it seems
more natural to suppose that the relative that grew out of the
demonstrative that, so that the construction without the relative
would be the original construction.
705. 'with=hy or through. With and ^ both originally
signified juxtaposition, and thus easily catne to denote the rela¬
tion of cause and effect.
flaterie — hzXXexy. connected with the root of flat — ovigx-
nally to rub with the hand, or to lick the hand as a dog does.
In like manner, from the wagging of a dog's tail we have our
word wheedle.
706. Scan : the peopl' \ his apes.
707. trevjely to teilen = to speak truly ; to speak the truth.
atte laste — at the last. See note, 1. 29.
70S. churche— (i) a building dedicated to the Lord; (2) the
body of worshippers occupying the same; (3) those who agree
in certain points of doctrine ; (4) all who believe in the Christian
faith. **-Church is from the Greek /cupta/c^, and signifies that
174
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
which pertains to the Lord, or the house which is the Lord's."
Trench. This etymology is questioned by some.
a noble ecclestaste = ecclesiastic of high standing, having
the same rank among ecclesiastics that a noble has in society.
709. storye = ^ story (abbreviated from history)^ here evidently
alludes to passages from the lives of saints which were read
in divine service. Story (history) originally denoted matters
learned by inquiry, and from the incredible narrations so fre¬
quently told by travellers, the word came easily to signify a false
account, as well as an entertaining narrative.
710. altkerbest = of all. A.S. aller^ gen. pl., sometimes
strengthened to alder or altker. See note on here aller-, 1. 586;
also 11. 799, 823.
sang an offertorie = intoned the sentences said or sung while
the offerings (alms) were being collected. A fine satire upon
his avarice.
713. TV? = to gainf inf. of purpose.
as he right wel coivde refers to affyle,
714. Therefore —iox this reason; i.e., that he might win
silver.
715. clause: a portion of a book or document separated from
the rest; hence a " book" of a poem, a chapter or a paragraph,
a sentence, or even a part of a sentence, separated by punc¬
tuation.
716. Thesiat, tharray=Úie. estate, the array. This synco¬
pation is very common in E.E.
717. Why that— why (it was) that.
719. highte = IS called : active in form but passive in meaning.
faste. The original meaning of this word seems to be that of
fixedness, strength, e.g., a fastness ; hence it denotes that which
is immovable, either physically or mentally. From this idea of
strength comes the idea of contiguity : " Siloa's brook that flowed
fast by the oracle of God." The idea of closeness naturally passes
into that of rapidity; hence vigorous action.
faste = near to. By= near, which faste simply emphasizes
by repetition ; cf. fast asleep, Abide here fast by my maidens."
Ruth ii. 8. Hard is used in the same way for emphasis, with
the idea of proximity; e.g., Whose house joined hard to the
synagogue." Acts xviii. 7. " My soul followeth hard after thee/
Ps. Ixiii. 8.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
175
720. is ¿yine = \t is the proper time. Tyme is the subject = the
proper time is now.
to telle = to narrate. Tell =5 to speak, takes the dative of the
indirect object.
721. How that = in what way it was that; how.
bare «5 = conducted, behaved ourselves; cf. hearing-= át*
portment.
722. alig/it = Mghted. Verbs ending in /, preceded by a
consonant, drop the d of the prêt., as caste for casted; so also in
the p.p.
723. a/ter = herea.iter, afterwards. After is the comparative
of aft^ behind.
725. of your curtesie; an adverbial element, modifying rette*
Pray takes two ace., — one of the person, you; and one of the
thing, thai ye ne rette it., &c.
726. that ye., &c. = that ye do not ascribe it to my ill-
breeding.
727. Though that == though it be that, although.
rt/= plainly. Plain literally is level (^flane)\ hence
without obstructions : " Lead me in a plain path." Ps, xxvii. 11.
Clear, without obstruction to the sense : " They (words) are all
plain." Prov. viii. 9. Easy of approach, without formalities:
"Jacob was a plain man" (Gen. xxv. 27), here means without
being checked by the proprieties of society.
729. properly., according as each spoke them. See note, 1. 581.
731. schal is the oldest future auxiliary, and is always used
except where it would be ambiguous, implying constraint as well
as futurity. In the authorized version of the Bible we often find
shall where usually -will would be more idiomatic, while will is
quite generally used in the sense of willing or wishing. " If thou
wilt thou canst make me clean." " I will, be thou clean." Mark
i. 40, 41. In the languages derived from the Latin, the future is
formed by means of (have), implying the same idea of
necessity. The Gothic uses have in this sense, while in our
present idiom, as an auxiliary, it implies constraint. The
original force of shall was that of obligation, in which sense the
preterite is still used. It implies duty, and hence necessity of a
moral kind, equivalent to to owe, ought. Will denotes simple
volition, and thus simple futurity. It is worthy of notice, that
one class of languages have formed the notion of futurity from
the idea of compulsion, and the other from that of choice.
176
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
( " The assertion of will, or of duty, seems to have been considered
as implying, to a certain extent, the power to will or to impose
a duty. As a man has power to will for himself only, it was
only in the first person that the verb •will could be used with this
signification. Again: the power which overrides the will, to
I impose a duty, must proceed from external agency, and conse¬
quently could not be employed to denote such power in the
i person." Dr. Guest, quoted in Craik, E. of S., 218, skallj
yonivillt and he w///, are generally simply future predictions;
and ivill and shall are true auxiliaries. I w///, you shall, and he
shall, are expressions of determination; and w/V/ and shall are
not true auxiliaries. No very satisfactory explanation of a dis¬
tinction apparently so arbitrary has been given, though some
ingenious suggestions as to the origin of it have been offered;
but, whatever foundation may once have existed for this nicety,
it now answers no intellectual purpose. There is little risk in
predicting that, at no very distant day, this verbal quibble will
disappear, and that one of the auxiliaries will be employed with
all persons of the nominative exclusively as the sign of the future,
and the other only as an expression of purpose or authority."
Marsh, Lect. Eng. Lang., 659.
752. = rehearse. ** To to go over again like
a harrow (Fr. herce) over a ploughed field." Morris. Webster's
Diet, says, Probably from prefix re and hearsay."
as evere he can. Ever (A.S. aefer from a) denotes continuity
in time; but in such colloquial expressions the word rather
denotes continued endeavor. The expression = as he may be
able to at all times. Can is not an auxiliary here.
733. charge undertaking. 'Lé2X. carrus, a car; whence
cargo, a load, and Fr. charger, to load; also carricare, to load
(whence caricature). From this root come car, cart, chariot,
carry, &c. A charge is therefore something to be carried,—
a burden, a commission, a solemn injunction; also cost, debt,
&c. ; also an accusation of crime, the disgrace of which one car¬
ries like a burden.
734. Al speke = although he may speak. The verb being
subj. needed no conjunction.
nevere so. Having abandoned the profusion of negatives,
we usually write "ever so."
large =■ coarse, vulgar. Compare the similar meanings of
gross.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE,
177
736. Wördes «ewô = unfamiliar words.
737- spare ~ reírsiin ; i.e., from rehearsing as nigh as ever he
can.
Ae were kts brother. He here refers to the original teller of
the story.
738. He moot', &c. = He must as well say a word that is im¬
polite as one that is refined.
739. Crist spak himself. This arrangement is still used for
emphasis as, " He told me so himself."
ful broode avoiding the niceties of speech. Many of the
words used to denote vulgarity originally signified greatness of
size, e.g., gross, coarse, large, broad; while words denoting
neatness on the contrary were taken from those implying little¬
ness ; cf. clea?i, Ger. klein., little.
—writing, that which is written; used at present only
in the expression "Holy Writ;" and to denote a legal instru¬
ment, as a "writ of error."
740. ye., nom. ; dat. and acc. you. See 1. 743. The use oí you
in the nominative is comparatively recent.
Vileinye= depraved discourse, which breaks the rules of good
breeding. "In our modern language it [depraved discourse] is
termed villainy, as being proper for rustic boors, or men of
coarsest education and employment, who having their minds
debased by being conversant in meanest affairs do vent their
sorry passions in such strains." Dr. Barrow.
741. whoso that can him rede = ii that any one can read him.
Who and whoso are used indefinitely. "As who should say."
Rich. II. v. 4.
"And am as who saith loves knave." Gower ii. 131.
"After the fiood fro which Noe
Was sauf, the worlde in his degre
Was made as who saith new agein." lb. ii. 181.
742. cosyn related to, in keeping with.
743* foryeve it me. Me dat. of indirect object. In A.S. the
usual construction after gifan, forgifan was the dative of the
person with the accusative of the thing. "And forgyf us ure
gyltas, swa swa we forgyfath urum gyltendum." Matt. vi. 12.
744- Al have /nat= although I may not have set, &c.
745. = where that, how that. The pronominal force
of as allows of its use instead of which and where, as even now
in some dialects.
12
178
NOTES TO THE TBOLOGÜE
" That gentleness . . ¿w I was wont to have.'*
Jul. C. i. 3.
tket schulde stonde = they ought to stand. Chaucer forms all
the oblique cases of the plural of the personal pronouns from the
Southern form hi; while the nominative, as here, is formed
from the Northern thai: We have extended the use of the demon¬
strative, and write them instead of hem^ which we still use in col¬
loquial speech, — pronounced em,
746. deficient, wanting. Still used in this sense, as
** short of funds."
747. us everichon == each one of us, — dative of indirect object.
= ever-each-one, gives us a distributive force.
749. atte besiedln the best manner. See note, 1. 29.
750. and wel to drynhe us leste = and to drink pleased us well ;
i.e., it pleased us well to drink. Leste takes to drinke as its
subject, and us as its accusative object.
751. oure hoost he, redundant pronoun. After a subject which
has been introduced some time before its verb, or after a subject
with appositive clauses, or (as in this instance) when both predi¬
cate and subject precede the verb, the subject pronoun is often
introduced immediately preceding the verb. See Abbott, Shak.
Gr. §§ 242, 243, for illustrations of this usage in Shakspeare.
Our host was withal a man suitable to have been, &c.
752. marschal = marshal of the hall, — whose duty it was at
public festivals to place each person according to his rank. We
still use the word in this sense when we speak of the marshal of
a procession, and to marshal an army, a hos^ &c.
753. eyghen stepe. See 1. 201 and note, /
754. fairere hurgeys = z. more respectable citizen.
Chefe = Q\it2ipúáQ in London. To cheapen meant to buy,
Pepys in his Diary speaks of cheapening goods in the market;
cheap-side, literally = the market place.
756. = manhood. (hood, head) denotes charac¬
ter or condition; e.g., childhood, knighthood, godhead.
him lakkede=\hQYQ. lacked to him right nothing. Him is
dative after verbs of want,
757- ^ight a mery waw—just one merry man, — a right merry
man.
758. piayen^Xo make sport; inf. after hygan.
759* cimonges = among. A.S. on mang, from men^
gian (Ger. mengen), to mix; on would therefore literally
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE. 179
s= in a mixture» The superlative termination seems to have been
added for the sake of emphasis. It is worth while to note the
terminations of the prepositions, and observe whether they are
comparative or superlative ; as, primarily, the comparative degree
expresses relation between two only, while the superlative ex¬
presses the widest possible relation; we may observe the appli¬
cation of this rule in all relational words. E.g. comp, over,
afterunder, for, fore, before, &c. : supl. amidst, amongst, alongst,
also from (old supl. ma) : also words derived from the pronouns ;
e.g., other, either, whether, hither, thither, &c.
760. hadde maad our rekeftynges made our reckonings ;
i.e., had paid our accounts. ** Howbeit there was no reckoning
made with them." 2 Kg. xxii. 7; i.e., there was no formal set¬
tlement.
761. Lo, an exclamation to call attention, usually ho, A.S. la»
Halloo is probably a combination of ho and la, or it may be h-la-
la, eala !
762. Te ben» The plural form aron {earon) is rare in A.S.
It seems to have arisen from a stem ar instead of is, whence we
get in the plural aron in place of sindon. The influence of the
Danes, in whose language r is quite frequently substituted for s,
would naturally fix this plural in use.
right welcome hertely= right heartily welcome.
763. //V=if so be that I must not lie. Schal
is here used with its primary meaning of obligation.
764 this yeer= during this year, acc. of time.
766. wolde I don you=l would wish to cause to you. To
cause is the common meaning of do in A.S. and E.E., and is still
retained in certain phrases : " I do you to wit " = I cause you to
know.
"Which some hath put to shame and many done be dead."
Spenser, F. v. 4, § 29.
That is, hath caused many to be dead.
don (inf.) takes mirthe, direct object in acc., and you indirect
in dative.
wiste I how = did I know how==if I knew how. Wiste is
subjunctive. We still use the subjunctive in such constructions
without a conjunction. " O had I the wings of a dove." " Hadst
thou been here my brother had not died." Jno. xi. 32.
767. by thought = bQthought, reminded. The prefix be gives
an active signiftcation to many verbs otherwise intransitite.
i8o
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
768. To doon you eese. Gerundial infinitive phrase depend¬
ing upon mirtke*
769. God you speede — may God prosper you. Speed the
plough."
770. quyte you youre meede = mdiy the blessed martyr grant
you your reward.
martyr, literally = a witness : early applied to those who gave
testimony to their religion by their death.
771. by the iveye = on the way. "Did not our heart burn
within us, while he talked with us by the way?" Luke
xxiv. 32.
772. Te sckapen yotv =you get yourselves in readiness to tell
stones, &c.
773- Scan : For trew | ely | comfort [ ne mirthe | is noon.
For indeed there is no comfort or mirth in riding, &c.
774. Scan : To ry | de by j the weye | &c.
To ryde, inf. subject of is,
775. tool 17naken = \ am willing (wish) to make some sport
for you.
776. cause to you.
777. if you liketk alle = \î it please you all. The subject of
liketh is the idea contained in the next two lines, rather than any
particular words, although to standen and to -werken can be so
construed.
*1*1^- for to standen—to stand. In A.S. to was never used
with the infinitive, but was used with the dative gerund; when
inflection was lost, this dative was denoted by the preposition
for ; and when the gerund had merged into the infinitive for to
(often written together forto, forte) was adopted as the regular
sign of the infinitive. " Is the leouere vorte beon Judases feolawe
then Jesu Cristes fere?" An. R. 284. Do you prefer to Judas*s
fellow than Jesus Christ's companion?
779. for to werken — to act, to do.
I schal you seye = \ shall say to you, — direct you.
780. To-morwe — to-moxxovi (the morrow). To in such in¬
stances has grown out of the demonstrative pronoun, e.g., tO'day,
to-night; i.e., this (the) day; the (this) night.
781. By the soul of my father, who is dead. That refers to
fadres. Such reference of the relative is not uncommon in E.E.
"Cain's jawbone that did the first murder." Hamlet. "And
this is the Father's will, which hath sent me." Jno. vi. 39.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
l8l
5i>w/ö = soul: pronounced sowl, A.S. saivl from saivan to
sow; hence the principle or germ of life.
783. But=\i not, except.
smyteth 0/*= smite off. The usual termination of the impera¬
tive pi. was eih, A.S. ath. See 1. 788.
<^=off. We have discriminated between these two meanings
by the spelling, — the primary meaning being that of separation,
which is retained in off; while of denotes the logical separation
implied in cause and effect or origin.
myn gen. of Ic,
783. youre hond = yo\xx hands. Strictly speaking, we have
no true possessive pronouns; what we use as possessives are
really genitives. " My book " is not liber meus^ but liber mei :
hence the noun need not be in agreement with the pronoun.
Toure is here used with a distributive force = each of you.
sfeche* We say ** without any further words."
784. Oure counseil, consilium nostril
for to secbe—to be sought, — a gerund, depending upon longe;
as, " the ship is ready to sail," " the house is ready to be let."
785. Us thoughte ~ it seemed to us.
it was nat worth = it was not worth while.
to make it wys = to make it a matter of wisdom or delibera¬
tion ; cf. " He made it strange " = he made it a matter of diffi¬
culty."
786. grauntede. The object is omitted; supply his propo¬
sition ; " him is dative after verbs of giving, &c.
787. desired. To seize is the direct object, him dative
of indirect. The original signification of bid is to pray, hence
= prayer. From this meaning it passes to that of com¬
mand ; when offered by an inferior it is a prayer, when by a
superior it is a command. The subjunctive is used in Greek as
an imperative, according to this principle.
As him liste = as it might seem good to him.
788. herkneth^ imperative; so also taketh in next line.
for the beste = finally ; as we say for good."
789. Scan : But tak'th | it not | I praye | &c.
it refers to the suppressed object of herkneth,
790. to sfeken, an independent clause, — to be construed like
a dative absolute.
791. to schorie= to shorten; infinitive of purpose after telle.
thfrewith, withal. The object of the preposition is
lS2 NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
omitted, but can easily be supplied from the context. And he
took a potsherd to scrape himself withal." Job ii. 8; i.e., with
which to scrape himself.
792. ¿aies tweye. Only one was told. Either these lines are
corrupt or the plan of the work was left incomplete. If we read
other too (an other too) for other tivo, so that the lines would
mean "each shall tell two tales, — one going to Canterbury and
another coming," — we would perhaps have an easy explanation
of the difficulty. Other was regularly used for second in A.S-
This view seems to be sustained by " I mene it so," 1. 793.
793. vjard = a suffix denoting situation, direction, either
physical or (figuratively) intellectual; often used with as a
strengthened form. " Thy thoughts which are to us ward." Ps-
xl. 5. " His works have been to thee ward very good." i Sam-
xix. 4. " The grace of God . . . to you ward." Eph. iii. 2. "To
the mercy seat ward." Ex. xxxvii. 9; cf. toivard^ forward, up¬
ward, &c.
I mene ¿t so = thSit is to say. It is redundant. Shakspeare
has " foot it," "queen it," Milton " trip it as you go." This use
is now confined to colloquial language.
795. ha7i bifalle = have happened. " It fell on a day." When
followed by an object this verb takes the dative; it is therefore
usually called transitive.
796. which of you = whoever, with something of a de¬
monstrative force added, as though = " that one of you which."
This construction is common in Chaucer. As which was orig¬
inally an interrogative, that may have been added to give a
relatival force.
him = himself. The A.S. had — and consequently the Eng¬
lish has — no reflexive pronoun. We change the personal pro¬
nouns into reflectives by the addition of self, which was origi¬
nally an emphatic but not a reflexive form.
797. That is to seyn. That refers to the previous sentence;
to scyn is predicate.
in this caas = under these circumstances.
798. sentence and most solas the most instructive and the
jnost amusing. Sentence here refers to the ideas, or thought of
the story. A grammatical sentence is so called because it ex¬
presses a complete thought.
779. at yoiire altker cost = at the cost of you all. Toure, gen.
pi. oí you ; altker gen. pi. of all.
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
800. Here in this place; i.e., at his hostelry: the idea is re¬
peated for emphasis.
post. See note 1. 214. The doorpost of his inn, or perhaps
the post in front of his house. Dealers chalked the debts of their
customers upon the doorposts ; hence the phrase " to post ac¬
counts." Sheriffs had posts before their doors upon which proc¬
lamations were affixed; hence the phrase "to post a person as
a coward."
801. ive come = we shall come. The A.S. has no inflected
future tense, but regularly used the present instead.
802. the more mery. The is here the instrumental case of the
demonstrative, and corresponds to hoijn ; it is usually called an
adverb. It is equivalent to the Lat. eo, by that, by so much. It
is hardly necessary to say that this the must be carefully distin¬
guished from the article.
803. /wi)/== I wish. " I will that thou give me • . . the head
of John the Baptist." Mk. vi. 25.
myselven = for myself, dative sometimes called ethical.
805. vjithseie = gainsay, oppose. With originally signifies
juxtaposition, which of course may imply opposition, which
sense it usually retains in compounds, as withstand,
809. therefore = for this — there being the dative of the de¬
monstrative.
me = myself. See note I. 796.
%
810. oure othes swore = we swore our oaths. The subject is
omitted; it must be supplied here and with prayeden in the next
line. As the inflections of the second and third persons singular
are retained, they most readily drop the nominative; the other
persons, ending alike, become indistinguishable if the pronouns
or subjects are omitted, and hence suffer the omission less fre¬
quently.
stvore. From the meaning (i) to affirm, swear passes to mean
(2) affirming solemnly, or under oath, and (3) to appealing to
God as a witness of the truth of the statement; and (4) to such
appeals in a blasphemous manner.
812. After the pres. indie, we use the present infinitive objec¬
tively; e.g. "We pray you to vouchsafe us;" in narration of
past events, the pres. indie, becomes a preterite, and, instead
of the past infinitive, we may use a subjunctive sentence after
that ; if the prayer was refused, we would still use the present
inf. ; e.g., "We prayed him to vouchsafe," — but he refused.
184
NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE
813. oute, plural as shown by final and cannot agree with
governour ; it is, therefore, genitive.
815. seite^ prepare; of. "set the table."
Ai a certeyn frys = at a fixed price, — at a price determined
oeforehand. This precaution may have been suggested by the
payment of their bills.
816. reivled = ruled. The peculiar sound of u in rule is indi¬
cated by the vowel w. The word was formerly spelled riivle ;
so Jews, Gzivs.
817. In keigk and loive = in all things. Such expressions are
common in £.£. to denote completeness.
" Don we hit wolleth
Lude and stille
Al the kinges wille." Layamon, i. 156.
By oon assent = with one consent, unanimously.
819. therupon^ literally = up on this (either place or time).
the tuyn was fet — the wine was brought. Drinking upon the
conclusion of a contract is still a custom in many places; cf.
drink-penny = earnest-money.
823. cure alther = of us all, gen. pi.
cok = leader, —gathering his company as a cock gathers and
leads his hens.
824. togidre^ together. To has an intensive force, as in verbs
to-break, &c.
alle^ in apposition with «5.
Scan : and gad | rede us | to-gidr* | alle in | a fiok.
825. paas = foot pace. " A pas with Chaucer means always,
I believe, a foot pace." T. A little more than pace = a little
faster than a walk.
826. the waterynge of seint Thomas, — "a place for watering
horses, I suppose, a little out of the borough of Southwark, on
the road to Canterbury." T.
827. bigan — flrci/e = halted. Bigan, literally = began, but
is here used, as it is quite commonly in £.£., as an auxiliary =
did ; usually abbreviated to gan*
" And thanne gan alle the comune crye in vers of Latin."
P.P. Pro. 143.
"His blisse gan he tyne; " i.e., did he lose.
lb. i. 112.
As the strict meaning of do^\.o cause, the construction with
this auxiliary would be the same.
NOTES TO THE PROLOQUE. 185
829. / it you recorde = I remind you of it, — double acc.
recorde, actively = to remind ; reflexively = to call to mind,
to remember. Hence also to place facts where they can be called
to mind; i.e., on record.
830. even-song and morwe-song= evening song and morning
song; i.e., vespers and matins, — evidently a proverb.
831. Lat 5^ —let us see; literally, permit us to see, — us being
dative. Let is one of the few verbs which retain the old con¬
struction with the infinitive without the preposition to*
w/io sckal telle = who must tell, — whose place it is to tell.
If tvill were used here the sense would be quite dift'erent.
832. I moot—1 may, A.S. Icmot, A burlesque imprecation
well suited to the host's calling.
833- Whoso be = whoever may be,—shall be : we would per¬
haps say " whoever is." The subj. makes this = if any one shall
be rebel he shall pay.
834. is spent —to be spent, — shall be spent.
^35' = further ; from the root/ore.
twynne —to proceed in different directions.
" Yet can I make other folk to twinne
From avarice." C.T. 12,364.
** Leoue ureond beoth sorie hwon heo schulen twinnen." An. R.
396. Dear friends are sad when they must part.
836. Which that = which', whoever it may be that.
838. ner for nerre = nearer. Near is strictly the comparative
of A.S. neah, nigh, as next is the superlative. We have taken
this comparative as a new base, and compare it as though it were
a positive ; so that nearer {neah-er^er') is really a double compar¬
ative, while next (A.S- neahst) has lost all conscious relation
with near.
840. ¿e, &c. = cease your shamfastness; cf. the colloquial
expression " let me be."
scham/astnesse = moâesty. It is to be regretted that we have
given a false idea to this beautiful word by a vicious orthography,
— shamefacedness. The termination is fast, fixed, as in stead¬
fast = ñxed in place, yâi/ asleep = fixed in sleep. The Old Eng¬
lish soothfast, truthful, is also unfortunately obsolete. Shame^
fast = fixed in modesty.
%
841. Ne — and not, like Lat. ne.
ley to. In^modern English when verbs and prepositions are
compounded, the preposition usually stands last, like the sepa
%
l86 NOTES TO THE PROLOGUE.
rabie prepositions in German, unless the two have coalesced into
a new idea, so that the force of the preposition is no longer dis¬
tinctly recognized. Such prepositions are usually erroneously
classed as adverbs. Inattention to the true construction of the
preposition has occasioned this error, and not infrequently an
entire misconception of certain expressions, as " and all to-brake
his skull." Judges ix. 53. Here all (properly alle^ adverbial
dative) is an adverb emphasizing the verb. To adds the idea of
completeness in this case. In other cases it has its true prepo¬
sitional force; e.g., " He that hath received his testimony hath
set to (set-to) his seal that God is true." John iii. 33. Set-to
= affixed. Ley-to is here the A.S. io-lecgan, and is used pre¬
cisely as set-to in the passage quoted.
There is here a fine touch of humor in the implied fact that
all except the Knight, the Prioress, and the Clerk, pressed for¬
ward to " draw cuts," while these three hung back through a
native modesty.
846. tohick refers to the fact stated in the former sentence,
and not to any particular word.
847. as vjas resouu = as was reasonable.
848. ^y = according to.
composicioun — agreement-
I crave our composition may be written." Shak.
Resoun and Composicioun are still French words to Chaucer,
as is shown by the accent.
849. ivkat needeik tuordes /Wi7ö = what need is there of more
words? literally, as to what (why) does it [to show this] need
more words?
w/iatf acc., used adverbially like Lat. çuid.
needetk, impersonal. The impersonal needs [needeth]
(which must be distinguished from the adverbial genitive needs)
. . . is often found with 'w/iat, where it is sometimes hard to say
whether loñat is an adverb and need a verb, or ivkat an adjective
and need a noun." Abbott, Shak Gr. § 297. In this case the
termination (changed in Shakspeare to 5 and dropped) indicates
the verbal character of needeth^ and the construction is clear.
851. As he that ivys ivas ; i.e., as he who was wise and ready
to keep his promise of his own free will would say, so he said.
854. / an exclamation. is used similarly.
a Goddes name = in God's name ; = in.
855. herkneth iukat=\istQn to what. This use of hearken as
h'OTES TO THE PROLOGUE
187
a transitive verb, although frequent in Milton and Shakspeare,
is now obsolete.
856. Tvith has here nearly its original force of immediate jux¬
taposition.
riden-forth^ to be taken together. Cf. forth-going.
weyCf ace., of cognate signification. Cf. " to go a journey,"
to dream a dream."
857. right a merte ckere = with a right merry countenance.
" This usage [inserting a] is found in the earlier text of Lay-
amon (a.d. 1200), 'long a time (longe ane stunde),' ii. 290,
where the adjective appears merely to be emphasized and not
used adverbially. In the later text the adjective is placed here
and in other passages in its ordinary position." Abbott, Shak.
Gr., § 85.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE.
»
2. i/«^=duke, king; literally, leader. Titles of rank were
nearly all of military origin.
5. That grettere^ &c. =that there was none greater.
6. Contre^ See note, p. 216. Accented here on the first
syllable; in 1. 11, on the last.
7« That refers to swich, 1. 4.
9. = Scythia.
10. he. Subject inserted, although the sentence is connected
to the preceding by and. When a proper name is separated from
the verb, or when from the number of conjunctional sentences
the connection would be obscure, the redundant pronoun sub¬
ject is often inserted. See Abbott, Shak. Gr. §§ 242, 243.
12. moche = great glory. Much when used alone has
now rather a collective sense, a great number, a great amount.
14. Scan : And thus | with vie | tor* i*and 1 &c.
16. Äös/==army. Lat. ho$tis., an enemy.
= weapons. As the arm itself is the natural weapon
of oifence, it is possible that the word arm in the sense of weapon
may be simply an application of the same word." Wedgwood.
See note P., iii.
17. Aerö = ne were = were not.
to = too, in addition. To and too are differences in spelling
the same word. From the idea of a^f-dition implied in to-, we
gain the idea of too.
To heere. Gerundial inf.
21. for the nones. See note P., 379.
26. Tempest^ a time specially to be remembered. See note
P., 406. Tyrwhitt reads temple.
hooin comynge. Can be construed as a compound noun.
27. as now = ior the present, however; cf. Lat. utcunque.
192 NOTES TO THE KNIQHTES TALE
28. God knows; a mild form of asseveration.
plough. Earth is from this root. "I have a rough
valley which is neither eared nor sown." Deut. xxi. 4. "I have
an half acre to erye." P.P. vi. 4.
29. in my j>lough = attached to my plough. We use on in
similar constructions.
31. I 'wol not lette, &c. = I desire not to hinder any one of all
this company.
Lette, inf. after wol.
eek nan = none at all : literally, " also no one."
32. aboute = in his turn.
33. lat see — let us see. Pronoun omitted, or coalesced with
verb, as though lat s'see,
34. ther I lafte = where I left off.
37. moste pryde = greatest pride.
38. He was war — he was aware. War denotes those habits
implying caution, as looking around, also the results of such
circumspection, knowledge ; cf. aware, beware, wary.
caste, prêt. Verbs ending in t are often thus abbreviated.
39. hye weye = highway. High refers not to altitude, but to
prominence, — opposed to ¿»y-way. So A.S. heah synn = a great
-sin, and English high sea.
40. tweye and tweye = two and two ; by twos.
41. Ech after other = (each) one after another. Other is not
now used in such constructions without the article. Other is in
form comparative and strictly means the second of two, and
thus in A.S. is frequently used where we use second; cf. Lat.
^Iter = secundas.
43. creature, trissyllable.
44. That herde = that ever heard.
such another = Another such. We SAy such a, but not such
another, hecAuse of the duality implied in another; if the dis¬
tributive force of another had been retained, the old form would
"be more correct; cf. many a. See note, P. 168.
48. Pertourben = disturb. We have retained the noun per¬
turbation, but the verb is obsolete.
50. that thus = that ye thus, &c. That correlates with so in
the preceding line.
52. telleth, imp. And tell me (what is the matter) if it is
any thing that may be amended.
53. And why = tell me why.
NOTES TO THE KNIQHTE3 TALE. 193
al in blak = wholly in black.
56. 7?= sorrowful ; literally is current,
but ruth is obsolete.
for to seen or Jreere^ gerundial inf. triste visUy audituque.
57. Fortune. Personified as the goddess of Fortune.
59. Nought — no vjhit = in no respect, acc. of measure.
62. through.
63. ivtecchede = wretched. A.S. wraec, banished, vjraecca,
4n exile. What an intense patriotism is summed up in this
designation of the exile as the wretch! As these women had
been banished, the word retains its original force.
65. That sehe = who ; cf. that he, P. 43-45 ; that his == whose,
K. 1852. This use of the demonstrative with that is common in
A.S.; e.g.,we = we ; M«Me = who; the ^e = who; the his =
whose ; the him, to whom, &c. See March, A.S. Gram. § 380, 2.
66. it is ivel seene = it is easily seen, — it is easy to see.
67. WheeU The -wheel of Fortune alludes to the mutability
of her favor.
68. Who assures no condition to continue prosperous.
69. = await. The active force of the prefix is lost;
bide is now active, as " bide one's time," while abide is usually
neuter.
70. Scan : Here in | the tempi' | of the | goddesse ] Clemence.
71. al this fourtenight = fully this fortnight. The A.S. reck¬
oned time by nights and winters.
72. syth = since. ** Sith thou hast not hated blood." Ezek.
XXXV. 6.
73. IIVrecche = I the wretch.
which that — who.
75. cursed. See note, P. 655.
78. We losten alle — víQ all lost. " In many things we offend
all." Jas. iii. 2.
79. = thereabout; literally, about this.
80. And yet, notwithstanding what we have already suffered.
81. Who is now lord of the city Thebes.
83. for despyt = becsiuse of his malice.
84. To do vileinye = to cause disgrace to. Do is here used
causatively, — do you to wit."
vileinye^Ma^ act of a villain; that which marks a villain,
disgrace.
85. Of alle ouge lordes, limits bodies, in next line.
13
194 NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE
go. -withoute more resßiU, without further delay.
91. T^ey ßllen £'ru/= they fell flat on the ground. Gruf=
on the ground. On the greffe " = flat on the ground. We
find also grubbWngs = vfxth the face downward. The root is
probably to be found in the Danish grabbelen^ to crawl, Eng.
grovel.
94. courser horse; literally, a runner; hence, a fleet horse;
also a horse used in hunting. " Un cheval coursier.^ c'est à dire un
cheval réservé à la course, par opposition aux chevaux de trait.*'
Brächet, 165.
96. Him thought = it seemed to him. See note P., 37.
99, he hem alle uf hen te = he took them all up.
100. in ful good entente — with very kind intention,
102. He volde don — he would endeavor. Do is here used
causatively.
ferforthly his might = according to his might. Might must
be construed as dative after the implied comparative.
104. That., correlative of so., 1. 102.
106. As he that = as one who. He that = who. For this in¬
definite use of ivho see note P., 741.
108. = banner. " The origin is in all probability Goth.
bandvo, bandva, a sign, token, an intimation made by bending
the head or hand. The original object of a standard is to serve
as a mark or sign for the troop to rally round, and it was accord¬
ingly very generally known by a name having that signification "
Wedgwood.
desplayeth = displays. Displaying the banner was the signal
for the troops to assemble for military service.
109, byside = nezr\ with him. Here used adverbially, unless
we supply the pronoun.
III. Nor take his ease a whole half day. qualifies half
used adjectively.
1X2. But onward—hut at a distance on his way.
117. Scan : The reed | e stat | u'of Mars | &c.
1x8. his; i e., Theseus's.
119. feeldes = the fields or open spaces of the banner. Some
take the word to mean folds.
120. pynoun = pennon. The banner was the standard of the
army; the pennon was the personal signal of the leader.
X2i. Of gold ful riche. A.S. gen. of material ; modifies
In which there was forged of gold full rich the Minotaur.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE. 19S
í-íe/e = beaten. "Probably stamped; that operation being
anciently, I suppose, performed by the hammer." Tyrwhitt.
124. And the flower of chivalry (rides) in his host.
Hoost= host. Lat. kostis^ an enemy.
126. he ihotighte ßgkte=^\\t purposed to fight. Thought is
from A.S. ihencan; the intransitive thought^ followed by the
dative, is from thincan.
127. But, to speak briefly, he fought with Creon, who was
king of Thebes.
129. as a knight — like a knight. As is a contraction of all-sOf
with the sense of just as, just so.
130. In pleyn battaille — in open battle.
putte^ p. of put.
135. To don exequies — to perform funeral rites.
136. al to longe—too tedious.
139. bodyes. A.S. bodig generally means stature, and is but
rarely used to designate the body. " The primary sense of body
is the thick round part of the living frame, as distinguished from
the limbs or lesser divisions; then the whole material frame as
distinguished from the sentient principle by which it is ani¬
mated." Wedgwood.
146. as him leste = as it pleased him.
148. stfeepe = to strip. A.S. be-strypan; cf. stripe^ stripy
strap, strop. The original idea of the verb is to pull off strips;
hence applied to plundering the dead by taking off their cloth¬
ing; also figuratively to a stripping of the living, which leaves
them equally bare.
herneys = iirrx\or. See note P., 114.
Tvede == clothing. Still retained in "widows' weeds," and
from this restriction to mourning attire, noting also an emblem
of mourning worn upon a man's hat. Weed, a noxious plant,
is probably from the Dutch toieden, to cleanse, although Trench
says, " * Weeds* were whatever covered the earth or the person."
Eng. Past and Pres., 253.
149. pilours. See notes P., 177, 627.
diden business and cure = exercised diligence and care. To
ransake, 1. 147, depends upon this verb.
151. And so ¿y/í/=and so it happened.
152. Thurgh-girt='p\crctá through. An ox is said to gird
with his horns.
153. by-and'by^ close to each other, — one after the other.
196 NOTES TO THE KNIGRTES TALE
** Of that the planetas hy and by
How that they stonde upon the sky."
Gower iii. 116.
*'By and by he is offended;" i.e., immediately. Matt. xiii. 21.
Morris explains by and by^ separately, which seems to me erro¬
neous, as the original force of by is near.
154. in 0071 arfues = with the same armorial device. Ar7ns
in the plural denoting a singular idea is construed in the sin¬
gular.
155. that oon = the one ; in which case the retains its original
demonstrative force ; so that other = the other.
157. Nat fully quyke = not fully alive. " Let them go down
quick (alive) into hell." Ps. Iv. 15.
Ne fully deede = nor fully dead. Neither dead nor alive.
159. = heralds. An officer whose duty it was to
record the arms of the nobility. From heri^ an army, and vjal-
teuy to manage.
in special — especially.
161. = sisters ; still sometimes heard in vulgar use; cf.
brethren^, an analogous plural in en.
162. torn implies rapid rather than violent action.
164. fulso7ie = very soon, at once.
166. he nolde = he would not (take) any ransom. Nolde =
ne toolde = wished not.
171. Ternie of his lyf= to the end of his life. Lat. terminus.
what fieedeth ivordes moo — what need is there of more words.
Literally, As to what does it need more words
176. Til it fel oones = till it happened on a time.
/« a 7norwe = on a morning.
177. to seene = to see.
180. with the rose colour = the colour of the rose. Rose
is genitive; cf. Ladye grace. P., 88.
Strof hire hewe^ vied her complexion.
181. I not — I ne wot = Wixiovt not.
183. redy. A.S. rad^ quick, ready; com^ç. rather. So E.E.
rathe^ ^2ix\y. " The rathe primrose." Milton.
185. The sesoun priketh ; cf. P., 11.
186. him^ grammatically, refers to herte ; logically, to the per¬
son figuratively designated by herte.
187. do their observaiice = perform religious rites. Here
spoken of as performed in honour of May.
NOTES TO TEE KNIQHTES TALE. 197
188. **This caused Emily to have remembrance (to remem¬
ber) to do honor to May." This circumlocution is frequent in
the Bible.
190. for to devyse^ to describe (her). The different descrip¬
tive clauses depend u'Çion to devyse. Morris points — l-clothed
was sehe fresshe for to devyse.
192. yerde — a yard long. See note P., 149.
193. sonne upriste = the sun's uprising. Sonne is gen.
194. as hire //5/e = as it may please her. Liste is here used
impersonally. See note P., 102.
195./rtr/y = partly. Yx, en partie ; cî. particolored.
196. Sotil— subtle. The Latin, suhtilis, denoted fne woven;
hence delicately constructed, or denoting ingenuity, which is
the meaning here. Metaphorically, it is used in a good sense
~ acute ; in a bad sense = sly.
gerland = garland, a crown or wreath.
199. dongeoun — not noting a dark subterranean place of con¬
finement, as now, but simply a place of security. The origin of
the word is the Lat. domnio for dominio. Sometimes spelled
donjon ; cf. the Celtic dun, a fortress.
200. Ther as = where.
201. Of which, &c. = of whom I have already told you, and
shall tell more.
202. evene joynyng = tyi2iCi\y joining,— so that the prison
joined the garden wall.
gardeyn wal. The genitive force of the first of the two nouns
joined is shown by the reference of as to gardeyn = to the wall
of the garden where, &c.
203. hadde hirepleyynge = had her play-ground, — was accus¬
tomed to take her exercise.
205. woful — full of wo, or sorrow.
206. by leve of his gayler — by permission of his jailer.
leave, permission. A.S. /eq/J which is still the collo¬
quial pronunciation.
207. romede = roamed. This word has a curious history : it
is derived from the name of the city Rome, and probably first
came into use as a noun, —Romar being one who was a pilgrim
to that Holy City. So in Pier's PI. iv. 120, we find : " And relig¬
ious romares recordare in here cloistres." The habits of these
pilgrims were not generally very creditable, and hence the verb
to roam came to mean aimless and indefinite wandering. Saunter
198 NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE
has a similar origin : it is from sainte ierre, the holy land. Beg¬
gars roved about the country, and asked alms under the pretence
of going à la sainte terre. Hence a saunterer became the name
of an idler, and to saunter, to walk idly. Cf. also rummage,
spelled also romage,
208. In which = from which ; being in which, he could see.
211. walh=2, going to and fro. A.S. wealc, literally a
revolving. The welkin denotes the sky, or more properly the
clouds, which are in continual motion. The A.S. verb wealcan
= to roll, to return often ; hence, to walk,
213. = walked aimlessly.
215. He said full oft, alas ! that he was born !
216. By aventure or cas = by adventure or chance. See notes
25» 844*
217. thikke of many a barre thickly (set) with many a bar.
thikke denotes close together rather than the opposite of
broad : of many a barre is an adjunct genitive, denoting the
relation of the quality.
218. sçuar=square; i.e., as large square: here denoting size
as well as shape. The bars were as large as a spar or light tim¬
ber.
219. Caste, prêt.
Scan : He caste | his eyen | upon | Emil | y-a |
220. therwithal = at that instant. Ther here = at that time
rather than in that place. There is used by Shakspeare for then.
This is simply an intensive form of there,
Bleynte, pr. of blenche, to start back. Blink is another form
of the word, meaning a rapid movement of the eyelids; hence
any rapid movement, sometimes for the purpose of deceiving.
The figure here is that the beauty of Emily blinded Palamon like
a sudden light.
222. up sterte = s\.arX.eäL up. We use the noun formed from
this compound, up-start.
223. Cosyn myn = cousin of me, my cousin. Äfyn is genitive.
eyleth the = aileth thee. The difference in spelling between
the and thee is an orthographic expedient for distinguishing these
words.
224. That art = that thou art. When the subject of the verb
is a pronoun, particularly of the second person, which is the
most easily distinguished because of its inflection, it is quite often
omitted in questions. The same rule holds good in Shakspeare.
KOTES TO THE KNIOHTES TALE. 199
»
on to see — to look on, to behold. A.S. ou'Seon^ We do not
compound see with on, but we still say see through, see into.
225. crydestow =ícr\^á%\. thou. This contraction of the second
person pronoun with the verb is common ; and is interesting as
illustrating the mannev of forming the inflectional terminations
by the coalescence of the pronominal element. In most inflected
languages the pronominal force of the termination was so
strongly remembered that when the subject of the verb was a
pronoun, no repetition of it was necessary; and when the pro¬
nominal subject was used, it was understood as an emphatic
repetition.
/^^=thee, dative.
226. Goddes = Qodi^. The apostrophe in our possessive case
singular marks the elision of e; in the plural, it regularly marks
the elision of final a; but often it is not significant, but is used
analogically with the singular.
227. non other—no otherwise. Other \% used adverbially =
in other way.
229. vjtkke aspects malign aspect. In the time of astrology,
the position (aspect) of the planets at the time of one's birth,
was supposed to have a controlling influence upon his destiny.
Some of these astrological terms have passed into common use,
as jovial, from Jupiter; saturnine, from Saturn, who was sup¬
posed to presage a hapless lot to one born under his influence;
mercurial, from Mercury ; lunatic from the moon : so also the
word influence seems to allude to the same notion.
The highest and aboven alle
Stant that planete which men calle
Saturnus, whose complexioun
Is colde, and his condicioun
Causeth malice and cruelte
To him the whose nativity
Is set under his governaunce.
For all his werkes ben grievaunce,
And enemy to mannes hele
In what degre that he shall dele.
Gower, Con. Am. iii. ii6.
231. although tve hadde it sworn = although we had sworn it
otherwise, we must endure it. Morris punctuates this clause in
connection with what precedes; it seems to me to make a
better reading to connect it with the next line but one. Although
#
200 NOTES TO THE KNIGETES TALE
must then be taken as an emphatic form of though =s though by all
means, the emphasis implying a negative. See 1- 312, where though
= though otherwise. Hadde is subj.
" And walk I wold, as I hadde don biforn
Fro hous to hous, although he had it sworn." Wif of B. 639.
232. So stood the heveu=such was our horoscope.
233. the schort and pleyn — iho. short and plain fact, — as we
say "the long and short of it." ,
234. ageyn= in reply. Again and against are from the A.S.
gean^ Ger. gegen^ opposite. Gean is usually compounded with
prepositions as on, to, &c. It gets the meaning " at another
time" from the idea of juxtaposition in space. Cf. there = then;
where == when.
235. for sothe = in truth ; forsooth.
22,6* ymaginacioun = conception. "To imagine certainly
meant, in its original conception, to make pictures, to picture to
ourselves; but even to ficture is far too mixed an idea to have
been expressed by a simple root. Imago, picture, stands for
mimago, as imitor for mimitor, the Greek mimeomai, all from a
root ma, to measure again and again, to copy, to imitate." M.
Müller, Sc. of Lang. 358.
237. This frisoun = this imprisonment, — cause put for effect.
239. that refers to the idea of the antecedent sentence, — the
hurt.
241. rome, infinitive. We would say roaming*
243. / not — I ne toot = I know not.
Scan ; I not | wheth'r sehe | be worn | man or ) goddesse-
tohether was sometimes pronounced and spelled like nvhere*
244. Venus is it ; cf. it is I. It is used when the subject is
indefinite or unknown.
245. Í?« equivalent to an adverb. We s^y ahach, A.S.
onbaec ; ahead, for on-head ; afoot, for on-foot, and why not a-
knee for on-knees?
247. Thus to transfigure yourself in this garden.
Toto, There is no simple reflexive pronoun in English; it is
generally, but not always, formed by adding self, selves to the
personals.
249. The usual construction in modern English would be,
" Help us to escape," &c. The construction in the text is an
imitation of the Latin.
= escape. The original of this word is probably allied
NOTES TO THE KNIGETES TALE. 201
to A.S. camp., battle; so that escape would originally mean to
escape from battle.
250. if so be = if it so be.
sc/iape == shsipent shaped, fixed. "There's a divinity that
shapes our ends," Shak.
252. = lineage, race. Fr. lignage., Lat. linea^ a line.
Lynage is here in the genitive after have compassioun = pity.
254» g(Jn espye=^á\á see, saw, looked. See note P., 827.
256. hurle = wounded. The original meaning seems to be
■wounded by something thrown, cf. hurtle.
237. if that =1 if it be that, if.
262. mercy = p[ty. Fr. merci, literally Lat. merces.
263. atte leste weye = at least ; cf. colloquial least-ways.
264. I nam but deed = I am dead ; literally, I am not except
dead, — I am only dead. Nobut was frequently used in E.E. for
except. " No but a man schal be born agen." John iii. 3
(Wiclif).
iher nys no more to seye = there is no more to say ; there is
nothing else to say.
268. by my fey = by my faith.
269. God helpe me 50 = may God so help me. The verb is
6ubj. ; cf. " God do so to me and more also." Bible.
7ne lust ful evele pleye — it pleases me full ill to play. Ful
tvele modifies lust.
270. gan knytte — knitted, knit.
271. It nere, &c. = It were no great honor to thee.
272. For to be fais. The infinitive is here construed as a
substantive after the preposition.
274. i-swore ful deepe = very firmly sworn. Deepe, deeply
seems to allude to the practice of binding a compact by drinking
together.
Eche of us to other = each of us to the other. We prefix the
article to other. "Let each esteem other." Phil. ii. 3.
275. "That never for (fear of) dying by torture," &c. That
is here the sentence-article which in modern English is not used
with the infinitive. For originally means in front of; hence it
may be, as here, nearly equivalent to to prevent ; cf. :
" And over that an habergeon for percing of his hert."
Rime of Sir Thopas.
The payne = torture ; to deyen in the payne = to die by tor»
ture.
202
NOTES TO THE KNÍGHTES TALE
" It nedeth nought to pyne you with the corde." K., 888.
" Me were lever die in thepaine,''* R.R., 3326.
Morris renders this verse: "That never, even though it cost us
a miserable death."
276. The deeth = death. The article by its demonstrative
force adds emphasis : we can only use it with an intervening
adjective, as, " the inevitable death."
Departe = separate. De here is from di or dis, denoting sep¬
aration. The old reading of the marriage service was, " Til death
us depart," which becoming unintelligible was corrupted into
do part. " That he depart with me the eritage." Luke xii. 13
(Wiclif).
277. To hyndren, to be construed with i-sivore, 1. 274.
282. Thou darst it nat tvithsayn = thou durst it not deny.
With has here its primitive force, denoting opposition.
283. Thus; i.e., by thine oath. is the A.S. instrumental
thys — by this.
Of my counseil =^my adviser. Cf. the legal phrase " to be of
" counsel."
284. hen ahoute = Teù,ây to. The first meaning of about is
around; hence, metaphorically, to compass a matter in the mind,
to intend ; cf. " compassing the king*s death."
286. unto myn herte sterve = until my heart shall die.
unto = until. Now generally denotes space rather than time.
sterve^ die. Here used in subj. Notice that this subj. form
takes, in modern English, the auxiliary shall. The idea of con¬
tingency involved in the subjunctive readily implies futurity, as
futurity may also imply contingency.
287. thou schalt not so = thou oughtost not (to S2.y^ so. Schal,
in Chaucer, often implies obligation, and must be construed as
la leading verb.
288. the — thee : dative.
289. As to my counseil = as to my adviser : one bound in honor
to assist me. Morris renders counseil by advice, which hardly
seems admissible. The figure seems to be taken from the rela¬
tion of a legal adviser to a client.
my brother sworn to forthre me, 'in the same construction as
counseil, and an elaboration of the same idea. Counsel would
be bound in honor to assist him ; a brother would still further be
bound by affection : to which he also adds his obligation asa
knight.
NOTES TO THE EN IG ETE S TALE. 203
293. / dar Ivel sayn = I dare with reason to say.
294. agayn = in reply.
295. Thou schalt be rather fais, &c. Thou art sure to be
false before me, — sooner than I. On this use of schal, cf. 1. 287.
296. utterly = ^\io\\y. Gower (iii. 230) writes ouUrely, as from
Lat. ultra.
297. par amours with (human) love. See 1. 301.
er thoTv = before thou didst.
298. What tvolt thou sayn, Arcite here assumes the character
of a special pleader (counseil), and goes into legal subtleties. It
is worthy of note, how the poet has prepared the way for this
scene by the use of the word counseil, 1. 283.
300. "Thine is the affection one may have for a saint."
304. I pose = 1 put the case; I suppose. Cf. poser, a puzzling
question, such as are asked by lawyers in a cross-examination.
305. the olde Clerkes sawe = the old writer's saying. The old
clerk is Boethius, from whom Chaucer has borrowed largely.
306. refers to the saying quoted; cf. "Did he say that
he would come ? "
307. by my pan = by my head.
308. be yeve to any, &c; = be given to any. Tyrwhitt reads
of any = by any.
309. posityf laive = express enactment ; statute law.
such decré = such stipulation.
310. in ech degree = in every rank of life.
311. needes ^ needs, necessarily. "And he must needs go
through Samaria." John iv. 4.
Maugre his heed = in spite of his head.
" And God wot that is maigre min " [in spite of me].
Gower, Con. Am. ii. 3.
312. though he schulde be deed = though (if he does not flee it)
he must die. On though, see note 1. 231.
313. fl/= although, albeit that; cf. 1. 1617.
314. And eek it is, &c. = besides, to stand in her favor is not
likely all thy life. It refers to to stonden.
318. us gayneth no raunsoun = no ransom avails to us.
320 here part = their share was nothing : neither received
any part.
324. "Let each man look out for himself; there is no other
waj."
325. if the list = if it pleases thee.
204 NOTES TO THE ENTORTES TALE
327. endure — to remain. " His mercy endureth for ever."
328. everych of us = each one of us.
330. " If I only had leisure to tell it."
335* thilke day — since that day. Thilke = that same.
337. to fleye = \.o enjoy himself. His visit was partly for
recreation.
341. that oon = the one, one of them.
sothly to telle = to speak truly, — to tell the story as it is.
342. helle = hell, — the unseen world. A.S. helan^ to conceal.
Cf. Greek, Hades,
343. "But to write of that story is not my intention," —
pleases me not.
345. hadde him knowe = had known him.
yeer byyeer = year after year; continually. " Day by day we
magnify thee." See K., 175,
350. In such a gyse= in such a manner; i.e., upon such con¬
ditions.
352. him Arcite = this Arcite. The third personal pronoun
was originally a demonstrative, and hence was declined in the
three genders. See 1. 355, " this Theseus."
353. if so rvere = if so it were ; if so it should happen. The
omission of the subject pronoun in impersonal constructions is
common in Chaucer. "And so byfel," K., 151, 216; "as hire
liste," 194; " if so be," 250; " lyst me," 343.
356. and — if. The contingency is expressed by the subj.,
and being the connective. When the contingent force of the
verb was lost, if was added, so that we find and if: but is used
precisely in the same way, where later we find but if " And they
shall say to you. See here, or See there." Luke xvii. 23.
•were caught connected by and to ivere yfounde^ 1. 353. We
would omit he or repeat if
359. But took his leave = but he took his leave. Subject
omitted. Tyrwhitt reads taketk.
360. ie Wizr= be cautious. \JsuaWywritten beware.
lith to wedde — lieth in pledge.
362. The deth = he feeleth death smite through his heart.
See note, 1. 276.
364. " He watcheth for an opportunity to slay himself
secretly."
365. Alias the dayy &c. -Day is acc. ; cf. Lat. heu me miserum..
367. How is me schap€= now is it appointed for me.
NOTES TO THE KNIQHTES TALE
205
to dweîle is the subject of ts; me is dative.
368. Scan : Nought | in pur [ gato | rie but | in helle.
373. Oonly qualities sighte as a verbal = the seeing.
378. = mayest thou. See note, 1. 225.
379. paradys, to be pronounced par'dys.
380. yiorned the = turned for thee.
'^2, for possible is — ÍOX it is possible. The sentence begin¬
ning 1. 384, is the subject of is*
388. erthe^i tvater., fyr^ ne eyr* Earth, water, tire, and air
were called the four elements, as from them all things were
supposed to have been made. Cicero says, Omnia elementa
sunt quatuor."
" Of this four eleipents ech quik thing y-maked is,
Of urthe, of water, and of eyr, and of tier, i-wis."
Pop. Treat, on Science, p. 138. Wright.
389. creature^ trissyllable.
390. me helpe* Me is dative after helpe^ as in A.S.
doon co?tfort 2iñová me comfort. The termination here
shows that i/ööÄ is intinitive ; the tinal e in helpc indicates the
same construction.
391. Wei ougkte /— I must indeed. See note P., 505. " Wei
oughte we to don." 2d Nonnes Tale, 6. So also as an imper¬
sonal : " Wei oughte us werke." Ib. 14.
= despair. A beautiful old Saxon word, which i¿
unfortunately obsolete. " Wanhope, —- hope that has^ wholly^
waned." Trench.
396. hemself = themselves. Hem is here dative pi. = the self
to them : so himself retains the dative form, which is now gen¬
erally used as an accusative, and = the self to him.
397. Som man = one man. So7n . . . som = one .. . another.
Used indetinltely like Lat. quis*
richesse = riches* This word is singular, although from the
termination it appears to be plural.
398. "That is (proves to be) the cause of his murder."
morthre = murder. Still a vulgar pronunciation.
399. "And another man would fain (be) out of his prison."
After would the dependent verb is frequently omitted.
400. That—/5 = who . . . after his wish is granted is slain by
his servants,
401. Infnite = unnumbered J — usually restricted to measure
of wholes, and Jpllowed by a singular noun.
2o6 notes to the kniqhtes tale.
402. " We know not what it is that we pray for here."
prayen = pray for, ask. We pray to a person for a thing.
In A.S. the construction was either the acc. with the gen. or the
dative with the gen.
403. dronÁfe = drunk: literally p.p. of drink,
as a mows, alluding probably to the motions of a mouse when
caught by a cat. The bite of the cat is said to partially benumb
or stupefy the mouse.
405. " But he knows not which is the right way thither."
410. wa seyen alle. The natural order would seem to be all
we; e.g., "All we like sheep have gone astray," Is. liii. 6; but
" the unemphatic nature of the nominatives we and ikey prevents
us from saying * all we.'" Abbott, § 240. "We offend all."
James iii. 2.
namelycke = especially, — mentioned by name, and hence
prominent. So Lat. nominatim,
411. gret opinioun = SL strong conviction; cf. "the opinion
(i.e. decision) of a judge."
413. Tkan hadde I ben — then had I been : had is subj. and
we may read : " then would i have been."
414. Ther has here a double force = there where ; or, more
fully, " who thought that i would be in perfect well-being in that
condition in which I am indeed exiled from my weal."
415. I may not sen = I am not able to see.
416. nam — nys = ne am — ne is.
417. that other syde = the other side. We say " on the other
hand." Either expression denotes opposition or contrast.
421. The pure fettres = the very fetters. So in the Duchess,
1. 582, " the pure deth." The Greeks used /caöapof, and the Latin
purus in a similar manner.
423. myn of me, gen.
"And God wot that is maigre min." Gower, Con. Am. ii. 3.
424. " In all our strife, God knows, the advantage is thine."
425. at thi large = at large, free. Large is here used as a
noun; cf. " at his large," 1. 469; cf. French, au large,
426. And of my woo. See. Thou givest little heed to my wo.
431. to lady and to wyf— for a lady and for a wife. This con¬
struction is an imitation of the A.S. and is common in E.E.
"We have Abraham to our father." Matt- iii. 9. "We habbath
A. us to faeder," A.S. This construction with the double dative
is also frequent in Latin.
2o8 NOTES TO THE KNIOHTES TALE
465. answer of tkis = the solution of this (problem). An¬
swer is usually followed by to,
I lete-=z \ leave. Allied to late ; as the slower of two bodies
is left by the other, let comes to have this meaning. See I. 459.
Scan : Th' answer | of this j I let | e to | divinis.
468. trewe man = an upright man. Dative after doon, to
cause. This use of do is common.
469. Gon — turne^ infinitives afters^. When a clause is the
object of a verb, the verb in the clause must be in the infinitive;
e.g., " I heard him say."
wher him lust may = it may please him. "To go at
his pleasure and turn withersoever it may please him."
at his large. See 1. 425 and note.
470. thurg Saturne. See 1. 230, and note 1. 229.
471. Juno was the goddess who presided over marriage. She
is represented as "jalous and wood" and hindering his mar¬
riage with his beloved.
472. wel neyh = very nearly: " my steps had well nigh
slipped." Ps, Ixxiii. 2.
473. "With its widely ruined walls."
474. on that other syde = on the other hand. See 1. 417.
fere of him Arcite = fear of (that) Arcite. See note, 1.
352.
477- stille dwelle = quietly remain.
478. forth —telle = I will continue the story of Arcite.
480. double wise = in a duplicate manner; i.e., similarly to
each.
482. fnyster = mode of life; literally, occupation. Perhaps
better here rendered by need, necessity, as Morris gives it. See
note P., 1. 613.
483. schortly for to seyn = to be brief.
484. danipned = doomed, condemned. Damned is now a
stronger expression than the formal intensive condemned.
486. exiled upon his heed — exiled, upon the penalty of death
if he returned.
487. as out of that contré, to be construed with exiled.
488. axe = ask. The vulgar pronunciation of this word, which
we find here in Chaucer, is as old as the A.S.
491. That on = the one; correlates with that other, 1. 493.
dav by day = continually, day after day. See 1. 345.
493. wher hhn lust = where it pleases him.
NOTES TO THE KNWHTES TALE, 209
495. as you luste = as it may please you : luste is subj.
Ton —ye. In E.E. ye is the nominative form, while you was
used in the acc. and dat. Te is obsolete.
thai can = that know how to decide such questions.
496. telle forth = tell on, — continue my story.
497» comen was = was come, had come. Comen is p.p.
498. Ful ofte a day = many times a day. A day must here be
construed as an adverbial element — in one day. A.S. anes
daeges. See note P., i68. This may be the A.S. 0«, as " on
daeg seofon sithum syngath," seven times a day. Luke xvii. 4.
he swelte = he sighed. This word has passed to the meaning
of severely suifering with heat; e.g., "sweltering in the sun," as
starve has acquired the specific meaning of dying of hunger.
502. 5c^a/= shall be.
503. him byraft = taken from him. Htm is dative.
506. yir/we = pale ; yellow. Cf. "fallow-ground," so called
from the yellowish color of the soil.
508. waillyng. Some read wakyng,
511. = spirits ; i.e., "animal spirits,"—a spirit sup¬
posed to circulate through the body, as the essence of life.
"Spirits is a most subtile vapour, which is expressed from the
blood. Of these spirits there be three kinds, — natural, vital,
animal. The natural are begotten in the liver, and thence dis¬
persed through the veins to perform those natural actions. The
vital spirits are made in the heart of the natural, which by the
arteries are transported to all the other parts ; if the spirits cease,
then life ceaseth, as in a syncope. The animal spirits are formed
of the vital, brought up to the brain and diffused by the nerves
to the subordinate members, give sense and motion to them all."
Burton, Anat. Mel., 96.
513. herde = though one should hear it; subj.
514. = demeanor. A.S. gearxva^ clothing; hence the
external appearance, or acts which indicate any particular state
of mind.
for all the world = íotq all the world, — a statement to be
maintained before (or, in spite of) all the world.
515. " And in his manner, for all the world, he acted not only
like [one afflicted with] the Lovers* malady of Eros, but rather
like [one afflicted with the] mania engendred of 'humor melan¬
cholic* in the 'cell fantastic* before [in the fore part of the
head] *' The " malad} of Eros ** is that " heroical love which is
210 NOTES TO TUE ENI G ETE S TALE,
proper to men and women." The "mania " is a sort of melan¬
choly or monomania. "The part affected, as Arnoldus sup-
poseth, is the former part of the head, for want of moisture."
Burton, Anat. Mel. "All [authors] make leanness, want of ap¬
petite, want of sleep, ordinary symptoms, and by that means they
[the subjects] are brought often so low, so much altered and
changed that, as he [Terence Eun.] jested in the comedy, one
scarce knew them to be the same men." lb. Burton quotes this
passage, saying " So he describes it— love-melancholy—aright."
517. = mania ; dat. after
518. selle fantastyk. "Innersenses are three, . . . common
sense, phantasy, memory. . . . His [phantasy's] organ is in the
middle cell of the brain." Burton.
519. up'SO'doun — upsidedown. So is the old relative, cor¬
rupted into side,
522. fl'/i/zry = all day ; used adverbially.
526. Upon a night. On with the dative in A.S. denoted time
when "On tham thriddan daege." John ii- i.
As he him leyde = A.s he laid him (down) in sleep.
527. Him thoughte = it seemed to him.
529. His slepy yerde = his sleep-producing wand.
" Turn virgam capit; hac animas ille evocat Oreo
Palentis, alias sub Tartara tristia mittit,
Dat somnos, adimitque, et lumina morte résignât."
Virgil, Aen. iv. 242.
" Adjectives signifying effect were often used to signify the
cause." Abbott, § 4.
530. heres = hairs. We use the singular in a collective sense
to denote the mass of hair covering the head, and the plural to
denote a collection of single hairs.
531. as he took keepe = as he observed.
533. seyde him~s,2i\á to him.
534. Ther is the Schapen = there is determined (prepared) for
thee.
535. sterte = started, arose quickly.
536. that me smerte= that pained me.
540. I recchenat to sterve = lTtcV. not to I care not if I die.
543. in another kynde= in another nature.
" It is all one to say unkinde
As thing which done is ayein kinde" [nature].
Gower, Con. Am. ii. 292.
NOTES TO THE KN1QHTE8 TALE. 211
544. it ran him into mynde = it occurred to him ; literally,
'■* it ran into the mind to him." Cf. " to call to mind."
546. Of maladie = by the malady. Gen. of cause.
547. if that he bar htm lozve — if he conducted himself in a
Jowly manner; i.e., like one of low birth.
549. n/el neih day by day — almost every day.
550- anon = immediately.
552. alone — alle one, — alle being used adverbially. Al alone
is therefore alle alle one. The A.S. an = (i) one; (2) single,
sole. The prefix al had originally precisely the force which all
now has in all alone.
" But for he may not all him ont
In sondry places do justice."
Gower, Con. Am. iii. 178.
The king which made him muchel mone
Tho stood as who saith all him Ib. iii. 285.
** And taer he ledde him ane his lif." Orm. 3204.
the use of kim in these extracts illustrates also the construction
of him in himself
554. disgysed povrely as he was = clothed poorly like his
master for the sake of concealment.
555. the nexte way — the nearest way. The x is due to the
coalescence of guttural h with s. A.S. neah, near ; neahst^ nearest,
next. Way in A.S. would be in the gen. ; it must here be con¬
strued as acc.
558. what so men wol devyse = (to do) whatever one would
direct.
men = one; the indefinite pronoun, as shown hy wol, which
is singular, the pi. being wolden,
560. fel in office = he entered service; cf. military order "fall
in."
561. The which that == who, the one that, — the which = a
demonstrative.
562 For explains the reason why he had been selected as
chamberlain for Emily.
couthe sone aspye — could soon discover (the character) of
every servant.
564. he now refers to Arcite.
566. strong. " A strong man means no more than one whose
sinews are firmly strung." Trench.
567. that = that that. Abbott (Shak. Gr. § 244) suggests that
212 NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE
the omission of the relative may be explained by the fact that
the relative and demonstrative have the same form.
htm, dative.
568. yeer, acc. of time.
569. Page, a servant, especially a youth. Cf. Gr. Ttaiàtov.
572. of his degree^ refers to man, 1. 571»
576. enhaunse his degree ^ elevate his st^,tion, "Hethatshal
meeke hym self shal ben enhaunsid." Matt, xxiii. 12 (Wiclif).
577. -worschif/ul = honorable; cf. ** worshipful master,"
"worshipful society." Shak. "Worship thi fader and thi
moder." Luke xviii. 20 (Wiclif).
578. fir/« == ability. See note P., 515. "Jesus knowing that
virtue had gone out of him." Mark v. 30.
579. toithinne a -while == within a (little) while.
sfrotige — sprang up, became known.
580. of his dedes, &c., gen. of cause after sf ronge.
581. taken him so ȟr = become so intimate with him; cf.
" to take to one."
582. sçuyer = squire, knight of his chamber; literally,
.bearer, hence, servant.
586. = becoming one of his station. " Provide things
.honest [honorable] in the sight of all men." Rom. xii. 17.
sleighly — prudently. "The O.E. sleigh, sly = wise, know¬
ing ; and sleight = wisdom, knowledge. For change of meaning
rCompare cunning, originally knowledge, and craft, originally
^ower." Morris.
587. That = so that.
Hovj that = how it was that ; from whence. How is properly
the instrumental case of the interrogative.
588. = years. Still vulgarly used. A.S. sing, and pi.
gear.
589. bar him so = so conducted himself. The personal pro¬
nouns are often used as reflexives, without self.
591. lete= leave. A.S. laetan. Let, to hinder, is from A.S.
let tan.
594. This seven yeer. A period considered as a definite portion
of time was construed in the singular; e.g., " a fortnight," " an
eight days after." Luke ix. 28.
seten p.p. of sitie = remained. Set, causative, A.S. settan,
has p. sette, p.p. geset. Eng. set, set, set.
595. what for woo, Scc. = partly for wo and partly for restraint.
NOTES- TO THE KNIQ UTE S TALE, 213
The following lines elaborate this idea. Supply what with for
distresse. Woo refers to his passion.
"Till what by sleight and what by strength." Gower ii. 388.
í//5//'í55íí = restraint, confinement; cf. "distress of goods."
Chaucer uses the verb destreyn in this sense.
596. double ; i.e., through love and imprisonment.
601. ryme = tell in poetry. A.S. rimy number: so rim-
arithmetic; rim'Stayas = number letters, the A.S. poetry
being alliterative. Rkymey therefore, means lines with num¬
bered syllables. The word has no connection with rhythm.
Trench says: " Rhyme with a y is a modern misspelling; and
would never have been but for the undue influence which the
Greek ' rhythm ' has exercised upon it. Spenser and his con¬
temporaries spelt it * rime.'" E. Past and Pres., 308.
602. martirdam = mzxXyráom, The A.S. adopted ecclesias¬
tical terms from the Greek, and thus formed a series of mongrel
words.
"V/ am nat /=it is not I. This is the regular construction in
E.E. Am is used because it is seen to be a mere substitute for /.
We require relatives to agree grammatically with their antece¬
dents.
605. the thridde night = the night of the third of May,
608. schal = must. A.S. sceal = I owe, I must. " Skal,
therefore, meant * I have killed,' * I must pay penance, wergeld ; '
hence,*! am under an obligation,' *I am obliged,* * I must.'"
Helfenstein, Com. Gr., 515.
609. the mydnyght. We would omit the article here and sup¬
ply it with helping in the next line. The exigencies of the metre
to a certain degree determine the presence or absence of the
article, but its demonstrative force was felt much stronger in
Chaucer's time than at present. midnight= the midnight
of the night mentioned above.
611. fleeth the cité, Fleeth is here used transitively.
612. SCO correlates with thaty 1. 615.
614. opye of Thebes fyn = pure opium of Thebes. Burton
alludes to **opium from Thebes" as the best known.
615. men vjolde= one should. Wolde is subj. in which case
vte %ener2\\y u%e shouldy could, **It is a natural and common
mistake to say -would is used for should by Elizabethan writers."
Abbott, § 329.
616. mighte nought = could not, was unable to.
214 NOTES TO THE KNIG ETE S TALE
617. as faste as evere he may=^z,^ fast as he possibly can.
This use of ever for the sake of emphasis is still retained in col¬
loquial language.
may= is able. A.S. magan, " Wherof schal a man mowe
fille hem." Mark viii. 4 (Wiclif). We mowen not. C. T. i6, 149.
618. faste Óy = íhe day close by. Faste is used for emphasis
like right, just, full, all; cf. "fast asleep."
619. ?ie€deS'Cost = netdes ways, necessarily. Cost may per¬
haps be A.S. cyst, from ceosan, to choose. Tyrwhitt says that the
sense of this passage is so obscure that he is inclined to adopt
Urry's proposed amendment, " that needes cast " = that he must
needs cast about or contrive. Morris says needes-cost seems to
be equivalent to O.E. needes-ivyse.
620. //7=to. So in A.S. and Norsk. This use of till is now
a common vulgarism.
grove, A.S. graef from grafan, to carve, to dig; hence, a
grove, a grave: Webster's Diet, says "because an avenue or
grove is cut or hollowed out of a thicket of trees." This word is
used in the Bible to denote a carved image or idol. The changes
in meaning may have been somewhat like this : (i) that which
is cut; (2) wood which has been cut; (3) wood in general; (4)
wood, collectively ; forests are still called woods. Similar changes
have taken place in the word timber, from A.S. timbrian, to build :
(i) building material ; (2) wood to be used in the construction
of an edifice; (3) the edifice (Ger. zimmer) ; (4) trees that may
be made into building material : "the timber "= the forest.
ther is here used with its pronominal force, in the dative after
besyde.
625. " To pray his friends to help him to make war on The¬
seus."
627. or — or = he would either — or. Or is a contraction of
either. " Either he schal hate the toon and love the tother,
either he schal susteyne the toon and despise the tother." Matt,
vi. 24 (Wiclif).
628. u7ito his wyf. See 1. 431 and note.
629. efite/ite J>layn = evident intention.
631. sorrow, one who would cause him sorrow. Nam¬
ing an object by the emotion it inspires, is a common figure of
speech; e.g., my love, my aversion.
636." <3/ the light ^hee20xs,e of the light. Of, originally—
naturally passes into the meaning "in consequence of." This
NOTES TO THE ENTORTES TALE. 215
whole passage is full of great descriptive beauty: the lark, rising
in the early dawn, the brightening east, the rising sun, the spark¬
ling dew-drops on the leaves, all combine to present a rare pic¬
ture to the imagination.
637. greves = groves. Refers rather to the branches of the
trees or bushes, — i.e., that which is green. See 1. 649, and
note.
640. Sqtiyer frinctfal* The adjective is placed after the noun
in imitation of the French.
643. Reme7nbery7tgon = vc\tá\t^t\n^ovi. Remember = toih.\n\i
on : memÍ7iísse is so used in Latin.
foynt of his desir — the object of his desire.
645. Hhn to pleye = to play by himself, to amuse himself.
HiiTiis dative; cf. play me a tune;" "play him "= play for
himself or by himself.
646. were it it might be; subj.
648. /£? = held, began to hold. Gan frequently is
equivalent to the auxiliary do. See bigan, P., 827 and note.
^49- = branches. See Gloss. Percy^s Rel.
650. Were /V = it might be; subj.
ivoodebynde — yrooáh'wit. The earlier orthography indicates
the derivation of the word.
651. agens, as he was riding eastward.
652. Scan : May | with alle | thy flow | res and | thy greene.
654. so7n grene gete may = may be able to get some prosper¬
ity. Gete is inf.
655. lusty herte = 3i heart full of desire, longing.
659. that = in order that, so that; cf. Lat. quo.
662. ''God knows he would have believed it full little."
663. "But the truth was said many years ago." Is said =
has been said : a passive perfect formed like the Latin aitiatus est,
dictus est.
goo7t., Sic., literally, gone since are many years.
664. The old proverb : " Veld haueth hege, and wude haueth
heare." In the open country a man may easily be seen; in the
forest he may be heard.
665. a man = for a man : dative after the adjective.
666. at unset stevene = without previous appointment.
stevene, literally = voice, a message; hence, a meeting agreed
upon by a message.
" And then they setten steven for to mete." Cokes Tale, 19.
2l6 NOTES TO THE K NIGH TE S TALE
668. to herken al his sawe—to listen to all his sayings. In
A.S. heorcnian is followed by the dative.
6^0. al his ßlle=^to his satisfaction. I^ille is here used ad¬
verbially. Then mayst thou eat grapes thy fill." Deut. xxiii.
24.
673. here queynte geeyes-= their strange customs.
= quaint, odd. Fr. coint (Lat. cognitus) known.
From hnowttf ivell-hnotvn, comes the idea of being old, anti¬
quated. We give a peculiar meaning to the word, making it
denote a pleasant oddity, not pronounced enough to be intrusive.
676. Friday^ here alluded to as a day of unreliable weather,
— partaking of the fickleness of its patron Friga^ the northern
Venu^
677. Scan : Now | it schyn | eth, &c.
678. can. Tyrwhitt. Morris reads gan overeaste.
679. hire folk ío\\o\i^x%.
681. A writer in Notes and Queries quotes the following
Devonshire proverb :
* Fridays in the week
Are never aleek.' " Morris.
683. tvithouien eny more = without anything further, imme¬
diately.
684. that day must be construed as acc. after the interjection,
or for must be supplied.
686. Wiltow = wilt thou. The inflectional endings of the
verb were originally formed from appended pronouns, precisely
in this manner.
687. ibrought is = is brought, has been brought.
691. kyng. **The Teutonic nations used the name könig, or
king, and this corresponds to the Sanskrit janaka. What did it
mean } It simply meant father, the father of a family, ' ihofing
of his own kiuy the father of a clan, the father of a people." M.
Müller, Sc. of L. 272,
693. verray lyne = true line, direct descent.
as = and. As is a contraction of also and here has its
usual force when uncontracted.
694. /^A'í7/= enslaved. Literally = I am such a captive and
a slave : such (so) correlating with that.
695. he that = 'w\iO. The clauses are inverted. Read, I
serve him as his squire humbly, who is my mortal enemy." The
inversion serves the purpose of emphasis.
NOTES TO THE KNIÖHTES TALE
217
699. as=wheresls't not where. Ther is frequently used
where we use ivhere^ the derivatives of tju/io, ivhat^ being still
interrogative.
704. = tOrtureth. Martyr originally signified a
witness, and was early used to denote those who had borne wit¬
ness to the truth of Christianity by suflfering death; and as such
persons were usually put to death by torture, to martyr acquires
the meaning of putting to a painful death.
707. careful = full of care. " We are not careful to answer
thee." Dan. iii. 16.
708. erst than my scherte = than (before) my shirt 5
i.e., before his birth.
712. mountaunce of a tare ^ the least possible âmount. Tare
is the vetch ; so also Chaucer frequently, ** I care not a bean."
713. " So that I could do aught that would cause you
pleasure."
715. he , , . this Palamon. He is here used with somewhat
of a demonstrative force (Lat. referring to the former of
two persons mentioned. This is the usual A.S. construction.
716. that thoughte — who thought that he felt.
719. tale ^ story, A.S. tal<¡ a fable, a slander, from taelan^
to speak ill of: hence originally a false tale; (2) a tale told cir¬
cumstantially. Cf. history and story; also tale-bearer, tell-tale.
This word must be distinguished from tale^^ a number, a reckon¬
ing: the first forming the verb taelatiy and the latter tellan.
They are undoubtedly allied : they are confused in Morris's
Glossary.
721. He sterte = he started. After verbs of motion we
frequently find the personal pronoun used refiexively, forming a
middle voice.
724. whom that — iox whom (it is) that; whom, i.e., my lady.
725. dlood = relative ; a connection by blood. See 1. 273.
726. heere byforn = heíore this. Heere is not an adverb, but
a pronoun ; cf. the O.E. not for then^ nevertheless, where then
is a pronoun.
728. " And hast thus falsely changed thy name."
730. schalt is here used as expressing strong determination,
and not simply futurity.
731. " But only I (I alone) and no other will love her."
oonly — 2Xor\e, So Spenser, **That th' onely breath him
daunts." F. 7» § 13-
2i8
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TAI.E
733* = weapon : one syllable.
734* y-sterte — escaped. Tyrwhitt reads assert.
grace •= good fortune. So harde grace = misfortune.
735' I drede no¿ = l have no doubt.
=z= either, correlates with br in next line.
740. lyoun. The article was omitted in çomparative sen¬
tences, after as^ like, tkan^ as in our compounds ; e.g., lion¬
like.
742. Nere = ne were—were it not.
745. of myn hand = by my hand.
748. verray fool= fool indeed. " My very son Esau." Gen.
xxvii. 26.
w^//= remember well. A.S. thencan^ to think, to re¬
member; the active form of ¿/¿incan, to seem : hence, to cause to
come to mind. Think still = remember in colloquial language;
e.g., "I did not think." The noun thank, which is from this
verb, means that given in remembrance of a favor."
750. for as muche = {ora.smuch. as, since. For — in consider¬
ation of. As muche — ^o great (a fact), now generally followed
by as. Tyrwhitt reads :
*'But for thou art a worthi gentil knight."
751. hire— ior her : dative.
753. Scan : En y*oth | er knight.
754- as a knight ; i.e., armed.
759. if so be = \i it so be. "That thou my ladywynne" is
the real subject of be.
760. ther I am = wherein I am.
761. as for me = so far as I am concerned; cf. the colloquial
expression " for all me."
763. departed — separated.
765. out of—without. A.S. = without.
766. regne = king: literally, a kingdom, used by metonomy
for king.
767. is seyd = is it said. The following sentence is the
subject.
768. his thonkes = willingly, The gen. was used in A.S. as
an adverb; cf. necessarily.
" For haveles (poor)
His thonkes is no man alive."
Gower, Con. Am. ii. 211.
771. on the morwe ; cf. a-jnorwe, 1. 763.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE
219
Dayes lights the light of day. In compound nouns the first
has the force of a genitive or dative.
779. Tio c/tangeu gan = then changed' Gan = did.
here face — their faces : literally " in the face of them." The
modern construction uses the plural, we having changed the
genitive of the pronoun into a possessive.
782. here— heax. A.S. bera-¡ probably from beran^ to excel,
the bear being the largest wild animal known in the northern
regions. Bere, barley (cf. beer), seems to have the same deri¬
vation, denoting the grain which surpassed. The six-rowed
barley is called in Scotland big, while the four-rowed is called
bear.
784. breketh. The subject is "bowes and the leves." See
1. 1885. Tyrwhitt reads hrektng, and says: ''The MSS. all read
breketh ; but it is more likely, I think, that the first transcriber
should have made a mistake in that word, than that Chaucer
should have offended so unnecessarily against grammar." If we
construe and as equivalent to as, the difficulty is avoided. " And
heareth him come rushing through the underbrush, as the boughs
and leaves break before him."
788. me myshafpe = \î it go ill with me. Mishap is now used
only as a noun.
790.' As fer as= as soon as : literally, when they were as far
as, &c. ; or, as we would say, " when they were so near that each
knew the other."
791. good day, the usual friendly salutation.
794. as he ■were=a% though he were. "As it had been the
face of an angel." Acts vi. 15. In which case had been is subj.
798. wood lyoun —an enraged lion.
803. I lete hem =■ I leave them fighting : literally, I allow them
to continue fighting. Fightyng dwelle is an infinitive phrase,
which must be construed as a noun used in the acc. like an
adverb.
804. forth is here used with the idea of motion, — the advance
of the story, like henceforth.
805. The destyné. Article used to correlate with that; cf.
Lat. id. . . quod.
mynistre general—ministex'general, general manager. 'In
most instances in which the noun precedes the adjective, Chaucer
follows the French idiom.
809. by ye or nc^' " Yea and nay were originally the answers
220 NOTES TO THE KNÍGHTES TALE
to questions framed in the affirmative; yes and no, the answers
to questions framed in the negative." Bible Word-Book. Thus
yea and nay acquire the force of certainty. ** But let your com¬
munication be yea, yea, nay, nay" (Matt. v. 37) ; that is, definite.
A.S. hytys, hytys; hyt nys, hyt nys, "The promises of God are
yea" (2 Cor. i. 20) ; that is, certain.
810. It — tAat~tha.t — which; cf. "Art thou not it that (he
who) hath cut Rahab,?" Is. li. 9.
815. " This say I now with reference to mighty Theseus."
818. " No day dawneth to him in bed ; " i.e., day-light never
finds him in bed.
823. = destruction, death; cf. Goth, banja, a blow.
824. Mars, the god of war; Diane, Diana, the goddess of
hunting. After does not refer to time : his first choice was war;
his second, hunting.
828. clothed refers to the whole party. "And I warne you
that there be none of you but that he be well horsed, and that ye
all be clothed in greene, either in silke or in cloth." Queene
Guenever's orders for a Maying party in the Hist, of K. Arthur,
iii. c. 129.
829. On honting* On explains the force of a in similar con¬
structions, — a being an abbreviation of on, as a, the article, is
an abbreviation of an. Chaucer uses both forms : aloft, on loft,
abed, on bed, afart, on fart, alive, on live* So in the Bible,
a dying, a fishing. Earle, in his Philology of the English
Tongue (p. 376), says, "I derive this a from the French
preposition à, thus afoot represents àfied," — a view which is
refuted by nearly every instance in which it occurs in Early
English.
833. launde, "Lande; a Land, or Laund, a wild, untilled, shrub
bie or bushie Plaine." Cotgr.
" Whan they come to the laund on hight,
The quenys pavylon there was pight
That she myght se of the best
All the game [sport] of the forest."
Ipomydon, 383, Weber ii. 295.
" Then went they doune into a launde
These noble archeres all three ;
Eche of them slew a hart of greece \^j>rize'\
The best that they could se."
Adam Bell, Percy's Rel.
NOTES TO THE KNIGETES TALE, 221
For through this laund anon the deer will come."
Shak. 3 Hen. VI. iii. i.
In the first quotation laund seems to denote a cleared hill ; in
the second a cleared valley; in the third, an open space between
two forests, — so that the leading idea of the word is a cleared
space.
him. After verbs of motion the pronoun is often used reflex-
ively, forming a middle voice.
834. iki'der = t\úÚ\QTy — the proper form with a verb of motion.
Modern English incorrectly uses there, where, here, for thither,
whither, hither.
ivont have =wont to have.
835. Scan : And ov'r | a brook | &c.
837. him lust comaunde = it pleased him to order.
839. = towards. Looking towards the sun, they would
be distinguishable from a greater distance.
841. âreeme = furiously. For an interesting note on this
word see M. Müller, Sc. of Lang. ii. 232.
" And breres brimme for to pricke." R. R. 1836.
"Neither bragger ne boster ffor no bremme wordis."
Dep. Ric. II. p. II.
as it 'were = as though it were ; as though they were. It
rti^xs to boores tvjo ; the verbis plural to agree with the noun
following; cf. " it nam nat I," 602. "It am I," 878. "It ben the
schirrefes men."
844. " It seemed that the lightest stroke of either would fell
an oak."
as it volde = as though it would. It refers to strook.
845. what sort of persons; who. refers rather
to rank, calling, or nationality.
nothing =^\u no respect. " For every creature [thing created]
of God is good, and nothing [by no means] to be refused." i Tim.
iv. 4.
848. Hoo^ an exclamation used by Heralds to stop the fight;
used now to stop horses, whoa.
849. leesyng, a verbal noun, hence followed by of.
852. what mester men = sort of men. See note P., 613.
855. = lists. See note P., 63.
857. what needeth = in what respect (why) does it need.
8s8. the deth. Death would imply a natural death, while the
death — the noun being emphasized by the demonstrative — im-
222
NOTES TO TEE KNIGHTES TALE
plies the death fixed by law, death as a punishment; the death is
also used to denote any remarkable mortality.
bothe two. With pronouns both is usually construed sub¬
stantively; e.g., both of us: with nouns adjectively; e.g., both
men.
862. " give us neither mercy nor protection."
865. hnowe = may know; subj.
tyte —not; literally, little; cf. Lat. mtnus^ minime^ not, by no
means..
867. banyscht=hamshtá. Ban, banish, bandit, abandon, are
all from the root ban, common to all Teutonic languages, which
means a proclamation, an announcement. We have the word
still in use in " the banns of marriage." In French ban became
banden with the notion of authority; hence abandon is to bring
under the control of any one, to subdue; and as bringing a per¬
son under the absolute control of one, necessarily destroys the
previous authority, it acquired a secondary meaning of the sur¬
render of control. An "abandoned character" is a character
which has thrown oflf moral control ; an " abandoned tenement"
is a tenement over which the owner has surrendered his author¬
ity. From ban, bando, we have a Mid. Lat. bantre, bandire, to
proclaim, to denounce, to publicly order out of the realm, to
banish ; bandit, one so banished ; and, because thus put out of
the pale of law, a robber, an outlaw.
876. unfortunate, full of wo.
877. wihkedly=zx2SMúy, by using deception, — not implying
any moral wrong.
881. y«wy5e = judgment, condemnation.
" Ther nas - . .
Ne juge, ne justice, that jewis durste hem deme."
Dep. Ric. II. 26, ID.
883. bothe we — we both ; cf. 1. 858.
885. schort conclusioun = a brief argument, a conclusion briefly
reached.
887. recorde = YQCová it, as the decision of the judge-
888. to pyne yoxv with the corde, to put you to the torture, to
extort a confession of the truth.
889. schul be deed = ye must die. Schul, pl. ; sing, schal.
890. verray wommanhede = simply because of her woman¬
hood.
893. as it thoughte hem a//e = as it seemed to them all.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE. 223
894. **That ever such an event should happen."
896. notking, adv. = for nothing. See note 1. 845.
897. And sa7ve= and when they saw. When the subject is
readily supplied from the context, it is frequently omitted. Shak-
speare takes the same liberty.
= severe; cf. "It was a sore trial.*'
898. lesse and »i<7re = both low and high (in rank). Less and
more are comparatives. The Early English was far stricter than
the modern in requiring the comparative degree when there was
even an implied comparison between two terms. So we have
wkither for where, luhether for which, either for or, &c.
905. in a clause =i\n one view; literally, in one enclosure.
He considers not only the trespass, but the occasion as well.
The word, in this sense, is sometimes spelled close, Fr. clause,
Lat. clausus, from claudere to shut; hence an enclosed place; a
sentence enclosed in another; that which closes an argument,
a conclusion ; that which decides an argument.
906, = trespass. O. Fr. trans-passer; cf. transgress.
The idea of moral wrong is generally expressed by words sig¬
nifying a going over or beyond.
908. resoun =s reflection, opposed to the hasty decisions of
anger.
9^3* kommen. Strictly genitive of origin of the feeling.
The modern construction is " had compassion on women."
Evere in 00«== ever anon; literally, ever in one (moment).
915. Fy, an exclamation implying disapprobation or disgust^
— faugh. Fr.yf, Ger. ffui, Gr,
921. discrecioun, literally, ability to separate; the word seems
to be used in a sense stricter than the modern.
922. can no divisioun = lir\ows no distinction.
923. apter oon = in the same manner.
926. in highte —on high, aloud. From the idea of height
the transition to greatness is easy. " He lifted up his voice and
wept." " That sabbath was an high day." John xix. 31.
929. gayneth=^ava\l, pi. See I. 318.
930. for = because of. Lat. pro.
931. at his oTvne gyse == in his own way, at his pleasure.
932. "As it may please him to devise."
936. = who know; subject to be supplied.
940. loketh = look\ imperative.
941. tf that he love=^\{ so be that he love.
224 NOTES TO THE ENTORTES TALE
942. sit = sits. This whole passage is ironical.
946. Nothing that can happen to those who serve Love can
make them think that they have not acted wisely.
947* foy oughts &c., correlates with yet.
950. ** Is as much (and no more) obliged to them as to me."
Can = acknowledge an obligation. Ger. dank luissen.
**They will never con you thanke." K. Arthur iii. 301.
952. But altogether it (Love) must be experienced, hot or
cold; " i.e., young or old.
953- Or—= either — or.
955. by myself — by my own experience.
fill yore agon= long time ago.
956. servant ivas I on = 1 was a servant (of Love).
966. may = am able.
967. del= part, deal ; cf. " a great deal ; " "a tenth deal of
flour " Ex. xxix. 40.
968. "And they swore to him fairly and well what he
asked."
%
969. " And prayed him for lordship and for good will.'*
of Lordsckipe, &c., genitives after verb of asking; the acc.
would be gift, understood. They acknowledged fealty to him,
which would prevent their levying an offensive war under cover
of the tournament.
974' tyme = i\iQ. proper time. "A time to every purpose."
Eccl. iii. I.
975. as y¿?r = with regard to. Literally, all so in regard to;
an emphatic form of for,
979. al he, &c. = although it be pleasant or unpleasant to him.
980. A proverb, denoting a useless occupation ; cf. " Let him
whistle for it."
985. As kim is sckape = as it has been determined for him.
The ordeal of battle was a common method of appeal to the
Deity.
989. If that you liketh = if this pleases you.
990. = whither. In E.E. whether and whither are fre¬
quently abbreviated into where. The origin of our use of where
for whither may be thus explained.
991. daunger = ñnQ» See note P., 663.
992. fyfty wykes = a year.
fer ne neer = îavihtr nor nearer, more or less; syncopated
comparatives.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE. 22$
994. Armed—«/=uparmed, completely armed; of. *^used
up."
995. See 1. 75t.
998. 'Whether— (of two). "Whether of them twain
did the will of his father." Matt. xxi. 3t.
1000. spak of= mentioned.
1002. to vjyve=\.o wife. Wyve is dative. See note, 1. 431.
1003. "whom = to him, to whom.
that — it shall be that. That after conjunctions may usually
be construed with this ellipsis.
1005. re-we = may God have pity. Cf. " me reweth " = I am
sorry.
1009. if you thinketh — \î this seem to you. You is dative;
the nominative is always ye* " This is wel isayd " is the subject
of thiiiheth.
iot6. don—grace = áox\t (wrought) so fair a favor.
1017. on knees —on his knees. The old idiom which allowed
the omission of the demonstrative or possessive pronoun, in
cases when such omission would occasion no ambiguity, is
preferable to the modern.
maner 'wight — \i\nà. of man. Of is omitted after manner^
as though used adjectively.
1019. «awe/y = especially ; worthy of mention by name.
1021. gonne they ryde = did they ride ; they rode.
1023. men — one, the indefinite pronoun = the reader.
1025. = goeth, goes. The termination eth in Chaucer's
time was passing into 5; in the northern dialects the pi. eth had
passed into 5. We use 5 only in place of the singular eth^ our pi.
having come from the plural in en.
1026. to maken up = to prepare. Up must be construed with
the verb as a separable preposition. From the idea high it
readily acquires an intensive force.
1027. that, correlative of so, 1. 1025.
1031. in maner of compaas = in the form of a circle. Article
omitted.
1032. degrees = steps rising one above another. "This maner
of stage in half-circle the Greekes called theatrum, as much to
say as a beholding place, which was also in such sort contriued
by benches and greeces to stand or set upon, as no man should
empeach anothers sight." Puttenham, 52. Arber.
the height = to the height of. Accusative of measure.
• Ï5
226 NOTES TO THE KNIOETES TALE
1034. lette— he should not hinder, subj.
1035. Here begins a description of this circular theatre. On
the north was the turret of Diana, with the oratory; on the east
the marble gate, above which was the altar and oratory of Venus ;
the south side was open ; on the west another marble gate, above
which was the altar and oratory of Mars.
Estvjard; i.e., to one within.
1037. con'Clud'e.i infinitive.
1038. as = thus. ** There was no such place in earth, that is
to say^ in so little space." The uses of as in E.E. are many of
them difficult of explanation, but can generally be understood
by a reference to the original meaning all-so. Tyrwhitt omits
«5, but according to the canon that the most difficult reading is
probably the correct one, we have retained it.
1040. Who knows (was acquainted with) geometry or arith¬
metic.
arsmetrike = arithmetic, derived by a false etymology from
ars-metrica, Gr. ùpiBfirjruiij. Gower writes arsmetique,
1043. devyse = to embellish. Devise means to contrive;
hence to make that which requires skill. To make evidently
refers to the construction of the building; while devyse refers to
the more elaborate parts of the same. " To devise curious
works." Ex. XXXV. 32.
1045. hath to be construed with don make-, 1. 1047.
1047, Don make = caused (them) to make, caused to be made.
Don pp., make inf.
oratorye — a place of prayer.
1050. coste^ prêt.
1051, on the wall. The three oratories were built on the wall,
so as to be in full view from all parts of the theatre.
1055. don wrou^'ht = wrought, caused (tobe) made. "This
should rather be don work. The participle of the past time is
improperly put for the infinitive mode. But the same inaccuracy
occurs again : " These marchants have don fraught here schippes
newe." Tyrwhitt. See 1. 1047. It would perhaps be better to
consider wrought as the infinitive, with an ellipsis of to be.
Cf. " He has ordered a house built," i.e. to be built.
in noble wise = in splendid style.
1056. forgeten = neglected. In modern English the expres¬
sion would be, "I have forgotten." Had forgotten refers rather
to the time of the neglect than to the fact.
NOTES TO THE KNIQHTES TALE. 227
1058. sckap refers to the carving; co^/euau»ce, to the pâint-'
iï^gs ; figures^ to the composition of the works of art
1061. lorought on the tval; i.e., on the wall of the oratory.
Morris says, "viz., over the gate and wall, i.e., over a sort of
barbican;" but Chaucer is not describing the position of the
oratory, but of the paintings, &c., within the temple; cf. 11.
mo, nil.
1062. colde = sad. An epithet, descriptive of the effect,
applied to the cause.
1063. sacred = devoted. Cf. Fr. sacré,
" To destruction sacred and devote."
Par. Lost, iii. 208.
" The coming of their sacred foe" [i.e., Satan].
Ib., iv. 7.
teeres = tears. From a root signifying to bite ; hence bitter.
1064. desiryng = desire : a verbal noun.
1067. fool-hardynesse ^ the boldness of a fool.
1069. lesynges — lies, falsehood. " Thou shalt destroy them
that speak leasing." Ps. v. 6.
1070. bitsynesse= ^nsáety. "Martha, thou art bisy and art
troublid aboute ful many thingis." Luke x. 41 (Wiclif).
1071. guides — marigolds : so called from their yellow color,
the color denoting jealousy.
1072. Scan : And | a cuk | kow, &c.
1074. Lust = pleasure, in no odious sense.
Array. See P., 330.
circumstaunces = things appertaining to. We use the word
surroundings in this sense.
1075. I rekned have and schal = I have recounted and shall
recount. Tyrwhitt reads: "Which that I reken and reken
shall."
1076. by ordre = in proper arrangement. Lat. ex ordine.
We also find the A.S. equivalent arewe.
1077. make of mencioun = make mention of.
io8i. lustynesse — pleasure ; here denotes that which occasions
pleasure.
1092. " For when it pleases her, then may she turn the
world."
as = when. Cf. " What manner of communications are these
that ye have one to another, as ye walk." Luke xxiv. 17. Tyr¬
whitt omits than^ and reads liste^ subj.
228 NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE
1097. Scan : The stat | u of Ve j nus, &c.
iioi. right hond. The right hand (Lat. rectusj from regere)^
means the controlling hand. So the left hand has nothing to do
with leave, but is rather O.E. left. O.S. lef weak.
1104. do-vjves = Perhaps from its habit of ducking
the head." Wedgwood. It is strange that Wedgwood should
have departed from his favorite theory here : it seems more prob¬
able that this is a true onomatopoetic word, — the Ger. taube,
A.S. duva, being quite an exact imitation of their note.
1107. as it is often seen. It refers to the fact stated, and not
to any particular word.
1112. in lengthe and breede = in length and breadth, — on the
sides and ends.
1113. estres. " Les estres d'un maison. The inward conveyances,
private windings or turnings within, entries into, issues out o£, a
house." Cotgr.
1121. swmgh, "And what soun is it [swough] lyke quod he
Peter ! betynge of the see
Quod Y, ayen the roches holowe." H. of F., ii. 523
1122. schulde bersten vrowXá burst; i.e., break by bending.
Shall, originally denoting obligation, easily passes into the
notion of futurity, especially with the added idea of compulsion.
The past tense implies an antecedent obligation, and in like
manner passes into the idea of present or future action, depend¬
ing upon some previous obligation, or as the result of some
previous compulsion. In this verse the sounds before mentioned
indicate an accumulation of forces which will speedily destroy
the forest. Strictly speaking, vjould refers to an antecedent
desire, should to an antecedent obligation.
1123. downivard; i.e., below on the wall.
under a bente = below a slope, — on a hill amidst the forests.
1125. burned ^burnished; cf. A.S. byrne, a coat of mail, as
though from byrnan, wrought in the fire, forged; cf. also bran-
uev.', for which we find in E.E. ßre-new,
1129. northen light. Some suppose that this refers to the
aurora borealis, but probably it denotes only the dim light re¬
ceived by a narrow opening to the north. This temple being
situated on the west side of the theatre, — the south side being
open, — the only access to it from the wall would be on the north
side, which may have suggested this description.
U33. I-clenched = strengthened by bars of iron. The orig-
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE, 229
inal idea of the word seems to be a lump or mass ; a clinched nail,
is a nail with a lump hammered upon the point. We clench the
fist when we make the hand into a ball. In this verse iclenched
must refer to the protuberant bars of iron riveted upon the doors
to strengthen them.
overthivart and endelong= 2lctqs^ and endwise. "But Sir
Launcelot rode overthwart and endlong in a wild forest." K.
Arthur, iii. 81.
1134. iren=^\ron. A.S. iren^ isen, from a;'(rhotacism for as,
Lat. aes) ore, copper, properly the metal ; hence used to denote
different metals as each became prominent.
1135. Every filer ; cf.:
" The building was a spacious theatre
Half-round, on two main pillars vaulted high,
With seats." Samson Ag. 1605.
1137. First correlates with ye/ 11. 1147, 1153» ii59t dividing the
description into sections, corresponding to the sections of the
painting. In the first scene the leading subject is Felony; in
the second, Suicide; in the third, War, with its attendant out¬
rages, and consequent evils; and lastly, Conquest.
Tmaginyng = conception ; opposed to comfassyng.
1138. fclonye. According to Spelman, from fee, goods, estate,
and Ion which signifies price or value. See Blackstone, Com. iv.
95. A felon is thus one whose property or estate has been confis¬
cated as a punishment for crime. Because death was the usual
punishment of such crimes as worked a forfeiture of estate,
frequently denotes a capital crime.
comfassyng, " Comfassing or imagining the death of the
king are synonymous terms : the word comfass signifying the pur¬
pose or design of the mind or will, and not as in common sfeech
the carrying such design into effect." Blackstone iv. 78. Mor¬
ris explains the word as contrivance,
1140. = one who causes dread: perhaps here to be ex¬
plained from its connection with fike-furse as a housc'breaker.
The original notion of dread is that of trembling through fear.
Milton calls Satan "our Dread."
1141. smyler = one who hides cruel purpose under a cloak of
good-will; "The treacherous smile, a mask for secret hate."
Cowper. Wharton in his Hist. Eng. Poetry reads smiter,
"I speak of peace, while covert enmity
Under the smile of safety, wounds the world."
* 2 Kg. Hen. IV., Ind.
230 NOTES TO THE KNIGETE8 TALE.
1142. scÂepne = stßhles. A,S. scy^en ; Tyrwhitt reads
1143. /resoun = treachery ; here contrasted with open werre.
1144. ôi'â/ed =hc-h\ed'j de ^ the transitive prefix.
1149. a-nyght=iat night. Alluding, as Morris suggests, to
the death of Sisera, the Canaanitish general, whom Jael slew.
Tyrwhitt reads on hight.
1150. colde deth = cold dead body,
1151. mesckaunce. Desconfort and sory countenaunce "
qualify mesckaunce.
1154. Armed complaint = riot. An idea caught by the poet
probably from the troublous times of Wat Tyler's rebellion. It
here means the presentation of a complaint by an armed body
of men.
onthees = outcry. " From hutesium, a term well known in
our law." T.
outrage = excess. This word has no connection with rage^
but is a form assumed from Low Latin, ultragium., from ultra.
Xjower writes oultrage.
1157. y'raft^ seized, plundered. Reave is now nearly obso¬
lete, and bereave has so far lost its original meaning, as to lose
the idea of injustice; so that the death of a friend is called a
pereavement.
1159. hoppesteres. Tyrwhitt explains by from hop-
ptauy to dance; koppestre-, a female dancer. Speght explains it
hy pilots. Others with greater probability explain it a^ — op-
posteres., opposing, hostile. This explanation is supported by
Boccacio's Version of Statins, which reads "navi bellatrici."
1160. —by; cf. " killed with kindness." Seel. 1164.
n6i. freten = to devour; to be construed with saugh.
1162. Probably a proverbial expression for one suftering mis¬
fortune in spite of every precaution; cf. Sq. Tale, 256.
"Therfore behoveth him a ful long spone
That shal ete with a fend."
1163. ¿y = concerning. By originally means near; cf. I
know nothing by myself;" i.e., concerning (against) myself.
I Cor. iv. 4.
Of Marte. Alluding to the supposed malign influence of
the planet Mars in one's horoscope.
1167. smyth = one who forges with a hammer. **The smith
has his name from the sturdy blows that he smites upon the
anvil." Trench.
NOTES TO THE KNIGETES TALE. 231
1171. Scan : With \ the scharp | e sward [ See.
1172. soii'l ttvine = finely spun. 7w/we = twined.
1173. = Julius Caesar, slain by Brutus and the con¬
spirators.
1174. NerOi the Roman Emperor, who was slain by the popu¬
lace.
AntkomuSy Mark Antony, slain in Egypt.
1176. tker byforn— htiore it happened. Observe that tker is
a pronoun in the dative.
1177. threatening; that is, by the aspect of Mars
in their horologe.
figure = a representation of the position of the planets at
their birth. An astrologer was called a " figure-fiinger."
1181. Sufficeth = \e\, one example suffice.
1183. trisyllable. "It is certain that statue was fre¬
quently written statua in Shakspeare*s age; Bacon, for example,
always, I believe, so writes it; and it is not impossible that its
full pronunciation may have always been trisyllabic, and that it
became a dissyllable only by the two short vowels, as in other
cases, being run together so as to count prosodically only for
one." Craik's E. of Shak. 246. The usual pronunciation in
Chaucer is trisyllabic.
carte = chariot, car. Cart is an abbreviation of chariot^ and
is properly a diminutive of car. We use car in an elevated sense,
— cart always in an inferior, making the distinction in office
chiefly. Chariot-^ which now is used to denote a costly and stately
vehicle, in E.E. was used synonymously with cart. "There came
by a chariot, the which came thither for to fetch wood. *Tell me,
carter,' said Sir Launcelot, 'what I shall give thee for to suffer
me to leape into the chariot?'" K. Arthur iii. 251.
1184. as = as if. The if is implied by the subjunctive vjere.
1186. hen cleped = Sire called. Are is a comparatively late
word in English.
scriptures = writings. Now restricted to the Holy Scriptures,
as the Bible is to the book, by way of eminence.
1187. Scan: That oon | Puella | Sec.
Puella and Rubeus = " the names of two figures in geomancy,
representing two constellations in heaven; Puella, signifieth
Mars retrograde, and Rubeus, Mars direct." Speght's Gloss.
1188. arayed=.%e\. out with ornamental surroundings; to put
in order for the sake of ornament, usually applied to dress ; but
232 NOTES TO THE KNIQHTES TALE
sometimes, as here, denoting the adjustment of parts, as in a
painting, of troops in an army, ** in battle array;" to array a
jury, that is to call them man by man.
1191. Scan : With sot | yl pence'! | depeynt | ed was | this
storie.
Tyrwhitt reads feynted^ which corrects the metre.
1197. ofhuntyng; i.e., with scenes descriptive of.
1198. Calystope= Callisto, a daughter of Lycaon; she was a
companion of Diana.
1202. I can say no ferre — I can say no more ~ I do not vouch
for the truth of the story.
1204. Z>a«e = Daphne, who was changed into a laurel, that
she might escape the violent suit of Apollo.
1207. Atheon —who was changed by Diana into a
stag, and torn in pieces by his own dogs, for his irreverence.
I2I2- = Atalanta, a famous huntress.
1213. j1/<?/cí7^/'e = Meleager, a famous Calydonian hunter.
many another mo = m^r\y another besides. A.S. ma is used
in this sense.
1215. ivonder = wonderful. Wonder-storye is properly a com¬
pound noun. When two nouns are joined, the first being used
adjectively, it would be more philosophical to consider the two
as one compound.
1216, "The which I do not care to call to mind."
me list not it pleases me not. Drawe (to drawen) is the
subject of list.
1220. Just coming to the full, and therefore best suited for
hunting.
schulde = would.
1221. gande greene = light green, the favorite color of
hunters.
J 224. Ther = where. In such case the word formed from the
demonstrative is more strictly correct than the usual word formed
from the interrogative.
1229. " Well could he who wrought it paint life-like."
1231. Theseus dative after likede, 1. 1234.
1234. hym likede=it pleased him; it was pleasing to him.
Hym refers to Theseus. When the sentence is long, and the verb
at quite a distance from the subject, a pronoun referring to the
subject is inserted just before the verb; in this case the verb
being impersonal, the leading subject of the sentence is thrown
NOTES TO THE KNIQHTES TALE. 233
into the dative, and thus the pronoun which is inserted is thrown
into that case. " And hit Hcode Herode." " And pleside to
Eroude." Matt. xiv. 6 (Wiclif).
1238. schulde here denotes obligation.
1240. Scan: And til | Athenes | here cov | enant | to hold.
1243. ** And truly many a man there thought that never since
the world began was there to be seen, to speak of the knighthood
of either party, as wide as God has made sea or land, so noble a
company, and yet so few;" that is, so many nobles in so small a
company.
1245. Asy namely, that is. See Abbott, Shak. Or. § 113. As
is here used restrictively = for instance ; it does not serve to
introduce an example, but to limit the extent of the preceding
statement.
1249.surpassing; a name passing from mouth to
mouth; i.e., re-noivned.
1250. of that game ; i.e., one of, a sharer of that game; par¬
titive.
1251. "wel ivas him = weal was to him, well was it for him.
ther to =.\.Q There in composition with prepositions re¬
tains its pronominal force.
1252. if ther feile such a caas = if such an opportunity should
happen.
1253. lusty = vigorous ; that state of body which gives pleas*
ure.
1254. paramours = gallantry, gallant actions. Literally,
" with loves." See I. 297. What at first was a descriptive epi¬
thet came in time to be used as a noun, designating the thing so
described ; thus par amour passed into the noun paramour^ de¬
noting (ist) gallantry, (2d) lover, or the person inspiring gal¬
lantry or love. Either meaning will suit here.
hath his might ; i.e., is not sick or wounded.
1255. Hy i.e., the opportunity.
1256. wo/ife = would wish.
1257. To fightey infinitive, used substantively.
1258. ivere ~ would be.
to see = to be seen. Gerundial ; cf. a house to let."
1259. right so ; i.e., inspired by similar feelings.
1261. Som^Qr\Q\ cf. somme, pl. 1. 1263.
ixjol = prefer.
1263. somme, pl. of som*
#
234 NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE
peyre plates = armor for the breast and back; double plates,
contrasted with breastplates.
1267. "There is no new contrivance that was not known of
old," — as though defending himself from the charge of anach¬
ronism in arming his knights in the armor of his day.
1269. after his opinioun = according to his choice.
1270. Ther maistovj sen = there mayst thou see.
1274. They., redundant.
1276. kempe = coarse, shaggy. Kemps = hair among wool.
From A.S. cemhan to comb; hence that which is combed, as
hair; also that which is combed out, snarled or knotted hair.
1277. hravjnes = the muscular parts of the body, particularly
(as here) the calf of the leg, and the fleshy parts of the arms.
1283. nayles yc/we = yellow buttons, resembling the heads
of nails.
1284. = very old. Morris. Tyrwhitt reads " for old"
= for age. The former is preferable.
1287. = wreath. The A.S. verb has two forms,—
nurethian and writhian, — both of which are preserved in modern
English, but with a divergence of meaning.
1289. rubies = a precious stone of red color. Lat. rúbeas.
dyamauntz = diamonds, — a corruption of adamant. We here
see the word in a transitional state.
1290. alau7itz—2i species of dog. Alano is the Spanish
name of a species of dog which the dictionaries call a mas¬
tiff." T.
1294. ColerSy supply ivith.
fyled roundcy — so as to turn easily.
1300. cloth of gold =c\o\ki with gold threads inwoven.
dyapred=v{ro\xg\\\. in flourishes, ornamented.
"And it [the bow] was painted well and thwitten [carved]
And over all diapred and written." Rom. R., 934.
This word is from the Latin jaspis, a jasper stone, — the colors
of which are often in stripes and figures, whence it was much
used in ornamental jewelry. The verb, derived from the noun,
soon came to denote a species of ornamentation resembling the
natural marks of the jasper; and from this verb, we have again
derived a noun denoting cloth with a pattern inwoven, — diaper.
Fr. diaspre.
1302. cloth of Tars= a kind of silk. " Tartarian cloths are so
skilfully woven that no painter with his brush could equal, much
m TE s TO THE KNIGHT ES TALE, 235
îess surpass, them." Quoted from Boccaccio in Longfellow^s Dante.
I. 283.
1307. ironne = arranged. Morris explains by "clotted."
cheveux annelez, Haire frizzled, curled, or twirled round, 01
into round knots." Cot.
1311. ^>-^^»€5= freckles. Probably another form of flecken^
spots.
1313. casle = threw around.
1314. = should judge. There was no objection in
Chaucer*s day to using the same words as rhymes if their signi¬
fication was different. Gower frequently uses a noun and a verb
from the same root.
1315. sprynge = to spring up, to grow. So spring is the sea¬
son in which vegetation sprouts. The original idea seems to be
to rise up.
1320. tame, A /¿ïwe animal is literally one subdued, one that
will obey man,
1323. in alle maner thinges = in all manner of things ; i.e., in
all kinds of armor.
1327. on every part on every side.
1328. lepart = leopard. " The leopard was not for the Greek
and Latin zoologists a species by itself, but a mongrel birth of
the male panther or pard and the lioness; and in its name
' leopard * (or lion-pard) this, its assumed double descent, is ex¬
pressed." Trench.
1329. alle and some — and all; literally, "all and one."
For this use of some-, cf. 11. 397,1261-1265. " Summe other alle."
An. R., 28.
1330. Been come = intransitive perfect.
the Sonday. Palamon escaped May 3d (1. 605) and meets
Arcite : this day was Friday, 11. 676, 681. Their duel was the
next day, — Saturday, May 5th. They were to meet that day ■
fifty weeks, which must be taken as meaning a year. May 5th
the next year would be Sunday.
1331. prime = six o'clock in the morning, " The first quarter
of the artificial day." T. In the Catholic Church, the next ser¬
vice after matins, and hence the usual hour of such service.
alight^ to be construed with been.
1334. everych at his degré = each according to his rank.
1336. To esen hem = to entertain them. See P., 29 and note ;
P., 768 and note.
I33S- Of non estât qualifies man^ to be understood from
mannes.
236 NOTEíí l'O THE KNIQHTES TALE
1340. mosie and leste = greatest and least; highest and lowest
We generally use more and most distributively.
1341. faleys == palace. ** A palace is now the abode of a royal
family ; but if we look at the history of the name, we are soon
carried back to the shepherds of the Seven Hills. There, on the
Tiber, one of the seven hills was called the Collis Palatinus, and
the hill was called Palatinus^ from Pales, a pastoral deity whose
festival was celebrated every year on the 21st of April, as the
birth-day of Rome. It was to commemorate the day on which
Romulus, the wolf-child, was supposed to have drawn the first
furrow on the foot of that hill, and thus to have laid the foun¬
dation of the most ancient part of Rome, the Poma ^uadrata.
On this hill the Collis Palatinus stood ; in later times, the
houses of Cicero, and of his neighbor and enemy Cataline.
Augustus built his mansion on the same hill, and his example
was followed by Tiberius and Nero. Under Nero all private
houses had to be pulled down on the Collis Palatinus, to make
room for the Emperor's residence, the Domus Aurea, as it was
called, the Golden House. This house of Nero's was henceforth
called the Palatinus, and it became ^he type of all the palaces
of the kings and emperors of Europe." M. Müller, Sc. of Lang,
ii. 267.
^343* = might be, were.
best daunsynge = best at dancing. The retention of final e
indicates an inflection; the construction in A.S. would be a
genitive, limiting the scope of the adjective. We are obliged to
supply the loss of inflection with a preposition having the same
force.
1344- daunce — singe, inflnitives.
1345- /elyngly= '\n a manner indicating the possession of the
feeling. The word means, actively, touchingly; passively, in a
manner indicating sensibility.
^35^- Phe Sonday night. The feast lasted all day Sunday.
To sprynge = to dawn; cf. "The day spring from on high."
Luke i. 78.
^353- ^cre nought = ne ivere nought = were not.
^355* here refers not so much to state as to temporary
purpose.
^359- hire hour=her hour. The hours of the day and night
were allotted to the planets according to the following rule:
The first hour of each day belongs to the planet for which the
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE. 237
day is named; then the succeeding hours to the planets in the
following order : Saturn. Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercury,
Luna. The twenty-third hour of Sunday (reckoning from dawn)
would therefore belong to Venus.
1363. lady myn = \siáy of me. Myn is genitive, not pos¬
sessive.
1365. ^ladere = ont who makes glad.
1366. Adeoun = Adonis.
1367. Have plié have pity (on me) because of. Pity is
here followed by a gen. of source.
1370. Theffectes = the forces, the power.
^373- = grant mercy.
1374. thought =z.nyi\t\.yy melancholy. So used in the Bible
and in Shakspeare. " Take no thought for the morrow." Matt,
vi. 25. "Take thought and die for Caesar." J. C. ii. i. The
verb to think is also used in the same meanings.
1377. Emforth —to the extent of, according to; literally,
even forth. Em in composition denotes even, equal.
1379. 5i? = provided that, if so be that. Sometimesfol¬
lows as used in this sense.
13S0. — boast. The meanings are: (i) to cry like a
dog, (2) to talk loudly, (3) to boast.
1381. Scan : N' I n' aske | nat to | morwe | to have | victorie.
1383- = victory in arms.
bloiven ; i.e., by the trump of fame; by the heralds announc¬
ing the victor.
1386. ^i?w = in what way.
1387. but it may better be = unless it may be better. " I care
not whether I win the victory or he, unless as one or the other
may be better for my suit."
1390. though so though it so be; in which case it refers
to the sentence, " Mars is god of armes."
1407. Scan : But at | te laste | the stat | u of Ve | nus schook.
1408. = conjectured, deduced. Still used thus in collo¬
quial language. "You take me right." Bacon. Thereseems
to be a connection between the words take and teach, — A.S.
tacan, taecan, Gt, àéxofica, àeîkvvfitj — so that this colloquial use
may be only a relic of a former well-recognized meaning.
1412. ivente = turned: preU of wende. Cf. "To wend one's
way."
1413. thridde hour that =it\\t third hour after that; i.e., the
#
238 NOTES TO THE KNIQHTES TALE.
first hour of Monday, and hence sacred to Diana or Luna. See
note, 1. 1359.
inequaL ** In the astrological system, the day (from sunrise
to sunset) and the night (from sunset to sunrise) being each
divided into twelve hours, it is plain that the hours of the day
and night were never equal, except just at the equinoxes. The
hours attributed to the planets were of this unequal sort." T.
By the use of this term Chaucer calls attention to the astrological
hour, and indicates, without saying so, that this hour was sacred
to Diana.
1418. Ful redi'ly= all ready for use.
1420. longen schal = ought to belong, properly belong. Schal
is here used in its original sense of obligation.
1421. homes = àr\xï\i\x\^ horns. The fact that drinking cups
were originally made out of horns, so that they could not be put
down unless emptied, is preserved in the colloquial use of the
word, to denote a drink.
1423. Smokyng the temple = while the temple was smoking
(with the incense). An imitation of the A.S. dative absolute.
1425. •n'e//e = spring. We speak of the " welling up" of water.
Hence a source, as Chaucer is called " a well of English unde-
filed;" finally its meaning has become restricted to the most
common source of obtaining water, — a pit sunk into the ground.
1427. Except it be something in general terms."
1429. Cf. "To the pure all things are pure."
1430. **It is good that a man be free;" that is, from the
temptation hinted at in the preceding line. It refers to the
infinitive phrase.
1434. Tuo fyres, —one for each of her lovers.
1435. important duties. "The primitive meaning
seems to be discourse, then solemn discussion, judicial consider¬
ation, council, court of justice, lawsuit, cause, sake, matter, or
subject of discourse." Wedgwood. Hence, also, any matter of
importance.
1444. ^5= namely. ^5 = all-so, — all merely emphasizing
so: its precise force here is " so by all means."
1445. (ikonghte = for, paid for; prêt, of ahye. The
original sense is to buy, with the stress laid upon the price paid,
rather than on the fact of purchase.
1446. Scan : Chaste | goddess | e wel | wost thou | that I.
1454. ye may and kan — ye are able and know how to.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE. 239
1455. tkre formesy alluding to the fabled three forms of Diana,
— on earth Diana, in heaven Luna, in hell Proserpina,—
denoting the three marked forms of the moon, full, horned, and
dark.
1458. tvithouten more = without asking any thing further.
1467. As = in that case.
1471. maydenkode = maidenhood. The termination ^ood
{A..S, And) denotes state, condition; it is sometimes written
head; e.g., godheads
1477. quykede"And you hath he quickened."
Eph. ii. I.
1480. his — its. Its is not found in Chaucer, nor did it come
into use until more than two hundred years later. The neuter
pronoun was originally hit^ of which the genitive was his.
1481. out-ran = ran out. When a preposition is compounded
with a verb, and the proper force of both is retained, we place
the preposition after the verb; but if the sense of either is modi¬
fied by the composition, the preposition is placed first, and the
two words coalesce. Out-run now means to surpass in running.
1482. many oon — many a one. See note, P. 168.
1484. andgan to crie, — a fine touch of nature.
1495. may nat = am not able, cannot.
1502. made a vanysschynge ^ y Sinishtá', cf. "And the wynd
ceeside, and greet pesiblenesse is maad." Mark iv. 39 (Wiclif).
1504. amountetk = to what does this amount.^
1507. nexte = nearest. Next is the regular superlative of neah,
near; but we, having lost its connection with near, have formed
a new superlative.
1509. The nexte houre of Mars would be the fourth hour of
the day. See note, 1. 1359.
1510. walked fs = has walked.
1^12. payen wise pagan custom. Pagan, Lat. paganus,
a villager, has reached its modern meaning thus : (i) villager,
(2) heathen villager, (3) heathen. See note P., 70.
1518. " Hast complete control of the issue of all contests in
arms."
1519. as the lust devyse = as it pleases thee to ordain.
1523. godhede = godhead. The termination hood, head, de¬
notes state or office, and is thus adapted to the euphemism of
using the abstract for the concrete noun.
that = so that, to that degree that.
240 NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE
^537- fyves — alive, living,an adverb formed from the gen¬
itive, like needesy thankes*
1538. dotk — endure = causes me to endure.
1539. -wher I synke or fleeie = whether I may sink or float.
These verbs are subjunctive.
1546. As severely as this fire now burneth me." Tyrwhitt
reads : as wel as that this fyr," &c.
1548. travaile = labor, toil. Tra-ael is another orthography
of the same word. It originally denoted any uncommon or
painful effort, and before the modern conveniences was not
inaptly used to denote making a journey. In like manner the
German Arbeit has passed from labor to travel.
1551. In thyplesaunce = in that which affords thee pleasure;
i.e., war.
1552. I IVol my baner hange; i.e., as a trophy: cf. "Our
bruised arms hung up for monuments." Rich. III. i. i.
^557* berd. Among the ancients, particularly the Eastern
nations, the beard was held sacred as a pledge of manhood.
Consecrating the beard was therefore a consecration of his
manhood.
1559. schere — shears, — now used only in the plural.
1563. The preyere stynte, — the absolute construction.
1566. At which Arcita was somewhat terrified."
Of -which, genitive of the source of the feeling.
Hym agaste, — an imitation of the French idiom, — forming
a sort of middle voice.
1573. bigan his hauberk rynge — rattled his armor in token
of assent.
^575' = indistinct. Properly applied to objects of sight;
dumb is, however, allied, and denotes rather inarticulate sounds
than total inability to speak. Wedgwood allies dim to dam,
with the original signification to stop.
" He herde a vois which criede dimme."
Gower, Con. Am. ii. 293.
1577. ivel to fare = to succeed, to fare well.
1579. As glad (at his success) as is the bird of the bright sun."
1585. fale Saturnus the colde, — alluding to the supposed
astrological influence of the planet, which idea we have retained
in the adjective saturnine, gloomy, stern. For further remnants
of these astrological ideas, cf. joviaU from Jupiter; mercurial
from Mercury ; martial, from Mars, &c.
NOTES TO THE KNIOHTES TALE.
241
1586. Saturn was fabled to be the oldest god.
Manye of aventures. We say **many adventures," —as also
" a thousand men," in which case the singular article shows that
men is used in the genitive = of men.
1591. One may outrun the çjd, but not outwit them."
1593. Al-be-it — although.
kynde = nature. ** For kindnesse [i.e., feeling of kinship]
he wept ful tenderly." K. Arthur iii. 221. In O.E. unkind =
unnatural. *'The kindly fruits of the earth." The idea of rela¬
tionship or community of nature underlies all these words.
1596. In the time of Chaucer, Saturn was the outermost of
the known planets, and thus had the ividest orbit.
1597. The following lines specify the astrological influences
of this malign planet.
1598. drenckyn£^ = drowning. Many intransitive verbs be¬
come transitive in A.S. by a change of the vowel. We have
retained a few, as 5/V, set; lie., lay: drench is from drencan, the
causative form of drincan, to drink; so thencaUy to think, from
thincan., to seem.
1599. prisoun in the derke cote = imprisonment in the dark
cell; i.e., as a lunatic. See Burton Anat. Mel., pt. i, sec. 2,
memb. i, subs. 4.
1600. strangle — choking. " Our Saxon ancestors compelled
the adulteress to strangle herself." Morris's Gloss, refers the
definition strongly to this line,—probably a misprint.
1601. murmure vs\nxmvix\ng\ i.e., the complaint preceding
a rebellion.
cherles^ churls. A.S. ceorl, aman. We similarly use the
word 7nenj to denote laborers or servants; cf. *'Like master,
like man."
1602. = stabbing (Morris) as though from the noun
groin, a point. Tyrwhitt explains, to hang the lip in dis¬
content."
1603. pleyn correctioun — full punishment.
1604. signe of the lyoun = the constellation Leo.
1609. maladies colde — deadly distempers.
1610. castes olde ^ old contrivances; contrivances of old,—
long in use, thus proving their efficiency.
1611. Myn lokyng=my look.
i6i8. That = which fact.
1629. Hit—it. The third personal pronoun in A.S. was
« 16
242 NOTES TO THE EN IG ETE S TALE
\
he^ heo^ kii^ pl. M; the gen. his^ hire^ his. In the course of time
the h dropped, and an anomalous gen. its was formed.
Vcnusi possessive case.
1630. by the cause —
schulde = The prêt, implies an engagement already
made.
1632. at night ■= as soon as it was night.
1640. hroTvdyng=^rcAiro\átry. From braidy hence worked
with braid.
1642. 6rí?/í/-3e/c« = ornamented with gold.
1646. Giggyng= m2i\i\r\g ready; literally, rapidly moving.
Morris explains as clattering. Tyrwhitt reads grinding^ rub*
bing. The interpretation given above, if tenable, comports
better with the rest of the passage. The word gig in E.E. was
used to denote any rapid motion, or a motion to and fro, as the
^ vehicle so named from the motion communicated to the rider.
"That for the swough and for the twigges
This house was also full of gigges." H. of F. iii. 853.
Cf. Ger. GeigCy a fiddle.
1647. Eher as need /5 = about what was necessary.
1652. = staffs, bludgeons. We distinguish between the
two plurals, — staffs being the pi. of staff, and staves denoting
weapons.
thikke refers to comrnunes.
1654. bloody soivnesy sounds inciting to bloody deeds.
1655. feples = groups of people.
1656. holdyng here questioun = holding their discussion.
1659. ^vith the blake berd; i.e., " Ligurge himself, the
grete kyng of Trace," I. 1271, 1272.
1660. the balled=the light haireJ; i.e., Emetrius, "the king
of Ynde," 1. 1307, 1308.
the thikke herd=\}\^ thick haired; i.e., Arcite; cf. " myn
heer that hangeth longe adoun," I. 1557-59.
1661. he lokede gryfn ; i.e., Palamon.
1665. of his sleep = out of his sleep.
atvakedy Tyrwhitt reads " is waked."
1675. made an hoo = cried oyezy hear ye.
1678. = duke's, gen. sing.
1685. up peyne^w'çow pain or penalty.
1687. sende, subj. used for imperative.
1688. with point bytynge = with sharp point, as in battle.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE, 243
1691. But one course with a deadly weapon was allowed on
horseback. See 1. 1748.
1692. Let him fence on foot, if it please him, to defend
himself."
1693. at mesc/iie/= uniortunate, in the combat.
1696. Ae schal = but thither shall he be taken.
1697. if so falle—M it may so happen.
1700. ley on. Properly a compound.
1707. = begin to sound, — a compound.
1715. oon and other —and another.
1717. by /y;/2e = betimes, in due season.
1723. west-ward — under Marte — from the west, under the
temple of Mars. See 1. 1049. "And clipyd hym taylard." R. Cœur
de L. 724.
1727. Is under Venus est-ward—Under the temple of Venus
from the east has entered.
1733. = either one. So A.S. any one.
1735. So evenly had they been chosen, as one would suppose.
1738. " That there might be no deceit in the number."
1739. cried was. The next line is the subject.
1747. Observe the alliteration in the lines following, — the
spirit of the old Saxon overmastering the culture of the courtier.
1748. He = one. He — ^^ = one—another. See below used
as a demonstrative.
Herte'Spon = r\^\e\. ** Spoon " in Yorkshire denotes the
navel.
1749. Up springen. Observe the emphatic position of the
prepositions; so, out goon, out brest. These are all compounds.
foot = gen, pi. of feet. A.S. fota. The common idiom of
using this form with numerals indicates the persistence with
which the common speech clings to the old forms.
1751. tO'hewen and to-schrede. To in composition has an
intensive force.
1754. He—he —one — another: this one — that one.
1758. "And one hurls another with his horse adown."
1762. " Another is brought (to the stake) from the other
side."
1763. doth = causes them,
1767. " Each has unhorsed the other of them two." Other in
E.E. is generally used without the article.
1779. the reste = h'is rest. So in Greek the article is used for
the possessive. •
244 NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE
1780. gan herite = seized.
1787. for al his strengthe= in spite of his strength.
1789. So = in such a manner, so hard.
1799. fartye = party; i.e., to the suit = partial.
1802. Anoon, &c., — anon a noise is begun by the people.
Of the people; gen. of source.
1804. scholde = would.
1809. aschamed = put to shame.
1810. hold thy pees = quiet; refrain from saying any
thing; cf. "Keep the peace"= to refrain from violent action.
1816. herhneth me: "which a miracle" is the acc. of direct
object, and " me " is dative of indirect.
1818. Of—ydoon = doffed ; i.e., do-offed. So also don =
do-on.
1822. agayn him = towards him.
1823. in comune = generally.
1825. "And she was wholly his in her countenance, as she
was his in her heart; " i.e., she did not conceal her feelings, but
expressed them by her joyful countenance. Cheere must be
.construed as in the dative, and her supplied. Tyrwhitt reads,
"And was all his in chere as his in herte," — an easier but not
.a better reading.
1S26. fyr = fire. Tyrwhitt reads fury, which is undoubtedly
correct.
1828. For vjhich = at which : before which.
Í830. "And before Arcite was able to recover him."
*833. to-brosten, — his horse fell upon him and the projecting
saddle-bow crushed his breast.
1840. in memory and on lyve — in his senses and alive.
Chaucer uses on lyve, alive, and lyves.
1845. "Although this accident had happened."
1847. schal is here used peculiarly. It indicates a belief that
he will not die, because, from the circumstances — having fairly
won his lady — he ought not to lose the reward.
1851. Al ivere they — although they were.
a7td namely oon = and one especially.
1852. That — his brest-boon = whose breastbone.
1853. To — for; cf. Lat. ad,
1855. save = sage, — once a famous remedy, as its Latin
name — salvia — implies.
1857. as he wel can = as he well knows how.
NOTES TO THE KNIQHTES TALE, 245
1861 " But there was held to be no defeat (as in battle) but
as in a (friendly) joust or tournament; for, indeed, there was no
defeat."
1867. O persone alione = one person by himself.
But for he may nought all him one
In sondry places do justice."
Gower, Con. Am. iii. 178.
1848. haried — dragged. The origin seems to be
shown in Fr. harer^ to set on a dog.
1872. coxvardye = cowardice. Wedgwood refers to Fr. couard
from Lat. cauda, tail : hence, one who turns tail. It may, how¬
ever, be from cower, to hide. Ger. kauern; cf. "cowans and
evedroppers."
" Thanne cometh ther a cougioun with a grey cote
As not of his nolle, as he the nest made.
Another proud partriche, and precyth to the nest,
Ená prevyliche piriih, till the dame passe.
And leveth the lurker that hem er ladde."
Dep. Ric. ii. 16, 10.
1873. = ordered (the heralds) to cry : let strictly =
permit; here used by euphemism.
1875. Eke gree = the prize (to be) as well of one party as of
the other.
1878. fully modifies three,
1879. "And honorably accompanied the kings fully a day's
journey out of his town. Worthily = for the sake of honor.
1881, the righte way = by the straight road.
1882. have good day = may you have good day. Abbreviated
into " good-day."
1892. For thilke vertu, &c., by aid of that virtue. "The
expulsive or animal virtue (power) cannot, for want of the aid
of the natural power, expel or void the venom; " that is, neither
by the aid of medicines nor by the force of nature can he free
himself of the poison.
1897. "Neither is vomit nor laxative of any avail to him."
1902. to chirche; i.e., to his funeral.
1903. This al and som = this is the end of the matter.
1904. For which = for which reason, wherefore.
1920. Now—now = at one moment — at the next.
1928. "And may Jupiter guide my soul so truly to speak."
246 NOTES TO THE KNIQETES TALE
1933. art = thQ art or profession of knighthood.
1934. **So may Jupiter take the part of my soul; " i.e., favor
me.
1945* "The intellect that dwelt in his sick and sore heart
failed without any delay, only when the heart felt death; " that
is, his affection for Emily ceased only with death.
1952. cam nevere, supply thence^ as indicated by ther =
thither.
1954. registre— x^zoxá\ i.e., the " olde stories."
1955. "Nor does it please me to tell the opinions of others,
though they may write where they dwelle," — alluding to Boc¬
caccio, who, in his version of the tale, conveys Arcite's soul to
heaven.
1956. hem = them, those persons, others.
1957. = therefore, may Mars take charge of his soul.
" O that Mars would." Morris. Tyrwhitt thinks that ther has a
peculiar force in this passage. Ther is here equivalent to for
this^ being the dative. So also Merch. Tale, 31.
"This sentence and a hundred thinges worse
Writeth this man, tker God his bones curse."
TheriB here plainly equivalent to yb/-M/V;'therefore, in the
line under consideration, ther refers to what immediately pre¬
cedes, — " Arcite is cold."
1962. to taryen forth the day — to stop for the rest of the day.
forth after a verb of motion indicates direction or limit.
1966. For the more part = generally. Grief must either find
vent in lamentation or else they die.
1977. ** Why wouldst thou die, when thou hadst gold enough
and Emily — a beautiful touch of nature.
1982. tornen^ infinitive, after seen.
1984. likenesse, similar instances. To be construed as a
collective noun, as though from the French like richesse.
1992. And over al this = and besides this.
1999. he took conclusioun = he reached the conclusion.
2000. That ther as = that there where.
2003. he hadde — he had had, had suffered.
2007. hakke and hevje = cut down and cut up. These two
words are nearly synonymous, in accordance with the tendency
of the language to strengthen an expression by duplicating
similar words; cf. "time and tide."
2009. ivel arrayed = well arranged.
NOTES TO THE KNIGHTES TALE, 247
2010. they, redundant.
2015. the same suie; i.e., of the cloth of gold.
2019. bare the visage, absolute construction in imitation of
the A.S. dative absolute.
2020. ^ité = pity. The use of nouns for adjectives in such
cases must be explained by an ellipsis ; e.g., it occasioned pity to
hear.
2021. people — alle = M the people, the people altogether-
Cf. " In many things we offend all ; i.e., we all offend.
2023. That roreth of= that resoundeth with, &c.
2027. " And Emily surpassing others in weeping."
2029. In as moche = in order that the service might be.
2046. The street was spread with black, and the buildings on
either side were hung with the same.
2053. With fyr in hond. It was the custom for the nearest
friend to light the funeral pile. See 1. 2083.
2055. " Severe labor and very great preparation was put
forth at the funeral service and the making of the funeral
pyre."
2057. That — = whose; refers to fyr with the meaning
funeral pile,
2066. for me = so far as I am concerned.
2069. vjoneden = used to dwell.
. . . the wild beast, where he wons
In forest wild." Par. L. vii. 457.
2076. a three = in three parts; i.e., finely split; cf. in tvjo.
2080. al so — the uncontracted form of as, — the incense
with as strong an odor as myrrh."
2087. jewels. From the same root as joy (Lat. gaudium),
hence denoting what occasion or indicate joy. The putting off
of jewels was a sign of mourning.
2089. summe — soxxx^, plural, of som, one.
2090. were ■= yrovt,, A.S. tverian is regular; this is one of
the few instances in which we have, because of analogy, changed
a weak into a strong verb.
2095. Keeping the fire on the left hand.
2100. = the watch (wake) held over the remains
of the dead. This custom is very ancient.
2102. wakcpleyes — games played while watching the re¬
mains of the dead, — funeral games. The custom of making
this an occasion of merriment is not entirely obsolete.
248 NOTES TO THE KNIQETES TALE.
%
2104. ¿n no disjoint = with no disadvantage.
2107. "But I will come from this point {then) briefly
conclusion."
2109. of certeyn yeres = by lapse and length of time.
2113. foynt; cf. "speak to the point."
cas = a circumstance. Circumstances had brought up a cer¬
tain point for discussion; in the discussion that ensued, the
matter of alliance with other nations — and particularly the rela¬
tions of Thebes, which state Theseus proposed more closely to
attach to Athens by intermarriage — was brought up for con¬
sideration.
2119. Univist of him — he being ignorant: absolute con¬
struction.
2121. in kye = in haste, hastily.
2126- "He fixed his eyes where it was his pleasure to fix
them," — probably on his sister.
2131. = the thing to be accomplished. We find this
word used in two senses : ist, that which is to be done : 2d, that
which has been done.
2141. "Although they may nevertheless easily abridge these
days."
2142. "I need not cite authorities, for it is proven by experi¬
ence, except that it pleases me to declare my conclusion."
2147. it he a fool = he be a fool. It is neuter to agree with
fool.
2155. = species. "The5^/c^5of penaunce ben three."
Persones Tale.
2157. lye = destruction, Fate. A.S. leg^ or laeg, Tyrwhitt
reads "withouten any lie,"— an inferior reading.
2158. sen at eye = see at once.
2164. goon = walk. Go in E.E. means to walk, as to ride
usually means to ride on horseback.
"And some gone and some ride.
And some prick here horse aside."
Gower, Con. Am. i. no.
2168. this thing = such things; plural.
2170. nedes = of necessity. Morris reads nedeth. I have
adopted Tyrwhitt's reading. The sense is : we also see plainly
that, in regard to man and woman, that of necessity he must
die. With nedeik, we must read : " that it must be that "
2173. Som—som = one — another.
NOTES TO THE KNIGETES TALE. 249
2174. large field =\xi the open country, where one would
apparently be the safest
2175. Ther helpetk naught = Nothing is of any avail.
2177. What = what power, who.
2181. here agayns = against this. Here is dative.
2185. — that which : like he that for who*
2186. namelyche that = especially that which.
2199 The contrarye = the opposite opinion.
2207. " And yet they are not able to amend their desires that
offend both his spirit and themselves."
2211. of al his grace tor all his kindness. An imitation
of the A.S. construction of dat.^and gen. with verbs of granting,
refusing, and thanking. See March, § 297, d.
2215. wher = in whom, in what person. Wher is here used
with an evident consciousness of its pronominal force. "And
see now to whom is most sorrow in this matter."
2221. Scan : and evV | hath doon | &c.
2225. " Let I > now see a proof of your womanly pity." Par¬
titive gen.
2231. "For gentle mercy ought to surpass mere justice."
2242. Sende = may God send ; subj.
Hath it deere abought — hath paid dearly for it.
2249. " Thus endeth (the story of) Palamon and Emelye."
GLOSSARIAL INDEX.
«
GLOSSARIAL INDEX.
ABBREVIATIONS.
A.S. . ,
cf. . .
E.E. . .
Fr. . .
Gael. . .
, . c-^-Gaelic.
Ger. . ,
Goth. . .
Gr. . .
imp. .
K. . .
Lat Latin.
O.E cid English.
Q.Fr Old French.
O.N Old Norse.
O-S Old Saxon.
P Prologue.
pr preterite.
p.p past participle.
W. Welsh.
A.
A, one, P. 24. A.S. an, Ger. ein;
indefinite article an, a.
A- (prefix), in, on, P. 822; a-morwe,
a^ay, K. 1765. A.S. an, on.
Abbot, father. Hebrew abba,
father, — a title given in the
Syriac churches to bishops.
Abide, Abiden (pr. abod, abood;
p.p. abiden, abyden), to await, to
wait, K. 69, 2124. A.S. abidan.
Able, capable. Lat. habilis.
Abood, delay ( See Abide ), K. 107.
Aboughte (pr. of abye), suffered
for, pdid for, K. 1445. Aboughte
trewely, K. 1445 ; deere abowfht,
K. 2242, paid dearly for. Some¬
times corrupted into a6ic?e. A.S.
ablegan.
Aboute, in turn, in a circle ; cf.
''round about," K. 32.
Aboven, above. O.E. aboon, A.S.
abufan.
Abregge, to abridge, shorten, K.
2141. Fr. abréger, Lat. ahbrevi-
are.
Accomplice, to accomplish, K.
2006.
Accordant, according to, P. 37.
#
Accorde, Acord, agreement, de.
cisión, P. 837.
Accorde, Acorde, to agree, har¬
monize, please, decide, P. 244,
830. Lat. ad-cor.
Achate, purchase, P. 571. Pr.
acheter, Lat. acceptare. Eng.
cater.
Achatour, purchaser, P. 568.
Acquaintaunce, Aqueyntaimce,
one known. Lat. ad-cognitus,
Pr. accointance.
Adamauntz, adamant, probably
steel, K. 1132. Diamond is a
corruption of this word.
A-day, by day, K. 1765. A.S. an.
Adown, downwards, adown, P.
393, K. 245. A.S. of-dune, a-dun.
Adrad, afraid, P. 605. A.S. on-
draedan. See A, prefix.
Afered, Aferd, afraid, P. 628, K.
660. A.S. afaeran, to terrify.
Affyle, to file, sharpen, P. 712.
'Ft. fil, thread, an edge.
After, according to, P. 347, K.
1877 ; for, P. 525 ; afterwards,
K. 1201. Now usually restricted
to time and space.
Agast, terrified, aghast, K. 1483.
Goth, geisan, to terrify.
k
254
qlossäbiäl index.
Agaste, p.p. of ajaze, to be terri¬
fied, K. 15Öt5.\
Agayn, Agayns, Ageyn, Agens,
again, P. 801, K. 34 ; against,
P." 60, K. 929 ; towards, facing,
K. 651. A. S. on-gean, a-gen,
gen = again. Ger. gegen. Orig¬
inal force tliat of opposition ;
hence also addition ; cf. ge, pre¬
fix, with cumulative efïëct,
ge-brothru.
Ago, Agon, Agoo, Agoon, gone
away, gone out, agone, K. 418,
1478. A.S. agan, gone, agangan,
to go from.
Al, wholly, all, P. 76, 150; alto¬
gether, K. 226 ; although, K.
1406 ; al he, al speke, al have, &c.,
P. 297, 734; K. 979 ; very (em¬
phatic), K. 183.
Alauntz, Alauns, a species of dog,
K. 1290.
Al be, although, albeit, P. 297.
The full form would be although
it may be.
Al day, every day, always, K.
310, 1618. A.S. ealle daege.
Alderman, an officer in a city next
in rank to the mayor, and often
charged with judicial functions,
P. 372. A.S. ealdor-man = Lat.
senator.
Ale, ale,.P. 341, 832. A.S. eale,
ealo, from a root signifying to
drink.
Ale-stake, a stake wreathed with
green and set up as a tavern-
sign, P. 667.
Algate, always, P. 571. A.S.
geat a way ; thus = always.
Alighte, pr. aliqhte, p.p. alight, to
alight, P. 722, K. 125. A.S.
alihtan.
Alle, all (plural), K. 54.
Aller, Alther, Alder, of all (gen.
pi.) : with oure = of us ; here =
of them ; tfoure = of you, P.
586, 799, 823.
Alione, Alone, only, alone ; 0 per¬
sone alione, K. 552, 1867. From
alle-one. Ger. allein,
Al-redy, very quickly, K. 183.
A.S. hrathe.
Also, Als, as, P. 730 ; al-so, al
simply emphasizing so. A.S.
alswa, contracted also, als, as.
Ger. als. The Ormulum gives
ali all Siva. See As.
Altherbest, best of all, P. 710.
See Alther.
Although, though (al emphatic
prefix), P. 230.
Alway, Alwey, in all ways, at all
times. A.S. ealle wega.
Amblere, an ambling or pacing
horse, P. 469. Fr. ambler.
Amonges, amongst, P. 759. A.S.
on many, mengian, to mix ; Ger.
mengen.
Amorwe, on the morrow, P. 822,
K. 763. a = in, on; cf. abed.
Amounte, to signify, to amount
to, K. 1504. Fr. monter.
Amyable, pleasing, lovable, P.
138. Lat. amabilis.
Amyddes, amidst, in the middle;
a = in.
And, and if, K. 856. Sometimes
written an, an if.
Angwische, anguish, extreme
grief. Fr. angoisse, Lat. angere,
to strangle ; cf. anger, so termed
from its choking effect ; cf. also
Lat. anguis, serpent, literally,
the choker.
Anight, at night, K. 184,
Anlas, a knife or dagger usually
worn at the girdle, P. 357.
"Low Lat. ane/acius,either from
Lat. anellus or anulus, a ring,
from one fastened to the belt
by which it was carried, or from
Old High Ger. laz, Lat. latiiSy
side." Webster.
Anon, Anoon, in one (moment),
anon, P. 32,424 ; an=in, oh=one.
Apayd, satisfied, pleased. Fr.
payer, Lat. pacare. Eng. pay.
Ape, fool (metaphorical), P. 706.
Apiked, adorned, trimmed, P. 365,
— a neatness denoted by pick¬
ing off particles.
Apotecarie, apothecary, P. 425.
Fr. from Gr.
Appalled, made feeble, K. 2195.
So pall (as to pall on the taste),
QLOSSARlÁL INDEX.
255
to lose energy, — not connected
with pale,
Apparailyng, preparation. Fr.
appareiller y Lat. par^ hence to
join like to like, to fit.
Appetite, Appetyt, desire, ap¬
petite, K. 812, 822.
Aray, Arraye, dress, outfit,
equipage, appearance, P. 73,
330, K. 680. The root is A.S.
raed, Ger. bereit, O.E. graythe,
ready.
Araye, Arraye, to make ready,
to set out with ornaments, K.
1188, 2009. A.S. geraedian, to
make ready.
Archdeken, gen. ArcIidekneSy
Archdeacon or dean, an eccle¬
siastic next in rank below a
bishop, P. 655.
Arest, a support for the spear
when couched for the attack,
K, 1744. Named probably from
the adverb = in-rest.
Areste, to stop, to check, P. 827.
Fr. areste, Lat, ad-restare.
Aretted, imputed, K. 1871. Fr.
arrêter, to decree.
Aright, indeed (on-right), P. 189;
cf. a similar use of downright:
exceedingly, very, P. 267 ; cf.
right Honorable, right Rev¬
erend.
Arive, landing, attack, P. 60.
Arm, the arm, P. 111. A.S. earm,
arm ; the limb fitted or joined
on ; cf. Lat. armus the shoulder,
ramus a branch.
Arm-gret, as great as one's arm,
K. 1287.
Armypotent, powerful in arms,
K. 1124. Lat. armipotens.
Arreest, restraint, custody, K.
452 ; cf. arest.
Arréragé, arrears, P. 602. Fr.
arrérages.
Arsmetrike, arithmetic, K. 104:0.
Art, a contrivance, K. 1587. So
Lat. ars.
Arwe, arrow, P. 104. A.S. arewe.
As, according as, P. 390 ; where,
P. 407; as if, P. 636, K. 1184;
namely, K. 1245, 1499 ; as for.
with regard to, K. 975; as now,-
for the present, K. 27. All the
meanings are explained by a
reference to the uncontracted
form, all-so.
Ascendent, that degree of the
ecliptic which is rising at the
moment of one's birth, and by
which his fortune was astrolog-
ically determined, P. 417.
Aschamed, defeated, put to
shame, K. 1809. A.S. ascam-
ian.
Aseged, besieged, K. 23. See
Siege.
Aslake, to appease^ K. 902. A.S.
as/aci'an, to slacken, to give way; •
cf. slack, slack-lime.
As nouthe, As now, at present,
for the present, P. 462, K. 1406.
A.S. nu tha, just now.
Asonder, asunder. A.S. from
sundrian, to sunder.
Aspect, tiie position of the planets
at one's birth, K. 229.
Aspye, to discover, K. 562. Fr.
espier, Ger. spähen, Eng. spy.
Assaut, assault, K. 131. Fr. from
Lat. adsaltum, opposed to siege>
that is a sitting.
Assayed, tried, Iv. 952. Fr. cs-
sayer, Lat. exagere, to drive.
Asschen, ashes, K. 444. A.S.
asce, ashes, dust ; Ger. asche.
Assent, consent, agreement. Lat..
assentire.
Assise, assize, "a court held by a
number of judges Originally
an assembly of Knights, with a
justice, for the transaction of
public business, which is prob¬
ably the meaning in P. 314.
Assoillyng, absolution, P. 661.
Lai. absolutio.
Asterte, to escape, K. 737, Allied
to A.S. asiyrian.
Astoneyd, astonished. Fr. éton¬
ner, Ger. erstaunen. Eng. stun.
Astronomy, astrology, P. 414.
At, according to, P. 816 ; after, K,
1292. Lat. ad.
Athamaunte, adamant, K. 447..
See Adamauntz.
256
o LO s s ARIAL INDEX,
A. three, in three, K. 2076 ; a = in ;
cf. in two.
A.t oones, at once, — gen. used
adverbially, K. 978.
At-rede, to surpass in counsel,
out-wit, K. 1591. A.S. aímeí/an;
cf. t-wit.
At-renne, outrun, K. 1691.
Atte, at the, P. 20, 193 ; atte beste
= at the best, P. 29, 749 ; atte
laste = at the last, at last, K.
902. O.E. at than.
Atteyne, to attain, K. 885. Fr.
atteindrSf Lat. attingere.
Auctorite, authority, a quotation
from some standard author, K.
2142.
AuditK)ur, auditor, a person ap¬
pointed to audit or examine ac¬
counts, — of course referring
originally to the verbal state¬
ments of men who usually could
not write, P. 594. Lat. audi¬
tor'.
Aughte (pr. of to owe)y ought, K.
2231. A.S. agany pr. ahte.
Aungel, angel, K. 197. Gr. ày-
yeXoÇy a messenger.
Auter, altar, K. 1047. Lat. altuSy
a high place. Fr. autel.
Avantage, opportunity, advan¬
tage, K. 435. Fr. avant, Lat.
ab ante.
Avaunce, advance, P. 246.
Avaunt, a boast, to make avaunty
to feel confident, to boast, P.
227. Lat. mnus.
Avayle, to avail, to be able, K.
1543, 2182. Lat. ad valere.
Aventure, chance,, destiny, ad¬
venture, P. 25, 795, 844 ; an ac¬
cident causing death (a law
term), K. 302.
Avow, vow, promise, K. 1379.
Fr. aveu, Lat. advocare.
Avys, Avis, consideration, advice,
P. 786 ; opinion, K. 1010. Fr.
avis, Lat. ad videre.
Awe, fear, dread, P. 654. A.S.
ege, Goth, agan, ogan, to fear.
Axe, to ask, K. 488. A.S. acsian.
Axyng, demand, asking, K. 968.
• A.S. acsung.
Ay, ever, always, P. 63, 572. A.S
a awa, Gr. all, Lat. aevum.
Ayens, towards, against, K. 651.
Ayel, a grandfather, K, 1619. Fr-
aïeul, Lat. {avolus) avus.
B.
Baar, Bar, pr. (of here) bore, car¬
ried, P. 116, 158, 558, 618.
Bacheler, a young man, one not
yet attained to knighthood, one
not yet married, P. 80. From
a Celtic root.
Bad (pr. of bidde), ordered, P.
787. A.S. biddan, pr. baed.
Baggepipe, a set of pipes blown
by a bellows shaped like a bag,
P. 565.
Bailiff, bailiff, P. 603. Fr. baillir,
to govern. O.E. baili.
Bak, back, K. 192. A.S. baec ; cf.
Lat. ttngum, as though Gr. Tép<poç
for orépipoç, from arpe^w, to turn.
j>.\).baked,baken. This verb
was originally conjugated like
take. A.S. bacan, hoc, hacen.
Balled, bald, P. 198 (see note),
light haired, K. 1660.
Bane, destruction, K. 239. A.S.
bana, literally, a death-blow.
Bauer, banner, K. 108 (see note).
Goth, bandwo, a sign.
Banysche, to put under ban, to
banish, K. 867 ; cf. abandon.
Bar (pi. hare), bore, conducted,
P. 105, 673, 721. A.S. heran,
baer, boren.
Barbour, barber, one who dresses
the beard. Fr. barhier.
Bare, bare, uncovered, K. 900 ;
bare-headed, P. 683. A.S. baer,
Ger. baar.
Bareyn (e), barren, deprived of,
K. 386, 1119. O.Fr. baraigne.
Bargayus, traffic, P. 282 (see
note). O.Fr. barguigner, to
traffic; literally, to wrangle.
Barge, bark, a small ship, P. 410.
Baronage, an assembly of barons,
the barons as a body, K. 2238.
Fr. baron, originally, man, hus¬
band ; cf. A.S. toer, Lat. vir.
G LO BS ARIAL INDEX.
Barre, a bar, bolt, K. 217. The
same root appears in spar with
an initial s; cf. O.N. harr^ a
tree.
Barres, the usual ornaments of the
girdle, perforated to allow the
passage of the buckle. They
were frequently of the richest
description, P. 329.
Batayle, Bataile, Battaille, bat¬
tle, P. 61, K. 751. From the
root blow ; of. 6eai, Fr. haltre ;
cf. 6aí, a club, battery^ assault.
Baudery, license, K. 1068.
Bawdrik, baldrick, a belt worn
over one shoulder passing under
the other arm, P. 116. A.S.
belt.
Bay, bay color, K. 1299. Lat.
badius, brown.
Be, (1) to be, K. 1877 ; (2) been,
P. 56, 60.
Bade, pi. bedes, a bead, pi. a
rosary, P. 159. See note.
Been, Ben, to be, P. 140 ; are,
P. 178, K. 317; been, P. 199.
Chaucer uses three forms for
the plural, been, aren, ore.
Beer (e), a bier, K. 2013. A.S.
beran, cf. barrow, Ger. bahre.
Beest, Best, a beast, K. 451,1118.
Lat. bestia. Perhaps from beon,
to be ; cf. animal from anima.
Beete, to kindle, or make a fire,
K. 1395. Literally, to make
better. A.S. betan from bet.
Begger (e), a beggar, P. 252.
Literally, a man with a 60^, the
universal characteristic of a
beggar.
Beggestere, a female beggar, P.
242.
Belle, a bell, P. 171. A.S. from
bellan, to make a loud noise.
Belt, a belt. A.S. belt, Lat. balteus.
Ben, see Been.
Benedicite, bless him, K. 927,
Lat.
Benigne, kind, P. 483. Lat. be¬
nignus.
Bent,a slope (a concave), a plain
or level place at the foot of a
hill, K, 1123. A.S. bendan.
Berd (e), the beard, P. 270, K.
1557. Oer. Utrt, Lat. barba.
Bere, a bear, K. 782. A.S. bera,
literally, " the great beast ; "
O^. biorn.
Bere, to pierce, to bore, subj. bere,
may pierce, K. 1398. A.S. 60-
rian.
Bersten, to burst, to break by
bending, K. 1122. A.S.berstan.
Berstles, bristles, K. 556. A.S.
byrst, Ger. barste.
Berye, a berry, P. 207. A.S.
beria. From a root = to eat.
The literal signification is there¬
fore food.
Beseken, to beseech, K. 60. A.S.
secan ; be intensive prefix.
Best. See Beest.
Besy, busy, P. 321. A.S. bisig.
Bet, contracted form of better, P.
242. A.S. bet.
Bete, (p.p. bete), to beat.
Bettre, better, P. 524. A.S. hetra,
Goth, bats ; cf. boot, bote, advan¬
tage " what boots it î to
boot."
Betwixe, betwixt, P. 277. A.S.
betwyx. From root tuo; cf. be¬
tween.
Bever hat, a hat made of beaver
fur, P. 272.
Bewreye, to betray, disclose, K.
1371. Literally, to accuse,
hence to point out. A.S. be-
wregan. " Thy speech bewray-
eth thee," Matt. xxvi. 73.
Beyying, buying, K. 669. O.E.
begge. A.S. bycgan.
Bible, a book ; by way of em¬
inence applied to the Sacred
Scriptures, P. 438.
Bi-bled, be-bled, covered with
blood, K. 1144. Be intensive
prefix.
Bifalle (p.p. hifalle, hifaUen), to
happen, befall, P. 795, K. 947.
A.S. befeallan.
Biforn, before, P. 572, A.S. be¬
faran.
Bigan (v. aux.), did, bigan areste,
arrested, P. 827.
Bihold (pr. biheld, p.p. biholde,
17
258
G LU s s AR I AL INDEX
heholden)^ to behold, K. 1435.
Literally, to hold one*s attention
to.
Biloved, beloved, p. 215.
Bisette (pr. histUe, p.p. hiM)^ to
employ, P. 279 ; to arrange, K.
2154,
Biside, near, beside (gov, dative),
P. 402, K. 16.
Bisy, busy, acti-ve, fierce, K. 1462.
A.S. bisig.
Bite, to act as a caustic, to bite,
P. 631.
Bittre, bitter, scalding, K. 422,
1367. A.S. bitter from hitan^ to
bite ; hence any thing pungent.
Blak (def. and pi. 6/aAe), black,
P. 557, K. 41. See note, P.
627.
Blake, pale, P. 627. See note.
A.S. Uac, pale.
Blame, to blame, blamable, P. 375.
O.Pr. blasmer, Gr. ß}Ai(j(p7j/üo>.
Blankmanger, a compound of
capon minced with other in¬
gredients, P. 387.
Bleynte, blenched, started back,
K. 220 ; cf. blink.
Blis, Blisse, bliss, K. 372. A.S.
bliSy from blithey glad.
Blisful, full of bliss, blessed, P.
17, 770.
Blithe, glad, P. 846. See note.
Blive, Blyve, quickly, K. 1839.
O.E. bi-life ; cf. licelgy quick.
See note, P. 846.
Blood, lineage, family, K. 472.
A.S. hlod ; cf. Ger. blühen, blüthe.
Bocher, a butcher, K. 1167. Pr.
boucher, from bouc, a goat ; hence,
literally, a goat-killer.
Bocler, Bokler, a buckler, a shield
with a boss, P. 112. Fr. boude.
Eng. buckle.
Bodye, abody, K. 139. Se%note.
Bok, pl. bokes, a book.
Bokelyng, buckling, K. 1645.
Boket, a bucket, K. 675. Pr.
baquet, a pail.
Bold, ready, prompt, P. 755. A.S.
bald, bold ; cf. Ger. bald.
Bole, a bull, K. 1281. A.S. bellan,
to bellow.
Bond, a bond, that which binds ;
in law a sealed written agree
ment, K. 746. A.S. banda.
Bond, pr. of binde, bound, K. 2133.
Bone, Boon, a bone, K. 144, 319.
A.S. ban. The word originally
denotes support; of. Ger. bein.
Book, a book, P. 185. A.S. hoc,
Goth, boka, letter, writing, usu¬
ally derived from A.S. boce,
beech, as beechen boards were
used instead of parchment ; cf.
Lat. liber.
Boon (e), a prayer, boon, K. 1411.
A.S. ben.
Boor (e), a boar, K. 800. A.S. bar.
Boot (e), remedy, P. 424. A.S.
bot; cf. beeie,Xo mend.
Boot (e), a boot, P. 203. Pr. botte;
literally, a bag of leather. See
note ; cf. bottle.
Boowes, boughs, K. 2059. A.S.
bugan, to bend, bow.
Boras, borax, perhaps saltpetre,
P. 630.
Bord, table, P. 52. To begin the
bord — to sit at the head of the
table; see note. A.^.bord; cf.
border.
Bore, p.p. (for boren) born, K. 684.
Born, p.p. (for boren), carried,
borne, K. 120; conducted him¬
self, P. 87.
Borwe, pledge ; to borwe, in pledge,
K. 764. A.S. borh ; cf. borrow.
A.S. borgian, to lend upon secu¬
rity. Ger. borgen.
Bothe, both, K. 858. A.S. hatwa:
ba = both, twa = two.
Bouk, body, — the same as hulk,
K. 1888 ; cf. bulge, bilge.
Bracer, armor for the arms {bras),
P. Ill, — in this case to protect
from the recoil of the bow¬
string ; cf. bracelet.
Brak, pr. of breke, broke, K. 610.
A.S. brecan, pr. braec.
Braun, Brawn, muscle, brawn,
P. 546 ; cf. brawng.
Braunche, a branch, K. 209. Pr.
branche. The root denotes a
support ; cf. 6mce ; hence an
arm, bras; also figuratively, the
QLOSSARIAL INDEX,
259
arm of a tree, — a limb as it is
colloquially called.
Breed, Bred, bread, P. 147. Ger.
hrot.
Breede, Brede, breadth, K. 1112.
From A.S. brad, broad.
Breeme, furiously, K. 841. A.S.
breme, from bremman, to rage.
Sanskrit bhram, to whirl vio¬
lently. See note ; cf. Lat.
premere.
Breeth, breath, P. 5. A.^.braeth^
originally probably denoting
steam.
Breke (pr. braky hrok, p.p. brok,
ihroken), to break, P. 551.
Brem, a bream, a fresh-water
fish, P. 350.
Bremstoon, brimstone, sulphur ;
literally, the burning stone, r. 629.
A.S. bryne.
Brend, burnished, K. 1804. A.S.
byrn'tn, to burn : either from its
shining, or because newly forged
metal is bright ; so brand de¬
notes a sword, because forged ;
cf. brand-new.
Brende, pr. of brenne, burned, K.
1567.
Brenne (pr.¿»renc?, brent; p.p.èreni),
to burn, K. 1473. A.S. baernan,
pr. haernde, p.p. haerned.
Brennyngly, ardently, burn-
ingly, K. 706.
Breres, briars, K. 674. A.S. 6raer.
Brest, breast, P. 115. A.^.breost
{berstan), what swells or bursts
beyond the surface.
Breste (pr. brast; p.p. bürsten,
horsten), to burst, K. 1752.
Bretful, brimful, P. 687, K. 1306.
Bretherhede, brotlierhood, broth¬
ers in a monastic order, P. 511.
Bridel, bridle, P. 169. Wedg¬
wood suggests that the word is
from bit, with r inserted ; hence
that part of the harness holding
the bit.
Bright, bright, P. 104. A S.
briht. Formerly also applied to
sounds.
Broch, a brooch, P. 160. Fr.6r<vĀ.
This word means : ( 1 ) a pin ; (2 j
a buckle or clasp; (3) an orna¬
ment fastened with a pin or
buckle.
Brode, broad, K. 2166.
Broke, p.p. broken.
Brond, brand, K. 1480. A.S. baer¬
nan.
Brood (e). Brode, broad, P. 155,
471, 549.
Broode, plainly, P. 739. Ful
hroode, very plainly.
Brother,brother's (gen.),K 2226.
In A.S. this word took no in¬
flection in the gen.
Brought, pr. oX bringe, conducted,
accompanied, P. 566.
Broun, brown, P. 109. A.S. brun.
From brennan, to burn.
Browded, braided, K. 191. A.S.
hredan, to weave. See note K.
1640.
Browdyng, embrçidery, K. 1640.
Browes, eyebrows, P. 627, K.
270. A.S. braew.
Bulde, builded, K. 690. A.S.
by/dan.
Burdoun, bass (in music), P. 673.
See note.
Burgeys, a citizen, a freeman in
a city, P. 369. A.S. burg, Eng.
borough.
Burned, burnished, polished, K.
1125. Fr. brunir, to polisli.
Busche, Bussh, a thicket, K. 659,
1155 ; cf. bosk, boscage, Bushman.
Fr. bois, Ger. Ensch. The word
now denotes a shrub with thick
branches.
Busily, attentively, P. 301.
Busynesse, Bysynesse, occupa¬
tion, employment, care, P. 520,
K. 149; anxiety, K. 1070. A.S.
bysgian, to employ.
But, besides, further, P. 142 and
P. 154; except, P. 521, K. 262.
This use is common in Chaucer
and in Wiclif, and is the preva-
.ent meaning in A.S. But,
O.Sax. bi-nfan (by-out), is
■formed exactly like with-ont,
and is parallel to except (O.E.
by which its meanings
y be explained. It grad'
26o
o LO s s ARIAL INDEX,
ually loses its adversative force,
and becomes a conjunction,
like besides, excluding all except
the point under consideration,
from wlüch fact it gains a neg¬
ative force.
But if, unless, if not, P. 351, 582.
By, according to, P. 600. A.S.
¿/, near.
By-and-by, close to each other,
one after the other, K. 153 ; im¬
mediately. " By and by he is
oflended," Matt. xiii. 21.
Bycause, because, P. 174. See
note.
Byde, remain, abide, wait, K. 718.
A.S. bidan.
Byfalle, Bifalle (pr. hifel, hyfel,
hyfil, impers.), to befall or
happen, P. 19, K. 151.
Byforn, byfore, before, P. 100,
377.
Bygynne Cpr. hyrjan, higan, p.p.
hygonne), to begin, P. 42,52,758,
K. 690. A.S. beginnan.
Bygge, big, large, K. 566. Ice¬
landic bolga, a swelling ; cf.
bulge, bilge, the bd/y of a ship.
Byholde, to behold, K. 505. A.S.
beheaiden, literally to hold one
to ; hence to hold or fix the
attention, to see : " I am be¬
holden to you," "behold and
see."
Byhote, promise, K. 996. A.S.
behatan.
Byhynde, behind, K. 192.
Byjaped, deceived, fooled, K. 727.
" O.E. /a/ie, joke,lie; 'St.japper,
to yelp. The root jap is con¬
nected with gab, jab, as in gab¬
ble, jabber,Morris.
Byknowe, to acknowledge, K.
698. A.S. be-cnawan.
By-loved, beloved, K. 571.
Byndyng, control, K. 446. A.S.
bindan, whence, bind, band, bun¬
dle ; cf. the " binding force of
an obligation."
Bynne, bin, K. 593. A.S. binne,
a bin, manger,—that into which
something is put ; technically,
an apartment in a granary
in composition any receptacle,
e.g., a coal bin ; cf. binnan, with¬
in ; inn, a tavern.
Byquethe, to bequeath, K. 1910.
A.S. quethan, to say ; cf. quoth.
Byraft, p.p of byreave, bereft, K.
603. A.S. bereafian, to deprive
of; of. reave.
Byside, beside, near, by the side
of, K. 109. Of by side, trom
near, P. 445.
Bysmotered, smutted, stained, P.
76. A.S. besmitan, to defile ; cf.
smut, smudge.
Byt, 3d sing. pres. of bidde, bids,
P. 187, — an abbreviation of
biddeth ; cf. ryt = rideth.
Bytwixe, Bytwoxen, between,
K. 22. From the radical two,
twain, hence the idea of sepa¬
ration ; cf. twynne, P. 835.
c.
Caas, Cas, a state of things, what
happens or falls, an accident,
chance, P. 585, 844 ; circum¬
stances, K. 2113. Lat. casus,
from cadere, to fall ; a law term
= cases, P. 323, Lat. causa.
Caas, a case, quiver, K. 1222. Fr.
caisse, Lat. capsa ; cf. caisson.
Cacche (pr. caughte), to catch,
select, P. 498.
Calf (of leg), the fieshy part of
the leg, P. 592. Co/lop is an¬
other form of the word.
Cam, came, P. 547.
Can, (1) to know, P. 210, K. 922;
(2) to acknowledge, as in the
phrase "can thank," K. 950.
Ger. danJc v'is.ffen. A S. cunnan,
to know ; whence cunning, ken.
Cantel, a corner, K. 2150. O.Fr.
chante!, Ger. kante.
Cape, a headland, cape, P. 408.
Fr. cap, Lat. caput.
Cappe, a cap, hood, a priest's
skull-cap, P. 683.
Care, sorrow, K. 631,1214. A.S.
cnru.
Carf, pr. of kerve, carved, P. 100.
A.S. ceorfan, pr. cearf.
GLOSSAEIAL INDEX. 201
Careful, full of care or sorrow,
anxious, K. 707.
Carie, to carry, P. 130. Fr, carier;
cf. car, cartf chair^ chariot.
Carl, a churl, a man, particularly
of the lower orders of society,
P. 545. A.S. ceorl, a man.
Caroisne, a corpse, K. 1155. Lat.
caro, flesh.
Carol, a song accompanied with
dancing, K. 1073. Fr. carole.
So ballad, from halLire, to dance.
Carpe, to talk, P. 474. Allied
to ckirj).
Carpenter, a worker in wood, a
carpenter, P. 301. See note.
Carte, a chariot, car, K. 1183;
cart, K. 1164. Fr. char, dim.
chareite. From same root with
carry.
Cartere, carter, K. 1164.
Cas. See Caas.
Caste, device, K. 1610. From
caste, to contrive.
Caste, to judge, plan, calculate,
K. 1314. A.S. costian, —perhaps
alluding to the primitive method
of calculation by pebbles.
Catel, property, chattels, P. 373,
540, — the same word with cat¬
tle. Lat. capitale ; cf. Lat. pecu¬
nia, irompecus. See note, P. 373.
Caughte, took, P. 498. See
Cacche.
Cause, case, P. 423. This use of
cause is now restricted to legal
language. Lat. causa.
Caytif, captive, wretch, wretched,
K. 66,694. Fr. chétif, Lat. cap-
tivus. As an adjective it de¬
notes that condition of body or
of mind induced by captivity.
Cercles, circles, of his etjen — eye- .
balls, K. 1273. A.S. eaganhrin-
gas, eye-rings.
Cerial, a species of oak, cerrus, K.
1432.
Certes, certainly, forsooth, K
17. Fr. certes, Lat. cerius.
Certeyn, fixed, determined, P.
815. Fr. certain.
Certeynly, Certeyn (adv.), cer¬
tainly, indeed, P. 204, 375, 451.
Ceruce, white lead,—used asa
cosmetic, P. 630.
Chamberleyn, a chamberlain,
one having charge of the apart¬
ments in the royal residence, K.
560; cf. Ger. kämmerlwg.
Chambre, a room, P. 28. Lat.
camera, Ger. hammer.
Champartye, partnership in
power : literally, partnership in
land, K. 1091. Fr. chaynp-parti.
Champioun, champion, P. 239.
A.S. campian, io fight; cf. Lat.
campus. A.S. camp.
Chapel, a shrine, chapel, P. 171.
See note, Lat. capella.
Chapellyn, a cha])lain, a clergy¬
man in charge of a chapel or
shrine, P. 164. See note.
Chapman, a merchant, P. 397.
A.S. ceapman, Ger. kaufman;
cf. cheap, chaffer (O.E. chap-
fare), and the proper name
Chapman.
Char, car, chariot. See note, K.
1183.
Charge, care, any thing under¬
taken, P. 733, see note ; K.
. 426, harm, K. 1429. Literally :
(1) a burden ; hence, (2) busi¬
ness of importance, weighty
matters ; (3) whatever op¬
presses the mind; (4), what
burdens the reputation ; cf.
car<jO, caricature.
Charitable, kind, P. 143, — not
restricted to alms-giving.
Charité, charity, love, good-will,
an act of kindness, P. 532, K.
575. Fr. charité, Lat. caritac.
Charme, charm, K. 1854. Lat.
carmen, a song, a magic incan¬
tation in verse.
Chaunce, event, chance, K. 894.
O.Fr. chéance, from cheoir, Lat.
cndere, to fall, alluding to the
throw of dice.
Chaunterie, an endowment for
paying a priest to sing masses
for the soul of the founder, P.
510.
Cheef, chief, K. 199. Fr. chef
Lat. caput.
202 GLOSSÄBIAL INDEX.
Gheeke, cheek, P. 633. A.S.
ceaca^ a javv from ceowan^ to
chew; cf. chnw^jaw.
Cheer (e), Chere, countenance,
air, manner, appearance, en¬
tertainment, P. 139, 728, 857,
K. 1361, 1825. Fr. cAcre, the
face; (1) the countenance ; (2)
states of mind or body, — par¬
ticularly pleasant states, — as
indicated by the face; (3) that
which causes cheer, as good
cheer ; (4) outward demon¬
strations of such feelings, as
the cheers of the audience."
Chepe, Cheapside in London, —
the market, — P. 754. A.S. cea-
pa/i, to buy.
Cherl, a churl, K. 1601. See Carl,
Chese, imperative, cAes, cheseth^
to choose, K. 737. A.S. ceosan.
Chesteyn, a chestnut-tree, K.
2061. Lat. castanea,
Cheventein, chieftain, captain,
K. 1697. O.Fr. cAeveiam ; N.Fr.
capitaine, from chef, head ; Lat.
caput.
vChevysaunce, a loan, an agree¬
ment or bond given to secure a.
loan of money, P. 282. Fr.
jachever, to bring to an end, to
accomplish.
Cheyne, a chain, K. 2130. Fr.
cheyne, Lat. ca-tena ; cf. teuere,
to hold.
Children, pi. of child, P. 628.
A S. did, pi. cildra, from cennan,
to beget, —an instance of mod¬
ern adoption of a plural in n ;
cf. kin, kind, king.
Chirkyng, shrieking, K. 1146.
A.S. cearcian, to croak ; cf. chirp.
In E.E. denotes the noise made
by birds.
Chivachie, military service, P.
85. Fr. cheval, a horse.
Chivalrie, Chyvalrie, tlie pro¬
fession of a knight, knighthood,
P. 45, knightly exploits, K. 7.
Fr. chevalier, a horseman.
Christendom, Christian countries,
P. 49. Dom (deman, to deem),
originally denoted belief, so that
Christendom meant the body of
Christian faith ; also the coun¬
tries within which such faith
was held : from the second
meaning of deman, to judge,
the termination dorn indicates
jurisdiction, as king-dom.
Churche, Chirche, a building
devoted to divine service, P.
708, K. 1902. I see no reason
to doubt the usual derivation
from Gr. KvpiaKT].
Chyken, gen. chyknes, a chicken,
P. 380. A.S. cicen, pi. cicenu.
Circumstaunces, things apper¬
taining to, K. 1074 ; attendant
rites, K. 1405; matters which
indicate one's station in life,
K. 1930; cf. "in poor circum¬
stances." Lat. circum-stantia ;
cf. Ger. umstand.
Cite (e), a city, K. 81. Fr. cité,
Lat. civitas.
Citóle, a dulcimer, K. 1101.
Clad (p.p. of clothe), clothed, clad,
P. 103. Th in the present is
for dh. A.S. cladhian, Ger.
kleiden.
elapsed, clasped, P. 273. Ger.
klappsen ; cf. clip, to embrace.
Clarioun, clarion, K. 1653. Fr.
clair, clear.
Clarre, wine mixed with honey
and spices and strained until it
is clear, whence the name, K.
613.
Clatere (n), to clatter, rattle, K.
1501. An imitative word.
Clause — in a clause = in conclu¬
sion, K. 905. Lat. clausus,
claudere, to shut ; ef. dose.
Cleer (e), c'ear, clearly, P. 170.
Fr. clair, (*er. klar, Lat. clarus.
Clemence, pity, K. 70. Lat. cle-
inentia.
Clene, clean, cleanly, P. 133,367.
A.S. claene; cf. Ger. klein, small ;
hence, neat.
Clennesse, cleanness, purity, P.
506.
Cíense, to cleanse, P. 631. A.S.
claensian.
Clepen (p.p. cleped), to call, P
G LOSS ARIAL INDEX. 263
121, 643, K. 930 A.S. chfp'uin.
Still used as an ardíale partici¬
ple, yclept; cf. clap, clapper.
Clerk, an educated person, a
scholar, a clergyman, P. 285,
480. See note.
Cloke, a cloak, P. 157. Gael, cloc,
a mantle.
Clothred, clotted, K. 1887. From
the root clot or clod, a thick
mass; cloud is from the same
root, denoting vapor drawn into
masses A.S. dot, Oer. kloss.
Cloysterer, one belonging to a
cloister, and hence not accus¬
tomed to appearing in public, P.
259.
Cloystre, a cloister, P. 185, Lat.
claudere, to shut.
Cofre, a coffer, chest, receptacle,
P. 298. A.S. cof,3L cave; Fr.
coffre; cf. coffin.
Cok, a cock, a leader, P. 823.
A.S. coc, whence chick.
Col, coal, K. 1834. A.S. col, Ger.
kohle ; cf. Lat. calere, to be hot.
Col-blak, as black as a coal, coal-
black, K. 1284.
Colde, cold, K. 444, sad, K. 1062,
fatal (whatmakes cold), K. 1609.
A.S. cald, Ger. kalt, Lat. gelu.
Colerik, irascible, bilious, P. 587.
Gr. bile ; cf. melan-choly.
Colers, collars, K. 1294. Lat.
Collum, the neck.
Come (pr. com, p.p. comen), to
come, P. 671,672, K.497. A.S.
cuman, com, cumen.
Communes, commoners, K. 1651.
Fr. commune.
Compaas, a circle, K. 1031. Fr.
compas.
Companye, company, P. 24. Fr.
compagnon ; Low Lat. conpanium,
— panis = bread,— a messmate,
hence an associate.
Compassyng, means taken to ac¬
complish any thing, K. 1138.
Comper, an associate intimate,
compeer, P. 670. O.Fr. compair,
Lat. con-par.
Complexioun, complexion, P.
333 ; temperament, natural dis¬
position, K. 1617. Lat. com-
piexio, a combination ; hence
applied to the color of the skin,
&c., as revealing health or
mental characteristics.
Compleynt, Complaint, com¬
plaint, K. 2004 ; armed complaint
= riot, K. 1154.
Compleyne, to complain, K. 50.
Fr. complaindre, Lat. con-plan-
gete, literally to beat the breast
or hands in token of sorrow.
Composlcioun, mutual agree¬
ment, P. 848. Lat. compositio.
Comth, cometh.
Comune — in comune, commonly,
K. 393.
Conclusioun, a legal term denot¬
ing the close of a pleading, K.
987.
Condicioun, condition, P. 38.
Lat. conditio, putting together.
Confort, comfort, P. 776. Fr.
confort, Lat. con-fortis.
Conforte, to comfort, to make
strong or brave, K. 858.
Confus, confused, K. 1372. Lat.
confasus.
Con^sioun, ruin, K. 687. Lat.
confundere. So used in '^The
city of confusion." Is. xxiv.
10.
Corme, to know, to be able. See
Can; cf. to "con a lesson."
Conquerour, conqueror, K. 4.
Fr. conquérir, Lat. conquirere, to
seek, to obtain by seeking,
hence to get the victory.
Conscience, feeling, tender-heart¬
edness, P. 142,150 ; conscience,
P. 526. Lat. conscientia (con-
scire), what one knows witli
another: (1) joint knowledge ;
(2) self-consciousness, — ''no
more conscience of sin," Heb.
X. 10 ; (3) conscience, a recogni¬
tion of the obligation; (4) the
faculty by which such recogni¬
tion is had. In E.E. the first
meaning is common = sym¬
pathy, — as though to know of
affliction was to sympathize
with it.
264
G LOSS ARIAL INDEX.
Conseil, Conseyl, secret counsel,
P. 665 ; cf. " to keop one's
counsel," an adviser, K. 283,
289; cf. "of counsel." Lat.
consulere.
Conserve, to preserve, K. 1471-
Lat. conservare.
Constellacioun, a conjunction of
stars as affecting the destinies
of men, K. 230, — not here used
in the ordinary astronomical
sense. Lat. con-stellatio.
Contek, strife, K. 1145. O.Fr. con-
tencer, to strive.
Contenaunce, countenance, ap¬
pearance, K. 1058. Lat. con-
tinerey to hold together.
Contrarye, an opponent, K. 1001.
Lat. contra.
Contre Contrie, country, K. 6,
855, P. 216 : see note. Fr. con¬
trée ; cf. Ger. gegend.
Conveye, to accompany, to con¬
vey, K. 1879. Fr. convogery Lat.
con-via ; the later use — to carry
—seems to be from Lat. con-
vehere, as when we call a wagon
a conveyance ; cf. convoy.
Coote, a coat, tunic, P. 103. The
primary meaning is a matted
lock of wool ; (2) a matted or
felted piece ; (3) a garment
made of similar material, and
covering the whole body.
Coote-armure, Cote-a., a coat
worn over the armor, upon
which the armorial devices of
the wearer were embroidered,
K. 158, 1282.
Cop, the top, P. 554. A.S. coppy
Oer. kopfy Gr. K€(p-a?i7/ ; Lat. cap¬
ut. See note.
Cope, a priest's gbwn wliich
reached to the feet, P. 260 ;
semi-cope, a short cape, P. 26 2.
Corage, heart, spirit, courage, P.
11. Fr. courage, Lat. cor.
Cordial, an invigorating potion,
P. 443. Lat. cor.
Corone, Corowne, a crown, K.
964. Fr. couronne, Lat. corona.
Corrumpable, corruptible, K.
2152.
Corrumpe, to corrupt, K. 188S
Lat. corrumpere.
Corven (p.p. of kerve), cut, K.
1838.
Cosin, Cosyn, a cousin, kinsman^
K. 272. Fr. from Lat. consobri-
nus.
Cost, cost, P. 213, 799 ; fir no cost,
on no account, for no reason,
P. 192, Ger. kosten, Lat. constare.
Cosyn, allied to, P. 742.
Cote, a cell, cottage ; thence : (1)
a place in which animals are
confined, e.g. sheepcot; (2) a
place in wliich men are con¬
fined, a cell, or, in sickness, a
bed, K. 1599. A.S. cote, a cot¬
tage, bed, den.
Cote, a coat, P. 612.
Couched, Cowched, trimmed, K.
1303; laid, K. 2075. Fr. cou¬
cher, to lay, Lat. collocare, to ar¬
range.
Counseil, counsel, advice, P. 784 ;
adviser, K. 283, of my counseil,
as in legal phrase " of counsel."
Countour, auditor, one who man¬
aged or reviewed the fiscal
concerns of a country, — now
usually called a comptroller,
P. 359. Fr. cumptour.
Countrefete, to imitate, P. 139.
In E.E. the idea of fraud is
wanting ; counterfeit often de¬
notes a painting. Fr. contre¬
faire.
Cours, course, P. 8, a run ; K.
886. Fr. cours, Lat. cursus.
Courser, a horse; literally, a run¬
ner, hence a fleet horse, one
used in hunting or on the road,
K. 94.
Court, court, P. 140. See note.
Courtepy, a short cloak of coarse
cloth, P. 290.
Courtesie. See Curtesee.
Couthe, Cowthe, Cowde, (1)
could, P. 236, 326 ; (2) kuew, P.
467 ; (3) p.p. known, renowned,
P. 14. See Can.
Covenaunt, a written agreement,
P. 600. Fr. covenant, Lat. con-
venire.
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX.
265
Covyne, deceit ; literally, a plot
between two persons to injure
a third, P. 604, Lat. convenire,
Cowardye, cowardice, K. 1872.
See note.
Cowde (pr. of can), could, P. 94,
106 ; knew how, was acquainted
with, P. 110.
Coy, sliy, P. 119. Fr, coy, coit,
Lat. (¡nietas.
Cracchyng, scratching, K. 1976.
We have added the intensive s.
Cradel, cradle, K. 1161. A.S.
cradoL The original is found
in crate, an open wicker case :
hence, (1) any thing made of
wicker-work, and (2) any thing
made in imitation of it; e.g.
(jrate ; cf. cradle, a tool for cut¬
ting grain, so called from its
interlaced frame.
Craft, craft, calling, occupation,
P. 110, 401. A.S. craefl. (1)
power, strength ; (2) that to
which one devotes his strength,
— his occupation.
Crafty, skilled, K. 1039. Able to
use one's crafi.
Crispe, curled, K. 1307. A.S.
cirpstan, to curl, Lat. crispas.
Croppe, crop, P. 7, top, K. 674.
A.S. crop, top, hence an ear of
corn, a harvest ; cf. the " crop¬
ping out of the strata; " to crop,
to bite off the top. Some derive
crop from ge-rip, that which is
reaped.
Crowe, a crow, K. 1834. A.S.
craw, named from its note ; of.
croak.
Cruel, blood-thirsty, cruel, K.
799. Lat. crudelis, from cruor,
blood.
CruUe, curled, curly, P. 81. Ger.
krUllen, to curl ; cf. cruller, a
curled or twisted cake.
Crydestow, criedst thou, K. 225.
Crye (pr. cryde), to cry aloud, to
shout, P. 636 ; of. graedan
{ge-raedan), Goth, ga-raidjan, to
command ; Scotch, greet, to cry.
Cryke, a creek, harbor, P. 409.
Fr. crique, a littig bay.
Culpons, Culpouns, shreds, small
bundles, P. 679, K. 2009. Fr.
coupon, from couper, to cut.
Otmtre, Contre, country, P. 216,
See note, Fr. contrée.
Cuppe, a cup, P. 184. A.S. cup¬
pa ; cf. coop.
Curat, a curate, P. 219. Lat.
curatus, from curare, to care for.
Cure, care, K. 149. Lat. cura.
Still used in " the cure of
souls."
Ctu-ious, (1) careful ; (2) wrought
with care ; e.g., curious
works," Ex. XXXV. 32; (3),
exercising care ; (4) careful to
learn; (5) that requiring care
to understand, P. 196, 577. Fr,
curieux, Lat. curiosas.
Curs, a curse, an imprecation, P,
655. An imprecation of evil in
the name of religion, — the
cross ; hence, any imprecation
of evil. A.S. curs.
Curteis, Curteys, courteous, P.
249.
Curtesie, courtesy, favor, indul¬
gence, P. 46, 725. Fr. courtoisie,
the manners of the court ; cf.
Ger. höf-lick ; boorish, from bauer,
a peasant.
Cuts, lots; draweih cuts, drawc\it9
or lots, P. 835 ; alluding to the
practice of determining the lot
by drawing straws from the
thatch, or by drawing from the
hand straws cut different
lengths. The name and the
act are common.
Oytryn, a lemon-yellow color, K.
1309.
D.
Daggere, a dagger, P. 113; cf.
dig, dab.
Daliaunce, play, gossip, P. 211,
Ger. dahlen. " From Lat. talus,
the ankle-bone of animals, then
a die to play with, came ap¬
parently tlie O.E. daly, a die,
plaything." Wedgwood. Hence
play, spending time idly.
206
G LO s s ARIAL INDEX.
Dampneâ, condemned, doomed,
K. 317, 887. Lat. damnare, to
cause to suffer loss.
Dar (2d sing. pres. darst; pr.
dorste, durste)j to dare, K. 293,
282, P. 454. A.S. dyrran, 2d
pres. dearst, pr. dorste.
Darreyne. See Dereyne.
Daun, Dan, lord, a title of respect,
used as we use sir, K. 521. Lat.
dominus.
Daunce, a dance, the olde daunce,
the old game, P. 476.
Daunce, to dance, K. 1344. Orig¬
inal meaning to stamp.
Daunger, a dangerous situation,
P. 402 ; jurisdiction, P. 663,
see note; fine, K. 991. Lat.
dii/nnum, a fine.
Daungerous, arrogant, sparing
through arrogance, P. 517.
Daunsynge, dancing, K. 1343.
Dawen, to dawn, 3d sing, dawetk,
K. 818. A.S. dagian.
Dayerie, dairy, P. 597. O.E. deye,
a dairymaid.
Dayeseye, a daisy, P. 332. The
eye-of-day.
Dayeslight, daylight, K. 771.
Light-of-day.
Debate, figlit, K. 896. Fr. débattre,
to contend. From the root bat
(beat) ; now restricted to wordy
battles.
Debonaire, gentle, K. 1424. Fr.
de-bon-air.
Decree, a law writ, P. 640. Lat.
decretum.
Dede, a deed, P. 742. A.S. daed,
a thing done.
Dede (pr. of don), did, K. 891.
Dede, Deed (e), dead, P. 145, 781,
K. 147 ; death-like, K. 720.
Dedly, Deadly, death-like, deadly,
K. 55, 224.
Deduyt, pleasure, K. 1319. O.Fr.
dedut.
Deef, deaf, P. 446. " The mean¬
ing of the Gothic daubs, daufs,
Ger. taub, Eng. deaf, seems
founded in the notion of stop¬
ping an orifice,Wedgwood.
Deemeth. See Derne.
Deepe, Depe, deeply, K. 1782
Allied to dip, dig.
Deer, a deer, K. 1292. A.S. dear,
a wild animal ; Ger. thier.
Deere, dearly, K. 2242. Gaelic
daor, bound, precious.
Deeth, death, P. 605. A.S. death,
allied to deaf; cf. "a deaf nut."
Defye, renounce, K. 746. Fr.
defer, Lat. dis fidere.
Degre (e), degree, rank, P. 40
(seenote), P. 744; position, con¬
dition, K. 983 ; steps, seats
rising one above anotiier, K.
1032, 1721. Fr. degré, hdiX. gra¬
das : cf. degrade.
Del, part, portion, deal, K. 967,
1233 ; 7ieve7' a del, none at all ;
soni del, somewhat. A.S. dael,
Ger. theil; cf. "a good deal,"
in which good has its original
force of great.
Delen, to share, to divide, to have
dealings with, P. 247 ; see note.
A.S. daelan.
Delite, Delyt, pleasure, luxury,
P. 335, K. 821. Lat. delectare.
Delve (pr. delf dalf, p.p. dolven),
to dig, to toil, P. 536. A.S.
delfan, to dig, hence any hard
labor.
Delyvere, active, P. 84. Fr. de-
livre, Lat. liber.
Derne, Deeme, 2d imperative
deemeth, to judge, decide, K.
495, 1023. A.S. deman ; cf-
doom, dooms-day.
Departe, to separate, K. 276. Fr.
départir ; cf. department.
Departyng, separating, K. 1916.
Lat. dis pai'tire.
Depeynted, depicted, painted, K.
1169.
Dare, dear, K. 376. Gaelic daor,
bound, held closely, hence pre¬
cious.
Dere, to hurt, injure, K. 964.
A.S. derian.
Dereyne, Darreyne, to decide by
battle, to contest, K. 751, 773.
A Norman term, desrener, from
Low Lat. derationare; cf. ar-
raign.
QL0S8ARIÄL INDEX
267
Dereyved, derived, K. 2180.
Lat. deriveret to turn water from
its main channel.
Derk(e), dark, K. 1137. A.S.
dearc.
Derknesse, darkness, K. 593.
Derre (comp.), dearer, K. 590.
Deryve (3d sing, deriveth), is de¬
rived, proceeds, K. 2148 (Lat.
de and rivus, a brook) : (1)
(transitively), to divert streams
of water into side channels ; (2)
(intr.), to flow into side chan¬
nels; hence, (3) to draw from,
or aside.
Deserve, to earn by service, to
earn, K. 374. Lat. servire.
Desir, Desyr, desire, K. 385.
Lat. desiderium, a feeling of
want of something.
Desirymg, desire, K. 1064.
Despitous, Dispitous, pitiless,
severe, P. 516, K. 738. Lat.
dis pietas.
Despleye, to display, unfold, K.
108. 0.¥r. desployer : ci. deplou,
Pr. déployer.
Despyt, malice, spite, K.83. O.Fr.
despity Lat. despicere.
Destreine, Destreyne, to oppress,
K. 597. Fr. distraindre ; cf. dis'
tress.
Destraye, to destroy, K. 472.
O.Fr. destruiré, Lat. destruere, to
scatter.
Deth (e), pestilence, P. 605, a
corpse, K. 1150. Goth, ditvan,
to die ; hence, (1) the act of
dying; (2) that which causes
deatli ; (8) the result of death.
Dette, debt, P. 280. Lat. dehitum.
Detteles, free from debt or obli¬
gation, P. 582.
Devise, Devyse, to speak of, to
relate, P. 34, K. 180, 190; to
order, direct, K. 558; to em¬
bellish (to contrive), K. 1043.
O.Fr. deviser, to plan; Lat. di-
videre.
Devoir, duty, K. 1740. Fr. de¬
voir, Lat. debere.
Devoutly, earnestly, devotedly, P.
482. Lat. dtvotu^ held by a vow.
Devynynge, divination, K. 1663.
Devys, direction, advice, P. 816.
Lat. divisxis.
Devysyug, adjustment, arrang¬
ing, K. 1638.
Dewe, due, what is due, K. 2186.
Fr. dû from devoir.
Deye (n) (pr. deide, deyde),Xo die,
K. 251. Goth, diwan.
Deyere, a dyer, P. 362. A.S.
deatjan, to die ; cf. day, dag¬
gled.
Deynte, dainty, excellent. P. 168.
Welsh, dani, a tooth.
Deyntee, a dainty, a pleasant
rarity, P. 346.
Deys, a dais, a raised platform at
the end of the hail upon M hich
persons of distinction were
placed, P. 370, K. 1342. Fr.
dais; cf. Ger. tisch.
Diete, food, manner of living —
not restricted as now to food,
P. 435.
Dight, dressed, arrayed, K. 183.
A.S. dihtan, to set in order.
Digne, worthy, P. 141 ; proud,
disdainful, P. 517 ; noble, K.
1358. Fr. digne, Lat. dignus.
Primary meaning is worthy ; then
being applied to great or noble
men, it came naturally to sig¬
nify that which was peculiar in
their bearing, — too often pride
or haughtiness.
Diocese, the jurisdiction of a
bishop, P. 664. Gr. ôloikeIv, to
keep house, to manage.
Dischevele, with unbounded hair.
P. 68ß. Fr. décheveler.
Disconfiture, Disconfytyng, de¬
feat, discomfiture, K. 150, 1861.
Discoufort, discomfort, K. 1152.
Lat. dis con fortis.
Disconforten, to sadden, K. 1846.
Discrecioun, discretion, K. 921.
See note.
Discret, discreet, able to distin¬
guish matters upon examina¬
tion, P. 312. Fr. discret, Lat.
diseernere. to separate.
Disdayn, disdain. Fr. dédain,
Lat. dis dignari.
268
OLOSSAEIAL INDEX.
Disheryt, disinherited, K. 2068.
Lat. kaeres, an heir.
Disjoynt, disadvantage, K. 2104.
Lat. disjunctus.
Bispence, expense, profusion, P.
441, K. 1024. Pr. dépense^ Lat.
dispensare,
Bispitous, pitiless, F. 516. Lat.
dis píelas,
Bispitously, pitilessly, sternly,
K. 266.
Bisport, gayety, sportiveness, P.
137 ; sport, diversion, P. 775.
O.Fr. aesport,
Bisposicioun, arrangement with
regard to others, K. 229 ; men¬
tal traits, K. 520. Lat. disponere,
to arrange.
Bistress, restraint, confinement,
K. 595. Fr. détresse y Lat. dis-
tríngere, to bind fast ; cf. dis¬
train. This is the usual force
of the term in law.
Bivinls, divines, doctors of divin¬
ity, K. 465. Lat. divinas, ap¬
pertaining to the deity.
Bivisioun, distinction, K. 922.
Bo (n), Boon (pr. dide, dede, p.p.
do (n), doon, 3 pi. pres. don), to
do, to perforin, to do to, P. 78,
268, K. 141; to cause (aux.),
P. 766, 768, K. 84, 697, 1047.
A.S. don, Ger. than.
Booked, cut short, P. 590. W.
toe, that which is short or abrupt.
Boctour, a teacher, a learned per¬
son, a doctor of medicine, P.
411. Fr. docteur, Lat. doctas,
learned. Literally a teacher,
or one qualified to teach ; re¬
stricted in common use to hon¬
orary titles and to tiiose licensed
to practise medicine.
Bomb (e), dumb, P. 774. A.S.
dumb, foolish, mute ; Ger. damm,
stupid ; cf. A.S. dgm.
Dome, decision, doom, P. 323.
A.S. denxan, to judge ; cf. deem,
Bominacioun, control, K. 1900.
Lat. dominus.
Dong, dung, manure, P. 580.
Originally denoting that which
is wet, — allied to dag, daggle.
Bongeoun, the principal tower in
a castle, — a dungeon or strong¬
hold, K. 199. Lat. dominas ; cf.
Gael, dun, a fortress ; also don¬
jon.
Dormant, fixed, ready, P. 853.
Fr. dormir, Lat. dormiré, to sleep,
— hence dormant = in the sleep¬
ing posture.
Borste (pr. of dar), durst, P. 227.
A.S. durran, pr. dorste,
Boseyn, a dozen, P. 578. Fr.
douzaine, Lat. daodecim,
Bouble-wise, duplicate, similar,
K. 480. Wise = manner.
Boute, doubt, fear, P. 487. Out
of doute = without doubt, doubt¬
less, K. 283, Lat. dubitum, from
duo, two.
Bouteles, doubtless, without
doubt, K. 973, 1809.
Bowves, doves, K. 1104. A.S.
duva, Ger. taube. Wedgwood
suggests from its habit of duck¬
ing the head {dufan, to dive),
but more probably formed in
imitation of its note — as is so
common in the case of animals
— which the Ger. taube exactly
represents.
Bragges, drugs, P. 426. O.Fr.
dragee, spices ; A.S. dryge, any
thing dried or aromatic.
Braughte, what is drawn, what
is drunk at once, a swallow, P.
135, 382. A.S. droht, from
dragan, to draw.
Brawe (imp. draweth), to draw,
P. 835, K. 1689 ; to bear bur¬
dens, K. 558. A.S. dragan ; cf.
drag, drag ; Lat. trakere.
Brede, one who causes dread, P.
1140.
Brede (n), to fear, P. 660; to
doubt, K. 735; (actively) to
inspire dread. A.S. draedan.
Bredful, full of dread, stealthy,
K. 621 ; used actively.
Brenchyng, drowning, K. 1598.
A.S. drencan, causative of drin-
can, to drink.
Bresse, to ]>ut in order, arrange,
P. 106, K. 1736. '^And the
GLOS s ABI AL INDEX.
269
Lord God took the man and put
him into the garden of Eden to
dress it," Gen. ii. 15. Er. dres-
seTf Lat. dirigere.
Dreye, dry, K. 2166. A.S. drig.
Drenke (n) (p.p. oidrinke), drunk,
P. 135, K. 403 ; (prêt, pl.) drank,
P. 820. A.S. drincan, dranc,
druncen.
Drope, a drop, P. 131. A.S.dropa;
cf. drip, dribble, droop.
Drought, drought, P. 2, 595. A.S.
drugath, from drygan, to dry up.
Drowpede, drooped, P. 107. A.S.
dropian, to drop.
Drugge, to drudge, to drag, K. 658.
Duchesse, feminine of duke, K.
65. Fr. duchesse.
Duete', reverence, K. 2202 ; cf. Fr.
devoir.
Duk, a duke, leader, king, K. 2.
Lat. dux, from ducere, to lead ;
now denotes the highest order
of nobility.
Dure, endure, remain, K. 878,
1912. Lat. durare, from durus,
hard, therefore lasting.
Dusken, to grow dark, to become
shaded, K. 1948.
Dwelle (pr. and p.p. dweld)yto tar¬
ry, to remain, K. 115, 370,1496 ;
cf. A.S. dwelian, from the root
dot, dull (immobile) ; so also
dwelling = delay.
Dyamauntz, diamonds, K. 1289.
See Adamauntz.
Dyapred, wrought in flourishes,
ornamented, K. 1300; see note.
O.Fr. diaspré, Lat. jaspis, a
jasper.
Dyched, surmounted by a dike or
rampart, K. 1030.
Dyke, to ditch, to throw up a dike,
P. 536 ; see note. A.S. dician;
cf. Gr. TEÎxoç.
Dyni, indistinct ; used with refer¬
ence to sight and hearing, K.
1575; see note. A.S. dim; cf.
Icel. dumba, darkness.
Dys, dice, K. 380.
Dyvynistre, a diviner, K. 1953.
Dyvynyng, predicting, K. 1657.
Lat. divinatio.
9
E.
Ecclesiaste, an ecclesiastic, P.
708. Gr. CKKXyaia, an assembly
of citizens called out by tlie
crier, — used to denote the
church as being composed of
the called — the elect.
Ech (e), each, P. 39, 369. A S.
aelc, ylc. Formed from the
weak demonstrative, as O.E.
thilke, from the strong, whilk
(which), from the interrogative,
and swUc (such), from the rel¬
ative, by adding the suffix lie
(body).
Echon, Echoon, each one, P. 820.
Eek, also, besides, eke, P. 5, 41,
K. 314. A.S. eac, eaca«, to add,
Ger. auch.
Eelde, Eld, age, eld, K. 1589,1590.
A.S. eald, y id.
Eeres, Eres, ears, P. 556, K. 664.
A.S. eare, allied to the verb to
hear.
Eese, Ese, pleasure, ease, P. 768.
Fr. aise, Lat. otiu/n, leisure.
Eet, Et, ate, K. 1190. A.S. elan,
pr. aet, p.p. eten; Lat. ed-ere;
cf. oat.
Effect, result, K. 1624 ; in effecte,
in fact, in substance, P. 319.
Eft, again, afterwards, nought eß,
not again, K. 811. A.S. aefi.
Egle, an eagle, K. 1320. Fr. aigle,
Lat. aquila.
Elles, else, otherwise, P. 375, 735.
A.S. elles, Lat. alius. El in A.S.
means foreign ; e.g. el-land, for¬
eign land.
Embrowded, embroidered, P. 89.
A.S. bredan, to braid. Original¬
ly denoting a rapid movement,
as of the hands in braiding.
Emforth, to the extent of, accord¬
ing to, K. 1377. Literally
foHh,—em in composition sig¬
nifying equal, as em-cristen, a
fello w-ch ris tian.
Empoisonyng, poisoning, K. 1602.
Lat. potio; cf. Ger. giß.
Emprise, enterprise, undertaking,
K. 1682. Fr. entre-prise.
270
GLOS s ARIAL ISDEX.
Encens, incense, K. 1571. Lat.
incendercy to burn.
Encombred, troubled, P. 508;
tired (by a burden), K. 860.
Pr. encombrer^ Ger. kummer,
trouble.
Encrece, to increase, K. 457.
Lat. crescere.
Encres, increase, K. 1326.
Ende, extremity, P. 15; portion,
what pertains to one, K. 986 ;
conclusion, arrangement, K.
1007. A.S. endcy a part.
Endelong, endwise, lengthwise,
K. 1133.
Endite, to narrate, relate, P. 95;
K. 522. Fr. endtter, Lat. in-
dicere ; cf. indict.
Endure, to remain, K. 327. See
Dure.
Enfecte, infected, rendered void
by bribery, or collusion, P. 320.
Engelond, England, P. 580. Lit¬
erally Angel'land, — the land of
the Angles.
Engendred, engendered, pro¬
duced, P. 5. Lat. in-aen-erare :
cf. kin.
Enhaunse, to elevate, K. 676.
O.Fr. enhauncety Lat. alte.
Enborte, to enhearten, encourage,
K. 1993 ; cf. dishearten.
Enoynt, anointed, K. 2103.
Ensample, example, P. 496. Lat.
exemplum. Sample retains the
old form.
Enspired, breathed into, inspired,
P. 6. Lat. inspirare.
Entente, intent, purpose, K. 142.
Entuned, intoned, P. 123. Lat.
tomis ; cf. tuney tone.
Envye, envy, K. 49. Lat. invidia.
Envyned, furnished with wine,
P. 342. Vine is from the Fr.
vigne ; wine is A.S. win.
Eny, any. A.S. aenigy — the ad¬
jective form of one.
Er, before, ere, K. 182. A.S. aer.
Erehedeknes, (gen.) archdea¬
con's, P. 658.
Ere, to plough, K. 28. A.S. eanan;
cf. Lat. aroj'e.
Erles, earls, K. 1324. A.S. eorl,
man, noble ; originally a title
of honor, afterwards denoting
an office, and now again a title
of nobility.
Erly, Erely, early, P. 83, 809, K.
163. A.S. aerlice.
Erst, first, before, P. 776. Erst
thauy sooner than, before, K.
708. Supl. of A.S. aer.
Erthe, earth, K. 388. A.S. eortkcy
eardy as though from eriany to
till. Ger. erde.
Eschaunge, exchange, P. 278.
O Fr. eschange.
Esen (p.p. esed)y to entertain, put
at ease, P. 29, K. 1336.
Esily, easily, P. 469. Fr. aisé;
cf. A.S. eathey easily.
Espye, to see, to spy out, K.
254; cf. Ger. spoken. A.S.
spyriaUy to track (cf. spur), to
seek out. O.E. speer, to ask, is
undoubtedly allied to spy, al¬
though espy is immediately from
the Fr.
Est, east. Literally the icy regiouy
according to Wedgwood.
Estât, condition, state, P. 522;
great estate, high condition, P.
203. State and its derivatives
are abbreviated forms.
EstatUch, stately, P. 140, 281.
O.Fr. estât.
Estrés, the interior parts of a
building, K. 1113. Fr. estre,
state, plan.
Estward, towards the east, on the
east side, K. 1045, 1727.
Esy, easy, easy to deal with, P.
223 ; moderate, P. 441.
Eterne, eternal, determined, K.
251. Lat. aevum.
Evele, badly, evilly, K. 269 ; ful
evele, very badly. Goth, ubils,
Ger. vhel.
Evene, medium ; evene lenqthe,
medium height, P. 83; (adv.)
in a self-possessed manner,
evenly, K. 665. A.S. aefen.
Evensong, vespers, evening ser¬
vice. P. 830.
Evere, ever, at any time, P. 732-
A.S. acfer, from a, always.
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX.
271
Cveremo, for ever, evermore, K.
174.
Everich, Everyche, Every,
every, P. 2, 241 ; each of them,
P. 371 ; everycha (on), each one,
every one, P. 31, 733, 747 ; lit¬
erally, ever-each-one»
Everydel, Everidel, every part,
completely, P. 368. A.S. dael,
part.
Ewe, a yew-tree, K. 2065.
Exequies, funeral rites, K. 135.
Lat. exequias.
Exiled, exiled, K. 386. Lat. ex
and solum, away from one's
native land.
Expert, skilled, experienced, P.
577. Lat. expertas.
Eyhe (n), Eyeu, Eyghen, ye, the
eye, eyes, P. 10, 152, 201, K.
38. A.S. eagSy pi. eagerly Ger.
augey Lat. oc-ulu$, allied to edge ;
cf. Lat. actes.
Eyle, to ail, K. 223. A.S. eglian,
Eyr, air, K. 388. Fr. air, Lat.
aevy perhaps from aether,
F.
Faculte, dignity, ability, K. 244.
Lat. facultas, ability to do;
hence also the character or
bearing of an able man.
Fader (gen. sing, fader, fadres),
father, P. 100, 78Í. faeder.
Allied to feed.
Fadme, fathoms, K. 2058. A.S.
faethm, an embrace, a fathom ;
literally, the space measured by
the extended arras.
Fain, Fayn, glad, K. 1579, gladly,
P. 766. A.S. faegn.
Fair, com^. fairere, upright, good,
P. 754. faeger.
Faire, fairly, well, P. 94,124,273 ;
openly, K. 126.
Faimesse, uprightness, P. 519 ;
beauty, K. 240.
Faldîmg, coaráe woollen cloth, P.
391 ; cf. felt.
Falle (pr. (/), p.p./a//e), to hap¬
pen, P. 324, K.^8i0 ; befall, P.
585, to fall, P. 131, 845, K. 1808.
feaUan,\fV. feol 'y Get. fallen.
Falwe, pale, yeliow, sallow, K,
506. A.S. fealwe, yellow, Ger.
falb; cf. fallow.
Famulier, familiar, intimate, P.
215. l^v. familiery Lat. famulus, a
servant ; familia, a retinue of
servants.
Fare, affair, K. 951. A.S. faer\
literally a journey, from faran,
to go ; cf. proceeding, and Ger.
verfahren.
Fare (n) (pres. pi. faren, p.p.
fare (n), to fare, to go, K. 403,
537i 1578. A.S. faran, Ger.
fahren; cf. welfare, farewell.
Farsed, stuffed, P. 233. Fr. far¬
cir, \j2ii. farcire ; cf. forced meat,
Farwel, farewell, K. 392, 1496.
A.^. faran, an imperative.
Paste, used for emphasis,/as¿€ hg,
close by, near, P. 719 ; see note,
K. 618.
Fayn. See Pain.
Feble, unstrung, weak, K. 511.
O.Fr. fehle. Fr. faible.
Fee, money, reward, P. 317 ; see
note, K. 945. A.S. /eoA, cattle,
Ger. vieh; cf. Lat. pecunia, from
pecus. Fee sgmple, full possession,
P. 319 ; see note. The develop¬
ment of meanings may have
been as follows : (1) cattle ; (2)
property (proprium) ; Iience, (3)
possession, or the right of pos¬
session ; cf. also peculium, pecu-
latio.
Feeld, Feld, field, country, (op¬
posed to town), K. 28, 664. In
heraldry, the surface of a shield
upon which armorial designs
were blazoned ; that part of a
banner upon which the peculiar
device is wrought, K. 119. A.S.
fdd.
Feere,fear,K. 1486. Allied to A.S.
faran ; cf. Ger. gefahr, O.E. ferly.
Feith, faith, P. 62. Fr. foi, Lat-
fides.
Fel, Pelle, cruel, fell, fierce, K.
701, 1772. A.S./e//.
Felawe, companion, 395, 648.
272
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX.
From f€y money, goods, and lag,
order, society, community; cf.
A.S. geferraedtn, O.^. feolawred'
den.
Felawschipe,fellowship,P. 26,32,
Feld. See Feeld.
Felicite, happiness, P. 337. Lat.
felix.
Felle (p.p. fdd), to cut down, to
fell timber, K. 844, 2066. A.S.
fellan, causative of feallan, to
fall ; Ger. fallen.
Felle, fierce, K. 701. See Fel.
Felonye, high crime ; literally a
crime punishable with forfeiture
of goods (fee), K. 1188.
Femynye, the Amazons, K. 8.
Lül.femina, A.S. faemne.
Fer ferre, fer,^w^X.ferreste),
far, P. 388, 491 (comp.) further,
more, K. 992. A.S. ^ as, as
soon as, K. 790.
Ferde (pi. fei'den), proceeded,
acted, K. 514, 789. A.S.^raïï,
to go.
Fere, fear, K. 475. A.S. faer.
Ferforthly, according to, K. 102 ;
\\i^TnX\y, far forth-like.
Fermacye, a medicine, K. 1855.
Feme, distant, P. 14. O.E.^è/ren,
A.S. feam, from fer, far; Ger.
fern.
Ferre, Fer, further, more, P. 48,
K. 1202.
Ferreste, furthest, P. 494.
Fers, fierce, K. 740. Lat. ferox,
ferns, a wild beast.
Ferthing, a fourth part, a small
portion, P. 134, 255. Literally,
a fourth-ing ; cf. fir-kin.
Fest (e), a feast, a festival, K. 25,
1625. Yr. fete, Lat. festum.
Feste, to feast, K. 1335.
Festne, to fasten, P. 195. To
make fast ; cf. Ger. fassen.
Fat (pr. of fecche, brought,
fetched), P. 8Í9, K. 1669. A.S.
fetian, pr. fette.
Fether, a feather, P. 107. A.S.
fether, Ger. feder, allied to Gr.
nrepov, akin to flg.
Fettres, fetters, K. 421. From
foot ; cf. Gr. 'xÉôïj.
Fetys, elegant, neat, P. 157. Fr.
fait, Lat. foetus ; of. Eng. feae,
a noun.
Fetysly, properly, neatly, P. 124.
Fey, faith, K. 268. Fr. foi, Lat.
fides.
Feyne (pr, p.p. fegnede), to feign,
to pretend, P. 705, 736. Lat.
fingere.
Fiers, fierce, K. 1087. Lai.ferox.
Figure, a conception represented
in material form ; a method of
speech thus representing a con¬
ception, P. 499. In astrology
a representation or chart show¬
ing the position of the planets
at one's birth, K. 1177. Lat.
fingere, to give form to.
Fil, Fille (pl. filien, pr. of falle),
fell.
Fir, Fyr, fire, K. 644, 2093. A.S.
fyr, Ger. feuer, Gr. irvp.
Fithel, a fiddle, P. 296 ; cf. Ger.
fitscheln, to move to and fro.
Fleete, Flete, to fioat, swim, K.
1539. A.S.fleotan; cí.fleet, float.
Fleissche, Fleissh, meat, flesh, P.
147, 344. A.^.flaesc, (jor.fleisoh.
Fien, to flee, to escape, K. 312.
A.S. fleon,
Fletyng, swimming, floating, K.
1098.
Flikeryng, fluttering, K. 1104.
A.S. fliccerian.
Flok, a flock, P. 824. A.S. floe.
Perhaps by metathesis for foJc.
Floren, a florin, K. 1230. A coin
so named from the citv Flor-
ence ; cf. bezant from Byzan¬
tium.
Flotery, slovenly, fluttered, K.
2025 ; cf. Ger. flugende haare,
dishevelled hair.
Flour, a flower, P. 4, 90, K. 124.
Yv. fleur, Lat./fes.
Floytynge, playing on a flute,
whistling, P. 91. Ij^t. flatus.
Felde : (1) an enclosure ; (2) that
which is enclosed, P. 512. A.S.
fealdan, to fold up, to wrap.
Folk, people, P. 25. A.S. folc,
Ger. volk, Lat. valgus ; cf. flock.
Folwe (pr. p.p. folwede), to follow,
P. 528, K. 1824. A.S. folgian,
Ger. folgen.
0L0S8ARIAL INDEX.
273
Polwynge, following, K. 1509.
Polye, folly, K. 940. Fr. folie.
Allied to fail.
Feme, foam, K. 801. A.S. faein^
fun ; cf. Ger. flaum, what will
font ; cf. fowl, from jf//.
Fo (o), a foe, an enemy, P. 63,
K. 732. A.S. ßogan, fan, to
hate; cf. fend — onQ hated.
For, as regards, as to, P. 142,
887 ; because, because of, P.
264, 443, K. 562, 930;./or al,
notwithstanding, K. 1102; for
al the ivorld, in spite of, K. 514 ;
for eny thinye, by all means, P.
276, for fear of. The original -
meaning oí for is in front of (be-
fore, fore, Lat. pro), hence the
ideas of (1) opposition; (2) pro¬
tection; (3) comparison; (4)
attention. Also intensive and
negative prefix. Oer. vei-,
Forbere, to forbear, K. 27. A.S.
forberan. /or = negative prefix,
Ger. ver; cf. forgive,forget.
For blak, very black, K. 1286.
Fordo (p.p./bri/o), to ruin, to undo,
K.702. A.8.fordon,Gev.verthun.
Forest, unsettled country, forest,
K. 1117. O.Fr. forest, Ger.
forst, Lat. foris, out of doors,
denoting the country without
the enclosure of towns.
Forgete (p.p. forgetin), to forget,
K. 2106. A.S. forgitan, &r.
i^ergessen.
Forgive, to forgive, P. 743. A.S.
forgifan, Oov. vergeben ; cf. Low.
•Lat. per-donare, Fr. pardonner.
Forheed, forehead, P. 154. A.S.
fore-heafod.
Forme, form, proper form, in
forme, properly, formally, P. 305.
Forneys, a furnace, P. 202. Lat.
fornax.
For old, very old, K. 1284 ; cf.
Ger. veralten.
Forpyned, wasted away, P. 205.
A.S. pinan, to pine, from pin
pain. For is here intensive.
Pain is from Fr. peine, Lat.
poena ; though A.S. pinan is no
doubt allied. ^
Fors, force, K. 1865. Lat. fortis.
Forster, a forester, P. 117.
Forth, henceforth ; with verbs of
motion, on ; K. 804.
Forther, comp, of fore, further,
P. 36, 835. A.S. furthra.
Forthermoor, further on, further¬
more, K. 1211 ; cf. forthnrljf, for¬
wards.
Forthren, to aid, to further, K.
279. A.è.fyrthrian, Gew fordern..
Forth telle, to tell on, to con¬
tinue a story, K. 478.
Forthi, for this, therefore, K. 983.
Thi is instrumental of that ; cf.
O.E. for-why.
Fortunen, to make fortunate, to
determine one's fortune, P. 417.
Lat. fors.
Forward, a promise, an agree¬
ment, P. 33, 829, Iv. 351, 1761.
A.8. foreword, a word given be¬
forehand.
Fother, a wagon load, P. 530 ; a
large mass or sum, K. 1050.
A.S. fother, Ger. fuder.
Foughten (pr. and p.p.) fought,
K. 841, P. 62. A.S. feohtan,
feaht, fohten.
Foul, P. 501. A.^. fid, Goth./«^s,
Ger. faul ; cf. fiíth. The prim¬
itive meaning seems to have
been putrid.
Founden, p.p. found, K. 754.
Foundre, to fall down, K. 1829.
O.Fr. fondrer, to sink.
Fourtenight, a fortnight, K. 71.
Fourteen-nights.
Fowel (pi. fowles), a bird, a fowl,
P. 9, 190. A.S. fugol [flugol,
from fleognn, to fly), Ger. vogel,
Fr. volaille.
Foyne (n), to make a stroke with
a sword or spear, K. 796, 1692.
O.Fr. feigner,
Frankelyn, a free-holder, country
gentleman, P. 216. Properly
the son of a vilein who has be¬
come rich and purchased his
fi'eedom. Frank = free.
Fre, free, P. 852. A.S. freoJi,
Goth, frija; cf, Goth, frijón, to
love, Ger. frei.
274
glossärial index.
Fredom, liberality, freedom, P.
46. A.S. = condition, Ge»'
thnm.
Freknes, freckles, K. 1311 ; cf.
Gev.ßeck, a spot.
Frend, Freend, a friend, P. 299,
670, K. 610. A.S. fieondy from
freon; Gçv. freund^ Goth, frijón^
to love. Free is allied.
Frere, a friar, P. 208. Fr. frerej
frater.
Fresshe, Freissh, Freisch, fresh,
P. 90 ; see note ; freshly, newly,
K. 190. A.S. fersc; cf. ôr/s/:,
frhk, Ger. frisch, Fr. frais.
Frété (n) (p.p./reten), to devour,
to eat up, K. Il69. A.S. freían,
Eng. fret, G&r. fressen.
Fro, from, P. 324, K. 218. A.S.
fra ; cf. " to and fro," for-
ward.
Frothen, to froth, foam, K. 801.
A.S. freothan, to rub, — effect for
cause.
Fruyt, advantage, enjoyment,
fruit, K. 424. Lat./rucios, from
frui, to enjoy.
Ful, fully, completely, very, P.
22. 47, 136. From./?//.
Fulñlle, p.p. fnlfild, to fill full, to
gratify, to satui e, K. 82, 430.
A.S. fnlfiffhii*.
Funeral, burial, funeral service,
K. 2006. Lat. fnneralia, rites
appertaining to the burial of
tlie dead.
Fustyan, a coarse cloth, P. 75.
So called from Fostat or Fossat
(Cairo), the place of its man¬
ufacture ; now used to denote
pretentious speech ; cf. bombast,
from bombazine, cotton cloth.
Fyfe, five, P. 460, A.S.fif Ger.
fünf Lat. pente, Gr. ttcvts.
Fyîed, cut, filed, K. 1294.
Fynde, to invent, P. 736, to pro¬
vide, K, 1555. A.S./nrfan, Ger.
finden.
Fynger (pi. fingres), a finger, P.
129. A.S. finger, from fangan,
to seize ; d. fang.
Fyr, a funeral fire, a pyre, K.
20.-)f> : fire, K. 2084.
Fyr-reed, red as fire, P. 624.
G.
Gader (p.p gadrede), to gather, P.
824. A.S. gaderian.
Gaf (pr. of give), gave, P. 227.
Galyngale, sweet cyperus, P. 381,
Game, sport, pleasure, K. 948,
1250. A.S. game ; cf. gamester.
Gamede (impersonal), pleased,
P. 534. A.S. gamenian, to sport.
The noun retains its original
signification, while the verb de¬
notes play in the sense of gam-
bling.
Gan (v. aux ), did ; gan preye, did
pray, prayed, P. 3Ô1 ; gan éspye,
did espy, K. 254 ; gan knytte,
knitted, K. 270; began, K. 682.
See Bigan.
Gappe, an opening, a gap, Iv.
781. A.S. geapan, to gape, to
open. An opening in a range
of mountains, or in a fence, is
colloquially called a gap.
Gapyng, gaping, with the mouth
wide open, K. 1150.
Gardeyn, a garden, an enclose 1
place, a yard, K. 193. A S.
gard; see no^e, P 149; cf.//' d.
Garlsek, garlic. P. G34. A S-
gar, a spear, /• /r, a plant; ef,
//'/'•-pike, lie u Im k.
Gastly, terrible, K. 1126; cf.
aghast. Goth, geisan, to terrily,
gaze. So also gante, to terrify.
Gat (pr. of get), obtained, gat, P.
703. A.S. gitan, pr. geat.
Gate, a gate, a passage-way, K.
557. A.S. geat, probably from
geotan, to pour out ; of. Hell-
gate.
Gat-tothed, having teetli wide
apart, P. 468.
Gauded, ornamented, fitted wit!»
gandes or large beads, P. 159,
see note; cf. gaudy, Lat. gaudi-
um.
Gaude-greene, light green, K.
1221.
Gaudes, large beads on a rosary
indicating a pater nostrr, P. 159.
Gay, fast, active, P. 74 ; of. Ger.
jähe, hasty ; ornamented, P.
111. Fr. (jaL
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX.
275
Gayler, jailer, gaoler, K. 206.
Irisii gabhall, to take prisoner.
Gayne (n), to avail, K. 318. A S.
gegn ; cf. (jynan, lo gain. From
the idea of opposition comes
tili» idea of juxtaposition, and
lieuce the idea of addition. So
also with,
Geere, Ger (e), articles for use,
— particularly clothing and
weapons, P. 352, 365, K. 158,
1322 ; external appearance, de¬
meanor, K. 514. A.S. geanoa,
clothing, preparation, from gear-
wian, to make ready; cf. E.E.
garé, ready.
Gentil, noble, well-bred, P. 72,
567,669. K. 1681; affable, lib¬
eral, P. 647. Lat. genti/is, from
gens. The following may have
been the order of development:
(1) high-born; (2) with the
manners of those high-born,
genteel ; (3) with the mental
qualities of the high-born, gen¬
tle ; (4) by analogy applied to
things.
Gentilnesse, nobility ; hence also
the mental traits which should
distinguish the well-bred, gen¬
tleness, geutility, K. 62.
Ger (e). See Geere.
Gerdel, a girdle, P. 358. Ger.
gürtet, Goth. gairda, allied to
yard, an inclosure.
Gerful, changeful, K. 680. Lat.
ggrare.
Gerland, a garland, K. 196.
Primitive meaning = an orna¬
ment ; allied to gallant ; Fr. guir¬
lande.
Gerner, a garner, granary, P. 593.
Fr. grenier, Lat granarium.
Gery, changeable, K. 678. Fr.
girer, Lat. ggrare.
Gesse, to think, suppose, P. 82,
118. A frequentative from
O.N. geta, to get.
Get, fashion, P. 682. O.Fr. get,
contrivance. We use get-up in
this sense.
Gete (n) (pr. gat, p.p. geten), to
get, acquire, P^ 2^ ; to keep
possession of (cf. Lat. ohtinere),
K. 1897. A.St, gitan, gcat, geten.
Giggyng, making ready, moving
quickly, K. 1646.
Gile, guile, deceit, K. 1738. A.S.
wiU, Eng. wiles, wUg. Where
the same word is spelled with w
and gu it indicates a Teutonic
word which has come to us
through both the A.S. and the
Fr.
GUteles, free from blame, guilt¬
less, K. 454.
Glpoun, a short frock or cassock,
P. 75. Fr. gipoix ; cf. jumper, a
jacket.
Gipser, a purse, P. 357. Fr. gib-
beciere, a pouch, gibhe, a bunch.
Gird, p.p. girded, P. 329.
Girt, pierced ; thurg-girt, pierced
through, K. 152. From the
notion of striking implied in
A.S. gyrd, a rod.
Gladen, to cheer, to make glad,
K. 1917. Allied to glitter, And
oil to make his face to shine,"
Ps. civ. 15.
Gladere, one who makes glad, K.
1365.
Glaryng, staring, P. 684: (1)
shining; (2) evident ; (3) large,
easily seen. Allied to Lat.
darus, gloria, Eng. glare.
Glas, gray amber or ambergris,
P. 152; any thing made of glass,
a glass case, P. 700. A.S.glaes.
From the root glare, glow; cf.
Ger. gleissen, to shine.
Gleede, a burning coal, K. 1139.
A.S. gled, fromglowan, to glow ;
Ger. glühen.
Glowen (p. glowede), to glow,
shine, K. 1274.
Go (n), Goon (pres. sing. 70ÎÂ, pi.
gon, goon, p.p. go (n),goon}, to
walk, to go, K. 598, P. 771, K.
668, 2164, P. 377, 450, K. 1394.
A.S. gan (gangan), p.p. gangen.
Gobet, a small "piece, P. 696.
O.Fr. gob, a morsel. Still in
colloquial use.
Godhede, divinity, godhead, K.
1523 ; cf. man-Aooc/.
276
G LO s s ARIAL INDEX,
Golyardeys, a buifoon, a glutton,
P. 560.
Gonne, pl. of gan (q.v.), began,
K. 800; (lid (v. aux.), K. 1021,
Good, goods, property', P. 581.
god (s. & pl.) ; Lat. bona^
Gr. àyadày are ail used similarly.
Good (e), good, P. 850. A.S. god,
Goth, goths, Gr. àyadôç, Ger.
gut. The resemblance between
good and God is probably only
accidental.
Goost, a ghost, spirit, P. 206 ;
see note. A.S. gast; cf. gaze,
to terrify ; Ger. geist, a spirit.
Goot, a goat, P. 688. A.S. gat.
Gooth, goeth, goes, K. 213.
Gospel, the gospel, P. 481. A.S.
god-spell, good tidings ; cf. Gr.
eva^yé^-iov.
Goune, Gowne, a gown, P. 93,
301. VV. gum ; cf. Nor. Fr.
goune, It. gonna.
Govemaxince, management, con¬
trol. P. 281, K. 455.
iGrovemynge, control, P. 599. See
note.
Grace, favor, P. 88, K. 262 ; gift,
P. 573. Lat. gratia, that given
without return ; cf. gratis.
Graunte, a grant, concession,
favor, K. 448.
Graunte, to grant, to promise, P.
786, K. 762. Fr. granter, cre-
anfer. The two meanings have
different origin.
Grauntyng, permission, K. 1581,
Gree, a prize, K. 1875. Fr. gré,
Lat. gratiim.
Greece, grease, P. 135. Fr.
graisse, Lat. crassus.
Greene, Grene, green, P. 103.
A.S. grene, from growan, to
grow ; hence the color of grow¬
ing plants ; metaphorically ap¬
plied to persons to denote im¬
maturity ; cf. Lat. viridis, from
virere.
Grene, growth, prosperity, K.
654.
Gret, Greet (def. and pi. grete,
grette, comp, grettere ; supl. gret-
teste), great, superior, P. 84,137 ;
(comp.) P. 197, (supl.) P. 120.
A.S. great ; cf. Ger. gross.
Greve, a grove, pi. branches, K.
637, 649. A.S. graef, from
grafan, to cut. So grove is used
in scripture fora graven image,
a statute ; of. grave, grub.
Greve, to grieve, K. 59. Lat.
gravare, to oppress.
Greye, gray, P. 152. A.S. graeg^
Ger. grau; cf. Gr. ypoîa, an old
woman. " The original mean¬
ing is probably parti-colored,"
Wedgwood.
Greyn, grain, crops of grain, P.
596. Lat. granum.
Grififoun, a griffin, — a mythologi¬
cal animal, a lion with an eagle's
head, wings, and talons, K. 1275.
Grisly, dreadful, K. 505. A S.
grislic, from grisan, to dread.
Grope, to try, test, P. 644. A.S.
grapian, to feel with the hand.
Ger. greifen ; cf. grab, grabble,
garble, grip, gripe, g apj^e, grasp,
&c.
Groynyng, stabbing, K. 1602.
See note.
Gnicche, to murmur, grudge. Iv.
2187. Fr. to rumble.
Gruf, flat on the ground, K. 91.
See note ; ef. grovel.
Grym, Grim, fierce, terrible, grim,
K. 1184. A.^.grim, from grim-
man, to rage ; cf. grum.
Grys, fur of the Siberian squirrel,
P. 194. Fr. gris, gray.
Guide, the marigold, K. 1071.
Mary's flower.
Gulty, guilty, P. 660. A.S. gylt,
crime, — that which must be
atoned for, from ggldan, to pay,
—crimes being usually punished
by fine ; hence guilt would sig¬
nify: (1) the money paid as a
fine (cf. Gev.gelt) ; (2) the crime
thus atoned for ; (3) an expos¬
ure to legal penalty.
Guríes, young people of either
sex, P. 664. See note.
Gyde, a guide, P. 804. A.S. and
Goth, witan, to watch over;
Ger. weisen.
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX. 277
Gye, to guide, turn, K. 1092. Fr.
guidery — the same word as
guide; cf. ^wy-rope. See swpm.
Gylt, guilt, K. 907. See Gulty.
Gyngelen, to jingle, P. 170; cf.
Ger. klingeln.
Gynne, to begin, K. 2160.
Gyae, fashion, manner, guisey cus¬
tom, K. 135, 350. Fr. guisey
Eng. wis€y Ger. weise.
H.
Haberdasher, a dealer in miscel¬
laneous articles, P. 361. See
note.
Habergeoun, Habergoun, a small
coat of mail, P. 76, K. 1261.
A.S. heala, neck, heorge, protec¬
tion ; Ger. hahherg.
Habyt, physical temperament,
habit of body ; also customary
appearance, dress, K. 520. Fr.
habity Lat. hibitns.
Hadde, Hade, had, P. 554. Syn¬
copated form of haved.
Hakke, to cut up, to cut with
many strokes, K. 2007. A.S.
hdccan ; cf. hatchet ; Fr. hacher,
to mince ; Eng. hash.
Hälfe (adv.), half, P. 8. A.S.
heaJfe, Ger. haib. See note.
Halwes, shrines, saints, P. 14.
A.S. haliq, holy, Eng. hallow.
So All-hallow-eve = All-saints-
eve.
Hamer, a hammer, K. 1650. A.S.
hamor.
Han, to have, P. 378. A syn¬
copated form of haven (inf.).
Happe, to happen, P. 585. Hap,
luck ; cf. happiß, mishap^ perhaps.
Harde, firm, strong, K. 1277.
A.S. heard, Ger. hart, Goth.
hardus, Gr. KÔproç : (1) what is
firm or strong; (2) what may
be relied on; (cthardg).
Hardily, certainly, P. 156.
Hardy, bold, daring, P. 405, K.
853 ; literally, strong. See Har¬
de. Fr. hardi, A.S. heard, bold.
Hardynesse, boldness, K. 1090.
The idea of rashness is now as-
«
sociated with this word, as fool-
hardiness, hardihood.
Haried, hurried, taken prisoner,
K. 1868. A.S. herian, Fr. harter.
The origin may be Fr. harer, to
set on a dog.
Harlot, a youth, P. 647 ; later
denoting: (I) a person of low
birth, or one engaged in menial
service; (2) a person of bad
conduct, especially a woman of
bad character. It originally
signified a young man. W. her-
lod, a youth ; cf. Lat. adulter =
adult.
Harlotries, youthful pranks, rib¬
aldries, P. 561.
Harme, harm, evil, misfortune,
calamity, K. 401, 1371. A.S.
hearm, Ger. harm; allied to gram.
Harnays, Harneys, Herneys,
armor, harness, K. 148, 755,
1282. Fr. h(trnais, Ger. hämisch.
Probably allied to iron, although
Wedgwood suggests a different
derivation. Itdeiiotes: (l)iron
armor worn by men; (2) the
armor worn by horses ; (3) the
usual equipment of a horse ;
(4) that which serves the pur¬
pose of equipment.
Harneysed, e(iuipped, hung by
straps, P. 114.
Harpyng, harping, P. 266. A.S.
hearpe, Ger. harfe. Named from
the manner of playing it with a
hook to pick the strings. So
Gr. àpTTT), a hook.
Harre, a hinge, P. 550. A.S.
heorra.
Hauberk, a coat of mail, K. 1573,
See Habergeon.
Hauke, a hawk, falcon, K. 1346.
A.S. hafoc, from hebhan (p.p.
hafen), to lift; cf. havoc.
Haunt, skill, practice, P. 447. Fr.
hanter, to haunt.
Hawthorn, hedge-thorn, haw¬
thorn, K. 650. ^.S. haga-thorn,
Ger. hngedorn.
Hede, Heed, head, P. 198, 455^
551. A.S. heafody from hebban,
to raise up.
278
GLOS s ABI AL LNDEX.
Heeld, lield, P. 337. A.S. keal-
dan, pr. heold, p.p. healden.
Heep, a large number, a large
amount, P. 575. A.S. heap, a
heap, legion, or company. Still
so used in Southern States.
Ger. haufe.
Heer, hair, P. 589, K. 191. A.S.
haer^ Oer. haar.
Heete, to promise, grant, K. 1540.
A.S. hatan; of. hest, behest.
Heeth, the open country, a heath,
p. 6. A.S. haethy Ger. heide^
whence heathen^ hoyden = rus¬
tic.
Heigh, Heih, high, great, K. 207,
940 ; heifjher hand, upper hand,
superior, P. 398. A.S. heah,
Ger. hoch.
Hele, well-being, health, K. 413.
A.S. haely hale, whole; Ger. heil.
Hele, to heal, K. 1848. A.S.
hae/an, to heal, to make whole;
Ger. heilen.
Helle, hell, the unseen world, the
place of punishment, P. 658, K.
342. A.S. helan, to conceal :
hence, literally, (1) the place
where the body is concealed, —
the grave ; (2) the place where
the spirit is concealed, — hades ;
(3) the place of future punish¬
ment. Ger. höHe.
Helmes, lielmets, K. 1751. A.S.
helm, from helan, to hide.
Helpen (pr. halp, p.p. holpen), to
help, to cure, when followed by
of, P. 18, 632. A S. helpan.
Hem, them, P. 11, 18. A.S. him.
Hemself (Hemselven), them¬
selves, K. 396.
Heng (pr. of hornee), hung, P. 160,
358. A.S. hancjan, pr. heng.
Henne, hence, K. 1498. A.S.
hinan.
Hente (n) (pr. heiUe, p.p. hent), to
seize, get, P. 299, (pr.) P. 698,
K. 442, (p.p.) K. 723. A.S.
hentan ; cf. to hunt.
Heraude, Herowd, a herald, K.
159. O.H.G. haven, to shout.
Herbergh, a harbor, an inn, P.
403, 765. A.S. here-b^orgn, a
station where an army (here)
encamps on its march ; beorgan,
to protect ; Ger. herbergen ; cf.
burgh, borough.
Herd, haired, K. 1660.
Herde, a keeper of cattle, P. 603.
A.S. hyrde, a keeper; of. she})-
herd, cow-herd. Wedgwood in¬
geniously derives herd from
harer, the cry made to set on a
dog.
Herde (p.p. of Aear),heard, P. 848.
Here, hair, P. 555, K. 530. A.S.
haer, Ger. hoar.
Here (gen. pi.) of them, their
(eorum), P. 11, 366 ; here aller,
of them all, P. 586.
Here (dat. sing.) to this, here
agayns, against this, K. 2281 ;
her inne, in this, K. 2215.
Here, to hear, K. 986. A.S.
hyran, heran.
Herinne, in this (company), K.
2215. Her is dative.
Herkne, imperat. pi. herkneth, K.
1674, P. 788, K. 985. A.S.
heorcnian, emphatic form of
hyran.
Herneys. See Hamays.
Hert, a hart, a stag, K. 817, 831.
A.S. heort, Ger. hirsch. The
female is called a hind.
Herte, a heart, P. 150. A.S.
heorte, Ger. herz, Lat. cor.
Herte-spon, the navel, K. 1748.
Hest, command, K. 1674. A.S.
hatan.
Hethe (see Heeth), a heath, tlie
open country, P. 606.
Hethenesse, heathen lands, P. 49.
Heve, to heave, lift, P. 550. A.S.
hebhan, pr, hof, p.p. hafen, Ger.
heben.
Hew (e), color (hence also) com¬
plexion, P. 394, K. 180; (pi )
colors, K. 1230. A.S. hiw, form,
color.
Hewe, to cut, hew, K. 564, 2067,
A.S. heawan.
Hider, hither, P. 672. A.S. hider.
Hidous, hideous, K. 1120. O-Fr.
hidOHS.
Hidously, dreadfully, hideously,
K. 843.
Hight, promised, K. 1614. A.S.
GL OS S ARIAL INDEX. 279
hatan, to promise. This verb
and the following are undoubt¬
edly allied, although in A.S.
the preterites were formed dif¬
ferently.
Highte, was called, is called, P.
616, 719, K. 333, 570. A.S.
heht, pr. of hatan, to call, to be
called, to name ; Ger. heissen,
Goth, haitan, pr. haihait.
Highte, in highte, aloud, on high,
K. 926.
Hihe, high, K. 1605. A.S. heah,
Ger. hoch, höhe.
Him, himself, K. 2192.
Himselve, Himselven, dat. and
acc. of himself, P. 184,528. See
note.
Hipes, hips, P. 472. A.S. hype.
Hire (sing, fern.) her, P. 120.
A.S. hire (gen. pi.) their, K.
25. A.S. heora.
Hit, it, P. 345, K. 604. A.S. hit,
gen. his.
Holde (pr. held, p.p. hold, holden),
to hold in esteem, P. 141,182, K.
832,1861, (p.p.) beholden, held,
K. 449; cf. Ger. behalten, also
Lat. habere.
Holly, wholly, P. 599.
Holpen, (see Helpen), helped,
P. 18.
Holte, a grove, P. 6. A.S. holt,
Ger. holz.
Holwe, hollow, gaunt, P. 289.
A.S. hoi, a hole; Ger. hohl.
Holy, devoted to sacred purposes,
P. 17, 479, K. 1355. A.S. halig,
Ger. heilig.
Home, Hoom, home, hoom-cominq
= return home, K. 26 ; homward,
towards home, K. 1881. A.S.
ham, Ger. heim.
Hond (s. and pl.), a hand, hands,
P. 108, K. 1245. A.S. hand.
Honest, honorable, P. 246. Lat.
honestas.
Honestly, honorably, suitably to
one's station, K. 586.
Honge (n), (pr. heiig), to hang, P.
676, K. 638.
Honte (r), a hunter, K. 780, 820.
A S. htinta, from hentan, to seize.
#
Honte (n), to hunt, K. 782. A.S.
huntian.
Honting, hunting, on honting = a-
hunting, K. 829; cf. a-fishing.
See note.
Hood, hat, hood, P. 195, 612.
A.S. hod, from hyd, a skin, a
hide ; alluding to the original
material. Ger. hut.
Hool (e), whole, P. 533. A.S. hal,
sound ; of. wholesome.
Hoom, home, P. 400, hoom-coming,
return home, K. 26.
Hoomly, plainly, homelike, in a
manner suited to home, P. 328.
Hoost, a landlord, host, P. 747,
751. Lat. hospes, one who treats
another as a guest; Pr. hôte.
Hoot (e), Hote, hot, P. 687, 394.
A.S. hat, Ger. heiss.
Hoote, hotly, passionately, in¬
tensely, P. 97, K. 879.
Hoppesteres, schippes hoppesteres,
hostile or opposing ships, K.
1159. See note.
Horn, a horn, a wind instrument,
P. 116,K.820; a drinking horn,
K. 1421. A.S. hoi'H, Lat. cornu.
Hors (s. and pl.), a horse, horses,
P. 74 (pi.) P. 598, K. 1634. A.S.
hors for hros, Ger. ross, O.N.
hross.
Hose (pi. hosen), stockings, P. 456.
A.S. hose, originally denoting
covering for the legs; Dutch,
hose = boots.
Host, an army, K. 16. Lat. hosfls,
an enemy. " The term hostis,
which primarily signified the
enemy against whom the expe¬
dition was to be made, was com¬
pendiously used for the military
service itself. . . . The expres¬
sion would easily pass from mil¬
itary service to the army on
duty, and thence to any numer¬
ous assemblage." Wedgwood.
Hosteller, an innkeeper, a hostler,
P. 241. See Hoost, Pr. ho'elier.
Hostelrie, a hotel, an inn, P. 23,
722. Pr. hôtel, Lat. hospitalis
(hospes) ; cf. hospital.
Hote, hot. See Hoote,
28o
QLOSSÄRIÄL INDEX,
Hote, Hoote, to be called, K. 699.
See Highte.
Hounde, a dog, P. 146. A.S.
hand, Ger. hand, Eng. hound.
Hovires, hours, P. 416. Lat. hora.
Hous, a house, a religious estab¬
lishment, a monastery, P. 252.
A.S. has, Oer. haas, Lat. casa.
Housebond, a husband, P. 460.
A.S. has, and banda, one inhab¬
iting (huan, to dwell) with the
idea of mastery ; hence a mar¬
ried man. See note. The word
retains its original force in hus¬
bandman.
Househaldere, a householder,
freeholder, P. 339.
How, literally, in what (way)?
how that = how, P. 506, 642, K.
587. A form analogous to whj.
Howie, to wail, K. 1959. Ger.
heulen, Lat. ululare; cf. owl.
Humblesse, humility, K. 923. Fr.
humblesse, Lat. humilis, from hu¬
mus, the ground.
Hunte (r), a hunter, P. 178, K.
1160, 1770. A.S. hunta.
Hxmteresse, a huntress, K. 1489.
Hurte, to wound, K. 256, 258.
A.S. htjrt, wounded; cf. hurl,
hurtle.
Hurtle, to push, to strike, K.
1758. Frequentative of hurt.
Husst, hushed, K. 2123. An
onomatopoetic word; cf. hist,
tvhist.
Hyde, to hide, K. 623. A.S.
hydan.
Hye, haste ; in htje, in haste, has¬
tily, K. 2121.
Hye, high, K. 39.
Hye, to hie, to hasten, K. 1416.
A.S. higan; cf. higen, diligent,
from hfjge, mind. The word
would thus seem to denote : (1)
mental activity; (2) physical
activity ; cf. quicJc, blive (by-live).
Hyhe, highly, on high, K. 1217.
Hyndren, to hinder, keep back,
K. 277. A.S. hindrian, from
hinder, back; Ger. hindern.
Hyndreste, hindermost, P. 622.
Supl. of hind.
Hyne, a servant, a hind, P. 603.
A.S. hina (higna), a domestic.
Hynge (pi. pr. of hangen), Imng,
P. 677.
Hyre, wages, hire, P. 538. A S.
hyr, Ger. heuer. Probably allied
to hyran, to obey, to hear.
I.
I, prefix, denotes the past parti¬
ciple.
I-bete, beaten, hammered, K. 121.
A.S. beatan.
I-bore, borne, P. 378.
I-chaped, fitted with plates of
metal, tipped with metal, P.
366.
I-clenched, strengthened by
clinches, P. 1133.
I-do (n), I-doo, done, ended,
finished, K. 1676.
I-falle, fallen, P. 25.
I-fetered, fettered, K. 371.
If, if; if that, if so be that, if, P.
144, 399, K. 257. A.S. gif,
Goth, yabai.
X-go (n), I-goon, gone, P. 286.
Now written, ago.
I-knowe, known, completely
known, P. 423.
Iliche, Hike, alike. A.S. gelice.
like, same, P. 64, 175. A.S. ylc.
In, with reference to, according
to, K. 2030.
Inequal, unequal, K. 1413.
Infinite, Infynyte, unnumbered,
unmeasured ; hence tliat wliich
cannot be numbered or meas¬
ured, K. 1969.
Infortune, misfortune, malign
fortune, K. 1163.
Iniquité, injustice, wickedness,
K. 82, Lat. iniquitas = in equity.
Inne, an inn, K. 1578. A.S. inne.
Inne (adv.), within, P. 41, K.
760.
Inne, to entertain at an inn ;
inned, lodged, K. 1334.
Inough, enough, P. 373. Ger.
genug, Gotli ganohs, from ganau-
han, to suffice.
I-pynched, plaited, P. 151. Fr.
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX.
281
pincer^ to pinch. It acquires
the meaning to plait from the
means employed ; cf. to pink.
I-proved, proved, proven, P. 485.
Ire, wrath, ire. Lat. ira.
Iren, iron, K. 218, 1134. A.S.
ireUy iserty from ar, ore, denoting
also copper, Lat. aes, Ger. eisen :
literally denoting Me meia/, hence
iron by way of eminence.
I-ronne, run, P. 8 ; arranged, K.
1307. A.S. rinnan, yrnan; cf.
eirand.
I-schadwed^shaded, P. 607. A.S.
scadioian, to shade.
I-schave, shaven, P. 690. A.S.
scafan.
I-schrive, shriven, confessed, P.
226. A.S. scrifan, to ordain,
enjoin.
I-shorn, shorn, sheared, P. 589.
A.S. sceran.
I-slawe, slain, K. 85. A.S. s/a-
^Tíín, toslay : literally, to strike ;
cf. Oer. schlagen, to beat ; Eng.
slaughter.
I-stored, stocked, stored, P. 609.
I-styked, pierced, stuck, K. 707.
A.S. sticcian, from stice, a stab;
cf. a "stitch in the back."
I-taught, taught, P. 127. A.S.
taecan.
I-write (n), written, P. 161. A.S.
writan.
I-wrye, covered, K. 2046. A.S.
wrilian, to cover.
J.
Jalous, jealous, K. 471. Lat.
zelus, ¥t. jaloux.
Jangier, a great talker, a babbler,
P. 560. Fr. jangler, to lie, jest.
Jape, a trick, P. 705. O.Fr. ^a6er;
cf. gab.
Jape, to deceive, to befool, K.
871. See By-jape.
Jelousye, jealousy, K. 441. Fr.
jalousie, Lat. zelus.
Jewels, jewels, K. 2087. Fr.
j-oMf'/,/oya«, Lat gaudiurn. Hence
articles of dress worn to indi¬
cate joy.
Jolitee, gayety, P. 680. From
joUg, Fr. joli; allied to A.S. gal,
O.E. yule.
Journee, a day's journey, K.
1880. Fr.yo«r«éfe, Lat. diurnus;
hence, by synecdoche, denoting
extended travel.
Jousten, to joust, to engage in a
tournament, K. 1628. Fr.^oas-
ter, Fng. jostle.
Joy (e), joy, K. 170, 1015. Fr.
joie, Lat. gaudiurn.
Jugge, a judge, P. 814, K. 854.
Fr. juge, Lut. judex.
Juggement, judgment, P. 778.
Fr. jugement, Lat. judicamentum.
Juste, to joust, P. 96. See Jous¬
ten,
Justes, a tournament, K. 1862.
Justice, a judge, P. 314. Lat.
jus; CÎ. just, jury, adjudicate.
Juwyse, judgment, condemna¬
tion, K. 881. Fr. juise, Lat.
judicium.
K.
Kage, a cage, K. 436. Fr. cage,
Lat. cavea, an enclosure for ani¬
mals, a den.
Kaytyves, captives, caitiffs, K.
859. Lat. captivas. See Caytif.
Keep (e), care, attention, to take,
keep, to take care, to observe,
P. 398, K. 531.
Keepe, Kepe (pr. kepte, p.p. kep),
to care for, to observe, to guard,
P. 130, 276, 852. I kepe nat, I
care not, K. 1380, 2102. A.S.
cepan.
Kembe (p.p. kembd), to comb, K.
1285. A.S. cemhan, Ger.kämmen.
Kempe, coarse, shaggy, K. 1276.
See note.
Kene, sliarp, P. 104. A.S. cene,
Ger. kiihn.
Kervere, a carver, sculptor, K,
1041. A.S. ceorfan, to cut.
Kervyng, carving, sculptured or¬
naments, K.1057.
Keverchef, a kerchief, P. 453.
Fr. couvrir, to cover, chef, the
head.
282
I
G LO S S ABI AL INDEX.
Knarre, a knot, hence a burly
fellow, P. 549. See note.
Knarry, knotty, lull of gnars,
K. 1119. Ger. knotre.
Knave, a servant, K. 1870. A.S.
cnapUy Ger. knabe, a boy.
Kne, knee, P. 391. .A.S. cneow,
Ger. knky Lat. genuy Gr. yóvv.
Knight, a knight, P. 42. A.S.
cniht, Ger.knechl: (1) a young
man; (2) a servant; (3) tlie
servant of a king ; (4) a person
engaged in military service.
Knighthede, knighthood, K.
1931.
Knobbes, hard swellings, pim¬
ples, P. 633. A.S. cnaepy a knop,
a button.
Knotty, knotty, K. 1119. A.S.
cnotty from cnyttariy to knit, tie,
knot.
Knowe, pp. known, K. 345.
Knyf, pi. knyfeSy a knife, P. 233,
K. 1141. A.S. cnify Fr. canif;
cf. nip.
Knytte, to knit, K. 270. A.S.
cnytan, to knit ; cf. to knot, to net.
Kouthe, known, P. 14. See
Couthe.
Kynde, nature, K. 543,1593. See
note. A.S. cynd, from cennan,
to beget.
Kynde, good-natured, kind, P.
647.
Kyng. a king, K. 691. See note.
A.S. cyningy from cunnan, to
know, to be able, cennan, to
beget. Ger. könig.
Kynled, kindled, K. 1437 ; cf.
accendere, allied to cennan.
Kynrede, kindred, K. 428. A.S.
cyn-raeden, cyn, from cunnan, to
know ; raeden, denotes state,
&c. ; cf. hatred.
Kyte, a kyte, a bird of prey, K.
321. A.S. cyta, W. cud.
L.
Tjaas, a belt, P. 392. Fr. lacs,
Lat. Jaqueus.
Xiace, Las, a lace, net, snare, K.
959,1093. Lat. laqueus, a snare ;
hence: (1) a net, (2) what
binds or fastens; (3) a fabric
resembling a net ; cf. shoe-lace,
lasso.
Lacerte, a muscle, K. 1895. Lat.
lacertas, a lizard.
Lad (p.p. ladde), led, brought,
K. 688, 1762.
Lady (e), (gen. lady), lady, mis¬
tress, K. 431 ; lady's, P. 88. A.S.
hiaef'dige, usually derived from
hlaf, loaf, and iceardige, warden ;
but this derivation seems doubt¬
ful.
Lafte (pi. lafien, pr. of ¡eve, p.p.
Igft), left, ceased, P. 492, K. 34,
(p.p.) K. 1158. A.S. laefan.
Lakke, to lack, P. 756, K. 1422 ;
cf. slack.
Langage, language, fair langage,
flattery, P. 211.
Lappa, a lap, P. 686. A.S. lappa,
a lap, border, hem, piece, — the
original meaning is now ex¬
pressed by flap ; cf. lapel, lapet,
flap, flabby.
Large, freedom, at thi large — at
large, free, K. 425, 434 ; at his
large, K. 469. ^
Large, free, coarse, P. 734 ; cf.
gross.
Largely, fully, easily, K. 1050,
1080 ; cf. Lat. large.
Las. See Lace.
Lasyng, lacing, fastening with
laces, K. 1640. See Lace.
Lat (imperative), let, P. 188;/at
se, let us see, P. 831, K. 33 ; Iol
be, let it be, cease, P. 840.
Late, lately, late ycome, lately ar¬
rived, P. 77 ; late ischave, lately
shaven, P. 690.
Latoun, a mixed metal resem¬
bling brass, P. 699. Fr. laiton
Launde, a lawn, an open cleared
space, K. 833; see note. W.
llan, a clear space.
Laurer, a laurel, K. 169. Fr.
lauriej\ Lat. laurus.
Lawe, a law, P. 577. From root
lag ; hence = what is laid down
or fixed ; cf. Lat. lex (legs)
Laxatif, a laxative, a purge, K.
GLOSSABIAL INDEX.
283
3898. Lat. laxare; cf. ¡ack^
slack.
Lay, pr. of Lie, q v.
Laynere, a thong, K. 1646. Fr.
lanière ; cf. lanyard.
Lazar, Lazar, a leper, P. 242,
245. A corruption of Lazams.
Leche-craft, medical skill, K.
1887. A.S. lecke, a physician.
Leede, a caldron, P. 202. Irish,
luchd, a kettle.
Leaf (pi. leeves, leves), a leaf, K.
980. Ger. laah.
Leaf, dear, pleasant, K. 979. A.S.
leof, from lußan, to love ; Eng.
Uef, Be him loth or leef."
Lean, Lena, to give, lend, K.
2224. A.S. laenan, Ger. leihen ;
cf. loan.
Leap (pr. of leap), leaped, K. 1829.
A.S. fdeapan, pr. hleop.
Leesyng, loss, losing, K. 849.
A.S. leosan.
Leet (pr. of let), let, P. 128, 175
(v. aux.) ; leet crye, caused to
be cried, K. 1873 ; leet brynye,
caused to be brought, K 2031 ;
leet comaunde, commanded, K.
2007. A.S. laetan, pr. let, p.p.
laeten.
Leet, left, let be, P. 508. See
note.
Leave, departure, K. 359; used
only in to take leave." A.S.
leaf, lefan, to permit, yíiúxfaran,
to go, understood.
Leave (def. of leef), dear, K. 278.
Leave, to believe, K. 2230. A.S.
geieafan; glauben.
Lef (imperative), leave, K. 756.
Lane, to lend, P. 611. A.S. lae¬
nan, Ger. lehnen.
Lene, lean, poor, P. 287, 591.
A S. hiaene, from hiinian, to
bend, hence = too poor to stand
erect.
Lenger (e), longer, P. 330, 821.
A.S. lang, comp, lengra, supl.
lengest.
Lepart, a leopard, K. 1328.
Lerne (p.p. lernede), to learn, P.
308, 575. A.S. leornian.
Lese, to lose, K. 357. A.S. leosan,
0
pr. leas, p.p. loren; cf. forlorn,
lorn.
Lessoun, lesson, a passage of
scripture read in divine service,
P. 709 Fr. leçon, Lat. Uctto,
from legeie.
Leste, pleasure, delight, P. 132.
A.S. lyst, lust.
Leste, Liste, Lust (e), (imper¬
sonal with acc.), please, P. 583,
750, K. 493, 495; me liste it
pleases me ; him luste =■ it
pleased him ; us leste — it
pleased us. A.S. lystan, to
please, to be pleased.
Lest (e), least, K. 263; contr.
for littlest.
Lesynges, lies, leasing, K. 1009.
A.S. leasung, Goth, laas, empty,
vain. Allied to less, loose, lose.
Lete, Lette, to leave, Ii. 405, sec
note ; leiten of, refrain from, leave
off. A.S. gf-laeian, K. 459; cf. iaie.
Lette, to hinder, K. 31, 1034.
This word and the preceding
are from the same root, — lute ;
in one case the slow-moving
body is left ; in the other it
hinders one that would other¬
wise go faster.
Letuaries, electuaries, P. 420 ;
meiiicines to Le licked up.
Leve, leave, permission, K. 206.
Lever (comp. of//V/), rather, him
was lever hare, he would rather
have, P. 293.
Lewed, Lewd, unlearned, igno¬
rant, P. 502; see note. A.S.
leode, people, Ger. leute ; cf. laity,
lay.
Leye (p. leyde, p.p. leyd), to lay, P.
81 ; leye-io, take hold of, begin,
P. 841. A.S. tO'lecgan.
Leyser, leisure, K. 330. Fr. loisir,
Lat. licere.
Licentiat, one licensed to hear
confession and grant absolu¬
tion, P. 220. Lat. licentiatffs.
Liche-wake, the watch (wake)
held over a corpse, K. 2100.
A.S. lie, Ger. leich, a body.
Licour, liquor, P. 3. Lat. liquor,
liqnere, to flow.
284
qlossäbial index.
Lie (pr. /ay, p.p. /a/n), to lie, P.
20. A.S. Ucgan, pr. /aey, p.p.
legen. See Ligge.
Lif, Lyf, life, K. 1918. A.S. Uf,
from libbaUf allied to //c, body.
Ligge, to lie, K. 1347 ; Uggyng,
lying, K. 153. A.S. licgan, iig-
gan.
Lighte, bright, pleasant, K. 925.
A.S. lUit, Ger. Itichty Lat. lux,
lucerey to shine.
Lik, like to, Iv. 443. Prom A.S.
lie, a body.
Like (impers.), to please, if you
Uketh = if it please you, P. 777 ;
him likede — it pleased him, K.
1234.
Liknesse, similar circumstances
(coll. noun), Iv. 1984.
Lippe, lip, P. 133. A.S. lippUy
Lat. labium; cf. lup,flapy —the
loose part.
Lipsede, lisped, P. 264. A.S.
iclispiaUy to stammer; Ger. lis¬
peln.
Liste. See Leste.
Listes, Lystes, lists, a space en¬
closed for combats, P. 63, K.
1231,1687 ; combats in the lists,
K. 994. Lat. liciumy a rope
which marked the enclosure.
Litarge, litharge, protoxide of
lead, P. 629.
Lite (1), little, P. 438; moche and
lite = great and small ; i.e. high
and low, P. 494.
Lite (adv.), little while, K. 476.
Lith, lieth, lies, K. 360.
Live (dat. of Uf), on lyvCy in life,
alive, K. 1840.
Lodemenage, pilotage, P. 403.
A.S laedaoy to guide, and Fr.
menage ; cf. loadstar, loadstone*
Loken, to see, look, K. 925. A.S.
locian.
Lokkes, locks of hair, curls, P-
81. A.S.lyccan, to pluck, hence
loco, a handful.
Lokyng, sight, K. 1313.
Lend, land, P. 14. A.S. land.
Longe (u), to long for, to desire,
P. 12. A.S. langian (from lang),
to stretch the mind after.
Longe (n), to belong, K. 1420 ;
cf. Ger. belangen.
Longe (adv.), for a long time, P.
286.
Longes, the limgs, K. 1894. A.S.
lunge.
Loode, a load, K. 2060. A.S.
hladan, to load.
Loode-sterre, a loadstar, tlie
north star, K. 1201. A.S. laedan,
to lead ; steorra, from steoran, to
steer.
Lord, sir, lord, — a title of honor,
P. 65. See note on P. 601.
Lordschipe, the authority or rank
of lord, K. 969. A.S. hlajord-
scipe.
Lordynges, lordlings, sirs, P. 761.
Ing is tiie A.S. diminutive and
patronymic termination.
Lore, doctrine, learning, P. 527.
A.S. lar.
Los, loss, K. 1685. A.S. los.
Losten (pl. pr. of leese), lost.
Loth, disagreeable, unpleasant,
P. 486, K. 979. A.S. lath; cf.
loathe.
Love, lover, K. 1448 : a common
synecdoche.
Love-daye, days for arbitration,
law-days, P. 258.
Lovyere, lover, P. 80: y from i.
A.S. lußan, to love.
Lowde, loudly, P. 714. A.S.
hlude, Ger. laut.
Lowe (adj. and adv.), low, K. 253 ;
O.E. lowe, law, lagh, which con¬
nects with A.S./¿cya?î, to lie;
Ger. liegen.
Luce, a pike, P. 350,
Lust, pleasure, P. 192, K. 892.
A.S. hist.
Lust (e), pleased, pleaseth, may
please, P. 102, K. 493, 495.
Lusty, vigorous, handsome, pleas¬
ant, ardent, P. 80, K. 1253,
1258.
Lustynesse, pleasure, what occa¬
sions pleasure, K. 1081.
Lye, destruction, K. 2157. A.S.
leg, laeg.
Lye, to lie, P. 659. A.S. leogan,
Goth Hagan, Ger. lügen.
GLOSSARIAL INDEX.
285
Lyf, life, P. 71. A.S. lift from
A.S. libban, Ger. leben.
Lyfly, life-like, K. 1229 ; cf. liveiifj
— quick ; i.e. living.
Lymes, limbs, K. 1277. A.S. Urn.
Lymytour, a friar authorized to
ask alms within certain limits,
P. 209.
Lynage, Lyne, lineage, line of
descent, K. 252, 693. Fr. lig-
nagCy Lat. lineay a line.
Lynd, a linden-tree, bass-wood,
K. 2064. A.S. Und.
Lystes, See Listes.
Lyte, little, K. 335; not, K. 865;
cf. Lat. minus, minime. A.S. lyt,
lytel.
Lyve. See Live.
Lyvere, livery, P. 363. See note.
Lyves, alive, living, K. 1587 ; a
gen. used adverbially.
M.
Maad, Mad, p.p. made, P. 394,
668, K. 747, maked.
Maat, dejected, K. 97. Fr. mat,
Ger. matt, feeble ; cf. check-
mate — shah mat ; i.e. the king is
dead.
Mace, a club, K. 1266, 1701. Fr.
masse.
Mad, stricken out of one's senses,
insane, K. 1484. A.S. ge-maed,
troubled in mind ; cf. mod, mind.
Madame, madam, P. 121. Fr.
from Lat. mea domina.
Maist, mayest, K. 385.
Maister, Mayster (pi. maystres),
master, chief or head (of a re¬
ligious house), P. 261, 576. Lat.
magister from magnus, as minis¬
ter from minus.
Maister (adj.), principal, maister
streets, the main street, K. 2044.
Maistow, mayest thou, K. 378.
Maistrie, skill, superiority, mas-
tery ; for the maistrie — above
all others, P. 165.
Make, a mate, K. 1698. A.S.
maca, a mate, one of the same
make; cf. matc^.
Make, to write poetry, P. 325;
cf. Gr. TTOtdv.
Maked (p.p.), made, K. 1666.
Maladye, malady, P. 419. Lat.
male-uptus, iil-fitled.
Male, a bag, portmanteau, P.
694. Fr. malle; cf. mail, Gael.
mala, a bag.
Manace, a menace, threat, K.
1145. Lat. minaciae.
Manasyng, threatening, K. 1177.
Mancioun, a mansion, K. 1116.
Lat. mansio, from manere; cf.
manse.
Maner (e), sort, kind, manner,
P. 71, 140, 858, K. 1017 ; maner
wight sort oí person; Fr. ma¬
niere, Lat. manus : literally, a
handling, the way in which a
matter is handled.
Manhede, manhood, P. 756.
Mankynd, mankind, the family
{km) of man, K. 449. A.S.
man-cyn.
Manly, vigorous, masculine,
brave, P. 167, K. 129; man-like.
Mantel, a mantle, P. 378. A.S.
mentel, Lat. mantehim. Literally
a hand-cloth ; hence a garment
covering the hands.
Mantelet, a short mantle, K.
1305.
Manye, mania, K. 517. Lat.
mania.
Many con, many a one, P. 317 ;
many a, P. 168. See note.
Marbel, marble, K. 1035. Fr.
marbre, Lat. marmor,
Marchaunt, a merchant, P. 270.
Fr. marchant, Lat. mercari, to
trade.
Marche, March (the month), P. 2.
From Mars.
Mariage, marriage, P. 212. Fr.
marier, Lat. mas, a male.
Marschal, marshal, one wliose
duty it is to assign places ;
marschal in an halle, marshal of
the hall, P. 752. O.Ger. mnrah-
scalc (= horse servant), master
of tiie horse ; cf. mare.
Martirdam, martyrdom, death by
torture, K. 602.
286
qlossäbiäl index
Martyr, a martyr, P. 770. Liter¬
ally, a witness.
Martyre, to torture, K. 704.
Mary-bones, marrow-bones, P.
380. A S. mear^,
Matere, Mateere, matter, P.
727, K. 401. Lat. materia.
Matrimoyn, matrimony, K. 2287.
Lat. matrirnoniumf motlier-hood.
Maugre, Mawgre, in spite of, K.
311, 749, 1760. Fr. mal gr€y
Lat. male gratum.
Maunciple, an officer who had
the charge of purchasing vict¬
uals for an Inn of Court, P. 544.
Lat. manceps, the superintend¬
ent of a bake-house, — a baker.
May, can, to be able, P. 230, K.
415, 966. A.S. magan, to be
able ; cf. mighty mighty ; also
Lat. magnas.
Mayde, maid, P. 69 ; see note.
A.S. maegdhy Ger. magdy Goth.
jtiagusy a boy ; cf. Gael. mac.
Maydenhode, maidenhood, K.
1471.
Mayné, servants, K. 400. O.Fr.
mesnéCy Lat. minores nata.
Maynteyne, to persist in, main¬
tain, K. 920. Fr. mainteniry
Lat. manU'tenere.
Mede, a meadow, mead, P. 89.
A.S. maed, originally wet land,
that being especially adapted to
grass ; cf. rnady Lat. madeo.
Medié, motley, a mixed color, P.
328. O.Fr. medlery Fr. mêler y to
mix ; cf. meddle.
Meede, reward, meed, P. 770.
A.S. medy hire, Ger. miethe.
Mete (adv.), becomingly, suit¬
ably, K. 1433. A.S. gemet; cf.
convenient.
Meke, meek, P. 69. Goth, muksy
mild, soft.
Meliere, a miller, P. 542 ; of. meal.
Memorye, honor, honorable men-
lion, K. 1048. Lat. memorare,
to make honorable mention ; cf.
commemorate.
Men, one, P. 149, 232, K. 558.
An indefinite pronoun ; cf. Ger.
man, Fr. on.
Mencioun, mention . K. 1077. Fr.
mentioiiy Lat. mentio, mens.
Mene (pr. mente), to intend, wish,
say, mean, P. 793, K. 815. A.S.
maenan, to tell, to have in mind ;
cf. Lat. mens.
Mercenarie, a hireling, P. 514.
Lat. merceSy wages.
Mercy, pity, K. 60. Fr. merci,
Lat. misericordia.
Mere, a mare, P. 541. A.S. maere.
Merie, Mery (e), Murye, mirth¬
ful, joyful, P. 208, 757, K. 641.
A.S. myrig, from myrkth.
Meriely, pleasantly, mirthfully,
P. 714.
Meschaunce, misfortune, mis¬
chance, K. 1151.
Mescheef, Meschief, misfortune,
P. 493, K. 468. Fr. meschef,
minus-chef y what turns out ill.
Mester, a trade, occupation, P.
613, see note ; lience also kind :
mester men, sort of men, K. 852.
Mesurable, moderate, P. 435. Fr.
mesure, Lat. metiri.
Mete, food, P. 127, 136. A.S.
mete, food, Goth. mats.
Mete, fit, K. 773. A.S. gemet,
metan, to meet; cf. convenient,
from con-venire ; also ** help meet
for him."
Mete, to meet, K. 666. A.S.
metan, to meet, mot, an assem¬
bly.
Meth, mead, a drink made of
honey, K. 1421. A.S. medu,
Goth, milithy honey.
Mewe, a coop, an enclosure, P.
349. Literally a cage for hawks
while mewing or moulting ( Lat.
mxttare)y hence, as a verb, to
mew = to confine.
Might, power, victory, K. 998.
A.S. magan, to be able.
Might (pr. of may), could, was
able, P. 632.
Mighty, strong, large, P. 108, K.
565. A.S. mihtig, Ger. mächtig.
Miracle, a wonder, wonderful
deed, K. 930. Lat. miraculum,
from mirari, to wonder at.
Mirthe, Myrthe, amusement
qlossärial index.
287
pleasure, P. 766 ; a mirthe, a
game, P. 767. A.S. mifrth.
Misbede (p.p. mishodtn), to mal¬
treat, insult, K. 51. A.b. mis-
heodan.
Mo (o), more, P. 101, 544. A.S.
ma ; cf. Lat. ma-gnas, ma-jor.
Moche, much, P. 211 ; ful mocke^
very much, P. 132. A.S. mycel.
Mochel, greatly, much, P. 258,
K. 1992. A.S. mycelj Scotch,
mickle.
Moevere, a mover, cause, K.
2129. Lat. movere.
Mone, moon, P. 403. A.S. mona,
Ger. mond, Goth, mena, Gr.
Moneth (pl. monthes)^ a month, P.
92, 704. The space of time
measured by a revolution of
the moon. A.S. monath, Ger,
monat, Fr. mois.
Moneye, money, P. 703. See
note.
Monk, a monk, P. 165 ; literally
one who dwells alone. Lat.
monachus.
Mood, anger, K. 902. A.S. mod,
mind, passion; cf. Gr. Ovfiôç,
also moody.
Moone, moan, lamentation, K.
508. A.S. maenan.
Moot (pi. mote, pr. moste, muste),
may, must, ought, P. 232, 732,
735, 742. A.S. pres. sing. 1, 3,
mot ; 2, -most: pi. moton, pr. moste.
Moral, correct in manner, P. 307.
Lat. mos.
More, greater (in rank), lesse and
more, high and low, K. 898. See
note.
More, delay, K. 1945. Scotch,
with outyn mar, Bruce iii. 793.
Mormal, a cancer, P. 386. Fr.
mort-mal.
Morne-milk, morning milk, P.
358.
Morsel, a bit, P. 128. Lat. morsus,
from mordere, to bite ; of. bit.
Mortal, deadly, fatal, occasioning
great loss of life, P. 61, K. 732 ;
cf. mortal enemy. Lat. mortalis,
mors. 9
Morthre, murder, K. 398. A.S.
moriher, ¡north, death ; cf. Lat.
mors. ,
Mortreux, a kind of broth or
soup, mortrewes, P. 384. So
named from a mortar in which
the ingredients were brayed.
Morwe, morrow, morning, P. 334.
A.S. morgen; QÍ.good moirow.
Morwenynge, morning, K. 204 ;
lengthened form of morwe.
Mosel, a muzzle, K. 1293. Fr.
museau.
Most (e), greatest, K. 37, 1340;
a leader, P. 561. A.S. maest.
Mot (e). See Moot.
Motteleye, motley, stuif of mixed
colors, P. 271; see medié, W.
mud'liw.
Mountaunce, amount, K. 712,
Fr. monter, to go up ; Lat. mans,
a mountain.
Mowe, can, be able, K. 2141.
A.S. magan.
Mows, a mouse, K. 403. A.S.
mus, pl. mys, Lat. mus, Ger.
maus, Gr. yvç.
Murmure, murmuring, K. 1601.
A representation of an indis¬
tinct sound ; cf. Gr. ßupßapoc.
Murtheryng, murdering, K. 1143.
A.S. morth, Lat. mors.
Murye, merry, K. 528. A.S.
myrig.
Myie, a mile, K. 646. A.S. mil,
Lat. mille, a thousand (paces).
Myn (gen. of /), of me, P. 782,
K. 423.
Mynde, mind, remembrance, K.
544, 1048 ; cf. remind. A.S.
mynan, to remember.
Mynour, a miner, K. 1607. Gael»
meinn, ore, a mine.
Mynstralcye, minstrelsy, K. 1339.
O.Fr. menestrel, a workman;
Lat. ministerium, service.
Myre, mire, land so wet as to be
impassable, P. 508 ; cf. moor,
morass. Ger. moor, A.S. mere, a
pool, lake.
Myrour, a mirror, K. 541. Fr.
miroir, Lat. mirari, to view, to
admire.
288
GLOSSARIAL INDEX.
Myscarie, to misbehave, do amiss,
P. 513 ; miSy negative, carry, to
demeaij one's self ; cf. deport¬
ment.
Myselven, myself, for myself, P.
8L)3. Properly used only in the
oblique cases.
Myshappe, to go ill with, to mis¬
hap, K. 788. Prom mis and hap.
Myster, mode of life, occupation
(need), K. 482. O.Fr. mestier,
from Lat. ministerium; Pr. métier.
Myte, a mite, K. 700. A.S. mite,
any thing small ; cf. mote,
N.
Kacloun, a nation, P. 53. Lat.
natio, from nasci, to be born ;
cf. A.S. kin, from cennan, to
beget.
Naker, a kettle-drum, K. 1653.
Nam = ne am, am not, K. 264.
Namely, Namely che, especially,
above all, K. 410, 817, 1851,
2186. A.S. nemlic.
Narwe, narrow, close-shut, P.
625. A.S. nearwa, from neah,
near.
Nas=ne was, was not, P. 251,
550; nas not, was not, P. 428.
Nat, not, P. 177, 366. A.S. na-
wiht, nat.
Nath = ne katk, hath not, K. 65.
Natheles, nevertheless, none the
less, P. 35, K. 974. A.S. na-
tke-less; cf. Lat. nihilominus.
Ne, not, P. 70; nor, P. 179; ne
. . . ne, neither . . . nor ; ne .. .
but, only, P. 120.
Neede, needful, P. 304. A.S.
neade, Ger. noth.
Needes, Nedes, of necessity,
needs, K. 311, 2170. A.S. neades,
gen. of nead.
Needes-cost, necessarily, K. 619.
See note.
Needeth (impers.), needs; what
needeth, what is the need of, P.
849. A.S. neadian, to compel:
ne-ead, not-happiness.
Neer, near, K. 581 ; nearer, fer
ne neer, more or less, K. 992.
Neet, cattle, P. 597. A.S. nyt,
neat, a beast ; by way of emi¬
nence, cattle ; cf. neat leather.
Neigh, Neyh, nigh, wel neyk,
nearly, K. 472 ; as neigh as, as
close as, P. 588. A.S. neah.
Neighebour, a neighbor, P. 535.
A.S. neah gebur, near-dweller.
Nekke, neck, P. 238, K. 360. A.S.
hnecca.
Ner, Nerre, Neer, nearer, P.
838, K. 110,992; comp, of near.
Nercotykes, narcotics, K. 014.
Nere = ne wei-e, were not, K. 17.
Newe, recently, newly, P. 365,
428. A.S. niive, Ger. neu, Lat.
novus, Pr. neuf Gr. véoç.
Nexte, nearest, K. 555. Supl. of
near; A.S. neah; supl. nyhst,
next.
Night, a night, nights, P. 23.
A.S. nilit, Goth. nahts, Ger.
nacht, Lat. nox, Gr. vv^, W. nos.
Nightertale, night-tinie, P. 97.
A.S. niht and ta!, a reckon¬
ing.
Noble, well-known, famous, illus¬
trious, splendid, P. 00, 496, 708,
K. 1027. Lat. nolnlis (for gno-
bilis), that which is well known ;
hence (1) conspicuous or illus¬
trious; (2) possessed of quali¬
ties calculated to render one
illustrious.
Noght, not, P. 253, 648. A.S.
ne-aht.
Nolde = ne Wolde, would not, P.
550, K. 45.
Nombre, number, P. 716. Pr.
nombre, Lat. numerus.
Nomoo, no more, P. 101. A.S.
ma.
Non, Noon, no one; (pi.) no,
none, P. 178, 210, 594, K. 1038.
Nones, for the nones, for the occa¬
sion, P. 379. See note, P. 523.
Nonne, a nun, P. 118. Lat. non-
nus, nonna, a monk, a nun.
Literally, grandfather, grand¬
mother: cf. pope; i.e., papa,
father.
Noot, Not = ne wot, know not,
P. 284, K. 181, 482.
OLOSSARIAL INDEX.
289
Noote, a note, P. 235. Lat. notus
(qnotu$)y a mark by wliich any
thing may be known.
Norisching, Norisschynge, nur¬
ture, P. 437, K. 2159. Pr.
noimir; cf. nurse.
Nose-thurles, nostrils, P. 557.
8ee note. A.S. th^rel, a hole,
from thurlian, to pierce ; cf.
thrill^ trill, drill, through, thorough.
Not — ne wot, knows not, K. 405.
Not but, only, K. 1864; O.E.
nol/but.
Not heed, a head with close-cut
hair. P. 109.
Nother == ?ie other, neither, nor,
K. 88, 513.
Nothing (adv.), in no respect, K.
661.
Nought, not, P. 74, 107. A.S.
naht, ne-a-wiht.
Nouthe, as nouthe, just now, at
present, P. 462.
Nyce, soft, foolish, P. 398. See
note. Fr. nice, or A.S. hnesc.
Nys = He . . . is, is not, there is
no, K. 43.
O.
O, 00, one, P. 253, K. 354. Ab¬
breviated from one.
Oath, Oth (e), an oath, P. 120,
810. A.S. ath from a (aye,
ever) ; cf. ae, a law.
Obedient, submissive to proper
authority, willing, P. 851. Lat.
ohediens (ob-audiens).
Obeissaunce, obedience, K. 2116.
Fr. obéissance, Lat. obedire.
Observaunce, religious rites, K.
187, 1406. Lat. observantia.
Of, concerning, in regard to, P.
177,401 ; 0/ is also the regular
sign of the genitive case ; off, P.
782, K. 1818; out of, K. 1665;
by, K. 2119.
Offende, to injure, attack, K. 51,
1536. Lat. offendere.
Offensioun, damage, K. 1558.
Offertorie, a portion of scripture
said or sung while the alms is
being collected, P. 710.
Office, a position involving duties,
particularly of a public charac¬
ter, P. 292 ; fel in office, entered
service, K. 560. hai. officium.
Offryng, an offertory service, P.
450 ; alms, P. 489.
Ofte sithe (s), oftentimes, P.
485, K. 1019. A.S. sith, time.
Ofte tymes, many times, often¬
times, K. 454.
Oghte, ought, P. 660. A.S. a^czH.
Ok, Ook, an oak, K. 844, 1482.
A.S. ac, which form is still pre¬
served in acorn = oak-corn.
Old (e), old, P. 175. A.S. aid,
Ger. alt, Goth, altheis, from alan,
to nourish ; cf. Lat. alere.
On, 00 (n), one, P. 148, et passim ;
on and oon, one by one, each by
itself, P. 679. A.S. an, Lat.
itnus.
On, against, P. 594. A.S. on,
Lat. in.
Ony, any, P. 552. A.S. anig.
Oones, once, at oones, at once, P.
765. A.S. anes.
Oonly, only, K. 515, 731. A.S.
anlic.
Oype, opium, K. 614. Gr. oirôç,
juice of a plant.
Opynyoun, opinion, doctrine, P.
337. Lat. opinio.
Or, ere, P. 255, K. 771 ; or that,
before that, P. 36 ; cf. Lat. antea,
or ever, ere, ever, or .. . or,
either ... or, K. 627.
Oratorye, a place for prayer, a
small chapel, K. 1047. Lat.
Oratorium.
Orde3me, to ordain, K. 1695.
Ordres (sing, ordo^), orders, P.
210. Fr. ordre, Lat. ordo.
Ordynaunce, a public order, K.
1709.
Orisoun, a prayer, K. 1514. Fr.
oraison, Lat. oratio.
Oth, an oath, P. 810. A.S. ath.
Other, either, K. 735 ; other . . .
or, either ... or. A.S. oihihe.
Othre (pi. of o/Ae?'), othre thinges,
other things, P. 759. A.ñ. other,
pi. othre.
Ought, aught, P. 389. A.S. aht.
290
G LO s s AB I AL INDEX
Ought (e) (pr. of owe), ought, P.
605 See note.
Cure (gen. pi. of we), of us, our,
P. 605, 813, cure alther, of us all,
P. 823.
Outhees, outcry, K. 1154. Mid.
Lat. hutesium, Fr. huer, to shout.
Outrage, excess, K. 1154. Lat.
ultra.
Outrydere, one who rides well
up with the hounds in hunting,
P. 166.
Over, upper, over lippe, upper lip,
P. 133. A.S. ofer.
Overal, everywhere, P. 216, K.
349 ; above all, chiefly, P. 249 ;
besides, K. 1992. Ger. iiberal.
Overeste (supl. of over), upper¬
most, P. 290.
Over-ryden (p.p. ridden over), K.
1164.
Overspradde (pr.), overspread,
P. 678. A.S. spraedan.
Overthwart, across, K. 1133.
A.S. ihweor, crooked •, of. queer,
Oer. quer, athwart.
Owen, Owne, own, P. 336, 804,
JÍ. 2219. A.S. a^en, from a^an,
to possess.
Owher, anywhere, P. 653. A.S.
ohwaer.
Oxenford, Oxford, — the ford of
the river Cuse, P. 285. See
note.
Oynement, ointment, P. 631.
Lat. unguentum.
Oynouns, onions, P. 634. Fr.
oignon, Lat. unio, A.S. yneleac.
P.
Paas, a footpace, P. 525 ; paces,
steps, K. 1032 ; a paas, at a pace,
hastily, apace, K 1359.
Pace, to pass, P. 175, K. 2140 ; to
pass on, proceed, P. 36, K. 744 ;
to surpass, P. 574. Fr. passer.
Paeient, a patient, P. 415, (adj.)
patient, P. 484. Lat. patiens.
Page, a servant, especially a
youth, K. 569. Fr. page, Or.
TraLÔiov,
Paire, a pair, a set, P. 473. Lat.
par, equal, hence denoting any
thing divided into equal parts.
Pale, pallid, pale, P. 205. Lat.
pallidus.
Paleys, a palace, K. 1341. See
note.
Palfray, a saddle-horse, P. 207.
Fr. palefroi. Mid. Lat. veredus ;
of. Ger. pferd.
Palmer, one who has made a pil¬
grimage to the Holy Land, and
who wears a palm branch as a
token, P. 13.
Pan, the skull, the liead, K. 307.
A.S. panne, applied to the skull
as holding the brain.
Paradys, paradise, K. 379.
Paramentz, ornamental furni¬
ture or clothing, K. 1643. Lat.
parare ; cf. apparel.
Paramour, gallantry, a lover, K.
1254, (adv.) witli love, K. 297.
Fr. par amour.
Parchaunce, perhaps, P. 475 ; cf.
par cas.
Pardé, an oath, P. 563, K. 454.
Fr. par Dieu.
Pardoner, a seller of indulgences,
P. 669.
Pardoun, a pardon, an indulgence,
P. 687, — the Latin equivalent
of forgiveness.
Parfiight, perfect, P. 422. Fr.
parfait, Lat. perfectus.
Parischen, a parishioner, P. 482.
Fr. paroissien.
Parlement: ( 1 ) a meeting for con¬
sultation, K. 2113 ; (2) the de¬
crees of such a meeting, K. 448.
Fr. parlement.
Part. See Partye.
Parte, a party, company, K. 1724.
Fr. parti, Lat. ¡>ars.
Partrich, a partridge, P. 349. Fr.
perdrix.
Party, partly, K. 195. Fr. en par-
tie.
Partye, Part, a party, K. 1588,
1799; part, K. 2150.
Parvys, a portico before a church,
P. 310. See note.
Passant, Passyng, surpassing, K.
1249, 2027. Fr. passant.
OLOSSARIAL INDEX,
291
Fasse, to surpass, P. 448, K. 2231.
Patent, an open letter giving
public notice of some grant, as
of nobility, P. 315. Lat. patens.
Paye, to pay, P. 539. Lat. pacare,
to satisfy.
Payen, pagan, K. 1512. Fr. paieriy
Lat. ¡KKjanuSy a villager.
Payne, torture, K. 275, A.S.pm.
Peire, Peyre, a pair, a set, P. 159.
Lat. par, hence : (1) two things
equal to each other ; (2)anum-
berof equal things. Peyre plates,
plates for breast and back, K.
1263.
Penaunce, penance, P. 223; Lat.
poemtentia : pain, K. 457 ; Lat,
poena; cf. Gr. (l>ovôç.
Peples, people, K. 1655. Fr. peu-
ple, Lat. poi)ulus.
Perce, to pierce, P. 2. Fr. percer;
cf. perk, prick.
Perfight, Perfyt, perfect, P. 72,
338. Fr. parfait, Lat. perfectus.
Perles, pearls, K. 1303. A.S.
pearl.
Perrye, jewelry, precious stones,
K. 2078. Fr. pen é, from pierre,
a stone ; Lat. petra.
Pers, cloth of a bluish-gray color,
P. 617.
Persoun, a parson, P. 478 ; see
note, P. 702.
Pertourben, to disturb, K. 48.
Lat. perturbare.
Peyne, pain, grief, K..439. A. S.
pin, Oer. pein, Lat. poena.
Peyne, to take pains, to endeavor,
P. 139. Fr. peiner.
Peynte, to paint, K. 1076. Fr.
peindre, Lat. pingere.
Philosofre, a philosopher, an al¬
chemist, P. 297.
Phisik, medicine, P. 433. Gr.
(pvoiKÔç, natural, — a singular
satire.
Pighte, pitched, thrown head-first,
K. 1831. Pitch and pick are
different forms of the same
word.
Plkepurs, a pick-pocket, K. 1140.
Piled, stripped of hair, bald, P.
627 ; see puile. »Fr. pelé, a bald-
head ; cf. pillage.
Piler, a pillar, K. 1135. A.S- pil,
a stake, a pile, Lat. p/Za.
Pilgrimage, a journey to foreign
lands, especially for religious
purposes, a pilgrimage, P. 13.
Lat. peregrinus, Fr. pèlerinage.
Pilour, a plunderer, a pillager, K.
149. Fr. piller, to rob.
Pilwe-beer, a pillow-case, P. 694.
Low Ger. beere, a pillow-case.
Pine, to pine away; forpyned,
pined away, P. 205. A.S. pin,
pain.
Pitance, an allowance of appetiz¬
ing food, to be eaten with bread,
hence a small portion, P. 224.
Fr. pitance.
Pité (e), pity, K. 62, 893. O.Fr,
pité, Lat. ])ietas.
Pitous, compassionate, piteous,
pious, K. 1437.
Pitously, piteously, piously.
Place, residence, P. 607 ; an open
field, K. 1541. Fr. place, Ger.
platz.
Plat, plain, K. 987. Fr. plat, Ger.
platt.
Piayen. See Pleye.
Playn, clear, plain, P. 790. Lat.
planus, level.
Playnen, to complain, K. 393.
Fr. plaindre, Lat. plangere.
Plentyvous, plentiful, P. 344.
Plesant, Plesaunt, pleasant, P.
138. Fr. plaisant, pleasing.
Plesaunce, pleasure, K. 713.
Plese, to please, P. 610. Fr.
plaire, Lat. placere.
Pley (e), play, pleasure, K. 267.
A.S. plega.
Pleye (n), Playen, to play, to
make sport, P. 236, 257. A.S.
plegian.
Pleyn, full, plenary, P. 315. Lat.
plenus.
Pleyn (adv.), plainly, P. 727.
Lat. plane.
Pleyne, to plead, P. 327 ; to com¬
plain, K. 462. Fr. plaindre, to
complain.
Pleynly, fully, K. 875. Lat. ple¬
num.
Pleyynge, amusement, out-door
' exercise, K. 203.
292
GLOS s ABI AL INDEX.
Pocok, peacock, P. 104. A.S.
pawa, Ger. pfau, Lat. pavo.
Point, gist of the matter, P. 790.
Lat. punctum, a prick : hence
(1) that which pricks; (2) the
mark made by a sharp instru¬
ment ; (3) any small space or
time; (4) the point towards
which discourse aims.
Pollax, an axe fitted to a handle,
K. 1687. A-S. poly a handle,
"an axe for knocking one on
the poll or head." Wedgwood.
Pomei, top of the head, K. 1831.
O.Fr. pommel, Lat. pomum, an
apple ; hence any thing shaped
like an apple.
Pomely, dappled, pomelif gray,
dappled gray, P. 616. Fr. pom¬
me, an apple; spotted like an
apple.
Pompe, reverential manner, P.
525, Gr. nofiTTT), a solemn pro¬
cession, hence a stately man¬
ner.
Poraille, the poor, P. 247. Fr.
Pore, poor. Fr. pauire, Lat. pau¬
per.
Port, demeanor, carriage, P. 69,
138. Vr.porter, Lat. portare; cf.
deportment.
Portraiture, a painting, pictures,
K, 1110 Yv. pourtraire.
Portraying, painting, K. 1080.
Portreyour, a painter, K. 1041.
portraire; cf portrait.
Pose, to suppose, to put a case,
K. 304. Fr. apposer.
Post, a support, a pillar, P. 214;
see note. Lat. positus.
Pouche, a pocket, P. 368. See
note.
Poudre-marchant, a sharp sea¬
soning powder, P. 381.
Poure, jioor, P. 225. Fr. pauvre,
Lat, pauper.
Povrely, humbly, like a poor
man, K. 696.
Power, ability, authority ; power
of, authority to grant, P. 218.
Fr. pouvoir.
Powre, to pore, P. 185 ; allied to
bore.
Poynaunt, pungent, highly sea¬
soned, P. 352. Fr. poiynant,
Lat. pungens.
Poynt, the smallest particle, K.
1908 ; tlie gist of a matter un¬
der discussion, K. 2113. See
Point.
Practisour, a practitioner, P. 422.
Praye, to pray, P. 743 ; to pray
for, K. 404. Fr. prier, Lat.
precan.
Preche, to preach, P. 481. Fr.
prêcher, Lat. predicare.
Freest, a priest, P. 164, an abbre¬
viation of presbyter.
Prelat, a prelate, a superior clergy¬
man, P. 204. Fr. prélat, Lat.
preferre.
Prescience, foreknowledge, K.
455. Lat. pre-scientia.
Prese, to press, K. 1672. Lat.
premere, pressum.
Preve, to prove, P. 547. Lat.
probare.
Preye, to pray, K. 625. See
Praye.
Preyeres, prayers, P. 231. Fr.
prier, Lat. precari.
Pricasour, a hard rider, P. 189 ;
literally, a spurrer.
Prike, to incite, P. 11, K. 185; to
ride horseback, K, 1820. A.S.
priccian, to prick, to spur.
Prikke, a stab, a prick, K. 1748.
Prikyng, riding horseback, P.
191. Prick, a spur.
Prime, six o'clock, a. m., the first
quarter of the artificial day, K.
1331. Lsit. ])rimn hora.
Prioresse, the Lady Superior of a
convent, P. 118. Lat. prior.
Pris, Prys, praise, prize, honor,
P. 67, 237 ; price, P. 815 ; prize
(in arms), victory, K. 1383;
Ger. preisen, to esteem. Lat.
pretium; cf. praise, prize, price.
Prisoun, confinement, imprison¬
ment, K. 165, 237, 438. Fr.
prison, Lat. prehensio.
Prively, privately, P. 609 ; secret¬
ly, P. 652. Lat. privus.
Processe, progress, K. 2109. Lat.
processus.
QLOSSARIÄL INDEX.
293
Properly, according to the pecu¬
liarities of each, P. 729. Lat.
piofn le.
Propre,peculiar, one^sown; propre
pood, private property, P. 581.
See note.
Proude, valiant, K. 1740. A.S.
prut: (1) vigorous, handsome;
(2) feeling begotten by the con¬
sciousness of possessing such
qualities.
Prys, prize, P. 67, 815. See Pris,
Pryve, secret, K. 1602. Lat.
privas.
Pryvyte, secret purpose, privity,
K. 553. Lat. privatus.
PuUe, to pluck, to palle a finch, to
pluck a finch, to cheat a green¬
horn, P. 652 ; pulled, plucked,
plundered, and so poor, a pulled
hen, a worthless hen, P. 177.
Fr. piller, to rob; cf. peeled.
Pultrie, poultry, P. 598. Fr.
poale, Lat. pullus.
Punyssched, punished, P. 657.
Lat. punitus.
Purchas, receipts from alms, P.
256 ; any thing acquired by
effort. Fr. pour-chasser, to hunt
after.
Purchasyng, prosecution, P. 320.
See supra.
Pure, mere, very, the pure fettres,
tlie very fetters, K. 421.
Purfiled, ornamented, embroid¬
ered, P. 193. Fr. pourfiler, to
work on the edge, to ornament
with gold thread ; cf. profile, to
purl.
Purs, purse, P. 656. Lat. bursa,
a hide ; cf. bursar, a treasurer,
bourse.
Purtray, to draw, to portray, P.
96. Fr. portraire.
Purveatmce, Purveauns, prov¬
idence, plan, foresight, K. 394,
807, 2153. Lat. Providentia.
Pye, a pie, P. 384, an abbrevia¬
tion of (pastry), ^r. paste,
pâte.
Proche at, to find fault with, to
be captious, P. 826. Fr. pincer ;
cf. " to snap up one."
Pynche (p.p. i-pynched), to plait,
P. 151. See I-pynched.
Pyne» sorrow, pain, Iv. 466. A.S.
pin, Ger. ¡teta.
Pyne, to torment, to pain, K. 888.
A.S. pinan, Ger. peiniyen.
Pynne, a pin, P. 233. A.S. p//m,
W.pin, Gael, pinne, a pin, — the
radical idea is that of point.
Pynoun, a flag, streamer, pennon,
K. 120. Fr. pennon.
Q.
Qualme, sickness, K. 1156. A.S.
cwealm, pestilence, death ; Ger.
qual.
Queen, Quen, a queen, K. 10,
24. A.S. cioen, Goth, qens, a
woman, — literally a mother ;
A.S. cennan, to bring forth; cf.
quean.
Queynte(pr.oiqaench,p.p queynt),
quenched, K. 1453, 1476. A.S.
cwencan.
Queynte, quaint, odd, K. 673 ;
strange, wonderful, K. 1475.
Fr. coint, Lat. cognitus.
Quicksilver, mercury, P. 629 ;
live-silver.
Quod, quoth, said, P. 658, K. 49,
376. A.S. cwedhan.
Quok, Quook (pr. of quake),
quaked, trembled, K. 718, 904.
A.S. civacian, Ger. quackeln; cf.
quaq-mire, ivag, wngr/le.
Quyk, lively, quick, P. 306. A.S.
ctvic, Goth, kwius; cf. Lat. vivus.
Quyke, alive, K. 157.
Quyke, to revive, K. 1477. A.S.
cwiccian.
Quyte, to requite, pay, P. 770; set
free, K. 174. Fr. quitter, Lat.
quietare ; cf. quit, acquit, requite.
Quytly, freely, qutte, at liberty,
K. 934.
R.
Rad (p.p. of rede), read, K. 1737,
A.S. raedan.
Rafter, a rafter, K. 182. A.S
raefter, from hraefnian, to sup-
GLOS s ABI AL INDEX.
port, — hence the support of a
roof.
Rage, a raging (wind), K. 1127.
Fr. rage, Lat. rabies; Chaucer
also uses ragerie, wantonness.
Rage, to play, to sport vigorously,
P. 257. To act aimlessly as in
play.
Ransake, to search thoroughly,
K. 147. Icel. ransaka, to ex¬
plore. The word did not imply
a disorderly search.
Rasour, a razor, K. 1559. Fr.
rasoir, Lat. rädere, to scrape.
Rather, sooner, more willingly,
P. 487, K. 295. A.S. hraihe, of
one's own accord; comp, of
roth, soon.
Raughte (pr. of reche), reached,
P. 136. K. 2057. A.S. raecan,
pr. raehte.
Raunceoun, Raunsoun, a ran¬
som, K. 166, 318, 347. Fr. ran¬
çon, Lat. redemptio.
Real, Rial, Ryal, royal, regal, K.
160, 639. Fr. real, Lat. regalis;
of. Hind, rajah, a prince.
Really, Ryally, Ryallyche, roy¬
ally, regally, P. 378, K. 829.
Rebel, a rebel, rebellious, P. 833,
K. 2188. Lat. re-hellnm,
Rebellyng, rebellion, K. 1601.
Recche, Rekke (pr. roghte, rovghte,
to care for, to reck, to heed, K.
540, 1387. A.S. reccan ; of.
reckless.
Reccheles, reckless, P. 179. A.S.
recceleas.
Reconforte, to recomfort, to com¬
fort, K. 1994. Lat. fortis.
Recorde, to remember, remind,
P. 829. Lat. recordari.
Red, an adviser, counsel, P. 665.
A.S. raedan, to explain.
Rede, Reed (t), red, P. 90, 153,
K. 889. A.S. read, Goth, rauds,
Oer. roth; cf. ruddy.
Rede, to advise, K. 2210, 2213.
A.S. raedan.
Rede, to read, P. 709. A.S.
raedan, Oer. reden.
Redoutyng, reverence, K. 1192.
Fr. redouter, to fear.
Redy, ready, P. 21, 352. A.S.
raed, Ger. bereit. Allied to ridan,
to set out.
Reed, Rede, resource, plan, K.
358.
Reeve, an overseer, a steward, P.
542,599. A.S. gerefa, Ger. graf ;
cf. sheriff, i.e., shire-reeve.
Refuge: (1) a place of refuge;
(2) protection, K. 862. Lat. re-
fngere.
Reireischei to refresh, K. 1764.
See Fresshe.
Registre, a record, a register.
Fr. as from Lat. re-gesia.
Reyne, a kingdom, K. 8 ; by me-
tonomy, a king, K. 766. Fr. règne,
Lat. regnum.
Reherce, to rehearse, P. 732. Fr.
rehercer, herse = a harrow ; lit¬
erally to go over the ground
again with a harrow ; cf. col¬
loquial use of " to rake up old
stories."
" Rehersyng, a rehearsal, K. 792.
Reken, Rekne, to calculate, to
reckon, P. 401 ; to recount,
mention, K. 1075. A.S. recan,
to tell, Ger. rechnen.
Rekenynge, account, P. 600.
Reliques, relics, P. 701. Lat.
reliquiae; literally, things left;
cf. relict, a widow.
Remedye, remedy, P. 475. Lat.
remedium, re-mederi, to heal
again.
Remenaunt, a remnant, P. 724.
Fr. remanant, Lat. remanere.
Rendyng, tearing, K. 1976. A.S.
rendan ; cf. rent, a tear.
Renges, ranks, rows, K. 1736.
Fr. renge. Probably allied to
A.S. raecan, to reach, to stretch
to, — the idea being that of a
line ; cf. range of a gun.
Renne (pr. ran, ron, pl. rönne, p.p.
ironne (u), ronne (n), to run, K,
903, 1777. A.S. yiruxn, pr. arn,
p.p. nrnen ; Ger. rennen ; cf
enand, rennet (vulgo, runnet).
Rennyng, running, at a rennyng,
on a run, P. 551.
Renoun, renown, wide-spread
G LO s s ABI AL INDEX.
^95
knowledge of one, P. 316. Fr.
renom, Lat. re-nomen.
Kente, regular income, revenue,
P. 256, 579- Fr. rente, from
rendre, Lat. reddere ; of. render,
returns from an investment.
Kente (pr. of rende), threw down,
K. 132. A.S. rendan.
Bepentaunce, penitence, K. 918.
Lat. re-penitentia.
B pentaunt, penitent, P. 228.
Kepplicacioun, reply, rejoinder,
K. 988. Lat. repUcatio, literally
a folding back.
Beportour, a reporter, P. 814.
Lat. re-portare, to bring back;
cf. colporteur.
Bescous, rescue, K. 1785. O.Fr.
rescous, Lat. re-excutere, to fetch
a thing out of pawn.
Bese, to shake, K. 1128. A.S.
hreosan, to shake, fall.
Besons, sayings, opinions, P. 274.
Fr. raison, Lat. ratio.
Besoun, reflection, reason, K.
908 : reasonable, P. 847.
Besowne, to resound, K. 420.
Lat. resonare.
Bespite, delay, consideration, K.
90. O.Fr. respit, Lat. respectas.
Betenue, knights of, retainers, K.
1644. Fr. retinue, Lat. retiñere.
Bette, to impute, P. 726. See
Aretted.
Berile, a rule, P. 173. A.S. regol,
Fr. règle, Lat. regula, from regere,
to direct.
Beule, Bewle, to rule, P. 816, K.
814. Lat. regere.
Keuthe, pity, K. 1533 ; cf. ruth¬
less. A.S. hreou'ian, to be sorry
for.
Bevel, a noisy gathering or feast,
K. 1859. O.Fr. revel, Lat. rahii-
lare ; cf. rabble.
Beverence, respect, P. 141 ; in
reverence, modestly, P. 305. Lat.
reverentia.
Eewe, a row, K. 2008. A.S-
raewa, Ger. reihe.
Bewe (n), to be sorry for, to pity,
K. 1005, 1375. A S. hreowian,
Ger. reuen, Eng. rue.
BewfuUeste, saddest, exciting
most pity, K. 2028.
Beyn, rain, P. 492. A.S. regen.
Beyne, a rein, K. 46. Fr. renne,
from Lat. retiñere.
Beyue, to rain, K. 677. A.S.
regnian, Ger. regnen.
Beyse, to make a military expedi¬
tion, P. 54. A.S. raesan, Ger.
reisen, O.E. race, to rush; cf.
mill-race.
Bially, Biallyche, royally. See
Beaily.
Biche, rich, the rich, P.248. A.S.
ric, wealth, power, Ger. reich,
Goth, reiks, ruler ; cf. Lat. rex.
Bichesse, riches, K. 397. Fr.
richesse. The noun in English
is collective with an apparently
plural termination.
Biden (pr. rood, pi. riden, p.p.
riden), to ride, P. 169, 328, 825.
A.S. ridan, Ger. reiten, — the
original idea being that of sway¬
ing up and down, like the
motion of one on horseback.
Bight, very, P. 288, even, wholly ;
P. 804 ; exactly, just, right now,
just now, P. 767 ; rightes, rightly,
at alle rightes, in all respects, K.
994. A.S. riht, Ger. recht, Lat.
rectus.
Bightful, just, full of right, K.
861.
Bime, to tell in poetry, K. 601 ;
see note. A.S. rim.
Bite, Byte, a religious ceremony,
K. 1044, 1426 ; to do rites, to per¬
form religious ceremonies. Lat.
rite, in due form.
Bobes, clothing, P. 296. Fr. robe,
A.S. reaf, clothing. From rob,
reave (bereave), from the fact
that they were originally made
of skins of animals, which would
easily give rise to the figure of
robbing one animal of its dress
to make one for another.
Bome, to roam, K. 207 ; see note.
Literally, to go to Rome.
Bonne (n), pr. pi. of renne.
Bood (pr. of ride), rode, P. 390.
Boos (pr. of ryse), rose, P. 823.
296
olossäbiäl index.
Roost, a roast, P. 206.
Boote, rote, by râofe^ by rote, P.
827. Pr. route ; cf. routine.
Rore, to roar, K. 2023. A.S.
raran.
Roste, to roast, P. 147, 384. O.Fr.
rostir, Ger. rösten, to roast, from
rost, a grate, a gridiron.
Rote, a musical instrument, P.
236.
Rouke, to huddle, lie close, K.
450. Wedgwood refers to Dan¬
ish ru(je, to brood, to hatch.
Bouncy, a hackney horse, P. 390.
Round, full, rotund, protuberant,
K. 1310. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus.
Roundel, a song in which there
are repetitions, or a song with
a chorus, K. 671. Fr. rondelet,
a roundelay.
Route, Rowte, a company, P.
622, K. 1295. O.Fr. route, Ger.
rotte.
Routhe, pity, ruth, it was routhe,
it was sorrowful, K. 56. See
Reuthe.
Budelyche, coarsely, rudely, P.
734. Lat. mdis, unwrought,
hence denoting the manners of
an uncultivated person.
Ruggy, rough, ragged, K. 2025.
A.S. hracod, O.E. royge, to tear.
Ruschyng, rushing, K. 783. A.S.
raesan, roes. But cf. Webster's
Diet.
Byal, royal. See Real.
Ryally, royally. See Really,
Ryngen, to ring, K. 1742; an im¬
itative word ; cf. to ding.
Rynges, rings, K. 1307. A.S.
hring, a circle ; Ger. ring.
Ryse (pr. roos), to rise, P. 33.
A.S. risan, pr. ras.
Kyt = rideth, rides, K. 116, 123.
A.S. ridan; 3d sing. pres. rit.
S.
Sacred, devoted to pious uses,
holy, K. 1063. Lat. sacer.
Sad, sober, staid, K. 2127. O.E.
sad, firm, A.S. saed, satisfied,—
hence at rest.
Sadel, a saddle, K. 1304. A.S.
sadel, from sittan; cf. settle, a
seat ; A.S. sett, Ger. sattel.
Sadly, firmly, K. 1744. A.S.
satd.
Sake, cause, K. 942. A.S. sacu,
strife, suit at law ; Ger. sache.
Salte, salt, K. 422. A.S. sealt,
Goth, salt, Lat. sal, Gr. a^.
Salue, to salute, K. 634. Fr.
Siduer, Lat. salutare.
Saluyng, a salutation, K. 791.
Sangwyn, ruddy, P. 333, K. 1310.
Lat. sanguineus.
Sarge, a coarse woollen stuff,
serge, K. 1710.
Sauce, sauce, condiments, or veg¬
etables eaten with meat, P. 129 ;
(Morris explains as=sawcer).
Lat. salsus.
Sauf, save, except, P. 683, K.
1322.
Saugh (pr. of see), saw, P. 193,
764. A.S. seon, pr. seah.
Save, the herb sage, salvia, K.
1855. Lat. solvere, to be in
good heath.
Sawceflem, pimpled, P. 625 ; see
note. Lat. salsum-phlegma ; cf.
.salt-rheum.
Sawe, a saying, a saw, K. 305 ;
discourse, K. 668. A.S. sagn,
from secgan, to say. The Icel.
form saga may be said to be
almost naturalized.
Sawtrie, a psaltery, P. 296.
Sayn (pr seide), to say, P. 284.
Scape, escape, K. 249. See note.
Scarsly, parsimoniously, frugally
p. 583. Lat. excerptus.
Schaft, an arrow, K. 504. A.S.
sceafi, a shaved stick, from
scapan, to shape ; Ger. schafl.
Schake (p.p.), shaken, P. 406.
A.S. sceac.an; cf. to shuck.
Schal, shall, P. 731 ; see note,
must, P. 853 ; and ay schal, and
ever must, K. 325. A.S. sceal.
Schame : (1) disgrace, K. 697 ; (2)
the feeling caused by disgrace ; '
(3) a similar feeling due to
modesty. A.S. sceamu, Ger.
scham.
GLOS SAR [AL INDEX.
297
ßchamfastnesse, modesty, P. 840.
Xüw incorreeily spelled shame-
facedness.
Schap, shape, forra, K. 1031. A.S.
scapaUf to form, to shape; of.
land-sc«;?^.
Schape (n), (p.p. schape (h), to
plan, purpose, / loole schape me
= I will plan for myself, i.e. I
will adjust myself, P. 809 ; fixed,
determined, K. 250, 534. A.S.
scapariy Ger. schaffen.
Schaply, fit (in shape), P. 372.
Scharp, sharp,P. 114. A.S.scear;?,
from sceran (sc€arfan)y to cut;
Ger. scharf.
Schave, (p.p.), shaven, P. 588.
A.S. scafaUy Ger. schaben^ to
shave.
Sehe, she. A.S, seo, E.E. scho.
Scheeld, a shield, K. 1264. A.S.
scyldy from scyldauy to protect;
Ger. schild.
Scheeldes, shillings, crowns — a
coin marked with a shield, P.
278. Fr. écH, Lat. scutum. Shil¬
ling = shielding.
Schene, Scheene, briglit, beauti¬
ful, P. 115, K. 651. A.S. seen,
from seinen, to shine ; cf. sheen,
Ger. schön.
Sebent (p.p. of scÄeni/e), destroyed,
K. 1896. A.S. scendan.
Schepne (pi. of schepen), stables,
K. 1142. A.S. scypen; Ger.
Schoppen, coach-house.
Schere, shears, K. 1559. A.S.
sceran, Ger. scheren, to cut. From
this root come share, plough¬
share, shire, shore pot-sherd, shred,
short, skirt, shirt, sharp, shroud,&c.
Scherte, a shirt, K. 708. A.S.
sceort, short ; i.e., a short gar¬
ment.
Sehet (p.p.), shut, K. 1739. A.S.
srittan, to lock.
Schlre, a county, P. 15, 356, 584.
A.S. sceran, to divide; cf. shire-
town, sherff= shire-reeve.
Sehirreve, a sheriff, reeve of the
shire or county, P. 359. A.S.
gerefa, Ger. graf, A.S. reaf, a
tax-gatherer.
Schode, the temple, K. 1149.
A.S. sceadan, to divide ; literally
= the dividing (of the hair) ; cf.
shed, shed-root, vidXer-shed.
Scheide, should.
Schon (pr. of schine), shone, P.
198. A.S. scinan, pr. scan.
Schoo, a shoe, P. 253. A.S. sceo,
Goth, skohs, Ger. schuh.
Schort, short, l^. 93, 549, wanting,
deficient, P. 746. From A.S.
sceran, to shear, sceort, short.
Schorte, to shorten, P. 791. A.S.
scortian.
Schortly, Schorteliche, in a little
time, P. 30 ; briefly, P. 715 ; in
brief, K. 627. A.8. scortlice.
Schot, a javelin, a missile weapon,
K. 1686, A.S. scot, a dart^
sceotan, to shoot.
Schowres, pi. of schowei', P. 1.,
A.S. sceor, a storm, Goth, skura
windis, a storm of wind.
Schrive (p.p. ischrive), to shrive,,
to hear confession, P. 226. A.8.
scrifan.
Schul (n), (pl.), shall, K. 889.
A.S. Icsceal, we sculon, p. sceo/de.
Schulde, should, ought to, P. 249,
745 ; cf. Ger. schuldig.
Schulder (pl. schuldres), a shoul¬
der, P. 678. A.^.sciilder. Prob¬
ably from scy/c/, a shield, alluding
to the shape of the shoulder-
blades. Wedgwood suggests
that its probable origin is shovtU
Schuldered, shouldred, P. 549.
Schyne, a shin, leg, P. 386, K.
421. A.S. scyna.
Schyne, to shine, K. 118. A.S.
scinan ; cf. sheen, Ger. schön.
Schyveren, to break in pieces,
to shiver, K. 1747. Ger. schief¬
ern; cf. A.S. scyfan, also to
quiver, slaves (of flax).
Science, learning, knowledge, P.
316. Lat. scientia.
Scole, a school, a particular style,
P. 125 (Gr. üxoAq, leisure); (1)
time given to intellectual pur¬
suits ; (2) a place where leisure
is thus employed; (3) a style
peculiar to those thus engaged
298
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX.
together ; (4) a particular style
in general.
Scoler, a scholar, P. 260. In
A.S. scolere.
Scoleye, to attend school, P. 302.
O.Fr. escoloier.
Scriptures, writings, K. 1186.
Lat. scriplume. Now restricted
to sacred writings.
Seche, Seeke, to seek, P. 17, 784 ;
for to seche, to be sought. A.S.
secan.
Seed, seed, P. 596. A.S. saed,
from sawan, to sow.
Seek (e), sick, P. 18. A.S. seoc,
Goth, sinks, Ger. siech.
Seeknesse, sickness, K. 898.
Seene (pr. seigh, seyh), to see, K.
56, P. 580, K. 97. A.S. seon,
seah.
Seet (pi. seeten), sat, K. 1217,
2035. A.S. sitian pr. saet.
Sege, a siege, K. 79. Fr. siège,
Lat. sedes, a sitting or seat; in
war opposed to storm.
Seide (pr. of seye), said, should
say, P. 183.
Seigh (pr. of seene), saw, P. 850.
Seistow, sayest thou, K. 267.
Seknesse, sickness, K. 453. A.S.
seocnysse.
Seide, seldom, K. 681. A.S.
seid (an), Ger. selten.
Selle, house, hall, P. 172. Fr.
salle.
Selle, to give, P. 278. A.S. syllan,
to give ; the original idea seems
to be that of delivery.
Sellers, givers, P. 248.
Selve, same, that selve — that same,
that very, K. 1726 ; properly
dat. and acc. of self. A.S. seof,
Ger. selb.
Seme (v. impers.), to seem, P. 39.
A.S. seman, to seem, to approve.
Semely, becomingly, pleasantly,
fitly, P. 123 ; proper, suitable,
P. 751. A.S. seman, Goth, sam-
jan, to please.
Sen (e), seen (e) (pr. seigh, seyh),
to see,yor to sene = to be seen,
P. 134, K. 415, 449.
Sendal, a thin, rich silk, P. 440.
Sentence, meaning, P. 798 ; high
sentence = of great pith or mean¬
ing, P. 306; decision, K. 1674.
Lat. sententia ; cf. sententious.
Sergeant of Lawe, a lawyer of
the highest rank, P. 309.
Sermonyng, persuading, preach¬
ing, K. 2233. Lat. sermo.
Servage, bondage, serfdom, K.
1088. Lat. servire.
Serve, to supply, wait upon, P.
749. Lat. servire.
Servysable, willing to perform
service, P. 99.
Serye, a series, K. 2209. Lat.
series, a row.
Sesoun, season, P. 19. Fr. saison,
Lat. safio.
Sessioun, session, P. 355. Lat.
sessio.
Seten (p-p- of sitte), sat, K. 594.
Sethe (p.p. sodden), to boil, P. 383.
A.S. seothan; cf. suds.
Sette, to place, P. 507, 748 ; sette
a souper, prepare (set out) a sup¬
per, P. 815. A.S. settan (causa¬
tive of sittan), pr. sette, p.p.
geset.
Seurte, agreement, security, to
defye the seurtè = to deny the
agreement, K. 746. An abbre¬
viation of security.
Sey (e), Seyn (pr. seyde), to say,
P. 181, 468. A.S. secgan.
Seyh (pr. of sene), saw, K. 97.
Seyl, a sail, P. 695. A.S. segel.
Seynt, a girdle, P. 329. Lat.
cinctus.
Seynt (e), holy, a saint, P. 173,
697 ; seynte charité = sacred char¬
ity, K. 863. Fr. sai'/if, Lat. sanc-
tus.
Shef, a sheaf, a handful, P. 104.
A.S. sceaf Ger. schaub.
Shorteliche, briefly, K. 627.
Shrighte, shrieked, K. 1959.
Side, side, P. 112. A.S. sid, broad,
vast, long; Ger. seite.
Siege, investment, siege, P. 56.
Fr. siège (Lat. sedere), a seat:
hence the captxire of a fortifica¬
tion by investment, instead of
by assault.
GLOSSÄlllAL INDEX.
Sigh, a sigh, K. 259. A.S. sican,
to sigh, to sikej to act like a sick
person.
Sight, foresight, providence^ K.
814.
Signe, a sign, P. 226. Fr. signCf
Lat. Signum; cf. signal.
Sik (e), sick, P. 245. A.S. sic,
seoc ; cf. sican, to sighf
Sike, a sigh.
Sike, to sigh, K. 682. Á..^. sican;
cf. sick.
Siker, sure, certain, K. 2191.
Gcr. sicher ; cf. Lat. securus.
Sikerly, surely, certainly, P. 137.
Siknesse, disease; in O.E. gener¬
ally denoting epidemics, as the
Plague, P. 493. A.S. seocnysse.
Singe (pr. sonq, p.p. songe, sunge),
to sing, P. 711, K. 197. A.S.
singan, pr. sang, p.p. sungen.
Sire, sir (a title of respect), P.
355. Lat. senior.
Sistren (pi. of sísíer), sisters, K.
161 ; cf. brethren.
Sith (e), time, times, oße sithes,
ofte sithe = often times, P. 455,
K. 1019. A.S. sith.
Sith, Siththen, since, afterwards,
K. 72, 434; siththen that = since,
K. 1244. A S. sith, time, sith
than (postea), afterwards; Ger.
seit.
Sitte (pres. 3d sing, sit, pr. sat,
p.p. seten), to sit, K. 741, 594.
A.S. sittan (he sit), pr. saet, p.p.
seten.
Sittyng, staying, P. 633.
Skalled, having the scall, or scab,
P. 627 ; cf. scír/í/-head. A.S.
scyl, a scale, scylan, to separate.
Skathe, loss, misfortune, P. 446.
A.S. sceathan, Ger. schaden.
Sklendre, slender, P. 587. From
a root signifying to dangle.
Skyn, skin, K. 1284. A.S. sein.
Probably from scinan, to appear,
to shine. •
Slake, slow, slack, K. 2043. A.S.
slaec, from slaw, slow.
Slee (n). Sien (pr. slough slowh,
p.p. slayn), to slay, P. 63, 661,
K. 122, 260, 1608. A.S. slean
(singan), pr. sloh, p.p. slagen;
Ger. schlagen; ci.slaughter,sledge,
sleet.
Sleep, Slep (pr. of slepen), slept,
P. 98, 397, K. 616.
Sleere, a slayer, K. 1147. A.S.
slaga.
Sleeve, Sieve, a sleeve, P. 93.
A.S. slef, slefan, to put on.
Sleighly, prudently, K. 586 ; see
note. O.N. slaegr, cunning.
Sleighte, cunning, contrivance,
craft, P. 604.
Slepen (pr. sleep, slep), to sleep,
P. 10, 98, 307, K. 616. A.S.
slaepan, pr. slep, p.p. slaepen ;
Ger. schlafen.
Slepy, sleep-inducing, K. 529.
- Slider, slippery, K. 406. A.S.
slidh, slipj)ery, slidan, to slide ;
cf. sled, sleigh.
Sloggardye, sluggishness, K. 184 ;
allied to slack — lag, with inten¬
sive s.
Slough, Slowh. See Slee.
Smerte (pr. smerte), (v. impers.),
to pain, grieve, P. 230, 584, K.
536. A.S. smeortan, to smart,
Ger. schmerz.
Smerte, smartly, i.e. so as to cause
pain, P. 149.
Smite, Smyte (pr. sing, smot,
smoot, pi. smiten, imp. pi.
smiteth), to smite, P. 149, 782.
A.S. smitan ; pr. ic smat, we
smiion.
Smothe, smooth, smoothly, P.
676. A S. smethe ; cf. Ger.
schmieden, to hammer; also
smith.
Smyler, a hypocrite, K. 1141.
See note; cf. Ger. schmeicheln.
Smyling, smiles, P. 119. Danish
smile.
Smyteth. See Smite.
Smyth, one who forges with a
liammer, a smith, K. 1167.
A.S. smith.
Snare, a snare, a net, K. 632.
A.S. sneare, Ger. schnür, astring;
cf. a snare drum, — a drum with
a string across the head.
Snewede, abounded, P. 345.
300
GLOSSABIAL INDEX,
Snybbe, to rebuke, to snuh, P.
523; an intensive form of nip;
cf. snipf snuh-wosQ.
Soberly, sad, soberlike, P. 289.
Fr. sohre^ Lat. sohrie.
Socour, assistance, K. 60. Fr.
secours, Lat. succwrere.
Sodeyn, sudden. Fr. A.S.
soden.
Sodeynly, Sodynliche, suddenly,
violently, K. 260, 717. A.S.
sodenlice.
Solas, solace, pleasure, P. 798.
Fr. solas, Lat. solatium.
Solempne, festive, P. 209 ; im¬
portant, P. 364. Lat. solemnis.
Solempnely, pompously, with
affected dignity, P. 274.
Solempnity, a feast, K. 12.
Som (pi. some), one, some, P. 640;
som . . . som — one . . . another,
K. 397, 399. A.S. sum, som,
some, one, some one.
Somdel (e), somewhat, P. 174,
446, K. 1312. A.S. dad, a part ;
cf. dole, good deal, to deal.
Somer, summer, P. 394. A.S.
snmer, Ger. sommer, allied to sun.
Sometime, a while, P. 65 ; some
— a, one.
Sompnour, a summoner, a sort of
sheriff for the ecclesiastical
court, P. 543. Lat. sub monere.
Sondry, sundry, sondt-y londes,
lands widely separated, P. 14.
A.S. syndrig, sundor = separate ;
Ger. sondern.
Sone, a son, P. 79. A.S. s«nu,—
from root su, to beget.
Sone, soon, K. 562. A.S. sona,
Goth. suns.
Song (e). See Singe,
Sonne, the sun, P. 7, K. 5. A.S.
sunne, Goth, sunno, Ger. sonne.
Soot fe), sweet, K. 2002. A.S.
swot, swet, Lat. suavis.
Sop, a small bit, sop in wyn, bread
dipped in wine, P. 334. A.S.
supan, Goth, supon, to soak, to
dip bread in sauce.
Soper, that which is sopped or
supped, dessert, delicacies, P.
848. A.S. supan; cf. sip, soup.
Sore, grief, K. 1375. A.S. sar;
cf. sorry.
Sore, Soor, severe, K. 897 ; sore,
sad, K. 1837.
Sore, (adv.), sorely, severely, P.
230, K. 257. A.S. save, Ger. sehr.
Sort, lot, destiny, P. 844. Lat,
sors.
Sorw3, sorrow, K. 93, 361. A.S.
sork, Ger. sorge.
Sorwe, to grieve, to sorrow, K.
1966. A.S. sorgian.
Sorrowful, full of grief, K. 212.
Sory, sorrowful, K. 1146. A.S.
sarig.
Soth, truth, true, P. 845 ; for sothe,
in truth, P. 283 ; soth to sayn, to
tell the truth ; ful soth is seyd,
full true is it said, K. 767. A.S.
soth, truth, true ; of. sootÄ-sayer,
for-sooth, in-sooth.
Sothely, truly, P. 117. A.S.
sothlice,
Sotil, Sotyl, skilfully arranged,
subtle, K.196; sküful, K. 1191.
Lat. suhtilis.
Soule. See Sowie.
Soun, a sound, P. 674. Lat. sonus.
Souper, a supper, P. 748. A.S.
supan, Fr. souper.
Souple, pliant, flexible, P. 203.
Fr. souple, Lat. supplex.
Sowe, a sow, P. 552. A.S. sug,
Lat. sus, Ger. vç, and Eng. swine,
are allied.
Sowie, Soule, the soul, P. 781, K.
1005. A.S. sawel, Goth, saiwala,
Ger. seele.
Sowme, to sound, P. 565 ; sownynge,
sounding, boasting, P. 275 ; har¬
monizing with, P. 307. Fr. son¬
ner, Lat. sonare.
Spak (pr. of sfwken), spake, P. 124.
Spare, to refrain from, P. 192,
737. A.S. sparian.
Sparre, a bar, the timbers of a
building, K. 132. A.S. sparran,
to bolt.
Sparthe, a battle-axe, K. 1662.
Speche, speech, more speche, fur¬
ther words, P. 783. A.S. spaec.
Special, in special, especially, P.
444.
GLOS SAR TAL INDEX.
301
Speede (pr. spedde)^ to speed, to
wish success to, P. 709 ; to
hasten, K. 359. A.S. spedan.
Speken (pr. spak)^ to speak, P.
142. A.S. specaUy sprecan.
Spende (pr. spente, p.p. spent), to
expend, P. 300, 045, 800. A.S.
spendan ; cf. Lat. expendere, to
weigh out.
Spere, a spear, K. 117. A.S.
spere.
Spiced, drugged, and so changed
in its nature, P. 526. See
note.
Spicerie, spices, K. 2077.
Spices, species, kinds, K. 2155.
Fr. apices, Lat. species.
Spirites, spirits, animal spirits,
K. 511. See note.
Spores, spurs, P. 473. A.S.
spura ; c£. spurn, spear.
Sprad (p.p.), spread, K. 2045.
A.S. spraedan.
Springen, Sprynge (p.p.spronge),
to spring up (of the day), to
dawn, P. 822, K. 579, 1315,
1351. A.S. sprengan, to burst
forth ; cf. day-break.
Squar, square, size, K. 218 ; see,
note. Fr. esquarre^ Lat. quadra,
from quatuor, four.
Squyer, an attendant who bore
the knight's shield, P. 79 ; squyer
of the chambre, " Knight of the
Royal Bedchamber," K. 582.
Fr. écuyer, a squire (écu, a shield ) ;
(1) an armor-bearer; (2) one
having the right to carry arms ;
(3) any person of distinction.
Stable, a stable, a standing-place,
P. 28. Lat. stabulum, from stare,
to stand; cf. A.S. steal, a room.
Stabled, established, K. 2137.
O.Fr. establir.
Stalke, a stalk, K. 178. Danish,
stilk, a handle ; allied to stock,
stick.
Stalke, to walk slowly, stealthily,
K. 621. A.S. staelcan, to walk
with feet lifted high.
Starf. See Sterve.
Statue, statue, K. 117. Fr. statue,
Lat. statua, stare^
Statute, a law enacted by a legis¬
lative body, as distinguished
from the unwritten law, P. 327.
Fr. statut, Lat. statuere.
Staves (pi. of staff), bludgeons,
staffs, K. 1652. A.S. staef.
Stede, place, in stede, in place, in¬
stead, P. 231. A.S. stede; cf.
heá-slead, steady, stead-iwsi.
Steede, a horse, a steed, K. 1037.
A.S. steda, a horse; cf. stud.
Steep, bright, P. 201. Semi-
Saxon, steap; so stepe stones,
stepe starres."
Steer, a steer, a yearling bullock,
K. 1291. A.S. steor; cf. Lat.
taurus.
Stele (pr. staJ, p.p. stole, stolen), to
steal, P. 562. A.S. steian, Ger.
stelden, Gotli. stilan.
Stemede, shone, P. 202. O.E.
steem, a flame.
Stenten (pr. stente, p.p. stent), to
stop, to check, K. 45,510. A.S.
stintan, to be blunt; cf. stunt,
stint, stent.
Sterne, strong, K. 1296. A.S.
Sterne.
Sterre, a star, P. 268. A S.
steorra, a star, steorran, to steer,
i.e. by the stars ; cf. star-board =
steer-side ; cf. also A.S. streowan,
to strew. Sansc. stri, to scatter,
Gr. àargp, Lat. Stella (stei-ula).
Stert, a bound, at a stert (at a
bound), quickly, K. 847.
Sterte (pr. steiie, p.p. stert), to
start, leap, K. 94, 180, 222, 644.
IXitch, störten, Ger. stürzen ; cf.
startle.
Sterve (pr. starf p.p. istorve, stor-
ven), to die, K. 75, 286. A.S.
steorfan, Ger. sterben. Eng. starve:
(1) to die by hunger; (2) to die
by any means.
Steven, voice, K. 1704; at unset
stevene, without previous ap¬
pointment. A.S. stefn, a voice,
an agreement.
Stewe, a fish-pond, P. 350. From
Dutch stau, a dam.
Stif, strong, firm, P. 673. A.S.
stif A.S. steif.
f
302
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX.
Stille, quietly, still, K. 145. A.S.
stille.
Stith, an anvil, K. 1168. A.S.
stitk, a post, (adj.) firm; from
standan, to stand ; cf. stithy.
Stiward, a steward, P. 579. A.S.
stiward = siowe-weard, the keeper
of a mansion or place : hence,
overseer in general ; cf. stow, a
place.
Stok, stock, family, K. 693. A.S.
stoc, a trunk.
Stoke = stekey to stick, stab, K.
1688. A.S. stician, to stab.
Stomble, to stumble, to walk as
on stumps, K. 1755.
Stones, gems, precious stones, P.
699.
Stonge (n) (p.p.), stung, stabbed,
K. 221. A.S. stingan, stick, to
stab, is allied.
Stoon, a stone, P. 774. A.S. stan,
Ger. stein, Goth, stains.
Stoor, store, property, P. 598.
O.Fr. estor.
Stories, histories, K. 1297. An
abbr. of history.
Stot, a stallion, P. 615. A.S.
stotte, stod, a horse.
Stounde, a moment, an hour, K.
354. A.S. stund, Oer. stunde.
Stoute, Stowte, strong, P. 545;
bold, K. 1276; cf. stout-hearted.
A.S. stolt, Oer. stolz.
Strangle, strangling, K. 1600.
Lat. strangulare.
Straughte (pr. of strecche),
stretched, K. 2058; cf. dis¬
traught.
Straunge, foreign, P. 13. O.Fr.
estrange, Lat. extraneus.
Btre (e), straw, K. 2060. A.S.
stre, splints, streow, straw, streow-
ian, to scatter : hence, that
which is spread; cf. Lat. ster-
nere.
Strecche (pr. str^w^Äte), to stretch.
A.S. strercan, pr. strehte.
Streem, a stream, current, P. 402;
beams of light, K. 637. A.S.
stream, Ger. strom.
Streepe, to strip, K. 148. A.S.
strypan, Ger. streifen.
Streyt, strict, narrow, P. 174
direct, K. 832. Lat. strictus.
Streyt (e), closely, P. 457 ; imme
diately, straight-vfQ.y, P. 671, K
792.
Strif, Stryf, strife, contest, K
976, 1580. O.Fr. estrif, Ger
streben.
Strike (of flax), a handful that
may be hackled at once, a hank,
P. 676. From the verb to
strike.
Strof (pr. of stryve), vied with, K.
180.
Strond, a strand, a beach, P. 13.
A.S. strand, border, edge.
Strong, sinewy, strong, mighty,
K. 566, 1515. A.S. Strang;
cf. string.
Strook, a stroke, K. 843. From
strike.
Stryve (pr. strof), to strive, to vie
with, to dispute, K. 180, 319.
O.Fr. estriver, Ger. streben.
Stubbes, stubs, stumps, trees
broken off at some distance from
the ground, K. 1120. A.^.styb;
cf. stubble, stump.
Stynte (pr. stynte), to stop, cease,
K. 476, 1490. See Stente.
Subtilly, craftily, P. 610. Lat.
suhtilis — fine-spun.
Suflfisaunce, a sufficiency, that
which suffices, P. 490.
Suffisaunt, sufficient, K. 773. Fr.
suffisant, Lat. sufficiens.
Sunge. See Singe.
Surcote, an overcoat, P. 617. Fr.
sur = over.
Surgerye, the surgical art, P. 413 ;
for surgeonry ; surgeon is con¬
tracted from chirurgeon. Gr.
Xeipovpyía, literally, handicraft.
Sustene, to sustain, K. 1135.
Lat. sustinere.
Suster, sister. A.S. sweostor, Goth.
swistar, Ger. schwester, Sansc.
swasri.
Sute, a suit (cloth), K. 2015. Fr.
suite, suim-e, to follow ; hence
denoting things belonging to¬
gether, ''a suit of clothes,'' "a
suit of rooms."
GLOS8ARIAL INDEX.
303
Swan, a swan, P. 206. Ger.
Schwan; cf. A.S. swinsiaUf to
sing.
Swelte (pr. swdte), to sigh like a
person fainting, to faint, K. 498.
A.S. sweltariy to die ; of. swelter.
Swerd, a sword, P. 112. A.S.
sweordj Oer. schwert.
Swere (pr. swor, swoor, p.p. i-
swore (n), to swear, affirm, P.
454, 810 ; see note, K. 963.
A.S. sweriariyXo swear; of. an¬
swer = and-swear^ to speak in
return; A.S. swarian, to an¬
swer.
Swete, sweet, P. 5, 265. A.S.
swetCy O.S. swoti, Goth. SUÍ15 (for
swotis)y Lat. suavisy Ger. süss.
Swich, such, so great, P. 8, K. 4.
A.S. swilc (swa-lic).
Swote, Swoote, sweet. See
Swete.
Swough, a storm, the noise made
by a storm in the trees, — the
soughinrj (sighing) of the wind,
K. 1121. A.S. sweÇy a sound.
Swoune, to swoon, K. 55. A.S.
stounan.
Swymbel, a moaning, K. 1121 ;
dim. of O.E. sw/m, sighing. A.S.
swirnQy giddiness ; cf. a swim¬
ming in the head."
Swyn (s. & pl.), swine, P. 698.
A.S. sicin, Ger. schweiny Goth.
swein. Allied to sow.
Swynk, labor, toil, P. 188. A.S.
swine.
Swynke, to labor, toil, P. 186.
A.S. swincany allied to swing;
of. " a swingeing blow."
Swynkere, a laborer, P. 531.
Syde, side, upon that other sgde, on
the other hand, K. 417.
Syke, a sigh, K. 1062.
Syke, to sigh, K. 2127. A.S.
sgcan, to sigh, sike.
Symple, artless, guileless, P. 119.
Lat. simplex.
Syn, since, P. 601, 853; an abbr.
of sithenSy sithen. A.S. sith-than ;
cf. SïÎÂ.
Syth, since, K. 72, afterwards.
A.S. sith.
T.
Tabard, a sleeveless coat em¬
broidered with the arms of the
wearer, originally worn by
noblemen, — subsequently worn
by heralds ; hence any similar
coat, a farmer's blouse, P.
541.
Table, a table, P. 100. Er. table,
Lat. tabula. The A.S. for table
is bord.
TafiTata, taffeta, a fine silk stuff,
P. 440.
Taille, tally, took by taille, bought
on credit, P. 570. Fr. tailler, to
cut, — alluding to the method
of keeping accounts by notches
cut in a stick ; cf. retail, detail,
tailor.
Take (pr. tok, took, p.p. take (n),
imp. 8. tak, pi. taketh), to take ;
to take our weye, to journey, P.
34, 789, K. 1789. A.S. tacan;
allied to Lat. tangere, to touch ;
hence : (1) to receive any thing
in the hand; (2) to take hold
of ; (3) to begin any thing.
Takel, an arrow, tackle, P. 106 ;
an outfit, — what one takes,
what is necessary. A.S. tacan,
to attach.
Tale, a discourse, story, K. 80,
719. A.S. taelan, to blame, tel'
Ian, to speak, tael, a story, a
slander ; cf. ta/c-bearer, tell-ta/c.
Talen, to tell tales, P. 772. A.S.
taelan.
Tallage = to allege, K. 2142.
Lat. allegare.
Tame, tame, subdued, K. 1320.
A.S. tarn, Ger. zahm ; cf. temian,
to tame, to yoke ; Lat. domare,
Gr. ôafigVy to tame
Tapicer, a maker of tapestry, P.
362. Fr. tapis.
Tappestere, a tapster, P. 241 ;
tap is allied to stop. A.S. tap-
pestre.
Tare, the vetch, — used to denote
any small amount, K. 712.
Targe, a small shield, P. 471. Fr.
targe, dim. target.
304
glossâbial index,
Tarie, to tarry, K. 1962. O.Fr.
targer; cf. Lat. tardus.
Tart, sharp, pungent, P. 381.
A.S. teart, from tearan, to tear.
Tart, the noun, is from Ft.
tarte, Lat. tortus.
Taryinge, delay, P. 821 ; of. tardg.
Tas, Taas, a heap, K. 147, 151,
162. Fr. tas.
Tathenes = to Athens, K. 165.
Tavern, an inn, P. 240. Fr. ta¬
verne, Lat. taberna, a hut made
of boards ; hence a boarding
place ; as board = table.
Teche, to teach, P. 308,482. A.S.
taecan.
Teene, mischief, harm, K. 2248.
A.S. teona, injury.
Tempest, a storm, P. 406 (see
note) ; a notable time, K. 26.
Tendite = to endite, tell, K. 351.
Tendre, tender, P. 6 ; soft, P.
150. Fr. tendre, Lat. tener, soft.
Tente, a tent, K. 163. Fr. tente,
Lat. tendere, to stretch.
Teres, tears, K. 422. A.S. tear,
taeher, Goth, tagr, Gr. ôwcpv,
Lat. laayma, W. deigr.
Termes, sessions of the court, P.
323 ; terms, technical terras, P.
639; limit, end, K. 171. Fr.
terme, Lat. terminus, a limit;
hence: (1) an end; (2) a logical
term, — the ends of a proposi¬
tion; (3) that which is ended,
e.g. a term of years.
Testers, head-pieces, helmets, K.
1641. O.Fr. teste, the head.
Text, a text, the subject of dis¬
course, P. 177. Fr. texte, Lat.
textus.
Thabsence = the absence, K.
381.
Thank, tlianks, P. 612 ; his thonkes,
of his own accord, willingly,
eagerly, K. 768, 1249 ; here
thankes, of their own accord,
eagerly, K. 1256. A.S. thane,
thencan, to remember.
Than (ne), then P. 12.
Tharmes = the arms, the branches,
K, 2058.
Tharray = the array, P. 716.
4
That, who, P. 310 ; to that de¬
gree, so that, K. 581, 1568.
Thavys = the advice, the agree¬
ment, the sanction, K. 2218.
The, thee, K. 225, 335 (adv. =
eo), the more — more by this, P.
802, See note.
Theatre, an amphitheatre, K.
1027. From the Gr. to view.
Theef, a thief, K. 467. A.S. theof,
Goth, thiubs, Ger. dieb.
Theffect — the eßect, the result,
K. 381 ; the conclusion, K. 029.
Thei, tliey, P. 745. See note.
Thencens = the incense, K. 1419.
Fr. encens, Lat. incemlere, to
burn.
Thenchauntementz = the en-
cliantments, K. 1086.
Thencres = the increase, P. 275.
Thentre = the entrance, K. 1125.
Fr. entrée.
Ther (indefinite pron.), there, P.
43, 79 ; where, P. 34, 547 ; on
this occasion, 259 ; then, K.
321 ; ther as = whither, to that
(place) which, P. 34; where,
in that (place) which, P. 172,
249, K. 126 ; ther as, there
where, K. 2000.
Ther fore ( = for this), for this
reason, therefore, P. 189, 444.
A.S. for-tham.
Therto (—to this), besides, also,
in addition, P. 153, 325, 536;
eek therto, and also, P. 757, K.
566; toit, K. 1251.
Therupon (=upon this), at this
time, P. 819.
Therwith (= with this), then,
upon that, K. 441 ; cf. thereupon.
Therwithal (= wholly with this),
tlierewith, with this, P. 566 ;
at that very time, K. 220.
Thes, these, K. 673.
Thestat = the estate, P. 719.
Thider, thither, K. 834. A.S.
thider, from the.
Thikke, close together, K. 217.
A S. thic, Ger. dick.
Thilke, that, the like, P. 182, K.
335. AS.thillicjthyîc ; literally
like this, or that.
GLOSSAEIAL INDEX,
Thing (s. and pl.), a portion, to
viake a thinoy to write a poem,
P. 325 ; litel thing, a small por¬
tion, P. 490 ; incidents, things,
P. 736. A.S. tkincg. "The
primitive meaning seems to be
discourse, then solemn discus¬
sion, judicial consideration,
council, court of justice, law¬
suit, cause, sake, matter, or
subject of discourse." Wedg¬
wood. Allied to thencany to call
to mind.
Thinke, Thynke, pr. ihoughte (v.
impers.), to seem, me tkinkethy
it seems to me, P. 37 ; it thoughte
inCy it seemed to me, P. 385 ; him
thoughtey it seemed to him, P.
682 ; lis thoughte, it seemed to us,
P. 785. A.S. thincan,
Thinke (v. pers.), to remember,
to think, K. 748. A.S. thencan.
Thinne, thin, small in quantity,
P. 679. A.S. thyn, thenian, al¬
lied to Lat. tendere, to stretch.
Thirle, to pierce, K. 1852. A.S.
thirlian, to pierce, drill, from
thurh, through ; cf. thrill, trill,
drill, nos-tril.
Thise, these, P. 701. A.S. thaes.
Tho (pl.), the, those, P. 498, K.
265 ; them, K. 1493. A.S. tha.
Tho, then, K. 135. A.S. tha.
Thoffice = the office, the sacred
duty, K. 2005. Lat. officium.
Thonke. See Thank.
Thorisoun = the orisoun, prayer,
K. 1403. O.Fr. orison, Lat.
oratio, from orare, to pray.
Though, although, though that,
although it be that, P. 68. A.S.
theah, the demonst., uh (Lat.
ce, que) ; cf. quanquam.
Thought, anxiety, care, melan¬
choly, K. 1374. A.S. thoht.
Thousand, a thousand, K. 811.
A.S. thusend, Goth, thusundja,
taihun, ten, sund (hund), one
hundred.
Thral, a slave, a serf, K. 694.
A.S. thrall, Gael, traill.
Thredbare, bare to the thread,
threadbare, P. 290. A.^.thraed.
Thread, thread, K. 1172. A.S.
thraed from thrawan, to twist;
Ger. drehen, alluding to the
original method of spinning.
Threisshe, to thresh, P. 536. A.S
therscan, to beat, Ger. dreschen.
Threste, to thrust, to force one's
way, K. 1754 ; cf. A.S. thrist,
bold, Goth, trudan, to tread.
Thridde, third, K. 605, 1413.
A.S. thridda, from thri.
Thriftily, carefully, in the man¬
ner of a thriving man, P. 105.
From thrive, thrifi.
Throng, a crowd, throng, K.
1754. A.S. thring, thringcm, to
crowd, Ger. dnngen.
Thurgh, through, K. 62, 362.
A.S. thurh, Ger. durch ; cf.
thorough, thoroughfare. See
Thirle.
Thurghfare, a thoroughfare, a
journey, K. 1989. A.S. thurh-
fare,
Thurgh-girt, to pierce through,
K. 152. See Girt.
Thurghout, quite through,
throughout, K. 238.
Thus, in this manner, P. 7G1.
Formed from the demonst. as
how from the interrogative.
A.S. (inst. case), thys.
Thyselven, thyself, K. 316. Lit¬
erally a dative = by thyself.
Til, to, K. 620. O.N. til, to ; cf.
until.
To (verbal prefix)i inten¬
sive force, Ger. za.
To, at, P. 30 ; for, K. 1853.
To-breste (p.p. to-brosten), to burst
asunder, to break to pieces, K.
1753,1833,1899. A.S. to-berstan.
Togidre, together, togidre alle, all-
together, P. 824. A.S. to-gaedre.
From gather.
To-hewen, to hew to pieces, K.
1751. A.S. to-heawan.
Tollen, to toll, to take toll, P.
562. A.S. toll, Ger. zoll, a tax ;
cf. talian, to compute. Wedg¬
wood refers to Lat. telonium.
To-morwe = the morrow, P. 780.
See note.
3o6
GLOSSARIÄL INDEX
Tonge, tlte congue, P. 712. A.S.
tunyey Goth, tuggo, Oer. zunge,
Lat. lingua (dingua).
Tonne-greet, as large as a tun, K.
1136. Fr. tonney a barrel, Lat.
tinay a wine vessel.
Too, a toe, K. 1868. A.S. ta (tan
= a twig, sprout),— as though
the toes were sprouts growing
from the feet.
Took (pr. of toke)y conjectured,
understood, K. 140. A.S. tac-
nian; cf. token.
Top, foretop, P. 590.
Toret, a turret, K. 1051. Fr.
tourettey dim. of towr, Lat. tunis.
Torettz, rings, a ring affixed to
the collar of a dog, whereby he
might be fastened, K. 1294.
Tormente, to torment, to torture,
K.45Ô. O.YT.tormenier. Seenöte.
Tome, to turn, K. 162. Fr. tour¬
ner.
To-schrede, to shred to pieces,
torn to shreds, K. 1751. A.S.
tO'Sceadan; cf. A.S. sceraUy to
cut.
Toun, a town, P. 217 ; see note.
A.S. tun, an enclosure, tynan, to
enclose ; from tan, rods, the
means by which enclosure is
effected ; cf. yard.
Tour, a tower, K. 172, A.S.torr,
Fr. tour, Lat. turns.
Trace, a track, P. 176. Fr. trace,
Lat. tractijui ; cf. trail.
Trapped, decked, K. 1299. Fr.
drap, cloth ; cf. draped.
Trappures, trappings, K. 1641 ;
cf. drapery.
Traunce, a trance, K. 714. Fr.
transe, Lat. transitus : (1) death ;
(2) a state resembling death,
syncope.
Travaile, labor, toil, K. 1548 ; see
note. Fr. travail.
Trays, traces, K. 1281. O.Fr.
trace, Lat. trahere, to draw.
Trede, to tread, K. 2164. A.S.
tredan, Oer. treten.
Tresoun, treachery, a violation
of allefiiance, K. 1143. Fr. tra¬
hison, Lat. traditio.
Trespace, trespass, K. 960. Fr.
tres))asser.
Tresse, a tress, K. 191. Fr. tresse.
Literally, a braid of three
strands.
Trete, a treaty, K. 430. Fr. traité,
Lat. tractatiis.
Tretys, slender, well-propor¬
tioned, P. 152.
Trewe, trusty, P. 531. A.S.
treowa, trust, Goth, triggws, true.
Trewely, truly, simply, P. 481.
Trompe, a trumpet, P. 674, K.
1316. Et. trompe, O.Yi.G.trumba,
a drum ; cf. trombone.
Tronchoun, a staff, a spear han¬
dle, K. 1751. Lat. truncus.
Trone, a throne, K. 1671. Fr.
trône, Lat. thronus.
Trouthe, trutli, P. 46, 763 ; troth,
agreement, K. 752. A.^.treowth,
that in which one may trust ;
A.S. treowian, to trust.
Trowe, to believe, P. 155, 524, K.
662. A.S. treowian, to trust.
Trussed up, tied up, P. 681.
O.Fr. torser, Fr. trousser, Lat.
torquere, to twist»
Tukked, clothed, P. 621. A.S.
tucian, to clothe, O.E. tuck, Ger.
tuch, cloth.
Tunge, a tongue, P. 265. See
Tonge.
Tuo, two, P. 639. A.S. twa, Ger.
zwei, Lat. duo.
Turneynge, a tournament, K.
1699 ; part, of torne.
Twenty, twenty, P. 24. A S.
tiventig ; fií76n = twain ; tig, Lat.
dec-em, Gr. dexa, ten. Ten, O.S.
tchan, Goth, taihun = Lat. de¬
cern.
Tweye, two, twain, P. 704, 792,
K. 40, 270, 836. A.S. twegen,
twa ; cf. twin, to twin (separate),
twine, twist, twig, tiray-blade, tw;/-
light, twelve, twenty.
Twine (p.p. twine), to twine, to
spin, twined, K. 1172. A.S.
twinan (from twa), to spin ; cf.
twist (a cord).
TWynne, to separate, depart, P.
835, From two.
G LO s s ARIAL INDEX.
Tyme, the proper time, K. 974.
A.S. tima^ time; getimian, to
happen.
Typet, a hood, cowl (used as a
pocket), tippet, P. 233 ; dim. of
tf^pe, a band.
Tythes, tenths, tithes, P. 486.
A.S. teotha, from tyn, ten.
u.
Un^es, small portions, P. 677 ;
literally ounces, Lat. uneia, a
twelfth part of a lb. = an ounce ;
of a foot = an inch.
Uncouth, Uncowth, rare, un¬
known, K. 1639. A.S. uncuth,
from cunnan, to know.
Undergrowe, undergrown, P.
156.
Understonde, to understand, to
venture, P. 746. A.S. under-
standan, Ger. unterstehen.
Undertake, to affirm, P. 288 ; lit¬
erally to take upon one's self;
cf. undertaking.
Unknowe (p.p.), unknown, P.
126, K. 548.
Unkonnyng, ignorant, inex¬
perienced, K. 1535 ; cunning —
knowmg. A.S. cunnan, to know.
Unset, not previously agreed
upon, K. 666.
Unto, till, until, K. 286. Goth.
unte.
Untressed,unfastened, unbraided,
K. 1431. See Tresse.
Untrewe, untruly, P. 735.
Unwist, unknown, K. 2119. A.S.
witan.
Unyolden (p.p.), unyielded, un-
conquered, K. 1784. A.S. gyl-
dan, to pay.
Up, upon, K. 849.
Up-haf (pr. of up-heve), raised up,
K. 1570. A.S. hetmán.
Upright, lying upon the back, K.
1150. A.S. up-areht, erect.
Uprlste, uprising, K. 193.
Up-so-doun, upsidedown, K. 519.
So is the old relative swa, cor¬
rupted into side by a false ety¬
mology. ^
Upsterte, started up, arose, K.
441 ; cf. noun, upstart.
Up-yaf (pr. of up-give), gave up,
sent up, K. 1569.
Usage, experience, K. 1590. Lat.
usus.
Utterly, wholly, K. 296,705. A.S.
utor, comp, of ut. Prom the
idea of remoteness or extremity
readily passing to the idea of
completion.
V.
Vasselage, service as a vassal,
valor, K. 2196 ; from W. gwas,
a youth, arose the Mid. Lat.
vassus, a retainer, a vassal.
Vavasour, one next in dignity to
a baron, P. 360. Allied to vas¬
sal, valet.
Veil, a vail, P. 695; strictly the
sail of a ship. Lat. veluin (vehu-
lum), from vehere, to carry.
Venerye, hunting, the chase, P.
166, K. 1450. Lat. venari; cf.
venison — game taken in hunt¬
ing ; so used in Gen. xxvii. 3.
Ventusyng, cupping, K. 1889.
Lat. ventus, the blood being ex¬
tracted by atmospheric press¬
ure.
Venym, venom, poison, K. 1893.
Lat. venenum, poison.
Verdite, decision, verdict, P. 787.
Lat. vere-dictiim.
Vemicle, a handkerchief having
upon it a picture of Christ, P.
685. See note.
Verraily, truly, P. 338. Pr. vrai,
Lat. vere.
Verray, true, very, P. 72. Fr.
vrai, Lat. verum.
Vertu, ability, power, K. 578,
1391, 1891. Fr. vertu, Lat. vir¬
tus, from vir, a man.
Vertuous, active, energetic, P.
251 ; upright, virtuous, P. 515.
Lat. vir.
Vese, a storm, a rush of wind, K,
1127.
Vestimentz, garments, vestments,
K. 2090. Goth, wasti, Lat. vestis.
3O8
G LO S S AHI AL INDEX.
Veyn, vain, K. 236. Fr. vain^
Lat. vanuSi empty.
Veyne, a vein, P. 3 ; veyne blood,
blood of the veins, bleeding, K.
1889. Lat. vena.
Viage, a voyage, a journey by
sea or land, P. 77, 723. Lat.
viaticum, passage money, Fr.
voyage.
Victorie, victory, K. 1381. Fr.
victoire, Lat. vincere, to conquer.
Vigiles, vigils, a religious service
held in the evening, P. 377 ; see
note. Literally, watchings.
Vileinye, Vilonye, ungentleman-
ly conduct, P. 70 ; see note ;
low breeding, P. 726 ; depraved
discourse, P. 740 ; to do vileinye,
to cause disgrace, K. 84.
Visage, countenance, that which
is seen, P. 628. Lat. yisus ; cf.
Ger. gesicht.
Visite, to go to see, to visit, P.
493, K. 336. Lat. videre, to see.
Vitaille, victuals, P. 248, 569,
749. Lat. victualis, from vivere,
to live.
Vouchesauf, to grant, vouchsafe,
P. 807, 812. To vouch or guar¬
antee safety. Lat. vocare smvum.
Voyde, to expel, evacuate, throw
out, K. 1893.
W.
Waar. See War.
Wages, wages, promised reward,
K. 945. A.S. wed, a pledge,
Lat. vas, Mid. Lat. vadium, Fr.
gage, gages, money paid to a
person as a pledge for his ser¬
vices.
Waillyng, mourning, bewailing,
K. 508. Icel. valla, to lament.
Wake-pleyes, funeral games,
games played while watching
the dead, K. 2102; wake —
watch. A.S. wacian.
Wal, a wall, K. 132. A.S. weall,
Lat. vallum.
Walet, a wallet, a knapsack, P.
681 ; cf. Fr. mallette, dim. of
malle, bag.
Walk, walking, K. 211. See
note.
Wan (pr. of wynne), won, earned,
P. 442 ; conquered, K. 131.
Wan, pale, K. 1598. A.S. wan,
from wanian, to wane, — the
appearance of one in waning
health.
Wandryng, wandering, wanton¬
ness ; cf. Cant. T. 6237 ; sutfër-
ing ( ?), P. 467. See note.
Wane, to wane, to decrease, K.
1220. A.S. to diminish.
Wanhope, despair, K. 391. Hope
tliat has waned.
Wantoun, free, unrestrained, P.
208. A.S. wan = Xii\., itowen —
educated, from teon, to train.
Wantounesse, wantonness, af¬
fected nicety that seeks to be
different from others, P. 264.
Wantyng, missing, lack, K. 1807.
A.S. wana, deficiency.
War, Waar, aware, P. 157 ; wary,
cautious, P. 309 ; I was waar, I
was aware, I perceived, P. 157 ;
he was war, K. 38. A.S. war ;
cf. Ger. wahren, to perceive.
Ward, a suflBx denoting situation,
direction, P. 793 ; see note.
A.S. weard, weardes ; cf. Lat.
vertere, to turn.
Ware, to warn, to beware, P.
662. A.S. warian.
Waste, wasted, ruined, K. 473.
A.S. weste, Lat. vastus,
Wastel-breed, fine white bread,
P. 147. A.S. wist, victual, O.Fr.
gasteau, a cake.
Wawes, waves, K. 1100. A.S.
waeg, wagian, to wave, wag,
Wayke, weak, K. 29. A.S. wac,
from wican, to give way, Ger.
weichen.
Waylle, to wail, K. 73 ; to cry,
wa-la, wo !
Waymentyng, wailing, lamen¬
tation, K. 137, 1063. O.Fr.
waimenter, to lament, cry, woe !
Wayte, to watch for, look for, P.
525, K. 364 ; to attend to, P.
571. A.S. waeccan, Ger. wachten.
Webbe, a weaver, P. 362. A.S.
qlossaeiâl index
webba, a weaver, wefan, Ger.
weben, to weave ; cf. wife.
Wedde, a pledge, K. 300. A.S.
wed, hence wedding, wedlock,
Wedden, to wed, to marry, K.
10, 074, 2240. A.S. weddian, to
covenant, to promise.
Wede, clothing, K. 148 ; see note.
A.S. waed.
Weel, well, K. 68, 1265. A.S.
wael, wet.
Wei, full, very, K. 653 ; wel better,
much better, K. 306 ; wel neyh,
very nearly, K. 472. A.S. wel,
Ger. wofd.
Welaway, alas ! K. 80. A.S.
wa-la-wa, wo-oh-wo, sometimes
- spelled well-a-day.
Welcome, a salutatory interjec¬
tion, P. 762, 854. A.S. wilcume,
wilcumian, to greet.
Wele, weal, wealth, K. 37. A.S.
wela, from well, Ger. wohl.
Welle, a spring, a source, K.
1425. A.S. weall, from weallan,
to boil, spring up.
Wende (n) (pr. wente), to go, to
wend (one's way), P. 16, 21, K.
1356, 1412. A.S. wendan, Ger.
ivenden.
Wene (pr. wende), to ween, to
vainly hope, K. 411 ; to sup¬
pose, think, K. 797. A.S.
wenan, to hope, to think, Goth.
wengan, Ger. wähnen.
Wenged, winged, K. 527.
Wepe (n), (pr. weep, wep, p.p.
wepen), to weep, to weep aloud,
P. 144, 230, K. 1487. A.S.
wepan, Goth, wopjan, to call, to
cry, A S. wop, outcry ; cf. whoop,
waX'Xohoop, whooping-coMgh.
Wepen (pi. wepne), a weapon, K.
733, 743. A.S. waepen.
Were, to protect, K. 1692. A.S.
werian, to defend ; cf. to wear.
Were (pr. xverede), to wear, P.
75, 564. A.S. wex'ian.
Werken, Wlrche, to work, to
act, P. 779, K. 1901. A.S.
wyrcan, Ger. loerken.
Wem = weren, pi. of were, P.
591.
Werre, war, P. 47, K. 429. Pr.
guerre, A.S. ivaer. Du. werre.
Werreye, to make war upon, K.
626, 686. O.Fr. werrier, ftom
werre, guerre, war.
Werse, worse, K. 366. A.^.wyrs,
comp, of weor, bad.
Werte, a wart, P. 555. A.S. weart,
Ger. warze.
Wessch (pr. of xcassche), washed,
K. 1425. A.S. wascan, pr. u'osc.
Wette (pr. xvette), to wet, wetted,
P. 129. A.S. waet.
Wex, wax, P. 675. A.S. weax.
Wexe (pr. were), to increase, to
grow, K. 504. A.S. tveaxan,
pr. weox, Ger. wachsen, Goth.
wahsjan.
Wexyng, increasing, growing, K.
1220.
Weye, a way, P. 34, 467, 771.
A.S. weg, Goth, wigs, Lat. via,
Weye, to consider, to weigh, K.
923. A.S. wegan, to move, to
weigh ; figuratively, denoting
mental action. Cf. ponder, de¬
liberate.
Weyle, to wail, K. 363, To cry,
wa-la.
Weymentynge, lamentation, K.
44. See Waymentynge.
Whan (ne), when, P, 5; whan
iÄai = when (it is that), P. 1,
801.
What, why, P. 184 ; well then !
P. 854 ; in what respect, K. 171.
Lat. quid; what.. . what, partly
... partly, K. 595. Lat. quid...
quid.
Wheel, Whel, a wheel, K. 67,
1165. A.S. hweol, allied to Goth.
wa/wjan ; Lat. volvere. Eng. wal¬
low.
Whelkes, pimples, swellings, P.
632. A.S. hwy/ca, a swollen
vein ; cf. icale, weal, wheal.
Wher, where, K. 1952. A.S.
hvaer.
Wher, whether, K. 990, 1894.
Where, in wliat place, whereas,
where, there where, K. 255;
where that, wliere (it is that),
K. 39.
GLOS s ARIAL IXDEX
Wherfore, for which, K. 710.
Wherwith, with what, P. 302.
Whether, ichether that^ whether
(it is that), P. 570.
Whether, which of two, K. 998,
a comp, form of which.
Which, what, what sort of, P.
40; which that, who, P. 796, K.
1206; whicli, K. 138; which a,
what sort of a, K. 1817. A.S.
hwylic hwylc = like what.
Whil (es), whilst, P. 35, 397.
A.S. hwil, time; of. awhile.
Whilom, formerly, once, P. 795,
K. 1, 1545. A.S. hwilum, dat.
pl. of hwil; cf. seld-om.
Whit, Whyte, white. P. 238, K.
195. A.S. hwit, Goth, hweits,
Ger. weiss, Sansc. çvita.
Whoso, whosoever, P. 731. A.S.
swa-hwa-swa. Swa (so) is a pro¬
noun ; cf. such, swilc; Goth.
sjca-leiJcs ; cf. Lat. qnisqnis.
Widewe, a widow, P. 253, K.
313. A.S. widiiwe, Lat. vidua,
Sansc. vi-dhava = without-lius-
band.
Wif, a woman, wife, P. 445.
A.S. wif, from wefan, to weave :
cf. wif'inan, woman, waepman,
weapon-man. The word origi¬
nally denoted sex rather than
marriage. Cf. good-wife, house¬
wife.
Wight, a creature, a man, P. 71,
326. A.S. wiht, Ger. wicht; cf.
irhit, auqhf.
Wight, weight, K. 1287, 1662.
A.S. wiht, from wegan, to weigh.
Wi eke, bad ; physically weak,
morally wicked, K. 229. A.S.
wican, to be weak, swican, to
deceive; cf. wicrian, to bewitch.
Wikkedly, craftily ( using the arts
of the wizard), K. 877. See
note. A.S. wiccian, to enchant ;
cf. witch.
Wilne, to desire, wish, K. 751,
1256. A.S. wilnian.
Wiltow, wilt thou, K. 686.
Wilwe, a willow-tree, K. 2064.
Wind, a breeze, wind, P. 170.
Root wa, to blow.
Wirche (^x.wrcnighie, ^.^.wroght),
to work, P. 497, K. 154, 1901.
A.S. wyrcan, pr. worhte; cf. Gr.
tpyov, work.
Wis = iwis, certainly, K. 1928.
A.S. gewis.
Wisdom, Wysdom, Wisdam,
learning, P. 575. A.S. wisdom.
Wise, Wyse, manner, mode, K.
480,1386. A.S.íííí'se, Ger. weise;
cf. guise.
Wisly, certainly, surely, truly,
K. 1005, 1376. A.S. wislice,
Ger. gewisslich.
Wiste. See Wite.
Wit, judgment, understanding,
P. 279, 573, 746. A.S. wit,
mind.
Wite (I, he wot, thou wost, we
witen, pr. wiste), to know, P.
224, 280, 389, K 298, 305, 936,
976. A.S. witan; pr. wiste; cf.
witty.
With, with, at the same time
with, P. 856 ; by, P. 406,705; in
composition usually = «^«-515^.
Withalle, besides (with all the
rest), P. 127 ; in spite of all, P.
283.
Withholde (pp.), maintained,
held with, P. 511.
Withouten, without, P. 538, 783,
K. 347 ; besides, P. 461. A.S.
withutan.
Withsayn, Withseie, to gainsay,
to speak in opposition to, P.
805, Iv. 282. A.S. ivith-saeg(¡en.
Wityng, knowledge, weeting. K.
753. A.S. witan, to know.
Wive, Wyve, dat. of wife. K.
1002.
Wodly, fiercely, madly, K. 443.
A.S. wod, violent, mad ; cf.
wocfoH, to go with force; Woden,
Wednesday.
Woful (comp, wofullere), full of
woe, unfortunate, K. 205, 521,
1198, 482.
Wol (e) (2 pres. wolt, pi. woln,
wolle, pr. wolde, pi. wolden), will,
P. 27, 723 ; wish, P. 803, 805,
K. 31, 766, 1263; wolde him
schake (subj.), might (did)
GLOS s ARIAL INDEX.
shake him, K. 615. A.S. wiU
/«n, ic, he, wiiîe, thu will ; pl.
willath ; pr. s. wolde^ pl. woldon.
Wommanhede, womanhood, wo¬
manly feeling, K. 890.
Wonder, wonderful, K. 1215;
wonderfully, P. 483, K. 796. A.S.
wandoi\ wundrum, Ger. vmnder.
Wonderly, wondrously, P. 84.
A.S. wundorlice.
Wone, custom, P. 335, K. 182.
A.S. wunej wunian, Ger. wohnen,
to dwell.
Wone (pres. p. wonyng), to dwell,
P. 388, K. 2069. À.S. wunian.
Wonyng, a dwelling, P. 606.
A.S. wunung, Ger. wohnung.
Woo, wailing, lamentation, K.
42 ; an exclamation of sorrow,
P. 351. A.S. wa, Lat. vae.
Wood, Wode, mad, furious, P.
184, 582, K. 471. A.S. wad,
Scot. ivud.
Woode, a forest, K. 664. A.S.
wudu.
Woodebynde, woodbine, K. 650.
A.S. wuduhind.
Woodecraft, hunting, P. 110.
Woodnesse, madness, insane
rage, Iv. 1153. A.S. wodnes.
Wook (pr. of wal-e), awoke, K.
635. A.S. tcactni, pr. woe.
Woot, Wot. See Wite.
Worschipe, honor, K. 1046. A.S.
weorthscipe.
Worschipe, to honor, to pay re¬
gard to the worth of one, K. 1393.
Worschipful, honorable, K. 577.
Worstede, a woollen cloth, P.
262. So named from Worstead,
the town where it was first
manufactured.
Worth, equal in worth to, P.
182 ; worth while, P. 785. A.S.
weorthe.
Worthinesse, bravery, P. 50.
Worthy, Worthl, of worth, de¬
serving of honor, noble, P. 43,
217 ; brave, P. 68 ; able, P. 579.
West. See Wite.
Wrastle, to wrestle, K. 2103.
A.S. wraestUan, from wraestan,
to writhe, to wrest.
*
Wrastlynge, wrestling, P. 548.
Wrecche, a wretch, K. 73 ;
wretched, K. 248. A.S.wraecca.
Wrecchede, wretched, K. 63.
A.S. wraec.
Wreke, to avenge, to wreak, K.
103. A.S. wrecan.
Wrethe, a wreath, K. 1287. A.S.
wrath, what is twisted.
Wrighte, a mechanic, P. 614.
A.S. wyrhta, from wyrcan, to
work ; now used only in com¬
pounds ; e.g. wheelwright.
Writ, a writing, Holy Writ, the
scriptures, P. 739. A.S. writ.
Wroth, angry, K. 321. A.S.
wrath, from writhan, to twist.
Wroughte,Wroght. SeeWirche.
Wyd (e), spacious, broad, P. 28;
large, P. 491, K. 897. A.S. wid,
Ger. weit ; cf. x^oid.
Wyke, a week, K. 681 ; fyfty
xoykes = a year, K. 992, A. 8.
wice, Ger. woche.
Wymmen, women, P. 213. A.S.
wifmen, wefen, to weave; cf.
Ger. weih, from weben.
Wymple, a covering for the neck,
cliin and face, laid in folds,
worn by nuns, P. 151. Ger.
XV impel ; ci. gimp.
Wymple, to cover with a wim¬
ple, P. 470.
Wyn, wine, P. 334. A.S. win,
Ger. wein, Lat. vinum, Gr.
olvoç.
Windowe, a window, K. 1130,
i.e. wind-door. O.Norse, xnnd-
aiiga, wind-eye ; the A.S. was
eagduru, eye-door.
Wynne (pr. wan), to gain, win, P.
427, 442 ; to gain advantage of
one, P. 594. A.S. winnan, to
toil, get by labor.
W3mnynge, gains, winnings, P.
275.
Wyppyltre, the cornel-tree, K.
2065.
Wys, affable, well-mannered, P.
68; (cf. guise, manners), wise,
skilled, P. 309, 569. A.S. wis.
Wyse. See Wise.
Wyve. See Wive.
312
GLOS SARI AL INDEX
Y.
Yaf (pr. oîgioe), gave, P. 177.
Yate, a gate, K. 567. A.S. gat,
Ybete (p-P- of beat), beaten,
forged, newe ybete, newly forged,
K. 1304. A.S.beatan,
Ybrent (p p. of brenne), burnt, K,
88. A.S. hrennan; cf. brand, brown.
Ybrought, (p.p ), brought, K. 253.
Yburied, buried, K. 88. A.S.
byrigan ; cf. Ger. bergen, A.S.
beorgan, to hide, Eng. burrow.
Ycleped, Yclept (p.p. clepen),
called, P. 376, 410. A.S. ge-
clipod.
Ycome, come, P. 77.
Yeorve (p.p. of kerve), cut, K.
1155. A.S, ceorfan.
Ydel, idle, K. 1647. A.S. idel,
vain, Ger. eitel.
Ydoon-of, defied, K. 1818.
Ydrawe, drawn, P. 396, K. 86.
Ydropped, bedropped, bedewed,
K. 2026.
Ydryve (n) (p.p. of dryve), driven,
K. 1149.
Ye, the eye, K. 1149.
Ye, yea, K. 809. See note.
Yeddynges, romances, poetic
tales, P. 237. A.S. giddian, to
sing.
Yeeldyng, the yield, return, P.
596. A.S. gyldan, to pay.
Yeer, Yer (s. & pl.), a year,
years, P. 82, 601. A.S. gear.
Yeldehalle, a guild-hall, the room
where a corporation or guild
usually met, P. 370. J)a.n.gilda,
a feast ; cf. company.
Yelpe, to boast, K. 1380; see
note. A.S. gelpan. Eng. yelp,
Yelwe, yellow, P. 675. ' A.S.
geoluwe, Ger. gelh; cf. gold.
Yeman, a yeoman, P. 101, See
note.
Yerde, a rod, P. 149; see note ;
a yard long, K. 192. A.S. gyrd.
Yeve (n), Yive (p.p. yeve, yeven),
to give, P. 223, 487, K. 57. A.S.
gifan.
y found, found, K. 853. Ger.
gefunden.
Ygrounde, sharpened, ground,
K. 1691.
Yholdc (p p. of hold), considered,
K. 1516 ; held, K. 2100.
Yif, if, K. 412. A.S. gif, Goth.
yabai, thai. Sometimes errone¬
ously referred to gifan, to give.
Yifte, a gift, K. 1340. A.S. giß.
Yit, yet, in addition, besides, P.
70; hitherto, K. 1056; yit now,
just now, K. 298. A.S. get.
Ylik, Yliche, alike, P. 592, K.
1876, A.S. gelic.
Ymages, images, P. 418. Lat.
imago (mimago), imitari (inimi'
tari), to imitate.
Ymaginacioun, conception, K.
236 ; see note. Lat. imaginatio.
Ymaginyng, conceiving, plotting,
K. 1137.
Ymaked, made, K. 1997. A.S.
gemacod.
Ymet, met, K. 1766.
Ymeymd (p.p. of menge), mingled,
K. 1312. A.S. mengian, Ger.
mengen, to mix ; cf. mingle.
Ynned, lodged, entertained, K.
1334. A.S. innian.
Yelden (p.p. of yetlde), yielded,
K. 2194. A.S. gyldan.
YoUe, to yell, to cry aloud, K.
1814. A.S. gyllan, giellan, to
yell ; cf. gnlan, to sing.
YoUyng, yelling, loud crying, K.
420 ; vulgo, yowling.
Yond, there, yonder, K. 211.
A.S. geond, Ger. jen-er ; cf. be¬
yond.
Yong (e), young, P. 7, 79, 213.
A.S. geong, Ger. jung, Lat. ju-
venis.
Yore, a long time, ful yore agon, a
very long lime ago, K. 955.
A.S. geara, allied to gear, a
year.
Youre (gen. pl.), of you, P. 783.
A.S. eower.
Yourself (pi-), yourselves, K. 977.
Youthe, youth, P. 613. For
youngth, which form is used by
Spenser.
You (dat. and acc.), you, P. 34,
38. A.S. eow.
GLOS s ABI AL INDEX. 313
Ypayed, paid, K. 944.
Yraft, bereft, plundered, K. 1157 ;
see note. A.S. reaßan.
Yre, anger, ire, K. 1444. Lat. ira.
Yronnen, run over, K. 1835.
A.S. be-yrnan.
Ysene, seen, to be seen, P. 592.
A.S. gesawen.
Yserved, served, K. 105.
Yslayn, slain, K. 1850. A.S.
geslaegen.
Yspreynd (p.p. of sprenge),
sprinkled over, scattered, K.
1311. A.S. to sprinkle.
Ystert, escaped, K. 734.
Ystorve (see Sterve), dead, died,
K. 1156. A.S. sleorj'an, Ger,
sterben.
Yteyd, tied, P. 457. A.S. ge-tead.
Ytorned, Ytumed, turned, K,
380, 1204. Pr. tourner.
Ywrought (p p. of u^rcAe), made,
wrought, P. 196.
Ywympled, decked with a wim*
pie, P. 470.
Z.
Zephyrus, the west wind, a
zephyr, a gentle breeze, P. 5.
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forms of our twelve-hundred-year-old
English language. (Feb. 28, 1888.)
OLD AND MIDDLE ENGLISH
25
OPINIONS AND REVIEWS OF THE FIRST EDITION.
American Journal of Philology:
The well-recoguized merit of Sievers'
unrivalled Ancjelsächsische Gram¬
matik created an imperative demand
for an English version. That this
demand would, be met was inevita¬
ble; how it would be met was doubt¬
ful. Delay and apprehension are
now happily removed by the appear¬
ance of this volume.
The characteristic feature of Sie-
vers^ work is its independence of
preceding Anglo-Saxon grammars,
and its dependence upon the most
authentic documents of the earliest
periods of the language, discrimi¬
nated as to age and dialect. Prof.
Cook's leading purpose has been to
supply to our institutions of learning
a serviceable text-book. To this end
the requirements of a perspicuous
and idiomatic style, and of a clear
and consistent terminology, have
been well met.
In the distribution of the matter
and the variety of the type, such an
improvement of the original is ef¬
fected as might in itself almost jus¬
tify the new version.
Deserving of notice, moreover, is
the care with which Prof. Cook has
corrected many erroneous cross-ref¬
erences, his amplification of the In¬
dex, and his excellent modification
of the system of accentuation. We
need hardly add that the work is
worthy of general acceptance.
The Independent: It maybe said
CO mark an era in the history of Old
or First English, somewhat as did
Thorpe's first edition of Rask's Gram¬
mar (1830). Upon no scholar among
us could the work of presenting this
grammar in modern English form
have more appropriately fallen than
upon Prof. Cook.
The volume is a scholarly edition
of a scholarly original, and is uot
only translated into English, but is
made as English in spirit and method
as such a work can be.
The Schoolmaster, London : Both
as a work of reference and as a text¬
book, this volume is a valuable addi¬
tion to the resources of the English
student.
Prof. Henry Johnson {Bowdoin
College) i in the ** Andover Heview :
Every student of English owes a
great debt of thankfulness to Prof.
Sievers for making his Angelsäch¬
sische Grammatik, It was published
in 1882, and was recognized at once
as far superior in fulness and accu¬
racy of treatment of the oldest Eng¬
lish dialects to all preceding gram¬
mars of the language. It was founded
on the prose literature. Since 1882
the most important contribution to
Old English grammar is the publica¬
tion of emendations of his grammar.
Besides these materials. Prof. Cook
has incorporated in the American
edition the results of the work of
other scholars up to the present, and
has produced what is by far the best
Old English grammar to be had.
Charles F. Richardson, Prof, of
Anglo-Baxon and English^ Dart¬
mouth College : Anglo-Saxon stu¬
dents have been waiting with interest
for the work, and it is fortunate that
it has been translated by a competent
American scholar, himself a pupil of
the author.
W. D. McClintock, Professor of
English and Registrar^ Chautauqua
University: I am greatly pleased
with Prof. Cook's translation of Sie¬
vers* Old English Graiymar, and
shall use it in our classesJ
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