27-9. Cf. Ovid, Metam. i. 138-140.
30. _Ri-ver-es_; three syllables. Dr. Sweet suggests putting _after_ in
place of _first_.
33. 'These tyrants did not gladly venture into battle to win a wilderness
or a few bushes where poverty (alone) dwells--as Diogenes says--or where
victuals are so scarce and poor that only mast or apples are found there;
but, wherever there are money-bags,' &c. This is taken either from Jerome,
in his Epistle against Jovinian, lib. ii. (Epist. Basil. 1524, ii. 73), or
from John of Salisbury's Policraticus, lib. viii. c. 6. Jerome has:
'Diogenes _tyrannos_ et subuersiones urbium, bellaque uel hostilia, uel
ciuilia, non pro simplici uictu holerum pomorumque, sed pro carnibus et
epularum deliciis asserit excitari.' John of Salisbury copies this, with
_subuersores_ for _subuersiones_, which seems better. Gower relates how
Diogenes reproved Alexander for his lust of conquest; Conf. Amantis, ed.
Pauli, i. 322.
41. This stanza seems more or less imitated from Le Rom. de la Rose,
8437:--
'Et quant par nuit dormir voloient,
En leu de coites [_quilts_] aportoient
En lor casiaus monceaus de gerbes,
De foilles, ou de mousse, ou d'erbes;....
Sor tex couches cum ge devise,
Sans rapine et sans convoitise,
S'entr'acoloient et baisoient....
Les simples gens asséurées,
De toutes cures escurées.'
47. 'Their hearts were all united, without the gall (of envy).' Curiously
enough, Chaucer has here made an oversight. He ends the line with _galles_,
riming with _halles_ and _walles_; whereas the line should end with a word
riming to _shete_, as, e.g. 'Hir hertes knewen nat to counterfete.'