For remarks upon Scogan's quotation of this Ballad in full, see the
Introduction.
The titles are: Harl. Moral balade of Chaucier; T. Balade by Chaucier.
Caxton's text is unusually good, and is often superior to that in the
existing MSS.
The general idea of the poem is that Christ was the true pattern of
'gentleness' or gentility, i. e. of noble behaviour. Cf. Dekker's noble
line, in which he speaks of Christ as 'The first true gentleman that ever
breathed.'
But the finest poetical essay upon this subject is that by Chaucer himself,
in the Wife of Bath's Tale; C. T. 6691-6758 (D 1109); which see. And cf.
Tale of Melibeus, B 2831-2.
Another passage on this subject occurs in the Eng. version of the Romance
of the Rose, ll. 2188-2202, which, curiously enough, is in neither Michel's
nor Méon's edition of the French Poem (in which l. 2184 of the E. version
is immediately succeeded by l. 2203 of the same). Again, in Le Roman de la
Rose, ll. 6603-6616, there is a definition of _Gentillesce_; but this
passage is not in the Eng. version.
The original passage, to which both Chaucer and Jean de Meun were indebted,
is one in Boethius, bk. iii. pr. 6; which Chaucer thus translates:--'For
yif the name of gentilesse be referred to renoun and cleernesse of linage,
than is gentil name but a foreine thing, that is to seyn, to hem that
glorifyen hem of hir linage. For it semeth that gentilesse be a maner
preysinge that comth of deserte of ancestres ... yif thou ne have no
gentilesse of thy-self--that is to seyn, preyse that comth of thy
deserte--foreine gentilesse ne maketh thee nat gentil.' And again, just
below, in metre 6:--'On allone is fader of thinges.... Thanne comen alle
mortal folk of noble sede; why noisen ye or bosten of youre eldres?' But we
must not overlook a long passage near the end of Le Roman de la Rose, ll.
18807-19096, which Chaucer certainly also consulted. I quote some of these
lines below.