Chaucer's Works,

Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 — Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems

Name: Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 — Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, 1343?-1400; Skeat, Walter W. (Walter William), 1835-1912 [Editor]

作者：Chaucer, Geoffrey, 1343?-1400; Skeat, Walter W. (Walter William), 1835-1912 [Editor]
体例：题　章数：599
字数：1,132,339　来源：Project Gutenberg

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GEOFFREY CHAUCER: FROM MS. HARL. 4866]
THE COMPLETE WORKS
OF
GEOFFREY CHAUCER
BY THE
ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE
MINOR POEMS
SECOND EDITION
Oxford
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
MDCCCXCIX
Oxford
CONTENTS.
LIFE OF CHAUCER ix
LIST OF CHAUCER'S WORKS lxii
ERRATA AND ADDENDA lxiv
NOTES TO THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE 417
NOTES TO THE MINOR POEMS 452
GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
LIFE OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER.
The defence put in was--
On Aug. 23, he personally received a further advance of 5l. 6s. 8d.[152]
On the ledge of the tomb the following verses were engraved:--
LENVOY.
So also, in his Siege of Troye, fol. K 2:--
And again, in the same, fol. R 2, back:--
And yet again, at fol. Ee 2:--
LIST OF CHAUCER'S WORKS.
ERRATA AND ADDENDA.
P. 95: l. 47. Insert a comma after 'oughte'
P. 135: l. 997. _For_ shall _read_ shal
P. 136: ll. 1015-6. Improve the punctuation thus:--
P. 136: l. 1021. Delete the comma after 'yelowe'
P. 141: l. 1154. Delete the comma after 'seide'
P. 168: l. 1962. _For_ Bu -if _read_ But-if
P. 176: l. 2456. _For_ joy _read_ Ioy
P. 249: l. 7087. _For_ echerye _read_ trecherye
P. 253: l. 7324. _For_ weary _read_ wery
P. 258: l. 7665. Insert a comma after 'helle'
P. 278: l. 49. _For_ aud _read_ and
P. 282: l. 145. _For_ Aud _read_ And
P. 326: l. 74. Perhaps 'let' should be 'lete'
P. 330: l. 206. _For_ folke _read_ folk
P. 338: l. 91. _For_ Aud _read_ And
P. 340: l. 133. _For_ the _read_ thee
P. 377: l. 328. _For_ furlong wey _read_ furlong-wey
INTRODUCTION.
THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.
The English version has:--
THE MINOR POEMS.
1. Ed. by Wm. Thynne; London, 1532. Folio. Pr. by Godfray.
2. Reprinted, with additional matter; London, 1542. Folio.
7. Reprinted, with slight additions; London, 1687. Folio.
PART I. REPRINTED MATTER.
2. _The Romaunt of the Rose[213]._ Fol. cxvi.
3. Troilus and Creseide. Fol. cli., back.
5. The Legende of Good Women. Fol. cxcvij.
7. Boecius de Consolatione Philosophie. Fol. ccx., back.
8. The dreame of Chaucer. [The Book of the Duchesse.] Fol. ccxliiij.
10. The assemble of Foules. [Parlement of Foules.] Fol. ccxliiii., back.
12. How pyte is deed, etc. [Complaint unto Pite.] Fol. ccxlix., back.
13. _La belle Dame sans Mercy._ [By Sir R. Ros.] Fol. ccl.
14. Of Quene Annelida and false Arcite. Fol. cclv.
15. _The assemble of ladies._ Fol. ccxlvij.
16. The conclucions of the Astrolabie. Fol. cclxi.
19. The House of Fame. Fol. cclxxiiij., back.
20. _The Testament of Loue_ (in prose). Fol. cclxxxiiij., back.
21. _The lamentacion of Marie Magdaleine._ Fol. cccxviij.
22. _The remedie of Loue._ Fol. cccxxj., back.
28. _A saiyng of dan Ihon._ [By Lydgate.] Fol. cccxxxii., back[216].
29. _Yet of the same._ [By Lydgate.] On the same page.
31. _Of the Cuckowe and the Nightingale._ Fol. cccxxxiij. [By Hoccleve?]
35. Good counsail of Chaucer. [Truth.] Same page.
39. Chaucer to his emptie purse. Same page.
At the top of fol. cccxl. is the following remark:--
48. _The .x. Commaundementes of Loue._ Fol. cccxlij.
49. The _.ix. Ladies worthie_. Fol. cccxlij., back.
50. [_Virelai; no title._] Begins--'Alone walkyng.' Fol. cccxliij.
61. _The Storie of Thebes._ [By Lydgate.] Fol. ccclvj.
65. Chaucer's A. B. C. Genuine; here printed as poem no. I.
LIST OF THE MSS.; WITH ABBREVIATIONS.
Harleian 78, Brit. Mus. (Shirley's). _See_ Sh. _below._
II. _Pite_ (119).--Tn. F. B. Sh. Ff. Trin.; _also_ Ha. Lt. Ph.
III. _Duchess_ (1334).--F. Tn. B. Th.
IV. _Mars_ (298).--F. Tn. Ju. Harl. T. Ar.; also P.[237] Lt.
VI. _Compleint to his Lady_ (133).--Ph. Sh.; ed. 1561.
VIII. _Lines to Adam_ (7).--T.; ed. 1561.
IX. _Former Age_ (64).--I. Hh.
X. _Fortune_ (79).--I. A. T. F. B. H.; _also_ P. Cx.; Arch.; Lansd. 699.
XI. _Merciless Beaute_ (39).--P.
XII. _To Rosemounde_ (24).--R.
XVI. _To Scogan_ (49).--Gg. F. P.; _also_ Cx. (21 lines).
XVII. _To Bukton_ (32).--F. Th.; _also_ Ju.
XVIII. _Venus_ (82).--T. A. Tn. F. Ff.; _also_ Ar. Ju. P.[241]
XIX. _Purse_ (26).--F. Harl. Ff. P. Add.; _also_ H. Cx. Ph.
XX. _Proverbs_ (8).--F. Ha. Ad.; ed. 1561.
XXI. _Against Women Unconstaunt_ (21).--Ct. F. Ha.; ed. 1561.
XXII. _An Amorous Complaint_ (91).--Harl. F. B.
XXIII. _Balade of Complaint_ (21).--Ad.
MSS. AT OXFORD.
THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.
631. Th. Than; G. Thanne. 645, 653. Th. in; G. Inne. 654. _Both_ thought.
FRAGMENT B.
COMENT RAISOUN VIENT A L'AMANT.
COMMENT RAISOUN DIFFINIST AMISTIE.
FRAGMENT C.
EXPLICIT.
THE MINOR POEMS.
I. AN A. B. C.
II. THE COMPLEYNTE UNTO PITE.
III. THE BOOK OF THE DUCHESSE.
EXPLICIT THE BOKE OF THE DUCHESSE.
IV. THE COMPLEYNT OF MARS.
V. THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES.
VI. A COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY.
I. (_In seven-line stanzas._)
II. (_In Terza Rima; imperfect._)
III. (_In Terza Rima; imperfect._)
IV. (_In ten-line stanzas._)
VII. ANELIDA AND ARCITE.
THE COMPLEYNT OF FEIRE ANELIDA AND FALS ARCITE.
THE COMPLEYNT OF ANELIDA THE QUENE UPON FALS ARCITE.
VIII. CHAUCERS WORDES UNTO ADAM, HIS OWNE SCRIVEYN.
IX. THE FORMER AGE.
FINIT ETAS PRIMA. CHAUCERS.
X. FORTUNE.
I. LE PLEINTIF COUNTRE FORTUNE.
II. LA RESPOUNSE DE FORTUNE AU PLEINTIF.
III. LA RESPOUNSE DU PLEINTIF COUNTRE FORTUNE.
LA RESPOUNSE DE FORTUNE COUNTRE LE PLEINTIF.
XI. MERCILES BEAUTE: A TRIPLE ROUNDEL.
I. _Captivity._
II. _Rejection._
III. _Escape._
XII. TO ROSEMOUNDE. A BALADE.
TREGENTIL. CHAUCER.
XIII. TRUTH.
BALADE DE BON CONSEYL.
ENVOY.
EXPLICIT LE BON COUNSEILL DE G. CHAUCER.
XIV. GENTILESSE.
MORAL BALADE OF CHAUCER.
XV. LAK OF STEDFASTNESSE.
BALADE.
XVI. LENVOY DE CHAUCER A SCOGAN.
ENVOY.
XVII. LENVOY DE CHAUCER A BUKTON.
ENVOY.
XVIII. THE COMPLEYNT OF VENUS.
II. (_Disquietude caused by Jealousy._)
II.
III. (_Satisfaction in Constancy._)
III.
XIX. THE COMPLEINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE.
LENVOY DE CHAUCER.
XX. Proverbs.
PROVERBE OF CHAUCER.
I.
II.
APPENDIX.
XXI. AGAINST WOMEN UNCONSTANT.
BALADE.
XXII. AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT.
AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT, MADE AT WINDSOR.
XXIII. A BALADE OF COMPLEYNT.
NOTES
TO
THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.
5. _apparaunte_, apparent, as coming true.
24. Cf. 'Right ther as I was wont to done'; Ho. Fame, 113.
49. 'Me thoghte thus; that hit was May'; Book Duch. 291.
59. Read:--And th'erth-e. Cf. Book Duch. 410-5; Good Wom. 125.
67. _inde_, azure; see Cursor Mundi, 9920. _pers_; see Prol. 439.
73. _grille_, keen, rough. '_Grym_, gryl, and horryble'; Prompt. Parv.
131. So also 'And ful atempre'; Book Duch. 341.
196. Read _miscounting_ (Kaluza); F. text, _mesconter_.
206. _thing_, pl. goods (A. S. _þing_, pl.). Cf. l. 387.
220. _courtepy_, short coat, cape; see Prol. 290.
225. _perche_, a horizontal pole, on which clothes were sometimes hung.
240. I supply _doun_, down. Cf. 'heng ... doun'; Cant. Ta. G 574.
247. _Envy._ Cf. Ovid, Met. ii. 775; P. Plowman, B. v. 76.
273. _maltalent_, ill-will; see 330. Cf. _talent_, Cant. Ta. C 540.
360. _dwyned_, dwindled, wasted; cf. _for-dwyned_, 366.
361. _forwelked_, much wrinkled; cf. _welked_, Cant. Ta. C 738.
368. _potente_, a crutch, staff; cf. Cant. Ta. D 1776.
413. _doon ther write_, caused to be written (or described) there.
445. Alluding to Matt. vi. 16. For _grace_, read _face_ (l. 444).
454. Cf. 'like a worm'; Clerkes Ta. E 880.
464. _halke_, corner; Can. Yem. Ta. G 311.
482. _shepherd-e_, is trisyllabic; cf. _herd-e_, in Prol. 603.
490. _daungerous_, stingy; contrasted with _riche_ (l. 492).
516. _where_ would mean 'by which'; read _o-where_, i. e. anywhere.
535. Read _oft_; F. text, 'par maintes fois.'
574. _Gaunt_, Ghent; see Cant. Ta. A 448.
593. This is 'the porter Ydlenesse' of the Knightes Tale; A 1940.
624. _oon_, one; i. e. a place. _intil Inde_, as far as India.
656. The rime is only a single one, in _-ing_.
663. _Chalaundres_; see note to l. 81 above.
665. _thrustles_, throstles, thrushes; see Parl. Foules, 364.
672. 'As spiritual angels do.'
676. 'Of man liable to death'; by mortal man.
700. _leten_, pp. of _leten_, to let; 'and had let me in.'
714. _sete_, sat; A. S. _s[=æ]ton_, pt. t. pl. (The correct form).
716. _Iargoning_, chattering; cf. E. _jargon_.
731. _mentes_, mints; Th. has _myntes_.
735. 'Where he abode, to amuse himself.'
746. I insert _the_ (as Urry does) before _blisful_; cf. l. 797.
826. _girdilstede_, the _stead_ or place of the girdle, i. e. the waist.
836. _samyt_, samite, a very rich silk; see Halliwell and my Etym. Dict.
911. _felden_, caused to fall, knocked off.
914. _chalaundre_; see note to l. 81. _wodewale_; see note to l. 658.
938. _gadeling_, vagabond; see Gamelyn, 102, 106.
998. William de Lorris did not live to fulfil this promise.
1057. 'And thus anoint the world with (oily) words.'
1701. 'The stalk was as upright as a rush.'
2051. 'If I get them into my power.'
2063. _For-why_, i. e. why; F. 'por quoi.'
2463. 'That thou wouldst never willingly leave off.'
2561. 'Now groveling on your face, and now on your back.'
2617, 2624. In both lines, _wher_ is short for 'whether.'
2676. There is something wrong here; the F. text has:--
2951. 'When the God of Love had all day taught me.'
3105. _doth me drye_, makes me suffer; Scotch 'gars me dree.'
3751. The reading is easily put right, by help of the French:--
3845. Insert _not_, because the F. text has 'Si _ne_ s'est _mie_.'
3928. I. e. 'I must (have) fresh counsel.'
3938. 'And come to watch how to cause me shame.'
3940-3. The F. text has:--
3954. 'And to blind him with their imposture.'
4126. 'Unless Love consent, at another time.'
4372. For _wol_ read _wal_; F. 'Qui est entre les _murs_ enclose.'
4559. 'Ought I to shew him ill-will for it?'
4568. 'And lie awake when I ought to sleep.'
4634. I insert _pyned_, punished; F. 'N'as tu mie éu mal assés?'
4646. 'Thou didst act not at all like a wise man.'
4747. _Pryme temps_, spring-time; F. 'Printems.'
4790. _avaunt_, forward; F. 'Ge n'en sai pas plus que devant.'
4796. _can_, know. _parcuere_, by heart; F. 'par cuer.'
4901. 'And considers himself satisfied with no situation.'
4904. _Yalt him_, yields himself, goes; F. 'se rent.'
4923. _Conteyne_, contain or keep himself; F. 'le tiegne.'
5028. _Who list have Ioye_; F. 'Qui ... veut joir.'
5085. Read _they_; F. 'Més de la fole Amor se gardent.'
5186. 'When that thou wilt approve of nothing.'
5191. 'But I know not whether it will profit.'
5274. _him_ is here reflexive, and means 'himself.'
5285. Read _amitee_; F. 'amitié.'
5668. 'According as his income may afford him means.'
5699. Read 'in sich a were'; F. 'en tel guerre.'
5700. Insert 'more'; F. 'Qu'il art tous jors de _plus_ acquerre.'
5811. At l. 10715 of the original, we have the lines:--
5837. _To-moche-yeving_; F. 'Trop-Donner.'
5857. _Wel-Helinge_, good concealment; F. 'Bien-Celer.'
5966. _pole_, pool; F. 'la palu d'enfer.'
5988. 'Unless they continue to increase (F. sourdent) in his garner.'
6009. For _wol_ read _wolde_; F. 'Tous les méisse."
6078. _mister_, need, use; F. 'mestier.'
6103. 'If I say anything to impair (or lessen) their fame.'
6111. _Let_, short for _ledeth_: 'that he leads his life secretly.'
6120. 'Whilst every one here hears.'
6186. 'They offer the world an argument.'
6332. 'I am a man of every trade.'
6345. I. e. 'Sometimes I wear women's clothes.'
6352. 'Trying all the religious orders.'
6379. 'Through their folly, whether man or woman.'
6434. 'Unless you admit me to communion.'
6464. 'I care not a bean for the harm they can do me.'
6491. Read _the acqueyntance_, as in Th.; F. 'l'acointance.'
6556. 'The simple text, and neglect the commentary.'
6782. _This noble_, this brave man; F. 'Le vaillant homme.'
6814. 'The poor people must bow down to them.'
6824. 'And beguile both deceived men and deceivers.'
6976. I. e. 'yet it is no real business of mine.'
7018. _werreyen_, war; F. 'avons pris guerre.'
7044. _coninges_, conies, rabbits; F. 'connis.'
7057. _smerten_, smart for; F. 'sera pugni.'
7116. _troubler_, dimmer; F. 'plus troble.'
7325. _Streyned_, constrained; F. 'Contrainte-Astenance.'
7422. _Coupe-Gorge_, Cut-throat; F. 'Cope-gorge.'
7534. 'You have also caused the man to be chased.'
7562. 'Meditate there, you sluggard, all day.'
7573. 'Take it not amiss; it were a good deed.'
7581. 'What? you are anything but welcome.'
7633. 'You would necessarily see him so often.'
7664. _Iolyly_, especially; a curious use; F. 'bien.'
The last four lines in the F. text are:--
NOTES
TO
THE MINOR POEMS.
I. AN A B C.
6. _Debonaire_, gracious lady; used as a sb. Compare the original, l. 11.
16. 'Ere my ship go to pieces'; this graphic touch is not in the original.
24. 'If it were not for the mercy (to be obtained) from you.'
30. _First_, at first, before the Incarnation.
40. _Of verrey right_, in strict justice; not quite as in l. 21.
45. _Al have I_, although I have. So in l. 157.
49. MS. Gg. has _Gracyouse_; but the French has _Glorieuse_.
55. _But-if_, except, unless (common).
56. _Stink_ is oddly altered to _sinke_ in some editions.
88. Slur over the last syllable of _Continue_, and accent _us_.
109. Cf. Luke, i. 38--'Ecce _ancilla_ Domini.'
122. Pause after _both-e_; the _e_ is not elided.
136. _Of pitee_, for pity; the usual idiom. Cf. _of al_, XIII. 19 (p. 391).
180. 'That were it not (for) thy tender heart, we should be destroyed.'
184. _To mercy able_, fit to obtain mercy; cf. Cant. Ta. Prol. 167.
II. THE COMPLEYNTE UNTO PITE.
4. _With-oute dethe_, i. e. without actually dying.
7. _Doth me dye_, makes me die.
44. 'To have offered to Pity, as a petition'; see note to A B C, 110.
47. 'I kept my complaint quiet,' i. e. withheld it; see l. 54.
53. _And been assented_, and (who) are all agreed.
54. _Put up_, put by. Cf. 'to _put up_ that letter'; K. Lear, i. 2. 28: &c.
63. Accented _rénoun_, as in the Ho. of Fame, 1406. Cf. l. 86.
66. _Under colour_, beneath the outward appearance.
67. 'In order that people should not observe her tyranny.'
71. '_Heritage_, of course, stands in the gen. case'; Ten Brink.
83. _Perilous_ is here accented on the _i_.
110. See Anelida, 182; and the note.
119. Observe that this last line is a repetition of l. 2.
III. THE BOOK OF THE DUCHESSE.
32. _Aske_, may ask; subjunctive mood.
67. Koch would read _wolde_ for _wol_; I adopt his suggestion.
76. Alcyone (in the MSS.) was introduced as a gloss.
78. _Come_ (dissyllabic) is meant to be in the pt. t. subjunctive.
91. _Wher_, short for _whether_ (very common).
105. Doubtless, we ought to read:--'Ne coude she.'
120. For _knowe_ (as in F. Tn. Th.) read _knowen_, to avoid hiatus.
155. Imitated from Machault's Dit de la Fontaine:--
175. Read _slepe_, as in ll. 169, 177; A.S. _slæpon_, pt. t. pl.
181. _Who is_, i. e. who is it that.
183. _Awaketh_ is here repeated in the plural form.
199. _Fet-e_ is dat. pl.; see l. 400, and Cant. Ta., B 1104.
218. _My first matere_, my first subject; i. e. sleeplessness, as in l. 43.
247. _His lyve_, during his life.
264. We must delete _quene_; it is only an explanatory gloss.
279. 'To be well able to interpret my dream.'
292. Cf. Rom. de la Rose, 45-47:--
301. Read _songen_, not _songe_, to avoid the hiatus.
309. _Entunes_, tunes. Cf. _entuned_, pp.; C. T. Prol. 123.
347. _Whether_ is to be read as _Wher_; it is often so spelt.
352. _Upon lengthe_, after a great length of course, after a long run.
362. A _relay_ was a fresh set of dogs; see _Relay_ in my Etym. Dict.
374. _Fil to doon_, fell to do, i. e. was fitting to do.
Cf. also ll. 5962-5:--
405. The first accent is on _For_; not happily.
410-412. From Le Roman de la Rose, 55-58 (see p. 95, above):--
419. Imitated from Le Roman de la Rose, 1373-1391; in particular:--
442. The strong accent on _me_ is very forced.
452. _Wel-faring-e_; four syllables.
510. _Made_, i. e. they made; idiomatic.
521. _Ne I_, nor I; to be read _N'I_; cf. note to l. 343.
526. 'Yes; the amends is (are) easily made.'
532. _Me acqueynte_ = _m'acqueynt-e_, acquaint myself.
547. _Me thinketh_ (= _me think'th_), it seems to me.
556. _Paraventure_, pronounced as _Paraunter_; Thynne so has it.
572. Cf.
579. _Y-worthe_, (who am) become; pp. of _worthen_.
614. _Abaved_, confounded, disconcerted. See Glossary.
618. Imitated from the Roman de la Rose, from l. 6644 onwards--
And further, of the inventor of chess (l. 6715)--
He talks of the queen being taken (at chess), l. 6735--
He cannot recount all Fortune's tricks (l. 6879)--
629. Cf. 'whited sepulchres'; Matt. xxiii. 27; Rom. de la Rose, 8946.
636. Chaucer seems to have rewritten the whole passage at a later period:--
642. A translated line; see note to l. 634.
651. Read--_Trow'st thou? by'r lord_; see note to l. 544.
694. _Ne in_ is to be read as _nin_ (twice); see note to l. 343.
708. 'What is past is not yet to come.'
717. Again from the Rom. de la Rose, l. 5869--
799. John of Gaunt married Blaunche at the age of nineteen.
805. Imitated from Machault's Dit du Vergier and Fontaine Amoureuse.
831. Referring to Christ and His twelve apostles.
835-7. Resembles Le Roman de la Rose, 1689-91 (see p. 164)--
894. 'In reasonable cases, that involve responsibility.'
908. Somewhat similar are ll. 9-18 of the Doctoures Tale.
916. Scan by reading--They n' shóld' hav' foúnd-e, &c.
917. _A wikked signe_, a sign, or mark, of wickedness.
957. For _hippes_, Bell prints _lippes_; a comic reading.
997. Cf. Vergil, Æn. i. 630: 'Haud ignara mali.'
1037. Again imitated from Machault's Remède de Fortune:--
1087. 'Any way, she (Blaunche) was as true as she (Lucrece).'
1152-3. Cf. Rom. de la Rose, 2006-7:--
1219. Similarly, Troilus was reduced to saying--
IV. THE COMPLAINT OF MARS.
3. For _day_, Bell's edition has _May_! The month is February.
13. _Seynt Valentyne_; Feb. 14. See note to Sect. V. l. 309.
21. Cf. 'And everich of us take his aventure'; Kn. Tale, 328 (A 1186).
49. 'Unless it should be that his fault should sever their love.'
65. _come_, may come; pres. subj. (Lounsbury says 'preterite').
84. _Knokkeden_, knocked at the door, i. e. demanded admission.
100. _Girt_, short for _girdeth_; not _gerte_, pt. t.
107. 'In the palace (Taurus) in which thou wast disturbed.'
133. _Brenning_, burning in the fire of the sun's heat.
197. 'But if _she_ were safe, it would not matter about _me_.'
219. _Love other companye_, love or companionship.
229. Read _putt'th_; as a monosyllable.
262. _Covetour_, the one who coveted it. _Nyce_, foolish.
270. 'For my death I blame Him, and my own folly for being so ambitious.'
280. 'That ye lament for my sorrow.'
293. _Compleyneth hir_, lament for her.
298. 'Therefore display, on her behalf, some kindly feeling.'
V. THE PARLEMENT OF FOULES.
2. Several MSS. transpose _hard_ and _sharp_; it is of small consequence.
4. _By_, with respect to. In l. 7, _wher_ = whether.
15. Cf. Prol. to Legend of Good Women, 29-39.
56. _Galaxye_, milky way; see note to Ho. Fame, 936.
Near the end of Chaucer's Troilus, v. 1811, we have the singular passage:--
109. Compare Dante, Inf. i. 83; which Gary translates--
113. _Cithérea_, Cytherea, i. e. Venus; see Kn. Tale, 1357 (A 2215).
120. _African_, Africanus; as above.
123. _Y-wroght-e_; the final _-e_ here denotes the plural form.
125. _On eyther halfe_, on either side; to right and left.
127. Imitated from Dante, Inf. iii. 1; Cary's translation has--
143. _That oon_, the one, the latter. In l. 145, it means the former.
156. _Errour_, doubt; see l. 146 above.
158. 'This writing is not at all meant to apply to thee.'
163. I. e. 'at any rate you can come and look on.'
169. Imitated from Dante, Inf. iii. 19. Cary has--
171. Cf. 'So Iolyf, nor so wel bigo'; Rom. Rose, 693.
I here quote several notes from Bell's Chaucer, marked 'Bell.'
185. 'There where is always sufficient sweetness.'
216. Read: 'aft'r ás they shúld-e.' So Koch. Or read 'couch'd.'
217. See Ovid, Metam. i. 468-471.
226. Cf. 'Jest and youthful Jollity'; L'Allegro, 26.
234. _Faire_, beautiful by nature; _gay_, adorned by art.
236. _Office_, duty; viz. to dance round.
237. These are the _dowves flikeringe_ in Kn. Tale, 1104 (A 1962).
245. Answering to Boccaccio's 'Promesse ad arte,' i. e. 'artful Promises.'
246. Cf. Kn. Tale, 1062-1066, 1070 (A 1920-4, 1928).
267. _Gilte_; cf. Leg. of Good Women, 230, 249, 1315.
282. 'Trophies of the conquest of Venus'; Bell.
296. _Of spak_, spake of; see l. 174.
386. _Seynt_, &c.; i. e. _on_ St. Valentine's day; as in l. 322.
388. 'Ye come to choose your mates, and (then) to flee (on) your way.'
So again, in the Knight's Tale, 233 (A 1091):--
And again, in the same, 885 (A 1743):--
413. _Com_, came. The _o_ is long; A.S. _cóm_, Goth. _kwam_.
417. 'I choose the formel to be my sovereign lady, not my mate.'
421. 'Beseeching her _for_ mercy,' &c.
435. Read _lov'th_; monosyllabic, as frequently.
464. 'Ye see what little leisure we have here.'
471. Read _possíbl'_, just as in French.
476. _Som_; quite indefinite. 'Than _another_ man.'
482. _Hir-ës_, hers; dissyllabic. _Whether_ = _whe'r_. Cf. l. 7.
504. _For_, on behalf of; see next line.
507. _For comune spede_, for the common benefit.
508. 'For it is a great charity to set us free.'
524. _I Iuge_, I decide. _Folk_, kind of birds; see note to l. 323.
564. _Which a reson_, what sort of a reason.
572. 'To have held thy peace, than (to have) shewed.'
578. _The sothe sadde_, the sober truth.
599. See Chaucer's tr. of Boethius, bk. iv. pr. 4. l. 132.
603. 'Pushed himself forward in the crowd.'
612. _Heysugge_, hedge-sparrow; see note to l. 358.
614. 'Live thou unmated, thou destruction (destroyer) of worms.'
616. 'Go! and remain ignorant for ever.'
633. 'I would counsel you to take'; two infinitives.
641. The first accent is on _As_.
653. _Manér-e_ is trisyllabic; and _of_ is understood after it.
657. _For tarying_, to prevent tarrying; see note to C. T. Group B, 2052.
683. See note above, to l. 309.
VI. A COMPLEINT TO HIS LADY.
3. Cf. Compl. Pite, 81--'Allas! what herte may hit longe endure?'
16. I omit _that_, and insert _eek_, in order to make sense.
24. I supply this line from Compl. Mars, 189, to rime with l. 22.
41. _My swete fo._ So in Anelida, l. 272; and cf. l. 64 below.
50. Repeated in Anelida, 237.
55. Cf. Anelida, 214--'That turned is to quaking al my daunce.'
63. Cf. the use of _y-whet_ in Anelida, 212.
64, 65. Cf. Anelida, 272--'My swete fo, why do ye so for shame?'
73. For _leest_, ed. 1561 has _best_!
86. _shal_, i. e. shall be. See also XXII. ll. 78, 87.
102. MS. Sh. _beon euer als trewe_; ed. 1561 has--_bene euer as trewe_.
123. Cf. Anelida, 216. MS. Ph. alone preserves ll. 124-133.
125. For _hoolly I_ perhaps we should read _I hoolly_.
126. The rime _by me, tyme_, is Chaucerian; see Cant. Ta. G 1204.
130. This resembles Cant. Tales, F 974 and A 2392.
VII. ANELIDA AND ARCITE.
6, 7. Partly imitated from Tes. i. 3:--
8-10. Imitated from Tes. i. 2:--
15. Read _fávourábl'_. Imitated from Tes. i. 1:--
A similar confusion occurs in Troilus, iii. 1809:--
23. _Cithe_, Scythia; see last note. See Kn. Tale, 9 (A 867).
24. Cf. Kn. Tale, 169, 121 (A 1027, 979).
38. Repeated in Kn. Tale, 114 (A 972); changing _With_ to _And_.
57-63. Imitated from Tes. ii. 11:--
72. _Ermony_, Armenia; the usual M. E. form.
84. _Amended._ Compare what is said of Zenobia; C. T., B 3444.
91. Read _trust_, the contracted form of _trusteth_.
98. 'As, indeed, it is needless for men to learn such craftiness.'
119. Cf. Squi. Tale, F 569.
141. _New-fangelnesse_; see p. 409, l. 1, and Squi. Tale, F 610.
155. _Arcít-e_; trisyllabic, as frequently in Kn. Tale.
161. _Theef_, false wretch; cf. Squi. Tale, F 537.
162. Cf. Squi. Tale, F 462, 632.
166. Cf. Squi. Tale, F 448.
169. Cf. Squi. Tale, F 412, 417, 430, 631.
175. In Kn. Tale, 1950 (A 2808), it is Arcite who says '_mercy!_'
176. Read _endur'th_. Mate, exhausted.
177. Read _n'hath_. _Sustene_, support herself; cf. C. T. 11173 (F 861).
202. _Also_, as; 'as may God save me.'
206. _Hir ne gat no geyn_, she obtained for herself no advantage.
214. Cf. The Compleint to his Lady, 1. 55.
216. Cf. the Compleint to his Lady, l. 123.
218. _That_, who: relative to _hir_ above.
222. Nearly repeated in the Compl. to his Lady, l. 35.
237. Repeated from the Compl. to his Lady, l. 50.
247. Cf. Compl. to his Lady, ll. 107, 108.
260. _Namely_, especially, in particular.
265. This refers to ll. 113-5 above.
267. Read _sav-e_, _mek-e_; or the line will be too short.
270. Refers to ll. 211-3 above.
286. 'There are no other fresh intermediate ways.'
302. 'And if I lament as to what life I lead.'
313. _Who that_, whosoever. _Fast_, trustworthy.
315. _Tame_, properly tamed. From Rom. Rose, 9945:--
330. _Asure_, true blue; the colour of _constancy_; see l. 332.
332. 'And to pray to me for mercy.' Cf. ll. 299, 300.
338. _They_, i. e. your ruth and your truth.
341. 'My wit cannot reach, it is so weak.'
342. Here follows the concluding stanza of the Complaint.
344. Read--_For I shal ne'er_ (or _nev'r_) _eft pútten_.
346. See note to Parl. of Foules, 342.
350. This line re-echoes l. 211.
VIII. CHAUCERS WORDES UNTO ADAM.
IX. THE FORMER AGE.
2. _The former age_; Lat. prior etas.
3. _Payed of_, satisfied with; Lat. contenta.
4. _By usage_, ordinarily; i. e. without being tilled.
6. _Quern_, a hand-mill for grinding corn. _Melle_, mill.
18. _Flees_, fleece; Lat. 'uellera.'
20. 'No one had yet learnt how to distinguish false coins from true ones.'
49. Here again cf. Rom. de la Rose, 8483:--
X. FORTUNE.
39. 'Where Liberality carries the key of my riches.'
43. _On_, referring to, or, that is binding on.
52. _On presse_, in a throng, in company, all together.
56. Cf. Rom. de la Rose, 19179:--
XI. MERCILESS BEAUTY.
8. _Trouth-e_ is dissyllabic; see _treouthe_ in Stratmann.
16. _Halt_, i. e. holdeth; see Book of Duch. 621.
31. _I do no fors_, I don't care; as in Cant. Ta. 6816 (D 1234).
XII. TO ROSEMOUNDE.
XIII. TRUTH.
It is like the Jewish proverb--'Physician, heal thyself.'
10. 'Much repose consists in abstinence from fussiness.'
13. 'Thou that subduest the deeds of another, subdue thyself.'
16. _Axeth_, requires; i. e. will surely cause.
XIV. GENTILESSE.
1. With this first stanza compare R. Rose, 18881:--
3. The former _his_ refers to _fader_, but the latter to _man_.
5. 'Dignitees apertienen ... to vertu'; Boeth. iii. pr. 4, l. 25.
Compare Le Rom. de la Rose, 18819:--
16. In MS. A. is this side-note, in a later hand:--
XV. LAK OF STEDFASTNESSE.
4. _Word and deed_; or read _Word and werk_, as in Harl. 7333 and T.
10. _Unable_, not able, wanting in ability or strength.
XVI. LENVOY A SCOGAN.
15. _Goddes_, goddess, Venus; here spoken of as the goddess of _love_.
17. _Forbode is_; rather a forced rime to _goddes_; see p. 488 (note).
27. _Of our figure_, of our (portly) shape; see l. 31.
29. _I drede of_, I fear for thy misfortune.
30. _Wreche_, vengeance; distinct from _wrecche_.
XVII. LENVOY A BUKTON.
2. 'What is truth?' See John xviii. 38.
5. _Highte_, promised; by confusion with _heet_ (A.S. _h[=e]ht_).
18. Cf. 1 Cor. vii. 9, 28. And see Wife of Bath's Prol. D 154-160.
27. This answers to the modern proverb--'Let well alone.'
XVIII. COMPLEYNT OF VENUS.
22. _Aventure_, luck; in this case, good luck.
52. _To lete of_, to leave off, desist.
56. All the MSS. read _never_; yet I believe it should be _nat_ (not).
69. _Wey_, highroad. _Wente_, footpath.
76. _Eld_, old age. See a similar allusion in Lenvoy to Scogan, 35, 38.
XIX. THE COMPLEINT TO HIS EMPTY PURSE.
12. _Stere_, rudder; see Man of Lawes Tale, B 448, 833.
XX. PROVERBS.
XXI. BALADE AGAINST WOMEN UNCONSTANT.
8. Cf. James i. 23, 24; and see The Marchantes Tale (Group E, ll. 1582-5).
10. Read _far'th_, _ber'th_; as usual in Chaucer. So _turn'th_ in l. 12.
12. Cf. 'chaunging as a vane'; Clerkes Tale, E 996.
19. Compare the modern proverb--'She has two strings to her bow.'
XXII. AN AMOROUS COMPLEINT (COMPLEINT DAMOURS).
6. Cf. Sect. VI. l. 53:--'So litel rewthe hath she upon my peyne.'
14. _This have I_, such is my reward. _For_, because.
17. Cf. Sect. VI. l. 94:--'For ye be oon the worthiest on-lyve.'
19. Cf. Sect. VI. l. 93:--'I am so litel worthy.'
43. Perhaps read--'So that, algates, she is verray rote'; as in F. B.
45. Cf. C. T. 11287 (F 975):--'For with a word ye may me sleen or save.'
54. Cf. 'whyl the world may dure'; V, 616.
55. _Bihynde_, in the rear, far away; cf. VI. 5.
57. The idea is the same as in the Compl. of Mars, ll. 264-270.
62. See l. 10 above.
79. Cf. Troil. iii. 141--'And I to ben your verray humble trewe.'
87. Cf. Parl. Foules, 419:--'Whos I am al, and ever wol her serve.'
XXIII. A BALADE OF COMPLEYNT.
1. Cf. Troil. iii. 104:--'And thogh I dar ne can unto yow pleyne.'
4. See note to XXII. 72, and l. 8 below.
NOTES.