for I will neuer dispayred bee:
yf happe me fayle, then am I
vngratious and vnworthy, &c.
[Sidenote: Why the dream of Chaucer cannot be the book of the
Duchess.] Secondlye, under that title yo{u} saye, the woorke,
before this last edit{i}one of Chaucer, termed the Dreame of
Chaucer, is mystermed, and that yt is the Booke of the Duches,
or the Deathe of Blanche. wherein you bee greatlye mysledde in
my conceyte, for yt cannott bee the Booke of the Duches or of
the Deathe of Blanche, because Johne of Gaunt was then but fowre
and twentye yere olde when the same was made, as apperethe by
that tretyse in these verses:
Then founde I syttinge euen vprighte
A wonder well faringe knighte,
By the manner me thought so,
Of good mokell, and right yonge thereto,
Of the age of twentye fowre yere,
Vppon his bearde but little heare.
Then yf he were but fowre and twentye yeres of age, being born,
as hath Walsingha{m}, in the yere of Christ 1339 the 13. of
kinge Edwarde the thirde; and that he was maryed to Blanche the
fourtene calendes of June 1359, the 33 of Ed: the thirde; he was
at this mariage but twentye yeres of age; who within fower yeres
after sholde make his lamentac{i}on for Blanche the duchesse
which must be then dedde. But the duchesse Blanche dyed of the
pestilence in the yere of xxe 1368, as hath Anonimus MS, or
1369, as hath Walsinghame w{hi}che by the first accompte was the
{ix.} and by the last the {x.} yere after the mariage, and sixe
or at the least five yeres after this lamentatione of Johne of
Gaunte made in the fowre and twentye yere of his age. Wherfor
this cannott be the boke of the Duches because he colde not
lamente her deathe before she was deade. And yf you replye that
yt pleinlye apperethe the same treatyce to be mente of the
duches Blaunche, whiche signyfyethe whyte, by which name he
often termethe his ladye there lamented, but especially in these
verses,
Her throte, as I haue memoyre,
semed as a round towre of yuoire,
of good gretnesse and not to greate,
and fayre white she hete,
that was my ladies name righte;
she was thereto fayre and brighte,
she had not her name wronge,
right fayre sholders and body longe, &c.
I will answere, that there is no necessitye that yt must be of
Blanche the Duchesse because he sayeth her name was white; since
there ys a famelye of that denominatione, and some female of
that lyne myghte be both white in name, and fayre and white in
p{er}sonne; and so had not her name wronge or in veyne, as
Chaucer sayeth. or yt mighte be some other louer of his called
Blanche, [Sidenote: John of Gaunt, his incontinency.] since he
had many paramou{r}s in his youthe, and was not verye contynente
in his age. Wherefore, to conclude, yt apperethe as before, that
yt coulde not be mente of the Duchesse Blanche his wyfe, whiche
dyed long after that compleinte. for whiche cause that Dreame of
Chaucer in mye opynyone may well (naye rather of righte sholde)
contynewe his former title of The Dreame of Chaucer. for that,
wh{ic}he you will haue the Dreame of Chaucer, is his Temple of
Glasse; as I haue seene the title thereof noted, and the thinge
yt selfe confirmethe.
[Sidenote: Doubteth master Speight's ability in the exposition
of old words, but commendeth his diligence and knowledge.] IN
THE EXPOSITIONE of the olde wordes, as yo{u} shewe greate
diligence and knowledge, so yet in my opynione, unlesse a manne
be a good saxoniste, french, and Italyane linguiste, (from
whence Chaucer hathe borowed manye woordes,) he cannott well
expounde the same to oure nowe vnderstandinges, and therefore
(thoughe I will not presume of much knowledge in these tounges)
yt semeth yet to mee, that in your expositione, soome woordes
are not so fullye and rightlye explaned as they mighte bee,
althoughe peradventure yo{u} haue framed them to make sence.
Wherefore I haue collected these fewe (from many others lefte
for moore leysure) whiche seme to mee not to be fully explaned
in their proper nature, thoughe peradventure yo{u} will seme to
excuse them by a metaphoricall gloose.
[Sidenote: Aketon or Slevelesse jacket of plate for the war.]
Aketon or Haketone you expounde a jackett w{i}thoute sleves,
without any further addit{i}one, that beinge an indiffynyte
speache, and therefore may be entended a comone garmente daylye
vsed, suche as we call a jerken or jackett withoute sleues:
But _haketon_ is a slevelesse jackett of plate for the warre,
couered withe anye other stuffe; at this day also called a
jackett of plate, suche aketon Walter Stapletone, Bishoppe of
Excester and Custos or Wardene of Londone, had vppon hym
secretlye, when he was apprehended and behedded in the twentyeth
yere of Edwarde the seconde.
[Sidenote: A besant is a besant, and not a duckett.] Besante you
expounde a duckett, But a duckett ys farre from a besante, bothe
for the tyme of the invent{i}one, and for the forme; and as I
suppose for the valewe, not withstandinge that Hollybande in his
frenche-Englishe dictionarye make yt of the valewe of a duckett,
whiche duckett is for the most part eyther venetiane or
spanyshe, when the Besante ys mere Grekishe; a coyne well knowen
and vsed in Englande (and yet not therefore one auncient coyne
of Englande, as Hollybande sayethe yt was of france,) emongst
the Saxons before, and the Normans after the Conqueste; the
forme whereof I will at other tyme describe, onlye nowe settinge
downe, that this besante (beinge the frenche name, and in
armorye rightlye accordinge to his nature, for a plate of
golde,) was called in Latine Byzant{i}um, obteyninge that name
because yt was the coyne of Constantinople sometyme called
Bizant{i}um; and because you shall not thinke this any
fic{ti}one of myne owne, I will warrante the same with Williame
of Malmesberye in the fourthe booke De Regibus, who hathe these
wordes: Constantinopolis prim{u}m Bizantiu{m} dicta forma{m}
antiqui vocabuli preferu{n}t imperatorii nu{m}mi Bizantiu{m}
dicta; where one other coppye for nummi Bizantiu{m} hath
Bizantini nu{m}mi, and the frenche hath yt besante or Bezantine,
makinge yt an olde coyne of france, (when he sholde haue sayed
one olde coyne in France and not of France,) of the valewe of a
duckette.
[Sidenote: Fermentacione is fermentacione, and not dawbing even
metaphorically.] Fermentac{i}o{n}e yo{u} expounde Dawbinge,
whiche cannott anye way be metaphoricallye so vsed in Chaucer,
althoughe yt sholde be improperlye or harsely applied. For
fermentac{i}one ys a peculier terme of Alchymye, deduced from
the bakers fermente or levyne. And therefore the Chimicall
philosophers defyne the fermente to bee anima, the sowle or
lyfe, of the philosophers stoone. Whereunto agreethe Clauiger
Bincing, one chimicall author, sayinge, ante viuificatio{ne}m id
est fermentac{i}o{ne}m, w{hi}che is before tinctinge, or gyvinge
tincture or cooler; that beinge as muche to saye as gyvinge
sowle or lyfe to the philosophers stoone, wherby that may
fermente or cooler or gyue lyfe to all other metaline bodyes.
[Sidenote: Orfrayes not Goldsmith's work, but frysed cloth of
gold, a manufacture peculiar to the English.] Orfrayes yo{u}
expounde Goldsmythes worke, w{hi}che ys as nere to goldsmythes
woorke as clothe of golde, for this worde orefrayes, beinge
compounded of the frenche worde (or) and (frays, or fryse,) the
Englishe is that w{hi}che to this daye (beinge now made all of
one stuffe or substance) is called frised or perled cloothe of
gold; in Latyne, in tymes past, termed aurifrisium or
aurifrixori{u}m. A thinge well knowen to the Saxons in Englande
before, as to the Normans after, the Conqueste, and therfore
fullye to satisfye you thereof, I will produce twoo
auctorauctors of the weavinge and vse thereof before the
conquest and since, wherin you shall pleynely see what yt was,
and in what acco{m}pt yt was holden, beinge a worke peculier to
the Englishe. The lieger booke of Elye, speakinge of Ediswetha
daughter to Brightnothus, aldermanne, erle or duke, of
northumberlande before the Conquest sayethe; cui tradita
Coveneia, locus monasterio vicinus, vbi aurifrixorie et texturæ
secretiùs cu{m} puellis vacabat; and a little after, Tunica
Rubra purpura per gyrum et ab humeris aurifri vndiq{ue}
circumdatu{m}. Then, after the conquest, mathew Paris speakethe
thereof aboute ornamentes to be sente to the Poope. but because
I haue not my mathewe Paris here, I will vouche one whose name
hathe muche affinytye with hym, and that is Mathewe Parker
Archbyshoppe of Canterburye, who, in the Lyfe of Bonifacius
Archbishoppe of that see, hathe these wordes. "A^o. Domini 1246,
Romæ multi Anglicani aderant Clerici, qui capis vt aiu{n}t
chorealibus, et infulis, ornamentisq{ue} ecclesiasticis, ex
Anglice tunc more gentis, ex lana tenuissima et auro artificiosè
intexto fabricatis, vterentur. Huius modi ornamentoru{m} aspectu
et concupiscentia provocatus Papa, rogavit cuiusmodi essent.
Responsu{m} est, aurifrisia appellari, quia et eminens ex panno
et lana qua{m} Angli fryse appellant, simul contexta sunt. Cui
subridens et dulcedine captus Papa, Vere, inquit," (for these
are the woordes of Mathewe Paris whiche lyved at that tyme,)
"Hortus noster delitiaru{m} est Anglia, verus puteus est
inexhaustus, et vbi multa abundant, de multis multa sumere
licet. Itaq{ue}, concupiscentia illectus oculorum, litteras
suas Bullatas sacras misit ad Cistercienses in Anglia Abbates,
quoru{m} orationibus se devotè commendabat, vt ipsi hec
aurifrisia speciosissima ad suum ornandu{m} choru{m}
compararent. Hoc Londoniensibus placuit, quia ea tum venalia
habebant, tantiq{ue} quanti placuit vendiderunt." In whiche
discourse you not onlye see that orefryes was a weued clothe of
golde and not goldsmythe worke, and that Englande had before and
since the conqueste the arte to compose suche kynde of delicate
Cloothe of golde as Europe had not the lyke; for yf yt hadd,
the poope wolde haue made suche prouis{i}one thereof in other
places, and not from Englande. And because you shall not thinke
that yt was onlye vsed of the Clergye, you shall fynde in a
record of the Towre that yt was also one ornamente of the kings
garmente, since the Conqueste, for, in Rotulo Patentiu{m} 6.
Joh{ann}is in Dorso (in whiche the kinge comaunded the templers
to deliuer suche jewells, garmentes, and ornamentes as they had
of the kings in kepinge,) are these wordes: "Dalmaticam de eodem
samitto vrlatani de orfreyes et cu{m} lapidibus." Whiche is to
saye, the kings Dalmaticall garmente of the same samitte (spoken
of before, whiche was crymsone,) vrled or bordrede (suche as we
nowe calle garded) withe orfreyes.
[Sidenote: Oundye and Crispe meaneth wavy like water.] fforthlye
Oundye and Crispe is by you expounded slyked and curled, whiche
sence althoughe yt may beare after some sorte; yet the proprytye
of the true sence of oundye (beinge an especiall terme
appropriate to the arte of Heraldye) dothe signifye wavinge or
movinge, as the water dothe; being called vndye, of Latyne vnda
for water, for so her haire was oundye, that is, layed in rooles
vppone and downe, lyke waves of water when they are styrred with
the winde, and not slyked or playne, etc.
[Sidenote: Resager is ratsbane or arsenic.] ffyftlye You
expounde not Resager, beinge a terme of Alchymye; as yo{u} leave
manye of them vntouched. This worde sholde rather be resalgar,
wherefore I will shewe yo{u} what resalgar ys in that abstruse
science, whiche Chawcer knewe full well, althoughe he enveye
againste the sophisticall abuse thereof in the chanons Yeomans
Tale. This Resalgar is that w{hi}che by some is called
Ratesbane, a kynde of poysone named Arsenicke, which the
chimicall philosophers call their venome or poysone. Whereof I
coulde produce infynyte examples; but I will gyve yo{u} onlye
these fewe for a taste. Aristotle, in Rosario Philosophoru{m},
sayethe, "nullu{m} tingens venenum generatur absq{ue} sole et
eius vmbra, id est, uxore." whiche venome they call by all names
presentinge or signifyinge poysone, as a toode, a dragon,
a Basilyske, a serpente, arsenicke, and suche lyke; and by manye
other names, as "in exercitacio{n}e ad turbam philosophorum,"
apperethe, wher aqua simplex is called venenu{m}, Argentum
vivum, Cinnabar, aqua permanens, gumma, acetu{m}, urina, aqua
maris, Draco, serpens, etc. And of this poysone the treatyce _de
phenice_,[7] or the philosophers stoone, written in Gothyshe
rymynge verse, dothe saye;
Moribunda, corporis virus emanabat
quod materna{m} faciem ca{n}dida{m} f[oe]dabat.
[Footnote 7: A copy of this curious poem in Thynne's
hand-writing, and marvellously illustrated by him, is in the
Brit. Mus., MSS. Add. No. 11,388.]
[Sidenote: Begyns are nuns, though it cometh to mean
superstitious and hypocritical women from their nature.] Begyn
and Bigott yo{u} expounde sup{er}sticious hypocrites, whiche
sence I knowe yt maye somewhat beare, because yt sauorethe of
the disposit{i}one of those begins, or Beguines, for that ys the
true wrytinge. But this woorde Begyn sholde in his owne nature
rightlye haue ben expounded, sup{er}sticious or hipocriticall
wemenne, as appereth by chaucer himselfe, w{hi}che nombrethe
them emongest the wemen in the Romante of the Roose when he
sayethe,
But empresses, & duchesses,
These queenes, & eke countesses
These abbasses, & eke Bigins,
These greate ladyes palasins.
And a little after, in the same Romante, he doth write,
That dame abstinence streyned
Tooke one a Robe of camelyne,
And ganne her gratche as a Bygin.
A large cover-cherfe of Thredde
She wrapped all aboute her hedde.
These wemene the Frenche call Beguynes or nonnes; being in
Latyne called Bigrinæ or Biguinæ. Whose originall order,
encrease, and contynuance are sett downe by mathewe Paris and
Mathewe Westm{inster}. But as I sayed, since I haue not my
mathewe Paris at hand, I will sett you downe the wordes of
mathewe Westmynster (otherwise called "Flores Historiarum" or
"Florilegus") in this sorte. Sub eisdem diebus (w{hi}ch was in
the yere of Christe 1244, and aboute the 28 of kinge Henry the
thirde,) quidam in Almania precipuè se asserentes vitam et
habitu{m} relligionis elegisse, in utroq{ue} sexu, sed maximè
in muliebri, continentia{m}, cu{i}u{s} vitæ simplicitate
profitentes, se voto priuato deo obligaru{n}t. Mulieresq{ue},
quas Bigrinas vulgaritèr vocamus, adeò multiplicatæ sunt, quòd
earu{m} numerus in vna ciuitate, scilicèt Colonia, ad plus quam
mille asseritur ascendisse, etc. After whiche, speakinge yn the
yere of Christe 1250 of the encrease of relligious orders, he
sayeth, Item in Alemania et Francia mulieres, quas Biguinas
nominant, etc.
[Sidenote: Citrinatione or perfect digestion.] Citrinatione
yo{u} do not expounde, beinge a terme of Alchymye. Whiche
Citrinatione is bothe a color and parte of the philosophers
stoone. for, as hathe Tractatus Avicennæ (yf yt be his and not
liber suppositi[ti]us, as manye of the Alchimicall woorkes are
foysted in vnder the names of the best lerned authors and
philosophers, as Plato, Aristotle, Avicen, and suche others,) in
parte of the 7 chapter. Citrinatio est que fit inter albu{m} et
rubru{m}, et non dicitur coolor perfectus, whiche
Citrinat{i}one, as sayethe Arnoldus de Nova Villa, li. i. ca. 5.
nihil aliud est quàm completa digestio. For the worke of the
philosophers stoone, following the worke of nature, hathe lyke
color in the same degree. for as the vrine of manne, being
whityshe, sheweth imp{er}fecte digestione: But when he hathe
well rested, and slepte after the same, and the digestione
p{er}fected: the vrine becomethe citrine, or of a depe yellowe
cooler: so ys yt in Alchymye. whiche made Arnolde call this
citrinatione perfect digestion, or the cooler provinge the
philosophers stoone broughte almoste to the heigh[t]e of
perfect{i}one.
[Sidenote: Forage is old and hard provision made for horses and
cattle in winter,] Forage in one place you expounde meate, and
in other place fodder. boothe whiche properly cannott stande in
this place of chaucer in the reves prologue, where he sayeth,
"my fodder is forage." for yf forrage be fodder, then is the
sence of that verse, "my fodder is fodder." But fodder beinge a
generall name for meate gyven to Cattle in winter, and of
affynytie withe foode applied to menne and beasts, dothe onlye
signyfye meate. And so the sence is, "my meate ys forage," that
is, my meate is suche harde and olde provis{i}one as ys made for
horses and Cattle in winter. for so doth this worde forragiu{m}
in latyne signyfye. and so dothe Chaucer meane. for the word
next before dothe well shewe yt, when the Reve sayeth,
I ame olde, me liste not play for age,
Grasse tyme is donne, my fodder is forrage.
[Sidenote: or metaphorically, or to help out the ryme it may
mean grass.] Yet metaphorically yt may be taken for other than
drye horse meate, although improperlye; as Chaucer hathe, in Sir
Topas Ryme, where he makethe yt grasse for his horse, and vseth
the woorde rather to make vpp the ryme than to shewe the true
nature thereof; sayinge,
That downe he layed hym in that place,
to make his steede some solace
and gyve hym good forage.
[Sidenote: Heroner is a long-winged hawk for the heron.] Heroner
yo{u} expounde a certeyne kynde of hawke, whiche is true, for a
gowshawke, sparrowe hawke, tassell, &c. be kyndes of hawkes. But
this heroner, is an especiall hawke (of anye of the kyndes of
longe winged hawkes) of moore accompte then other hawkes are,
because the flighte of the Herone ys moore daungerous than of
other fowles, insomuch, that when she fyndeth her selfe in
danger, she will lye in the ayre vppon her backe, and turne vpp
her bellye towardes the hawke; and so defile her enymye with her
excrementes, that eyther she will blinde the hawke, or ells with
her byll or talons pierce the hawkes brest yf she offer to cease
vppon her.
[Sidenote: The Hyppe is the berye of the sweet bryer or
eglantine.] The Hyppe is not simplye the redde berrye one the
Bryer, vnlest yo{u} adde this epithetone and saye, the redde
Berrye one the swete Bryer, (which is the Eglantyne,) to
distinguyshe yt from the comone Bryer or Bramble beringe the
blacke Berye, for that name Bryer ys comone to them boothe; when
the Hyppe is proper but to one, neither maye yt helpe yo{u} that
yo{u} saye the redd Berye, to distinguyshe yt from the Blacke,
for the blacke berye ys also redde for a tyme, and then may be
called the redde Berye of the Bryer for that tyme.
[Sidenote: Nowell meaneth more than Christmas.] Nowell yo{u}
expounde Christmasse, whiche ys that feaste and moore, for yt is
that tyme, whiche is properlye called the Advente together with
Christmasse and Newe yeres tyde, wherefore the true etymologye
of that worde ys not Christmasse, or the twelve dayes, but yt is
godd with us, or, oure Godde, expressinge to vs the comynge of
Christe in the fleshe, whiche p{er}adventure after a sorte, by
the figure synecdoche, yo{u} may seeme to excuse, placinge ther
xþemas (_Christmasse_) a p{ar}te of this tyme of Nowell for all
the tyme that Nowell conteynethe. for in the same worde is
conteyned sometyme xx, but for the most p{ar}te thirtye dayes
before Christmesse, aswell as the Christmesse yt selfe, that
woorde being deduced as hathe Will{iel}m{u}s Postellus in
Alphabet. 12 Linguarum, from the hebrue worde Noell: for thus he
writethe: #noel# noel, sonat deus noster sive Deus nobis advenit,
solitaq{ue} est hec vox cantari a plebe ante xþi ({Christi})
natalitia viginti aut triginta dies quodam desiderio.
[Sidenote: Porpherye is a peculiar marble, not marble in
common.] Porpherye you expounde marble, w{hi}che m{ar}ble ys
genus, but porpherye is species, for as there is white and grey
marble, so ys there redde marbell, whiche is this porpherye,
a stone of reddish purple coolor, distincte or enterlaced with
white veynes as yo{u} may see in the great pillars entringe into
the royall exchange or burse in Cornhill.
[Sidenote: Sendale, a sylke stuffe.] Sendale you expounde a
thynne stuffe lyke cypres. but yt was a thynne stuffe lyke
sarcenette, and of a rawe kynde of sylke or sarcenett, but
courser and narrower, than the sarcenett nowe ys, as my selfe
canne remember.
[Sidenote: The trepegett is not the battering-ram, but an engine
to cast stones.] Trepegett you expounde a ramme to batter
walles. But the trepegete was the same that the magonell;
for Chaucer calleth yt a trepegett or magonell; wherefore the
trepegett and magonell being all one, and the magonell one
instrumente to flynge or cast stones (as youre selfe
expounde yt) into a towne, or against a towne walles, (an engine
not muche vnlyke to the catapulte, an instrumente to cast forthe
dartes, stones, or arrowes,) the trepeget must nedes also be one
instrumente to cast stones or such lyke against a wall or into a
towne, and not a Ramme to batter wales; since the Ramme was no
engine to flinge anye thinge, but by mens handes to be broughte
and pusshed againste the walles; a thinge farr different in
forme from the magonell or catapulte, as appereth by Vigetius
and Robertus Valturius de re militari.
[Sidenote: Wiuer or Wyvern, a serpent like unto a dragon.] Wiuer
yo{u} expounde not. Wherefore I will tell you, a wyuer is a
kynde of serpent of good Bulke, not vnlyke vnto a dragon, of
whose kinde he is, a thinge well knowen vnto the Heroldes,
vsinge the same for armes, and crestes, & supporters of manye
gentle and noble menne. As the erle of Kent beareth a wiuer for
his creste and supporters, the erle of Pembroke, a wiuer vert
for his creste; the erle of Cumberlande, a wiuer geules for his
supporters.
[Sidenote: Autenticke meaneth a thing of auctoritye, not of
antiquitye.] Autenticke yo{u} expounde to be antiquytye. But
howe yo{u} may seme to force and racke the worde to Chaucers
meaninge, I knowe not; but sure I ame the proper
signyficat{i}one of autenticke is a thinge of auctoritye or
credit allowed by menne of auctoritye, or the originall or
fyrste archetypu{m} of any thinge; whiche I muse that you did
not remember.
[Sidenote: Abandone is not liberty though Hollyband sayeth so.]
Abandone you expounde libertye; whiche in all Italiane, Frenche,
and Spanishe, signifyeth relinquere, to forsake and leave a
thinge; w{hi}che me thinkethe yo{u} most hardely stretche to
libertye, vnlest yo{u} will saye that, when one forsakethe a
thinge, he leaveth yt at libertye; whiche ys but a streyned
speche, although the frenche Hollybande, not vnderstandinge the
true energye of our tongue, hath expounded yt libertye; whiche
may be some warrante vnto you.
VNDER THE TITLE OF YOURE Annotacions and Corrections.
[Sidenote: Of the Vernacle.] IN YOURE ANNOTACIONS you describe,
oute of the prologues, the vernacle to be a broche or figure,
wherein was sett the instruments wherewith Christe was
crucyfyed, and withall a napkyn whereine was the printe of his
face. but the vernacle did not conteyne the instrumentes of his
deathe, but only the clothe wherein was the figure of his face;
as I conceve yt with others.