782. _mannish_, man-like, i. e. harsh and cruel, not mild and gentle like a
woman. But Chaucer is not satisfied with the epithet, and says he ought
rather to call her 'fiend-like.' Perhaps it is worth while to say that in
Gower's Conf. Amant., lib. vi., where Pauli (iii. 52) has 'Most liche to
_mannes_ creature,' the older edition by Chalmers has the form _mannish_.
Lines 778-84 are not in the original.
789. 'He stowed away plenty (of wine) under his girdle,' i. e. drank his
fill.
794. Pronounce _constábl'_ much as if it were French, with an accent on a.
In l. 808 the accent is on _o_. Lastly, in l. 858, all three syllables are
fully sounded.
798. 'Three days and a quarter of an hour'; i. e. she was to be allowed
only three days, and after that to start off as soon as possible. _Tide_
(like _tíð_ in Icelandic) sometimes means an hour. The French text says
'deynz quatre iours,' within four days.