_swire_ = neck. See also _Brouke_ in the Glossary to Gamelyn.
4502. _daun Burnel the Asse._ 'The story alluded to is in a poem of
Nigellus Wireker, entitled Burnellus seu Speculum Stultorum, written in the
time of Richard I. In the Chester Whitsun Playes, _Burnell_ is used as a
nickname for an ass. The original word was probably _brunell_, from its
_brown_ colour; as the _fox_ below is called _Russel_, from his _red_
colour.'--Tyrwhitt. The Latin story is printed in The Anglo-Latin Satirists
of the Twelfth Century, ed. T. Wright, i. 55; see also Wright's Biographia
Britannica Literaria, Anglo-Norman Period, p. 356. There is an amusing
translation of it in Lowland Scotch, printed as 'The Unicornis Tale' in
Small's edition of Laing's Select Remains of Scotch Poetry, ed. 1885, p.
285. It tells how a certain young Gundulfus broke a cock's leg by throwing
a stone at him. On the morning of the day when Gundulfus was to be ordained
and to receive a benefice, the cock took his revenge by not crowing till
much later [257] than usual; and so Gundulfus was too late for the
ceremony, and lost his benefice. Cf. Warton, Hist. E. P., ed. 1871, ii.
352; Lounsbury, Studies in Chaucer, ii. 338. As to the name _Russel_, see
note to l. 4039.
4516. See Rom. of the Rose (E. version), 1050. MS. E. alone reads
_courtes_; Hn. Cm. Cp. Pt. have _court_; Ln. _courte_; Hl. _hous_.
4519. _Ecclesiaste_; not Ecclesiastes, but Ecclesiasticus, xii. 10, 11, 16.
Cf. Tale of Melibeus, B. 2368.
4525. Tyrwhitt cites the O. F. form _gargate_, i. e. (throat), from the
Roman de Rou. Several examples of it are given by Godefroy.
4537. _O Gaufred._ 'He alludes to a passage in the Nova Poetria of Geoffrey
de Vinsauf, published not long after the death of Richard I. In this work
the author has not only given instructions for composing in the different
styles of poetry, but also examples. His specimen of the plaintive style
begins thus:--
'Neustria, sub clypeo regis defensa Ricardi,
Indefensa modo, gestu testare dolorem;
Exundent oculi lacrimas; exterminet ora
Pallor; connodet digitos tortura; cruentet
Interiora dolor, et verberet aethera clamor;
Tota peris ex morte sua. Mors non fuit eius,
Sed tua, non una, sed publica mortis origo.
_O Veneris lacrimosa_ dies! O sydus amarum!
Illa dies tua nox fuit, et Venus illa venenum.
Illa dedit vulnus,' &c.
These lines are sufficient to show the object and the propriety of
Chaucer's ridicule. The whole poem is printed in Leyser's Hist. Poet. Med.
Ævi, pp. 862-978.'--Tyrwhitt. See a description of the poem, with numerous
quotations, in Wright's Biographia Britannica Literaria, Anglo-Norman
Period, p. 400; cf. Lounsbury, Studies, ii. 341.
4538. Richard I. died on April 6, 1199, on Tuesday; but he received his
wound on Friday, March 26.
4540. _Why ne hadde I_ = O that I had.