140. _cherl_, dependant. It is remarkable that, throughout the story, MSS.
E. Hn. and Cm. have _cherl_, but the rest have _clerk_. In ll. 140, 142,
153, 164, the Camb. MS. is deficient; but it at once gives the reading
_cherl_ in l. 191, and subsequently.
Either reading might serve; in Le Roman, l. 5614, the dependant is called
'son serjant'; and in l. 5623, he is called 'Li _ribaus_,' i. e. the
ribald, which Chaucer Englishes by _cherl_. But when we come to C. 289, the
MSS. gives us the choice of 'fals _cherl_' and 'cursed _theef_'; very few
have _clerk_ (like MS. Sloane 1685). Cf. vol. iii. p. 437.
153, 154. The 'churl's' name was Marcus Claudius, and the 'judge' was
'Appius Claudius.' Chaucer simply follows Jean de Meun, who calls the judge
_Apius_; and speaks of the churl as '_Claudius_ li chalangieres' in l.
5675. [264]