standard. The French in England was not pure. Then of the past part. is frequently dropped. 129. Sauce = saucer. Forks and spoons had not yet come into use. 131. No drope ne fille = no drop fall. Double negative, as in French and Anglo-Saxon. 134. Ferthing = small quantity. Literally, a fourth part. A. S. feorth, fourth, and diminutive suffix ing. = 137. Sikerly surely. Cf. Ger. sicherlich. — Disport = sport, diversion. She was fond of gayety. 139. Peynede hire: manner. = she took pains. Countrefete cheere = imitate the Formerly no bad association belonged to the word counterfeit. = 140. Estatlich stately, high-bred. 141. Digne = worthy. French digne, Lat. dignus. 147. Wastel breed = cake bread, or bread made of the finest flour. Dogs were usually fed on coarse bread baked for the purpose. = 149. Men indef. pronoun one; sometimes written me. It has unfortunately become obsolete. German man, French on. - Smerte = smartly. = 151. Wympel a linen covering for the neck and shoulders. — I-pynched plaited, or gathered into folds. 152. Tretys = slender, well-proportioned. 156. Hardily assuredly, certainly. 159. Gauded al with grene=having large green gauds or beads. The reference is to a rosary. See Webster. love conquers all things. Priests were 162. Amor vincit omnia = 164. Chapeleyne chaplain or assistant. - Prestes thre. connected with nunneries for the purpose of saying mass. 165. A fair for the maistrie: = a fair one for obtaining the mastery. 166. Out-rydere one who rides after hounds in hunting. 170. Gynglen jingling. Fashionable riders were accustomed to hang small bells on their bridles and harness. where. Selle cell. Originally applied to the small chamber occupied by each monk, but afterwards also to a religious house or inferior monastery. 173. Seynt Maur. seint Beneyt St. Maur, St. Benedict. The latter founded the order of Benedictines at the beginning of the sixth century. St. Maur was a disciple of St. Benedict. The Bendictine mode of life was originally severely ascetic. 174. Somdel streyt somewhat strict. 176. Space = path, steps. Other readings are trace and pace. 177. A pulled hen = a moulting or worthless hen, neither laying eggs nor fit for food. rage. 179. Reccheles = 182. Thilke 183. Seide = = reckless, careless. A. S. reccan, to think. that, the like. A. S. thylc, that, the like. should say. Pret. of Subjunctive. 184. What why, wherefore. — Wood = mad, foolish. Cf. Ger. Wuth, = 187. As Austyn byt = As Augustine bids. St. Augustine of Canterbury urged a faithful adherence to the monastic vows upon his clergy. 188. Let Augustine, or Austin, have his toil kept for himself. 189. Pricasour right, indeed. = hard rider, one who spurs his horse. — Aright = on 191. Prikyng= riding. Cf. Spenser's — " A gentle knight was pricking on the plaine." 192. Lust pleasure. Other forms are leste, list. 193. Purfiled atte honde: = -- embroidered at the hand or cuff. Fr. pour filer, to embroider. Atte, see l. 29. 194. Grys = fur of the Siberian squirrel. French gris, gray. 200. In good poynt French en bon point, rotundity of figure. 201. Steepe bright. = 202. Stemede as a forneys of a leed = shone as a furnace of a caldron (leed). 203. Bootes souple. High boots of soft leather were worn, fitting closely to the leg. 205. For-pyned= wasted away. For is intensive. Cf. Eng. pine. 208. Frere: = friar. Wantoun = = playful, sportive; literally, untrained, uneducated. 209. Lymytour: = a begging friar to whom a certain district or limit was assigned. 210. The ordres foure the four orders of mendicant friars. These were the Dominicans or Black friars, the Franciscans or Gray friars, the Carmelites or White friars, and the Austin friars. Can: = knows. Present tense of A. S. cunnan, to know. 211. Daliaunce and fair langage = gossip and flattery. 220. Licentiat = one who has license from the Pope to grant absolution in all cases. Curates were required to refer certain cases to the bishop. where he knew he would have. Han, inf. - Pitaunce: = meal of victuals, or small allowance of 224. Ther as he wiste han: = contracted from haven. anything. 226. I-schrive confessed. The n of the past part. is dropped. = 233. His typet was ay farsed = His hood was always stuffed. Says an old writer: "When the order degenerated, the friar combined with the spiritual functions the occupation of pedler, huckster, mountebank, and quack doctor." = 237. Bar utterly the prys took unquestionably the prize. 238. Flour-de-lys lily. Now written fleur-de-lis. = 241. Tappestere= bar-maid. The corresponding masculine was tapper. Ster was originally the feminine suffix of agency. Cf. spinster. 242. Bet better. - Lazer = = leper, from Lazarus in the parable. 243. Swich such. See note 1. 3. 245. Sike sick. 247. Poraille = poor people, rabble. 253. Nogt oo schoo= 254. In principio. At each house the lymytour began his speech, “ In principio erat verbum" = in the beginning was the Word. Rente regular income. days fixed to settle difficulties by arbitration. cloak or vestment of a priest. Cf. Eng. cape. Semy-cope (1. 262) = a short cape or cloak. 263. Belle out of the press = bell from the mould. 270. Forked berd. This was the fashion among franklins and burghers. 273. Clapsed clasped. = 275. Sownynge—thencres = sounding the increase. 276. For eny thinge: = at all hazards. 277. Middelburgh and Orewelle. Middleburgh is still a port of the island of Walcheren in the Netherlands. Orewelle is now the port of Harwich. French crowns (écus) from the figure of a shield on 279. His wit bisette = employed his wit or knowledge. 282. Chevysaunce agreement for borrowing money. dent. 285. Clerk = an ecclesiastic or man of learning; here a university stuOxenford = Oxford; not derived from the A. S. oxna, oxen, but from a Celtic word meaning water. - = uppermost short cloak. 292. Office secular calling, in contrast with benefice, an ecclesiastical living. 293. Levere = preferable. Him is dat. after levere. Cf. Ger. lieber. 295. Aristotle was a celebrated Greek philosopher. He was the founder of the Peripatetic school of philosophy, and the tutor of Alexander the Great. Born 384 B.C. Poor students were accus = 302. Scoleye to attend school, to study. tomed to beg for their support at the universities. 303. Cure= 306. Heye sentence = high meaning or lofty sentiment. 309. Sergeant of the lawe = a lawyer of the highest rank. The Lat. wary. phrase is serviens ad legem. War = 310. Atte parvys : = at the porch, of St. Paul's, where lawyers were accustomed to meet for consultation. 312. Of gret reverence= worthy of great respect or reverence. 318. Purchasour = prosecutor. French pourchasser, to hunt after. 319. Al was fee simple to him. This seems to mean that all cases were clear to him. See etymology of fee in Webster. 320. His prosecution might not be tainted (enfecte) or contaminated with any illegality. = cases and dooms, or precedents and decisions. make or draw up a contract. 326. Pynche at = find fault with. 328. Medlé coote = coat of mixed stuff or color. 329. Seynt of silk = girdle of silk. Cf. Eng. cincture. 332. Dayesye = daisy; literally, day's eye. Chaucer's favorite flower. 334. By the morwe= early in the morning. Sop in wyn = bread dipped in wine; according to Bacon, more intoxicating than wine itself. 335. Wone pleasure, desire. Cf. Ger. Wonne, bliss. = 336. Epicurus, a famous Greek philosopher, who assumed pleasure to be the highest good. 337. Pleyn delyt full delight or perfect physical enjoyment. 340. Seynt Julian The patron saint of travellers and hospitality. = 348. Mete and soper: Webster. = food and drink. See etymology of supper in not. - Luce = pike. 351. Woo was his cook woe was it to his cook.— But-if unless, if 353. Table dormant. Previous to the fourteenth century the tables were rough boards laid on trestles; tables dormant, or with fixed legs, were then introduced, and standing in the hall were looked upon as evidences of hospitality. 336. Knight of the schire = representative in Parliament. 360. Vavasour one next in dignity to a baron; landholder of the middle class. 361. Haberdasshere = dealer in "notions" -ribbons, pins, etc. 362. Webbe = weaver. Cf. Ger. Weber.—Tapicer: worker in tapestry. 363. Lyveré livery; here the uniform of the trade guild to which they belonged. = 365. Apiked cleaned, kept neat. 366. I-chaped scabbard. = having plates of metal at the point of the sheath or 368. Del = part, portion. A. S. dael, a portion. Cf. Eng. dole and Ger. Theil. 369. Burgeys = burgess; here a person of the middle class. 370. Geldehalle guild-hall. Deys = at the upper end of the hall, on which were seats for persons of distinction. 371. That he can = that he knows. = 372. Schaply 373. Catel Cf. Eng. chattels and cattle. - Rente revenue, income. Cf. Eng. render. fit. From to shape, hence adapted. property. = = rent, 377. Vigilies = vigils, or eves of festival days, when the people were accustomed to meet at the church for merrymaking. They wore their best clothes, and the wealthier women had their mantles, which were brought for show as well as protection, carried by servants. |