Quiver. ↩
They ride out slowly—at a foot pace—with sorrowful air. ↩
Main street; so Froissart speaks of “le souverain carrefour.” ↩
Covered, hid; Anglo-Saxon, wrigan, to veil. ↩
Custom. ↩
Preparation. ↩
Reached. ↩
Stretched. ↩
Were called. ↩
Aspen. ↩
Linden, lime. ↩
The forest deities. ↩
Dwelt. ↩
Terrified. ↩
Laid. ↩
Straw. ↩
Spices. ↩
Precious stones; French, pierreries. ↩
Applied the funeral torch. The “guise” was, among the ancients, for the nearest relative of the deceased to do this, with averted face. ↩
Mad. ↩
Procession. It was the custom for soldiers to march thrice around the funeral pile of an emperor or general; “on the left hand” is added, in reference to the belief that the left hand was propitious—the Roman augur turning his face southward, and so placing on his left hand the east, whence good omens came. With the Greeks, however, their augurs facing the north, it was just the contrary. The confusion, frequent in classical writers, is complicated here by the fact that Chaucer’s description of the funeral of Arcite is taken from Statius’ Thebaid—from a Roman’s account of a Greek solemnity. ↩
Watching by the remains of the dead; from Anglo-Saxon, lice, a corpse; German, leichnam. ↩
That. ↩
Funeral games. ↩
Care. ↩
In any danger, contest. ↩
Come. ↩
Ended. ↩
Assembly for consultation. ↩
Cases, incidents. ↩
Caused. ↩
Unknown. ↩
In haste. ↩
Seated. ↩
Waited. ↩
He fixed his eyes where it pleased him. ↩
Bound. ↩
Chaucer here borrows from Boethius, who says:
“Hanc rerum seriem ligat,
Terras ac pelagus regens,
Et coelo imperitans, amor.”
Pass. ↩
Although. ↩
Sentiment, opinion. ↩
This same. ↩
No part or piece. ↩
Providence; “He” is the “first mover.” ↩
Arranged, ordered. ↩
Walk. ↩
Dry. ↩
Go, disappear. ↩
The same. ↩
Escape, avoid. ↩
Murmurs at. ↩
Direct, guide. ↩
Certain. ↩
Himself. ↩
Grown pale, decayed, by old age. ↩
Valour, prowess, service. ↩
Never a jot, whit. ↩
Hurt. ↩
Cannot control or amend their desires. ↩
Series; string of remarks. ↩
Counsel. ↩
Have pity. ↩
Make display. ↩
By God. ↩
Believe me. ↩
Ought to be rightly directed; oweth is the present tense, as ought is the past, of owe. ↩
Health; German, heil. ↩
Cause of danger, vexation. ↩
Recorded. ↩
All the gentler members of the company, in especial. ↩
Prosper. ↩
The budget is opened. ↩
Know how. ↩
Match, requite. ↩
Was all pale with drunkenness. ↩
Hardly, with difficulty. ↩
Unveil, uncover. ↩
Await, give way to. ↩
Pilate, an unpopular personage in the mystery-plays of the middle ages, was probably represented as having a gruff, harsh voice. ↩
Occasion. ↩
Match, requite. ↩
Dear. ↩
Prudently, civilly. ↩
Devil take thee! an oath of impatience. ↩
Blame; in Scotland, “to bear the wyte,” is to bear the blame. ↩
Befooled him. ↩
Hold thy tongue; stop thy noisy talk, which is like the clapper of thy mill. ↩
Injure, abuse. ↩
Would not. ↩
Judge. ↩
Abundance. ↩
Boorish, rude. ↩
Falsify. ↩
Historical, true things. ↩
Ribald, rough jesting tale. ↩
Consider; be advised. ↩
Jest, fun. ↩
Miser; perhaps from Anglo-Saxon, gnafan, to gnaw. ↩
Took to boarders. ↩
Knew. ↩
Determine. ↩
Gentle, handsome. ↩
Secret, earnest. ↩
Neatly decked. ↩
Sweet. ↩
Valerian, setwall. ↩
The book of Ptolemy the astronomer, which formed the canon of astrological science in the middle ages. ↩
Astrelagour, astrelabore; a mathematical instrument for taking the altitude of the sun or stars. ↩
Augrim is a corruption of algorithm, the Arabian term for numeration; “augrim stones,” therefore were probably marked with numerals, and used as counters. ↩
Laid, set. ↩
Coarse cloth. ↩
The Angel’s salutation to Mary; Luke 1:28. It was the “Ave Maria” of the Catholic Church service. ↩
Attending to
