Wares, merchandise. ↩
Suffer for. ↩
Although. ↩
Although. ↩
Guitar or rebeck. ↩
At variance. ↩
Although. ↩
Rebuked. ↩
Certificate of completion of his apprenticeship. ↩
Pass, go. ↩
Corrupt. ↩
What he loved, his desire. ↩
Refrain. ↩
The precise meaning of the word is unknown, but it is doubtless included in the cant term “pal.” ↩
Suck, consume, spend. ↩
Comrade. ↩
For the sake of appearances. ↩
Prostituted herself. ↩
The “Cook’s Tale” is unfinished in all the manuscripts; but in some, of minor authority, the Cook is made to break off his tale, because “it is so foul,” and to tell the story of Gamelyn, on which Shakespeare’s As You Like It is founded. The story is not Chaucer’s, and is different in metre, and inferior in composition to the Tales. It is supposed that Chaucer expunged the “Cook’s Tale” for the same reason that made him on his deathbed lament that he had written so much “ribaldry.” ↩
Knowledge. ↩
Pulled; the word is an obsolete past tense from pluck. ↩
Company. ↩
Destroys. ↩
Doubt. ↩
A proverbial saying; which, however, had obstained fresh point from the “Reeve’s Tale,” to which the Host doubtless refers. ↩
According to our bargain. ↩
Keep your promise. ↩
Duty. ↩
It is characteristic that the somewhat pompous Sergeant of Law should couch his assent in the semi-barbarous French, then familiar in law procedure. ↩
Worthy. ↩
Understands but imperfectly. ↩
Dear. ↩
Made mention of. ↩
In the introduction to the poem called “The Dream of Chaucer;” or “The Book of the Duchess.” It relates to the death of Blanche, the wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the poet’s patron, and afterwards his connection by marriage. ↩
Now called “The Legend of Good Women.” The names of eight ladies mentioned here are not in the “Legend” as it has come down to us; while those of two ladies in the “legend”—Cleopatra and Philomela—are her omitted. ↩
Neck. ↩
That wicked. ↩
Deliberately, advisedly. ↩
Unnatural. ↩
Not the Muses, who had their surname from the place near Mount Olympus where the Thracians first worshipped them; but the nine daughters of Pierus, king of Macedonia, whom he called the nine Muses, and who, being conquered in a contest with the genuine sisterhood, were changed into birds. ↩
Ovid’s. ↩
Hawbuck, country lout; the common proverbial phrase, “to put a rogue above a gentleman,” may throw light on the reading here, which is difficult. ↩
This tale is believed by Tyrwhitt to have been taken, with no material change, from the Confessio Amantis of John Gower, who was contemporary with Chaucer, though somewhat his senior. In the prologue, the references to the stories of Canace, and of Apollonius Tyrius, seem to be an attack on Gower, who had given these tales in his book; whence Tyrwhitt concludes that the friendship between the two poets suffered some interruption in the latter part of their lives. Gower was not the inventor of the story, which he found in old French romances, and it is not improbable that Chaucer may have gone to the same source as Gower, though the latter undoubtedly led the way. ↩
Expense. ↩
Allots amiss. ↩
Blamest. ↩
Burn in the fire. ↩
That same neighbour of thine. ↩
Wicked, evil. ↩
Point. ↩
Two aces. ↩
Six-five. ↩
Kingdoms. ↩
Contention, war. ↩
Barren, empty. ↩
Grave, steadfast. ↩
To distant parts. ↩
Wares. ↩
Cheap, advantageous. ↩
To “have dainty,” is to take pleasure in or esteem a thing. ↩
Deal. ↩
Determined, prepared. ↩
Trading. ↩
Lodging. ↩
Relate. ↩
Save; look on with favour. ↩
Childishness, immaturity. ↩
Liberality for deeds of charity. ↩
To our discourse, tale; French, propos. ↩
Caused to be laden. ↩
Business. ↩
Formerly. ↩
Prosperity. ↩
Favour. ↩
Sultan. ↩
Inquire. ↩
Realms. ↩
Learn. ↩
Pleasure. ↩
Care. ↩
That. ↩
Doubt. ↩
To pass briefly by. ↩
Unless. ↩
Haste. ↩
Contrive. ↩
Deception, stratagem. ↩
Believe. ↩
Willingly. ↩
Muhammad. ↩
Peace rhymed with lese and chese, the old forms of lose and choose. ↩
Keeping. ↩
Muhammadanism. ↩
Agreed.
