Not. ↩
Use freedom. ↩
An anthem of the Roman Church, from Psalm 116:9, which in the Vulgate reads, “Placebo Domino in regione vivorum”—“I will please the Lord.” ↩
Unless. ↩
That. ↩
Seneca calls it the Gyndes; Sir John Mandeville tells the story of the Euphrates. Gihon, was the name of one of the four rivers of Eden (Gen. 2:13). ↩
Everywhere. ↩
Furious. ↩
Dear. ↩
Pain. ↩
Confessed. ↩
Raise, build. ↩
Scarcely. ↩
Foundation. ↩
Habitation. ↩
Know how to do. ↩
Elisha. ↩
Mad. ↩
Mr. Wright says that “it was a common practice to grant under the conventual seal to benefactors and others a brotherly participation in the spiritual good works of the convent, and in their expected reward after death.” ↩
Divide. ↩
Quibbling. ↩
Horse. ↩
Fierce. ↩
Purpose. ↩
Suffer. ↩
Servants. ↩
Countenance. ↩
Dwelt. ↩
With difficulty. ↩
Save. ↩
Grievance, grief. ↩
Reward you. ↩
No matter. ↩
Befallen. ↩
Do. ↩
Be not impatient, out of temper. ↩
Thrive. ↩
Sort of frenzy. ↩
Revenged. ↩
Speak discreditably of him everywhere. ↩
Believe. ↩
Arithmetic. ↩
Foolish; French, niais. ↩
Curse. ↩
Ill-favour attend him (the churl). ↩
Foolish; French, niais. ↩
Thrive. ↩
Little. ↩
Judge, decide. ↩
Divided. ↩
Impiously, wickedly. ↩
Displeased. ↩
Cloth for a gown. ↩
Equally. ↩
Cause. ↩
The regular number of monks or friars in a convent was fixed at twelve, with a superior, in imitation of the apostles and their Master; and large religious houses were held to consist of so many convents. ↩
Complete. ↩
Carefully, steadily. ↩
Tight. ↩
Drum. ↩
Go. ↩
Sophism. ↩
Livelier mien. ↩
Faith. ↩
Rod; as the emblem of government or direction. ↩
Boldly, truly. ↩
Francesco Petrarca, born 1304, died 1374; for his Latin epic poem on the carer of Scipio, called Africa, he was solemnly crowned with the poetic laurel in the Capitol of Rome, on Easter-day of 1341. ↩
Was called. ↩
An eminent jurist and philosopher, now almost forgotten, who died four or five years after Petrarch. ↩
Saluzzo, a district of Savoy; its marquises were celebrated during the Middle Ages. ↩
The region called Aemilia, across which ran the Via Aemilia—made by M. Aemilius Lepidus, who was consul at Rome BC 187. It continued the Flaminian Way from Ariminum (Rimini) across the Po at Placentia (Piacenza) to Mediolanum (Milan), traversing Cisalpine Gaul. ↩
Narrate. ↩
Irrelevant. ↩
Petrarch, in his Latin romance, De obedientia et fide uxoria Mythologia, translated the charming story of “the patient Grizel” from the Italian of Bocaccio’s Decameron; and Chaucer has closely followed Petrarch’s translation, made in 1373, the year before that in which he died. The fact that the embassy to Genoa, on which Chaucer was sent, took place in 1372–73, has lent countenance to the opinion that the English poet did actually visit the Italian bard at Padua, and hear the story from his own lips. This, however, is only a probability; for it is a moot point whether the two poets ever met. ↩
Monte Viso, a lofty peak at the junction of the Maritime and Cottian Alps; from two springs on its east side rises the Po. ↩
Pleasant. ↩
Ancestors. ↩
Long. ↩
Held in reverence. ↩
Commonalty. ↩
Guide, rule. ↩
Pleasure. ↩
All in a flock or body. ↩
Complain of. ↩
Although. ↩
As pleaseth you. ↩
Completely satisfied, at ease. ↩
Smiteth. ↩
Mind, desire. ↩
Command. ↩
Least. ↩
Doubt. ↩
Cease, become extinct. ↩
Alive. ↩
Before. ↩
Servitude. ↩
Goodness. ↩
Stock, race. ↩
Commend to him. ↩
Honour. ↩
Murmur. ↩
Unless. ↩
Were in fear or doubt. ↩
Certainly. ↩
Obediently; Anglo-Saxon, bogsom, old English, boughsome, that can be easily bent or bowed; German, biegsam, pliant, obedient. ↩
Provide. ↩
That. ↩
Prepared;
