Although. ↩
Confront it, face it out. ↩
Ignorant, confounded. ↩
Histories; such as those of Lucretia, Porcia, etc. ↩
Opinion, real meaning. ↩
Perfect goodness. ↩
Man nor woman. ↩
Forbidden. ↩
Plaster over, “whitewash.” ↩
Idolater. ↩
The true. ↩
Kingdom. ↩
Sooner. ↩
Care not for, value not. ↩
Praters. ↩
Enjoy the use of, preserve. ↩
Becomes, befits. ↩
Parrot. ↩
That same pear-tree. ↩
Unless. ↩
Servant. ↩
No matter. ↩
Twig, bough. ↩
Mince matters. ↩
At this point, and again some twenty lines below, several verses of a very coarse character had been inserted in later manuscripts; but they are evidently spurious, and are omitted in the best editions. ↩
Unless. ↩
“Store” is the general reading here, but its meaning is not obvious. “Stowre” is found in several manuscripts; it signifies “struggle” or “resist;” and both for its own appropriateness, and for the force which it gives the word “stronge,” the reading in the text seems the better. ↩
Neck. ↩
Glimmering. ↩
Rave, are confused. ↩
Dear. ↩
Grieved. ↩
Think as you please. ↩
Notice. ↩
Awakened. ↩
Who mistakes oft misjudges. ↩
Embraced. ↩
Led. ↩
Then. ↩
Truth. ↩
Swerve, depart. ↩
Blabbering, prating. ↩
Moreover. ↩
No matter. ↩
Know. ↩
Secret, confidence. ↩
If. ↩
Certainly. ↩
Foolish. ↩
Are adepts at giving circulation to such wares. The Host evidently means that his wife would be sure to hear of his confessions from some female member of the company. ↩
Done. ↩
Know of it. ↩
Pleasure. ↩
The “Squire’s Tale” has not been found under any other form among the literary remains of the Middle Ages; and it is unknown from what original it was derived, if from any. The “Tale” is unfinished, not because the conclusion has been lost, but because the author left it so. ↩
Made war upon; the Russians and Tartars waged constant hostilities between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. ↩
In the best manuscripts the name is “Cambynskan,” and thus, no doubt, it should strictly be read. But it is a most pardonable offence against literal accuracy to use the word which Milton has made classical, in “Il Penseroso,” speaking of “him that left half-told the story of Cambuscan bold.” Surely the admiration of Milton might well seem to the spirit of Chaucer to condone a much greater transgression on his domain than this verbal change—which to both eye and ear is an unquestionable improvement on the uncouth original. ↩
Moreover, besides. ↩
Alike, in even mood. ↩
Firm, immovable of spirit. ↩
Skill. ↩
Orator. ↩
Well skilled in using the colours—the word-painting—belonging to his art. ↩
Caused his birthday festival to be proclaimed, ordered by proclamation. ↩
Aries was the mansion of Mars—to whom “his” applies. Leo was the mansion of the Sun. ↩
Pleasant. ↩
Bright. ↩
Like. ↩
Relate. ↩
Dishes, or soups. The precise force of the word is uncertain; but it may be connected with seethe, to boil, and it seems to describe a dish in which the flesh was served up amid a kind of broth or gravy. The “sewer,” taster or assayer of the viands served at great tables, probably derived his name from the verb to “say” or “assay;” though Tyrwhitt would connect the two words, by taking both from the French, asseoir, to place—making the arrangement of the table the leading duty of the “sewer,” rather than the testing of the food. ↩
Young herons; French, heronneaux. ↩
Care for. ↩
Story, discourse; French, propos. ↩
Noble, brave array. ↩
Watched. ↩
Celebrated in medieval romance as the most courteous among King Arthur’s knights. ↩
Could not better him by one word. ↩
Fault. ↩
Demeanour. ↩
Learn. ↩
The general sense of meaning. ↩
This is the sum of. ↩
Command. ↩
Pass, go. ↩
Hurt, injury. ↩
It pleases you. ↩
Twisting. ↩
Knew. ↩
Contrivance; trick; snare. Compare Italian, inganno, deception; and our own “engine.” ↩
Observed. ↩
Mr. Wright remarks that “the making and arrangement of seals was one of the important operations of medieval magic.”
