Would counsel. ↩
So the ich—so may I thrive. ↩
Saint Helen, according to Sir John Mandeville, found the cross of Christ deep below ground, under a rock, where the Jews had hidden it; and she tested the genuineness of the sacred tree, by raising to life a dead man laid upon it. ↩
Laughed. ↩
Nearer. ↩
In this “Tale” Chaucer seems to have followed an old French story, which also formed the groundwork of the first story in the eighth day of the Decameron. The prologue here given was transferred by Tyrwhitt from the place, preceding the “Squire’s Tale,” which it had formerly occupied; the “Shipman’s Tale” having no prologue in the best manuscripts. ↩
Discreet, profitable. ↩
Thy promise formerly. ↩
Know, are capable of telling. ↩
A contemptuous name for the followers of Wyckliffe; presumably derived from the Latin, lolium, tares, as if they were the tares among the Lord’s wheat; so, a few lines below, the Shipman intimates his fear lest the Parson should “spring cockle in our clean corn.” ↩
Worthy. ↩
Comment upon. ↩
Tares, weeds; the Agrostemma githago of Linnaeus; perhaps named from the Anglo-Saxon, ceocan, because it chokes the corn. ↩
Belly. ↩
Fond of society and merrymaking. ↩
Simple. ↩
Always; or, however. ↩
So in all the manuscripts and from this and the following lines, it must be inferred that Chaucer had intended to put the “Tale” in the mouth of a female speaker. ↩
Resort of visitors. ↩
Constantly. ↩
Claimed cousinship, kindred, with him. ↩
A title bestowed on priests and scholars; from Dominus, like the Spanish Don. ↩
Especially. ↩
Liberal outlay. ↩
Afterwards. ↩
Household, servants. ↩
Resolved, arranged. ↩
Merchandise. Bruges was in Chaucer’s time the great emporium of European commerce. ↩
Enjoy himself. ↩
Tell. ↩
To inspect and manage the rural property of the monastery. ↩
Jar. ↩
Malvesie or Malmesy wine derived its name from Malvasia, a region of the Morea near Cape Malea, where it was made, as it also was on Chios and some other Greek islands. As to vernage, see note 2887. ↩
Malvesie or Malmesy wine derived its name from Malvasia, a region of the Morea near Cape Malea, where it was made, as it also was on Chios and some other Greek islands. As to vernage, see note 2887. ↩
Wild fowl, birds for the table; French, volatille, volaille. ↩
Seriously deliberated on his affairs. ↩
Countinghouse; French, comptoir. ↩
That. ↩
Detain from, hinder. ↩
Guide. ↩
Rod; in pupillage; a phrase properly used of children, but employed by the Clerk in the prologue to his tale. See note 2426. ↩
Early. ↩
Unless. ↩
Pallid, wasted. ↩
Stare. ↩
Distracted, confounded. ↩
Ruin. ↩
Distress. ↩
Breviary. ↩
Willing or unwilling. ↩
Though the alternative should be. ↩
Confidence, promise. ↩
Especially. ↩
Although. ↩
Assuredly. ↩
By my vows of religion. ↩
Pleasant. ↩
Becomes. ↩
Forbid. ↩
Stinginess. ↩
Brave. ↩
Vielding, obedient. ↩
Same. ↩
Ruined, undone. ↩
I would rather. ↩
Die. ↩
With my goodwill; if I can help it. ↩
Unless. ↩
Genelon, Ganelon, or Ganilion; one of Charlemagne’s officers, whose treachery was the cause of the disastrous defeat of the Christians by the Saracens at Roncevalles; he was torn to pieces by four horses. ↩
Pity. ↩
Gone. ↩
Haste. ↩
Who is there? ↩
Sending, gifts. ↩
From French, eloigner, to remove; it may mean either the lonely, cheerless condition of the priest, or the strange behaviour of the merchant in leaving him to himself. ↩
Strange. ↩
Consider. ↩
Trading. ↩
Civil, courteous. ↩
Shut. ↩
Hinder, delay. ↩
Moderately. ↩
Particularly. ↩
Ado, ceremony. ↩
With which to store. ↩
Great thanks. ↩
Handsomely, like a gentleman. ↩
Merchandise. ↩
God forbid that you should take too little. ↩
Obtain credit; French, créance, credit. ↩
After. ↩
Servant-boy. ↩
Servants. ↩
Merchandise. ↩
Raise money by means of a borrowing agreement; from French, achever, to finish; the general meaning of the word is a bargain, an agreement. ↩
