Hurt. ↩
Depart. ↩
Boccaccio opens his book with Adam, whose story is told at much greater length than here. Lydgate, in his translation from Boccaccio, speaks of Adam and Eve as made “of slime of the erth in Damascene the felde.” ↩
Wielded, had at his command. ↩
Misbehaviour. ↩
Judges 13:3. Boccaccio also tells the story of Samson; but Chaucer seems, by his quotation a few lines below, to have taken his version direct from the sacred book. ↩
Courage. ↩
Tore all to pieces. ↩
Olive trees; French, oliviers. ↩
Was near to perishing. ↩
Cheek-tooth. ↩
Liber Judicum, the Book of Judges; chap. XV. ↩
Plucked, wretched. ↩
Loved. ↩
Mistress. ↩
Chaucer writes it “Dalida.” ↩
Lap. ↩
Mill; from Anglo-Saxon, cyrran, to turn, cweorn, a mill. ↩
Wretched man. ↩
The Stymphalian Birds, which fed on human flesh. ↩
Busiris, king of Egypt, was wont to sacrifice all foreigners coming to his dominions. Hercules was seized, bound, and led to the altar by his orders, but the hero broke his bonds and slew the tyrant. ↩
Devour. ↩
A long time. The feats of Hercules here recorded are not all these known as the “twelve labours;” for instance, the cleansing of the Augean stables, and the capture of Hippolyte’s girdle are not in this list—other and less famous deeds of the hero taking their place. For this, however, we must accuse not Chaucer, but Boethius, whom he has almost literally translated, though with some change of order. ↩
One of the manuscripts has a marginal reference to “Tropheus vates Chaldaeorum;” but it is not known what author Chaucer meant—unless the reference is to a passage in the “Filostrato” of Boccaccio, on which Chaucer founded his “Troilus and Cressida,” and which Lydgate mentions, under the name of “Trophe,” as having been translated by Chaucer. ↩
Blackened. ↩
Died. ↩
For the moment. ↩
Near; French, pres; the meaning seems to be, this nearer, lower world. ↩
Scarcely. ↩
Took away. ↩
Seat. ↩
Caused. ↩
Slave. ↩
End. ↩
Bow down, do honour. ↩
Thought. ↩
Possessed the kingdom. ↩
Confirmed. ↩
Forefathers. ↩
Dismayed. ↩
Revenue. ↩
Dreaded. ↩
Vengeance. ↩
Praised. ↩
Impiously. ↩
Decreed. ↩
Punishment. ↩
Slain. ↩
Power. ↩
Security. ↩
Chaucer has taken the story of Zenobia from Boccaccio’s work De Claris Mulieribus. ↩
Noble qualities. ↩
Persia. ↩
Caught. ↩
Active, nimble. ↩
Odenatus, who, for his services to the Romans, received from Gallienus the title of “Augustus;” he was assassinated in AD 266—not, it was believed, without the connivance of Zenobia, who succeeded him on the throne. ↩
Together. ↩
Loved. ↩
Again. ↩
Doubt. ↩
Whether. ↩
On other terms, in other wise. ↩
Learning. ↩
Bountiful with due moderation. ↩
Laborious. ↩
Plate; French, vaisselle. ↩
Precious stones. ↩
Did not neglect. ↩
Apply. ↩
Make. ↩
Of Persia, who made the Emperor Valerian prisoner, conquered Syria, and was pressing triumphantly westward when he was met and defeated by Odenatus and Zenobia. ↩
Misfortune. ↩
Was not. ↩
Make war. ↩
Slay. ↩
Troops. ↩
In AD 270. ↩
Resolved, prepared. ↩
Took. ↩
According to. ↩
Loaded. ↩
Yelleth, shouteth. ↩
Wore helmet in obstinate battles. ↩
The signification of this word, which is spelled in several ways, is not known. Skinner’s explanation, “another attire,” founded on the spelling autremite, is obviously insufficient. ↩
To spin for her maintenance. ↩
Great part of this “tragedy” of Nero is really borrowed, however, from the “Romance of the Rose.” ↩
Same robe. ↩
Pleasure. ↩
So little valued. ↩
Judge, critic. ↩
Learning, letters. ↩
Unless. ↩
So intelligent and pliable. ↩
Let itself loose, like a hound released from the leash. ↩
Tell. ↩
Habit. ↩
To rise up in his mater’s presence, out of respect. ↩
Torture. ↩
Cherish. ↩
Foolish. ↩
Thrust; from Anglo-Saxon, thriccan. ↩
Expecteth.
