quiis dominis regni præstandis, et affabilitate eorum captanda, et gratiâ in suis negotiis adipiscendâ. Ver. 169. his bridel-Gingeling] See this fashion of hanging bells on bridles, &c. illustrated by Mr. Warton, Hist. of Eng. Poetry, p. 164. See also below, ver. 14800, 1. Ver. 177, a pulled hen] See below, ver. 6694. "Swiche arrogance n'is not worth an hen." I do not see much force in the epithet pulled. Ca. 1. reads, pullet. Ver. 179. whan he is rekkeles] Ms. C. reads, Cloisterles; to which the only objection is, that, if it had been the true reading, there would have been no occasion to explain or paraphrase it in ver. 181. The text alluded to is attributed by Gratian, Decret. P. ii. Cau. xvi. Q. 1. c. viii. to a Pope Eugenius.Sicut piscis sine aquá caret vitá, ita sine monasterio monachus. In P. P. according to Ms. Cotton. Vesp. B. xvi. (for the passage is omitted in the printed editions) a similar saying is quoted from Gregory. Gregori the grete clerk garte write in bokes The rewle of alle religioun riytful and obedient Riyt as fishes in a flod whan hem faileth water Deien for drowthe whan thei drie liggen Riyt so religious roten and sterven That out of covent or cloistre coveiten to dwelle. As the known senses of rekkeles, viz. careless, negligent, by no means suit with this passage, I am inclined to suspect that Chaucer possibly wrote reghelles, i. e. without rule. Regol, from Regula, was the Saxon word for a Rule, and particularly for a Monastic Rule. Hence Regol-lif; Regularis seu Monastica vita: Regol-lage; Regularium lex: and in the quotation from Orm, Essay, &c. n. 52. an reghel-boc signifies the book of Rules, by which the Augustinian Canons were governed. Chaucer Ver. 187. As Austin bit] i. e. biddeth. frequently abbreviates the third person Sing. of the Present Tense in this manner. See ver. 976. 983. Rit. for Rideth. ver. 4069. 15686. Fint for Findeth. ver. 4191. Rist for Riseth. ver. 5038. 5071, 5. Stant for Standeth. ver. 7239. Sit for Sitteth. ver. 7998. Smit for Smiteth. Ver. 193. his sleves purfiled.] From the FR. Pourfiler, which properly signifies, to work upon the edge. Pur, ENG. and Pour, FR. are generally corruptions of the Latin Pro. It is not clear what species of fur the Gris was, only that it was one of the better sorts. See Du Cange in v. Griseum. If it was the same with Vair, commonly called Menever, i. e. Menu Vair, as he supposes, it was probably next in esteem to Ermin. See the Statute 37 E. III. c. 10 and 12. One of Wolsey's ordinances for the reformation of the Augustinian Monks in 1519 is directed against the foppery here described. In manicis sub nullo modo furruris utantur aut pellibus, nisi prout iis permissum est in Statutis Benedictinis. Monast. v. ii. p. 567. Ver. 203. His bootes souple] This is part of the description of a smart Abbot, by an anonymous writer of the XIIIth Century. Ocreas habebat in cruribus, quasi innatæ essent, sine plicâ porrectas. Ms. Bod. James. n. 6. p. 121. Ver. 233. farsed] Stuffed, from the FR. Farcir. Ver. 237. Of yeddinges] This word, being not understood, has been changed in some copies into tidinges, and weddinges. It probably means a kind of song, from the SAX. Geddian, or Giddian, To sing. See the Saxon Boethius, cap. i. 1. ult. where the words thus singende cuath are rendered in the Poetical Version, p. 152. gyddode thus. See more instances in Lye's Sax. Dict. The Saxon 3 passes frequently into y. Ver. 256. in principio] This phrase is commonly explained to refer to the Beginning of St. John's Gospel. It may also refer to the Beginning of Genesis. In an old French Romance, l'histoire des trois Maries, it seems to signify some passage in the conclusion of the Mass. Acad. des. Ins. t. xiii. p. 521. Moult aise sui quant audio VOL. IV. L It is not very material in which of these senses it is understood, either here or in ver. 15169. Ver. 258. His pourchas was, &c.] From the Rom. de la R. 12288. Mieux vault mon pourchas que ma rente. See R. R. 6838. Ver. 260. In Love-dayes] A day appointed for the amicable settlement of differences was called a Love-day. Bracton, 1. v. fol. 369. si ante judicium capiatur Dies Amoris.-Rot. Parl. 13 H. IV. n. 13. agayn the fourme of a Love-day taken bytwen the same parties. The Glossary calls them improperly, Meetings for pleasure and diversion. They were meetings for business; though it is probable that the business, when finished, was usually followed by a treat given to the Arbitrators, &c. See the Parl. Roll, quoted above. In P. P. fol. xxvii. Sloth, in the character of a Priest, says, I can holde Lovedayes, and here a Reves reken ynge, And in Cannon or in Decretals I cannot read a lyne. Ver. 278. The see were kept] i. e. guarded. The old Subsidy of Tonnage and Poundage was given to the King pur la saufgarde et custodie del mer. 12 E. IV. c. 3. Ver. 292. his overest courtepy] His uppermost short cloke of coarse cloth. See ver. 6964. and P. P. fol. xxxiii. b. 1. ult. And kyt her copes and courtepies hem made. It is a Teutonic word, from Kort curtus, and Pije, penula coactilis, ex villis crassioribus. Kilian in vv. Ver. 300. Yet hadde he] Hadde is here to be pronounced as a Dissyllable, the h in he being considered as a consonant. So below, ver. 388. See also ver. 9859. 11784. 11804. 12532. 12834. in all which instances, and many others, the e feminine is to be pronounced before h. Ver. 304. to scolaie] to attend school; from the old French verb, escoloier. It is used in the same sense by Lydgate. Traged. fol. 99. So Chaucer uses to Werreie, ver. 10324. 14338. and to Festeye, ver. 10659. from Guerroier and Festoier. Ver. 307. in forme and reverence] with propriety and modesty. In the next line "full of high sentence" means only, I apprehend, "full of high, or excellent, sense."' -Mr. Warton will excuse me for suggesting these explanations of this passage in lieu of those which he has given in his Hist. of Eng. Poetry, vol. i. p. 451. The credit of good letters is concerned, that Chaucer should not be supposed to have made "a pedantic formality," and "a precise sententious style on all subjects," the characteristics of a scholar. Ver. 322. in suspect] in suspicion. See ver. 8781. 12197. |