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Mr. Sisson's New Developing Fluid REPLIES TO MINOR QUERIES: Vanes - Loselerius Villerius-Westminster Parishes - Hevristic-Creole - General Monk and the University of Cambridge — Ecclesia Anglicana-Gibbon's Library-Golden Bees Passage in Orosius Names first given to Parishes -Grafts and the Parent Tree-Lord Cliff and Howell's Letters The Bouillon Bible - Rhymes on PlacesSerpents' Tongues-Consecrated Roses, &c. 520 Notes. ON CHAUCER'S KNOWLEDGE OF ITALIAN. In the Memoir prefixed to the Aldine edition of the Poetical Works of Chaucer, London, 1845, Sir Harris Nicolas expresses an opinion that Dan 522 Geoffrey was not acquainted with the Italian language, and therefore not versed in Italian litera522 ture. 523 · 524 525 526 526 527 529 530 530 532 533 "Though Chaucer undoubtedly knew Latin and French, it is by no means certain, notwithstanding his supposed obligations to the Decameron, that he was as well acquainted with Italian. There may have been a common Latin original of the main incidents of many, if not of all the tales, for which Chaucer is supposed to have been wholly indebted to Boccaccio, and from which originals Boccaccio himself may have taken them. That Chaucer was not acquainted with Italian may be inferred from his not having introduced any Italian quotation into his works, redundant as they are with Latin and French words and phrases."-Life of Chaucer, pp. 24, 25. To which the following note is subjoined: "Though Chaucer's writings have not been examined for the purpose, the remark in the text is not made altogether from recollection, for at the end of Speght's edition of Chaucer's Works, translations are given of the Latin and French words in the poems, but not a single Italian word is mentioned." If Sir Harris Nicolas had examined the writings of Chaucer with any care, he would scarcely have formed or expressed so strange an opinion, for he must necessarily have discovered that Chaucer was not only well acquainted with the language, but thoroughly well versed in Italian literature, and that he paraphrased and translated freely from the works of Dante, Petrarca, and Boccaccio. Chaucer would naturally quote Latin and French, as being familiar to his cotemporaries, and would abstain from introducing Italian, as a 538 knowledge of that language must have been con538 fined to a few individuals in his day; and he wrote for the many, and not for the minority. 534 537 538 The circumstances of Chaucer's life, his missions to Italy, during which he resided several months in that country, when sent on the king's business to Genoa, and Florence, and Lombardy, afforded him ample opportunities of becoming thoroughly acquainted with the language and literature of Italy; the acquisition of which must have been of easy accomplishment to Chaucer, already familiar with Latin and French. So that it is not necessary to endow Chaucer "with all human attainments as proof of his having spoken Italian." Chaucer's own writings, however, afford the strongest evidence against the opinion entertained by Sir Harris Nicolas, and such evidence as cannot be controverted. Chaucer loves to refer to Dante, and often translates passages from the Divine Comedy. The following lines are very closely rendered from the Paradiso, xiv. 28. : "Thou one, two, and thre, eterne on live, "Quell' uno e due e tre che sempre vive, "Rade volte risurge per li rami L'umana probità: e questo vuole Purgatorio, vii. 121. After relating the dread story of the Conte Ugolino, Chaucer refers to Dante, from whom perhaps he derived it. (Conf. Inferno, xxxiii.) "Who so wol here it in a longer wise, The following lines refer to the Inferno, xiii. 64.: "Envie is lavender of the court alway, For she ne parteth neither night ne day, Out of the house of Cesar, thus saith Dant." Prologue to the Legend of Good Women, 359. "Dant that it tellen can " is mentioned in the House of Fame, book i.; and Chaucer is indebted to him for some lines in that fine poem, as in the description of the "egle, that with feathers shone all of gold" un' aquila nel ciel con penne d'oro; and the following line: "O thought, that wrote all that I met." House of Fame, ii. 18. "O mente, che scrivesti ciò ch' io vidi." Inferno, ii. 8. There is a purposed grisly ruggedness in the corresponding passage of the Knightes Tale, which heightens the horrors of "thilke colde and frosty region:" "First on the wall was peinted a forest, In which ther wonneth neyther man ne best, "La morte in ciascun membro era venuta Ed ancor nelle braccia era perduta "For from his feet up to his brest was come The cold of deth, that had him overnome. And yet moreover in his armes two The vital strength is lost, and all ago. Only the intellect, withouten more, That dwelled in his herte sike and sore, Gan feillen, whan the herte felte deth; Dusked his eyen two, and failled his breth. But on his ladie yet cast he his eye; His laste word was; Mercy, Emelie !" The Knightes Tale, 2801. Troilus and Creseide seems to have been translated from the Filostrato of Boccaccio, when Chau cer was a young man, as we are informed by Dan John Lydgate in the Prologue to his Translation of Boccaccio's Fall of Princes, where he speaks of his "Maister Chaucer" as the "chefe poete of Bretayne," and tells us that — "In youthe he made a translacion Of a boke which called is Trophe, In Lumbard tongue, as men may rede and se, Gave it the name of Troylous and Cresseyde." Chaucer's translation is sometimes very close, sometimes rather free and paraphrastic, as may be seen in the following examples: "But right as floures through the cold of night Redressen hem ayen the Sunne bright, And spreaden in hir kinde course by rowe." "Come fioretto dal notturno gelo Boccaccio, Il Filostrato, iii. st. 13. "She was right soche to sene in her visage "Essa era tale, a guardarla nel viso, "As fresh as faucon coming out of mew." Il Filostrato, iv. st. 83. "The Song of Troilus," in the first book of Troilus and Creseide, is a paraphrase from one of the Sonnets of Petrarca: “S” Amor non è, che dunque è quel ch' ï' sento? Petrarca, Rime in Vita di Laura, Son. cii. "If no love is, O God, what feele I so? Chaucer evidently had the following lines of the Paradiso in view when writing the invocation to the Virgin in The Second Nonnes Tale: 66 Vergine Madre, figlia del tuo Figlio, Nobilitasti sì, che il suo Fattore That no desdaine the maker had of kinde Traces of Chaucer's proficiency in Italian are discoverable in almost all his poems; but I shall conclude with two citations from The Assembly of Foules: "The day gan failen, and the darke night, "Lo giorno se n'andava, e l'aer bruno "With that my hand in his he toke anon, Of which I comfort caught, and went in fast." The Assembly of Foules, 1. 169. "E poiche la sua mano alla mia pose Con lieto volto, ond' io mi confortai." Inf. iii. 19. By the way, Chaucer commences The Assembly of Foules with part of the first aphorism of Hippocrates, “Ο βίος βραχὺς ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρή " (but this, I suppose, had been noticed before): "The lyfe so short, the craft so long to lerne." Chaucer was forty years old, or upwards, in 1372, when he was sent as an envoy to treat with the duke, citizens, and merchants of Genoa; and if, as is probable, he had translated Troilus and Creseide out of the "Lombarde tonge" in his youth (according to the testimony of Lydgate), it is not unreasonable to infer that his knowledge of Italian may have led to his being chosen to fill that office. But, however this may be, abundant proof has been adduced that Chaucer was familiarly acquainted with Italian. I may briefly remark, in conclusion, that the dates and other circumstances favour the supposed interview at Padua, between Fraunceis Petrark the laureate poet, and Dan Chaucer, "Floure of poets throughout all Bretaine." upon which the French ambassador (who is not biography of thirty pages. The subject seems to well) sent out an officer, and a drum with him, | be a favourite one with his lordship, and he acoffering to surrender at discretion; to which the cordingly produces a striking picture, laying on duke made answer, that the French officers should his colours in the approved historical style of the be allowed to go about on their parole, and nothing day, so as to make the painting an effective one, taken from them. Brigadier Stapleton is among whether the resemblance be faithful or not. But them, and God knows how many more officers; how is it that the noble biographer appears to be for we have not gote home to count them yet. Its quite unaware of what really is the only docuthought the rebels have between four and five ment we have relating to Oliver St. John of his hundred killed, and as many taken prisoners own composition, which does give us much light already many more we expect this night, parties as to his career or character? I refer to The having been sent out after them. Lord Kilmar- Case of Oliver St. John, Esq., concerning his nock I saw prisoner, and Major Stewart, with many Actions during the late Troubles, pp. 14., 4to., n.d. more. Secretary Murray is very bad: a party is It is a privately printed tract, emanating from St. just now sent for him, intelligence being brought John himself, and was no doubt circulated amongst where he is. I don't think we have lost thirty persons in power at the Restoration, with a view men, and not above five officers killed, amongst to obtaining indemnity and pardon. My copy is which are Lord Robert Ker, Captain Grosset: signed by himself, and has some corrections in his the rest their names I have forgote. We are now autograph. His Defence is full of interesting in full possession of this place. Some say the particulars, some of which are very inconsistent Pretender was in the battle, and wounded; but with Lord Campbell's speculations and statements. others say he was not. Such of them as are left It would, however, occupy too much of your are gone to Fort Augustus. The duke, God be space were I to go through the various articles obpraised, is in good health, and all the generalls.jected to by him, and to which he gives his repliesHis Royal Highness behaved as if he had been inspired, riding up and down giveing orders himself. I am, Gentlemen, Your most obedt. servant, DAVID BRUCE. After writing ye above, ye lists of ye killed and wounded are as follows, so far as is yet known: and explanations. My object in noticing this tract at present, is to prevent any future biographer of this Commonwealth worthy, whose life may well be an historical study, from neglecting an important source of information. I observe Lord Campbell (p. 473.) doubts whether he favoured the measure of making Cromwell king. But if we are to believe the title-page of Monarchy asserted, 1660, 12mo., he was one of the speakers at the conference with Cromwell on the 11th April, 1657, in favour of his assuming the title of king. On the list of the committee which follows, the "Lord Chief Justice" only is mentioned, but in the speeches a difference seems to be made between "Lord Chief Justice" (pp. 6. 7. 15.) and "Lord Chief Justice Glynne" (p. 44.), and they would seem to be two different speakers. The title-page states distinctly, "the arguments of Oliver St. John, Lord Chief Justice, Lord Chief Justice Glyn, &c., members of that_committee.” JAS. CROSSLEY. stances, the commentators and all the world may be wrong, and the folios right. The passage has accordingly been corrupted by the editors of Shakspeare into what was more familiar to their modern ears: "Had none, my Lord!" Though the mode of speech be very common, yet, to deprive future editors of all excuse for ever again depraving the genuine text of our national Bible, I shall make no apology for accumulating a string of examples: "Fort. Oh, had I such a hat, then were I brave! Where's he that made it? Sol. Dead and the whole world Yields not a workman that can frame the like. Fort. No does?" "Old Fortunatus," Old English Plays, vol. iii. p. 140., by Dilke: who alters "No does?" into None does? thinking, I presume, that he had thereby simplified the sentence: Martin. No have, forsooth: and it is even he that hath written against thy faith." Then Martin said: "Dost thou not know one Master Chamberlain ? Careless. No forsooth; I know him not. Martin. No dost! and he hath written a book against thy faith also.” — Id., vol. viii. p. 164. 66 Lichfield and Coventry. We heard of no such order. Lord Keeper. No did? Yes, and on the first question ye began willingly. How cometh it to pass that ye will not now do so?"— Id., p. 690. "Then said Sir Thomas Moyle: Ah! Bland, thou art a stiff-hearted fellow. Thou wilt not obey the law, nor answer when thou art called.' 'Nor will,' quoth Sir John Baker. Master Sheriff, take him to your ward.'"-Id., vol. vii. p. 295. “John. I am an elde fellowe of fifty wynter and be fetched from the writings of that admirable you. Cosins. No will you? Why what is that then, that is in question between my lord and you ?"—Id., p. 651. "Philpot. And as I remember, it is even the saying of St. Bernard [viz. The Holy Ghost is Christ's vicar on earth (vic-arius)], and a saying that I need not to be ashamed of, neither you to be offended at; as my Lord of Durham and my Lord of Chichester by their learning can discern, and will not reckon it evil said. London. No will? Why, take away the first syllable, and it soundeth Arius.". Id., p. 658. "Philpot. These words of Cyprian do nothing prove your pretensed assertion; which is, that to the Church of Rome there could come no misbelief. Christopherson. Good lord, no doth? What can be said more plainly ?"— Id., p. 661. Again, at p. 663. there occur no less than three more instances: and at p. 665. another. "Careless. No, forsooth; I do not know any such, nor have I heard of him that I wot of. have, as they ought to have, a note of interrogation Is it needful to state, that the original editions at "Baker ?" I will not tax the reader's patience with more than two other examples, and they shall papist the gentle, the merry-hearted More: that euery thynge that hath two erys is an asse.— "Well, quod Caius, thou wylt graunte me thys fyrste, e.-Nay, thou? quod Caius. Ah, wyly boy, there thou wentest mary mayster, wyll I not, quod the boy. No wylt beyond me.' The Thyrde Boke, the first chapter, fol. 84. of Sir Thomas More's Dialogues. What I am truly Is thine, and my poore countries to command: Whither indeed before they (thy) heere-approach, Old Seyward with ten thousand warlike men Already at a point, was setting forth." Macbeth, Act IV. Sc. 3. 1st Fol. No profit to give the commentators' various guesses at the import of the phrase in the above passage, which will be best gathered from the following instances of its use elsewhere. But, before passing further, I beg permission to inform MR. KNIGHT that the original suggester of "sell" for "self," in an earlier part of this play, whose name |