36. Or that: ere that. Or, from A. S. aer, before, soon. Pace = pass. = 37. Me thinketh it seems to me. Me is the dative after the impers. verb it thinketh. From the A. S. thyncan, to seem; quite distinct from thencan, to think. 45. Chyvalrye = chivalry. Old French chevalerie, from cheval, a horse; Latin, caballus. 47. Werre= wars. 48. Noman ferre = no man farther. Ferre, comp. of fer, far. 49. Hethenesse 1 heathendom. Like many other knights of his age, he had served as a volunteer under foreign princes. == Alexandria. It was taken in 1365 by Pierre de 51. Alisaundre Lusignan, King of Cyprus. 52. He hadde the bord bygonne. An obscure expression: Perhaps he had been placed at the head of the table (bord) by way of distinction; or bord may be the Low Ger. boort: joust, tournament. = 53. Aboven alle naciouns. He took precedence over the representatives of all other nations at the Prussian court. Pruce Prussia. It was not unusual for English knights to serve in Prussia, with the Knights of the Teutonic order, who were constantly warring with their heathen neighbors in Lettowe (Lithuania) and in Ruce (Russia). 54. Reysed made an expedition. A. S. raesan, to rush, attack. Cf. Ger. reisen, to travel. 56. Gernade Granada. The city of Algezir was taken from the Moorish king of Granada in 1344. 57. Belmarie and Tramassene (line 62) were Moorish kingdoms in Africa. 58. Lieys, in Armenia, was taken from the Turks by Pierre de Lusignan about 1367, and Satalie (Attalia) by the same prince about 1352. 59. Greete sea. Great sea is a name applied to that part of the Mediterranean lying between the Greek islands and the coast of Syria. Numbers xxxiv. 6. 60. Arive probably. - Be: 63. Lystes See arrival or disembarkation of troops; here a hostile landing 64. Ilke: same. A. S. ylc, same. Cf. "of that ilk." = 70. = Vileinye villany, foul language. 71. No maner wight = no manner of wight or person. 72. Perfight perfect. 74. Ne... nought. A double negative form. Cf. French ne... pas. Nought = A. S. na, no, not, and wiht, whit, thing. The adv. not is a further contraction. Gay lively, fast; or perhaps decked out in various trappings. 75. Gepoun = a short cassock or cloak. 76. Bysmotered : besmutted or soiled. - Habergeoun habergeon, a coat of mail, composed of little iron rings, extending from the neck to the waist, or lower. 77. Viage = voyage, journey, travels. He made the pilgrimage in the dress worn on his knightly expeditions. 79. Squyer = squire, an attendant upon a knight. Old French, escuyer, Low Lat., scutarius, shield-bearer, Latin, scutum, a shield. 81. Lokkes crulle locks curled. = = 88. Lady grace ending was in A. S. an. 89. Embrowded = = lady's grace. Lady for ladye, genitive singular; the embroidered, in his dress. fluting, playing the flute. 91. Floytynge = = willing to be of service. 100. Carf carved, past of kerven, to carve; A. S. ceorfan. 109. Not-heed cropped head; sometimes explained as nut-head, or head like a nut. III. Bracer = a covering for the arm to protect it from the bow-string. 112. Bokeler - buckler, shield. 115. Cristofre = a brooch with the image of St. Christopher, who was regarded with special reverence by the middle and lower classes. - Schene bright, beautiful; A. S. scyne, fair. Cf. Eng., sheen; Ger. schön. standard. The French in England was not pure. Unknowe Then of the past part. is frequently dropped. 129. Sauce = unknown. saucer. Forks and spoons had not yet come into use. 131. No drope ne fille = no drop fall. Double negative, as in French and Anglo-Saxon. = 132. Leste pleasure, delight. = 134. Ferthing small quantity. Literally, a fourth part. fourth, and diminutive suffix ing. = reached. Preterit of reche. A. S. feorth, 137. Sikerly surely. Cf. Ger. sicherlich. - Disport = sport, diversion. She was fond of gayety. 139. Peynede hire she took pains. = Countrefete cheere = imitate the manner. Formerly no bad association belonged to the word counterfeit. 140. Estatlich stately, high-bred. 141. Digne = worthy. French digne, Lat. dignus. 147. Wastel breed cake bread, or bread made of the finest flour. Dogs were usually fed on coarse bread baked for the purpose. = It has un 149. Men indef. pronoun one; sometimes written me. fortunately become obsolete. German man, French on. -- Smerte = smartly. 151. Wympel a linen covering for the neck and shoulders. — I-pynched plaited, or gathered into folds. 152. Tretys slender, well-proportioned. 156. Hardily=assuredly, certainly. 157. Fetys neat, pretty. 159. Gauded al with grene See l. 124. having large green gauds or beads. The reference is to a rosary. See Webster. 162. Amor vincit omnia = love conquers all things. 164. Chapeleyne chaplain or assistant. - Prestes thre. connected with nunneries for the purpose of saying mass. Priests were 165. A fair for the maistrie = a fair one for obtaining the mastery. 170. Gynglen = jingling. Fashionable riders were accustomed to hang small bells on their bridles and harness. 172. Ther as = where. - Selle = cell. Originally applied to the small chamber occupied by each monk, but afterwards also to a religious house or inferior monastery. 173. Seynt Maur - seint Beneyt St. Maur, St. Benedict. The latter founded the order of Benedictines at the beginning of the sixth century. St. Maur was a disciple of St. Benedict. The Bendictine mode of life was originally severely ascetic. 174. Somdel streyt somewhat strict. 175. This ilke = this same. A. S. yle, same. 176. Space = path, steps. Other readings are trace and pace. 177. A pulled hen: = a moulting or worthless hen, neither laying eggs nor fit for food. rage. 179. Reccheles = reckless, careless. 182. Thilke that, the like. = A. S. reccan, to think. 183. Seide should say. Pret. of Subjunctive. = 184. What why, wherefore. — Wood = mad, foolish. Cf. Ger. Wuth, 187. As Austyn byt = As Augustine bids. St. Augustine of Canterbury urged a faithful adherence to the monastic vows upon his clergy. 188. Let Augustine, or Austin, have his toil kept for himself. 189. Pricasour: hard rider, one who spurs his horse. - Aright = on right, indeed. 191. Prikyng=riding. Cf. Spenser's — "A gentle knight was pricking on the plaine." 192. Lust pleasure. Other forms are leste, list. = 193. Purfiled atte honde embroidered at the hand or cuff. Fr. pourfiler, to embroider. Atte, see 1. 29. 194. Grys: = fur of the Siberian squirrel. French gris, gray. 200. In good poynt = French en bon point, rotundity of figure. = 201. Steepe bright. 202. Stemede as a forneys of a leed = shone as a furnace of a caldron (leed). 203. Bootes souple. High boots of soft leather were worn, fitting closely to the leg. 205. For-pyned wasted away. For is intensive. Cf. Eng. pine. 208. Frere friar. - Wantoun uneducated. = = playful, sportive; literally, untrained, 209. Lymytour = a begging friar to whom a certain district or limit was assigned. = 210. The ordres foure the four orders of mendicant friars. These were the Dominicans or Black friars, the Franciscans or Gray friars, the Carmelites or White friars, and the Austin friars. — Can = knows. A. S. cunnan, to know. 211. Daliaunce and fair langage = gossip and flattery. Present tense of 220. Licentiat = one who has license from the Pope to grant absolution in all cases. Curates were required to refer certain cases to the bishop. = 224. Ther as he wiste han where he knew he would have. Han, inf. contracted from haven. - Pitaunce meal of victuals, or small allowance of anything. 226. I-schrive = confessed. = Then of the past part. is dropped. 233. His typet was ay farsed = His hood was always stuffed. Says an old writer: "When the order degenerated, the friar combined with the spiritual functions the occupation of pedler, huckster, mountebank, and quack doctor." 237. Bar utterly the prys = took unquestionably the prize. 238. Flour-de-lys = lily. Now written fleur-de-lis. 241. Tappestere = bar-maid. The corresponding masculine was tapper. Ster was originally the feminine suffix of agency. Cf. spinster. poor people, rabble. 253. Nogt oo schoo: not one shoe. 254. In principio. principio erat verbum" At each house the lymytour began his speech, "In = in the beginning was the Word. 255. Ferthing. See note 1. 134. 256. Purchas proceeds of his begging. - Rente: regular income. 258. Love-dayes = days fixed to settle difficulties by arbitration. 259. For ther cloak or vestment of a priest. Cf. Eng. cape. Semy-cope (1. 262) = a short cape or cloak. 263. Belle out of the press bell from the mould. 270. Forked berd. This was the fashion among franklins and burghers. 277. Middelburgh and Orewelle. Middleburgh is still a port of the island of Walcheren in the Netherlands. Orewelle is now the port of Harwich. French crowns (écus) from the figure of a shield on 281. Governance = management. 282. Chevysaunce agreement for borrowing money. = |