The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction to Boethius.
• Introduction to Troilus.
• Errata and Addenda.
• Boethius De Consolatione Philosophie.
• Book I.
• Book II.
• Book III.
• Book IV.
• Book V.
• Troilus and Criseyde.
• Book I.
• Book II.
• Book III.
• Book IV.
• Book V.
• Notes to Troilus

BOOK I.

The MSS. are:—Cl. (= Campsall MS.), and Cp. (= Corp. Chr. Camb. 61), taken as the basis of the text; H. (= Harl. 2280); H2. (= Harl. 3943); Cm. (= Cambridge MS. Gg. 4. 27); Ed. (= printed edition, 1532).

1-70. Lost in Cm. and H2. (where it is supplied in late hand).

Explicit Liber Primus.

[P. 159, Book I, 204.]For cast read caste.

[P. 160, Book I, 217.]The alternative reading is better; see note, p. 463.

[P. 160, Book I, 239.]For yet read yit (for the rhyme).

[P. 162, Book I, 284.]For neuer read never.

[P. 163, Book, I, 309.]For Troylus read Troilus.

[P. 163, Book I, 310.]For thyng read thing.

[P. 165, Book I, 401.]Alter! to?

[P. 166, Book I, 406.]For thurst read thurste.

[P. 166, Book I, 420.]For deye read dye (for the rhyme).

[P. 171, Book I, 570.]For euery read every.

[P. 172, Book I, 621.]For Troylus read Troilus (as elsewhere).

[P. 173, Book I, 626.]Delete the comma after ‘fare.’

[P. 174, Book I, 656.]For y read I.

[P. 174, Book I, 657.]Insert ‘ at the beginning.

[5. ]Cl. Cp. froye; H. fro ye.

[6. ]Cl. helpe; Cp. H. help.

[7. ]Cp. thise; Cl. H. this.

[15. ]Cl. seruauntz.

[18. ]Cl. om. I; H. I am; Cp. Ed. am I.

[20. ]Cl. H. Vn-to; Cp. Ed. To.

[21. ]Cl. be his; Cp. be this; H. by this.

[23. ]Cl. ony; Cp. Hl. any (often).

[24. ]Cp. Hl. Remembreth; Cl. Remembre.

[26. ]Cl. other fok; Cp. othere folk.

[27. ]Cl. dorst; Cp. H. dorste.

[31. ]Cp. H. Ed. hem; Cl. him.

[36, 42. ]Cl. Cp. desespeyred; H. despeyred; Ed. dispeyred.

[41. ]Cp. To; Cl. H. So.

[44. ]Cl. H. goode; Cp. Ed. good.

[45. ]Cp. ladies so; Cl. loues for; H. loueres for.

[48. ]Cl. seruauntz.

[58. ]Cl. went; Cp. H. wente.

[62. ]Cl. raueshyng; Cp. rauysshynge.

[69. ]Cl. high (!); Cp. highte; H. hyghte.

[70. ]Cl. Delphebus; Cp. H. Ed. Delphicus.

[71. ]Cl. whanne; Cp. whan.

[76. ]Cl. wyst; H. west; Cm. woste; Cp. wiste.

[79. ]Cl. forknowyng; Cp. H. Cm. for-knowynge.

[80. ]Cl. pryely (!); Cp. H. prynely; Cm. preuili.

[82. ]Cl. H. bothen; Cp. Cm. bothe.

[87. ]Cl. Cp. H. ins. fals bef. fled; H2. Ed. om.

[90. ]Cl. onys.

[96. ]Cl. H. nyst; Cm. nyste.

[98. ]Cl. dorst make; Cp. dorste; H. dorst; Cm. durste.

[99. ]Cp. a-; rest al.

[101. ]Cl. H. faire; Cp. Cm. fair.

[102. ]Cl. angelyk; Cp. aungelik.

[112. ]Cl. Cm. selue; Cp. H. seluen.

[126. ]Cl. om. 2nd and. H. hoom; Cm. hom; Cl. home.

[128. ]to] Cp. H. til.

[129. ]Cl. dwelled; Cp. H. Cm. Ed. was dwellynge.

[130. ]Cl. Kept; Cp. Kepte. Cl. yong; H. Cp. yonge.

[132. ]Cl. hadde children; rest children hadde.

[133. ]Cm. lete; Cl. late; H. latt.

[137. ]Cp. H. Cm. eft; Ed. efte; Cl. ofte.

[139. ]H. Ed. vnder; H2. vndur; Cl. wonder (wrongly). H. H2. eft; Ed. efte; Cl. ofte. H. whielen (better wheelen); Cp. whilen; H2. whilyn; Ed. whelmen; Cl. weylen; Cm. weyle.

[143. ]Cm. here; rest om.

[144. ]Cm. dwelle; rest to dwelle (badly). Cl. Troiane; H2. troianys; rest troyan.

[146. ]H2. homere; rest Omer. Cl. of (for 1st or).

[155. ]Cl. come; rest comen (comyn).

[158. ]Cl. swoot; Cp. H. swote; Cm. swete.

[161. ]Cl. H. H2. Palladions; Cm. Palasdionis (for Palladionis).

[162. ]Cl. H. wrongly ins. goodly before beste. Cp. Cm. beste; rest best.

[163. ]H. Cm. wente; rest went.

[164. ]Cl. Cm. herkenen; Cp. herknen.

[167. ]Cl. bothe meene meste; H. Cp. bothe most meyne; Cm. bothe meste; Ed. bothe most.

[168. ]Cl. and for the; Cp. H. Cm. Ed. om. for.

[171. ]H. furste; Cl. Cm. first.

[172. ]Cl. stode; Cp. stood.

[174. ]Cl. yet thing seyn; H. þat seyn thing; Cm. yit seyen þyng; H2. seyn thing (best). Cl. presed; H. Cp. preysed.

[175. ]H. Cm. Cp. cloude; Cl. cloud.

[176, 178. ]Cl. euerichone, allone.

[192. ]Cp. baiten; Cl. beyten.

[196. ]H. Cm. Cp. ful; Cl. om.

[198. ]Cm. lewede; H2. lewde; Ed. leude; Cl. H. om.

[199. ]H. Cm. Cp. Ed. which a labour; Cl. swych labour as.

[202. ]Cl. loues; rest fooles(folis).

[206. ]Cl. to loken; rest om. to.

[208. ]Cp. He kidde; Cl. And kyd.

[209. ]Cp. Ful; rest For.

[211. ]Cl. blynd; Cp. blynde (twice).

[213. ]Cl. Suriquidrie.

[216. ]Cm. mot; Ed. mote; Cp. moot; Cl. moste; H. schall.

[217. ]So Cl.; rest But alday fayleth thing that fooles wenden.

[220. ]Cl. long; H. Cp. longe.

[224. ]Cl. felawes; rest feres.

[225. ]Cl. proud; H. Cm. Cp. proude.

[227. ]Cp. swiche; Cl. swich.

[228. ]Cl. dere; rest stere.

[229. ]Cl. hert (see l. 228). Cl. H. wax; Cp. Cm. wex.

[231. ]Cl. H. Wax; Cm. Wex.

[234. ]scornen] Cp. seruen.

[240. ]Cl. H. Cp. Cm. or; H2. Ed. and.

[244. ]Cl. of; rest in.

[246. ]Cp. Cm. wel; Cl. H. wele.

[248. ]Cl. addermost (!).

[252. ]Cp. H. H2. causeth; Cl. causen.

[261. ]Cl. H. Cm. om. As (H2. Ed. have it).

[262. ]Cl. letten; Cp. H. Cm. leten; H2. Ed. leuen.

[264. ]Cl. Cm. Ioyes; rest Ioye.

[266. ]H. refeere.

[267. ]Cl. went; Cp. H. Cm. wente. Cl. pleynge.

[268. ]H. Cm. Cp. Ed. of; Cl. and.

[272. ]H. percede; Ed. perced; Cl. Cp. procede (!).

[274. ]Cl. wax; H. Cm. wex.

[275. ]Cl. om. gan.

[278. ]Cp. herte; Cl. hert.

[280. ]Cl. pleynge.

[286. ]Cm. Schewede; Cl. H. Shewed.

[294. ]H. Cp. Cm. thoughte; Cl. thought.

[294. ]Cl. fair; rest good.

[301. ]Cp. H. wiste; Cl. wyst.

[305. ]All eyen (eyȝen).

[306. ]Cp. Ed. he felte; H. he felt; Cl. that he sholde; Cm. for to.

[307. ]Cl. om. his.

[308. ]Cl. Blyssyd; Cp. H. Blissed; Cm. Ed. Blessed; see 436. Cl. Cp. kan thus; H. Ed. thus kan.

[310. ]Cl. al; H. Cm. alle. Cl. om. for.

[312. ]Cl. ne made. Cp. H. worde; Cl. word.

[315. ]Cl. Ed. the seruise; rest om. the.

[321. ]Cp. H. Cm. Lest; Cl. Lyst.

[324. ]Cp. H. torneth; Cl. Cm. turneth.

[327. ]Cl. H2. speche and cher; rest chere and speche.

[329. ]H. Ed. wrie; Cl. wre; Cp. wrey.

[330. ]Cl. lyst; Cp. lest; H. leste.

[337. ]Cl. I; rest In. Cl. noun-; H. non-; H2. Ed. no; Cp. Cm. veyn (for noun).

[341. ]Cp. H. mote; Cl. Cm. mot.

[351. ]Cl. H. om. that.

[354. ]Cp. vn-til.

[356. ]Cp. doon; H. don; Cl. Cm. done.

[357. ]Cl. hym; rest hem.

[360. ]Cl. om. eft.

[361. ]Cl. only lette; rest om. ony.

[363. ]Cl. a; H2. in the; rest and.

[369. ]H. dydde; Ed. dyd; rest dede.

[371. ]Cl. seruauntz.

[374. ]Cp. Cm. ne (2nd); Cl. H. no.

[379. ]Cl. H. toke; Cp. took.

[381. ]H. Cp. hiden; Cl. hide.

[385. ]Cp. ȝeldeth. Cl. om. seed.

[386. ]Cp. H. muchel; Cl. muche.

[387. ]Cl. For what (for What for). Cl. speken; rest speke (spek).

[394. ]Cp. H. Cm. myn; Cl. my.

[395. ]Cp. H. tonges; Cm. tungis; Cl. tonge. Cl. deference (!).

[398. ]Cl. om. so. Cl. it to; rest om. to. Cl. hire; rest here.

[399. ]Heading;so Cp. H.; Cm. Cantus; Ed. The song of Troylus.

[400. ]Cl. om. no.

[401. ]whiche] Cl. what.

[402. ]H. Cp. whennes comth; Cm. whennys comyt; Cl. whens cometh.

[403. ]Cl. thenketh.

[405. ]Cl. me so goodly; rest to me sauory.

[406. ]Cm. H2. om. it.

[408. ]Cl. walyng.

[409. ]Cl. thanne.

[411. ]Cp. Cm. harm; Cl. H. harme.

[412. ]Cl. om. thee. Cp. swich; Cl. H. swiche.

[413. ]Cp. H. Cm. be; rest so be.

[416. ]Cm. stereles; H. stierlees; Cl. sterles; Cp. sterlees.

[417. ]Cp. bitwixen; H. betwexen; Cm. be-twexe; Cl. by-twen.

[423. ]Cp. oughte; Cm. auȝte; Cl. aught. H. yours; Cp. youres; Cl. youre; see l. 422.

[427. ]Cl. leue; Cp. H. Cm. lyue.

[430. ]Cl. my lord; rest om. my.

[432. ]estat] Cl. estal.

[435. ]Cl. deynede; Cp. H. Cm. deyned.

[436. ]After love, Cl. ins. þe, and H. ins. ye. H2. blesse; Cl. blysse; Cp. H. blisse; Cm. blys.

[439. ]held] Cl. hold.

[440. ]Cm. brende; Cl. brend.

[444. ]Cp. Cm. sette; Cl. H. sett.

[446. ]H. preesse.

[453. ]Cp. H. Cm. herte; Cl. hert. All eye (eyȝe).

[454. ]Cl. fairest; rest fairer.

[457. ]Cl. tymes; see 531.

[460. ]H2. deyd; Cp. Ed. deyde; Cl. Cm. deyede; H. dyede.

[462. ]rewe] Cl. rew.

[463. ]dredes] Cl. dredres. Cp. H. Ed. fledde; rest fled.

[464. ]Cp. thassege. savacioun] Cl. saluacioun.

[465. ]Ne in] Cm. Cp. Nyn. Cl. doon; rest non (none). Cl. H. Ed. fownes; Cm. founys.

[470. ]Cl. shoures sharpe. Cm. felle; Ed. fel; Cl. H. fille.

[471. ]Cl. and; rest or.

[475. ]Cl. trauayl.

[483. ]H2. al; rest om.; read alle.

[486. ]H. toke; Cl. took.

[487. ]Cp. H. eue; Cl. euen.

[491. ]H. Cm. ferde; Cl. ferd.

[496. ]H2. as; rest that; read as that.

[498. ]H. than; Cl. Cm. thanne. Cm. fel to; Cl. Cp. felt.

[500. ]Cl. H. hadde; Cm. hade; Ed. om.

[502. ]Cp. H. Ed. whiche; Cl. such. Cl. thought; felt.

[503. ]Cl. dorst; Cp. dorste.

[511. ]Cp. H. nat; Cm. not; Cl. nought.

[516. ]H. leest; Cl. lest.

[517. ]Cp. H. om. be.

[518. ]Cm. febly; Cl. febely; H. fiebly.

[520. ]H. Cp. Ed. louen; Cm. loue; Cl. leue.

[528. ]Cl. om. a.

[530. ]Cp. H. hidde; Ed. hyd; Cl. Cm. hed.

[534. ]Cl. yet; rest ye.

[536. ]Cp. H. Cm. may; Cl. wole.

[544. ]Cl. H. herd; Cm. Cp. herde.

[545. ]Cm. thoughte; Cl. H. bithought.

[546. ]Cl. multeplie.

[549. ]Cl. onys. H. herde; Cl. herd.

[554. ]Cl. om. som.

[555. ]H. Cm. Cp. falle; Cl. fallen.

[557. ]H. ferde; Cl. Cm. ferd.

[563. ]Cm. H2. sorwe; Ed. sorowe; Cp. H. wo to; Cl. wo.

[567. ]Cl. Cm. desirede.

[569. ]Cp. H. Ed. sen me.

[572. ]H. henue; Cm. hene; Cl. hens; Cp. hennes.

[573. ]Cl. dishese.

[578. ]Cl. Cm. wrought; H. y-wrogth; Cp. H2. Ed. yet wrought.

[580. ]Cp. H. Ed. leste; Cl. Cm. lest.

[581. ]Cl. Ne be; rest om. Ne.

[582. ]Cl. sorwe; rest wo.

[586. ]H. swiche; Cp. Cm. swich; Cl. such.

[589. ]Cl. Cm. þyn; H. Cp. þi.

[596. ]Cp. H. Cm. sorwful Troilus; Cl. Troilus sorwfully.

[600. ]Cl. don.

[601. ]Cp. Cm. truste; H. tryste; Cl. trust.

[602. ]Cm. herkene; Cl. H. herke. Cm. frend; Cl. H. frende.

[606. ]Cp. H. sailleth; Cm. saylyth; Ed. sayleth; Cl. ffayleth.

[607. ]Cl. brennynly.

[612. ]Cm. colde; Cl. H. cold.

[613. ]Cl. telle; rest tolde.

[622. ]Cl. Cm. thyn; Cp. H. thi.

[626. ]Cm. exces; Cl. Cm. excesse; Ed. axes.

[630. ]Cl. ofte a wys man; Ed. H. Cp. a wys man ofte.

[631. ]Ed. whetston; Cl. Cp. H. wheston; Cm. weston.

[633. ]Cl. out; Cm. ouȝt; H. Cp. aught.

[637. ]Cl. eche; rest his.

[643. ]Cp. H. Ech; Cl. Cm. Eche.

[647. ]Cl. ought; but see l. 649.

[650. ]Cp. Though; H. Thoughe; Cl. Cm. Thow. Cl. desir; H. Ed. desire; Cp. desyre.

[653. ]Cp. herdesse; Cl. H. Cm. hierdesse.

[654. ]H. Oonone.

[658. ]Cl. No (for Now). Cl. herkene; Cp. herkne; H. herken; Cm. herkenyt; Ed. herkeneth.

[659. ]Cl. medecyne.

[661. ]Cp. H. Ed. herbes; Cl. erbess. Cl. Cp. H. she; rest he.

[663. ]Cp. H. bounden; Cm. boundyn; Cl. bounde.

[664. ]Ed. Admete; rest Amete.

[665. ]Cl. koude al; rest om. al.

[667. ]Cl. H. oone; Cm. on.

[674. ]Cm. deyen; Cl. deye; Cp. H. dyen.

[675. ]Cp. H. Ed. mo; Cl. Cm. more.

[677. ]H2. thogh; Cm. þow; Cl. they; Cp. H. theigh. thogh that] Ed. although.

[680. ]Cl. as a; rest om. a.

[681. ]Cl. Cp. Cm. telle; rest tel.

[682. ]H2. Ed. final; Cl. finally; Cp. finaly; H. fynali; Cm. finially (!).

[683. ]Cl. þyn (for þyng).

[685. ]Cl. wygh (!).

[687. ]H. witeth; Cl. Cm. weteth.

[689. ]Cl. wot I.

[690. ]H. Cm. For for; Ed. As for; Cl. For.

[693. ]H. Cm. Cp. Ed. tel me; Cl. telle me. Cl. Cm. thou; Cp. H. the.

[694. ]Cl. Thise; rest The.

[697. ]Cl. yn certeyn; rest om yn. Cl. next.

[700. ]Cl. terys.

[703. ]Cl. this; Cp. H. thy.

[704. ]Cl. forto; rest to.

[707. ]Cl. sechen; rest seche hem.

[710. ]Cp. owghte; Cm. auȝte; Cl. H. ought.

[716 ]Cp. Cm. wolde; Cl. wold; H. wol.

[720. ]Cl. sithen; Cp. H. sith; Ed. sythe; H2. seyst. Cp. H. Cm. Ed. that; Cl. yn whom.

[723. ]H. Cp. Cm. lay as; Cl. om. as.

[730. ]All lytargye (litargye).

[734. ]H. Cp. synken; Cm. synkyn; Cl. synk yn.

[737. ]H. Cp. answerde; Cl. answerede.

[738. ]Cp. H. nas; Cl. nat (!); rest was.

[739. ]Cl. om. no.

[741. ]Cp. H. ybeten; Cm. I-bete; Cl. beten.

[742. ]Cm. maner; Cp. H. manere; Cl. maneres. H. Cp. þise; Cl. þis.

[743. ]H. tellynge; Cl. Cm. tellyng.

[744. ]Cl. ought; H. ougthte (sic).

[745 ]Cp. Ed. ynough outsprynge; Cm. Inow outsprynge; Cl. not ought sprynge.

[764. ]Cp. H. Cm. ther; rest om.

[765. ]H. tel; Cl. Cm. telle. Cl. wyst; Cp. H.Cm. Ed. wiste.

[767. ]Cm. told hyre; Ed. H2. tolde it; Cp. H. tolde; Cl. telle.

[769. ]Cp. by-soughte; Cl. H. bysought.

[777. ]Cl. nyl not; rest om. not. Cp. H. noon; Cm. non; Cl. no. Cl. om. as I.

[779. ]Cl. desespered; Cm. dispeyred; Cp. dispeired; H. despired.

[780. ]Cp. bendiste; H. bendistee.

[786. ]Cm. Cp. Ed. he; Cl. H2. the; H. om. Ticius] Cm. which is; Ed. Tesiphus; H2. Siciphus.

[787. ]Cl. foughles.

[788. ]Cl. H. volturis; H2. vulturus; Ed. vultures; Cm. wulturnus (!).

[793. ]Cl. folessh.

[796. ]Cp. H. muche; Cl. Cm. meche. Cl. lasse.

[797. ]Ed. H2. lyest; Cp. list; H. liste; Cl. lyk. H2. lyst; Cl. H. lest; Cm. leste.

[798. ]Cl. wolde (for coude).

[799. ]Cp. H. demen; Cm. demyn; Cl. deme.

[803. ]H. Cm. thank; Cl. thonk. Cl. then; Cp. than.

[812. ]he] Cl. yet.

[814. ]Cp. recreant; Cl. H. recreaunte. Cl. H2. of; rest for.

[815. ]Cl. feyr.

[817. ]H. Cp. Ed. serue; Cl. seruen.

[818. ]Cl. thenk.

[819. ]Cp. Cm. fold; Cl. H. folde.

[820. ]Cl. Cp. H. om. And.

[821. ]Cl. þought.

[822. ]Cl. hym soth.

[824. ]Cl. Cp. H2. om. a.

[826. ]woot she knew] Cl. knoweth (!).

[830. ]Cl. Cp. H. ins. al bef. thy.

[833. ]Cl. Cp. H. pieces.

[837. ]Cm. wel; Cl. H. wele.

[839. ]Cm. whel; Cl. H. whiel.

[842. ]Cp. H. ȝe; Cm. ȝa; Cl. om.

[846, 7. ]Cm. -gon, -on; Cl. H. -gone, -one.

[848, 850. ]Cl. H. whiel; Cm. whelys (whel).

[851. ]if] Cl. of (!).

[855. ]what] Cl. whan.

[858. ]Cm. onwrye; Ed. vnwrie; Cl. H. vnwre.

[2.]‘That was the son of King Priam of Troy.’

[5.]fro ye, from you; observe the rime. The form ye is not here the nom. case, but the unemphatic form of the acc. you; pronounced (yǝ), where (ǝ) is the indefinite vowel, like the a in China. So in Shak. Two Gent. iv. 1. 3, 4, we have about ye (unemphatic) in l. 3, and you twice in l. 4.

[6.]Thesiphone, Tisiphone, one of the Furies, invoked as being a ‘goddess of torment.’ Cf. ‘furial pyne of helle,’ Sq. Ta. F 448.

[13.]fere, companion; viz. Tisiphone.

[16.]‘Nor dare pray to Love,’ &c.

[21.]Cf. Boccaccio: ‘Tuo sia l’ onore, e mio si sia l’ affanno,’ Fil. I. st. 5. And see ll. 1042, 3 below.

[57.]Here begins the story; cf. Fil. I. st. 7. Bell remarks that ‘a thousand shippes,’ in l. 58, may have been suggested by ‘mille carinae’ in Verg. Æn. ii. 198; cf. ‘anni decem’ in the same line, with l. 60.

[67.]Read éxpert. Calkas is Homer’s Calchas, Il. i. 69. He was a Greek, but Guido makes him a Trojan, putting him in the place of Homer’s Chryses. See the allit. Troy-book, 7886.

[70.]Delphicus, of Delphi; cf. Ovid, Met. ii. 543.

[77.]Ye, yea. wolde who-so nolde, whoever wished it or did not wish it. This idiomatic phrase is thus expressed in the MSS. Bell’s edition has wold who so or nolde, where the e in wolde is suppressed and the word or inserted without authority. I hesitate, as an editor, to alter an idiomatic phrase. Cf. will he, nill he, in which there is no or.

[91.]‘Deserve to be burnt, both skin and bones.’

[99.]Criseyde; Boccaccio has Griseida, answering to Homer’s Χρυσηΐδα, Il. i. 143. It was common, in the Middle Ages, to adopt the accusative form as the standard one, especially in proper names. Her father was Chryses; see note to l. 67. But Benoît de Sainte-Maure calls her Briseida, and Chryseis and Briseis seem to have been confused. The allit. Troy-book has Bresaide; l. 8029.

[119.]‘While it well pleases you’; good is used adverbially. Ital. ‘mentre t’ aggrada.’

[125.]‘And would have done so oftener, if,’ &c.

[126.]and hoom, and (went) home.

[132, 133.]This is a curious statement, and Chaucer’s object in making it is not clear. Boccaccio says expressly that she had neither son nor daughter (st. 15); and Benoît (l. 12977) calls her ‘la pucele.’

[136.]som day, one day; used quite generally.

[138.]‘And thus Fortune wheeled both of them up and down again.’ Alluding to the wheel of Fortune; see the Ballade on Fortune, l. 46, and note.

[145.]Troyane gestes, Trojan history; cf. the title of Guido delle Colonne’s book, viz. ‘Historia Troiana,’ which Chaucer certainly consulted, as shewn by several incidents in the poem.

[146.]Omer, Homer; whose account was considered untrustworthy by the medieval writers; see Ho. Fame, 1477, and note. Dares, Dares Phrygius; Dyte, Dictys Cretensis; see notes to Ho. Fame, 1467, 1468. These three authors really mean Guido delle Colonne, who professed to follow them.

[153.]Palladion, the Palladium or sacred image of Pallas, on the keeping of which the safety of Troy depended. It was stolen from Troy by Diomede and Ulysses; see Æneid, ii. 166. But Chaucer doubtless read the long account in Guido delle Colonne.

[171.]Hence Henrysoun, in his Testament of Criseyde, st. 12, calls her ‘the flower and A-per-se Of Troy and Greece.’ Cf. ‘She was a woman A-per-se, alon’; Romance of Partenay, 1148. Boccaccio’s image is much finer; he says that she surpassed other women as the rose does the violet. On the other hand, l. 175 is Chaucer’s own.

[172.]makelees, matchless, peerless; cf. A. S. gemaca.

[189.]lakken, to blame; see P. Pl. B. v. 132.

[192.]bayten, feed, feast (metaphorically); E. bait.

[205.]Ascaunces, as if; in l. 292, the Ital. text has Quasi dicesse, as if she said. See Cant. Ta. D 1745, G 838. It is tautological, being formed from E. as and the O. F. quanses, as if (Godefroy); so that the literal force is ‘as as if.’

[210.]‘And nevertheless [or, still] he (Cupid) can pluck as proud a peacock (as was Troilus).’ Cf. Prol. A 652.

[214-266.]These lines are Chaucer’s own.

[217.]falleth, happens; ne wenden, would not expect. In Ray’s Proverbs, ed. 1737, p. 279, is a Scotch proverb—‘All fails that fools thinks’ (sic); which favours the alternative reading given in the footnote.[ ]

[218.]Bayard, a name for a bay horse; see Can. Yem. Ta. G 1413.

[229.]wex a-fere, became on fire. Fere is a common Southern form, as a variant of fyre, though a-fyre occurs in Ho. Fame, 1858. The A. S. vowel is ȳ, the A. S. form being fȳr.

[239.]‘Has proved (to be true), and still does so.’

[257.]‘The stick that will bend and ply is better than one that breaks.’ Compare the fable of the Oak and the Reed; see bk. ii. 1387.

[266.]ther-to refere, revert thereto. Halliwell gives: ‘Refeere, to revert; Hoccleve.’ Chaucer here ends his own remarks, and goes back to the Filostrato.

[292.]Ascaunces, as if (she said); see note to l. 205.

[316.]awhaped, amazed, stupefied; see Anelida, 215; Leg. of Good Women, 132, 814, 2321; he was ‘not utterly confounded,’ but only dazed; cf. l. 322.

[327.]borneth, burnishes, polishes up; i. e. makes bright and cheerful. The rime shews that it is a variant spelling of burneth; cf. burned, burnished, Ho. Fame, 1387; Kn. Ta. A 1983.

MS. Harl. 3943 has vnournith, an error for anorneth, adorns; with a like sense.

[333.]Him tit, to him betideth; tit is for tydeth.

[336.]ordre, sect, brotherhood; a jesting allusion to the religious orders. So also ruled = under a religious rule.

[337.]noun-certeyn, uncertainty; cf. O. F. noncerteit, uncertainty (Godefroy); nounpower, want of power (P. Plowman); and F. nonchalance. Again spelt noun-certeyn, Compl. Venus, 46.

[340.]lay, law, ordinance; see Sq. Ta. F 18.

[344.]‘But observe this—that which ye lovers often avoid, or else do with a good intention, often will thy lady misconstrue it,’ &c.

[363.]a temple, i. e. in the temple.

[381.]First stands alone in the first foot. Cf. ll. 490, 603, 811.

[385.]Yelt, short for yeldeth, yields.

[394.]writ, writeth. Lollius; Chaucer’s reason for the use of this name is not known. Perhaps we may agree with Dr. Latham, who suggested (in a letter to the Athenæum, Oct. 3, 1868, p. 433), that Chaucer misread this line in Horace (Epist. i. 2. 1), viz. ‘Troiani belli scriptorem, maxime Lolli’; and thence derived the notion that Lollius wrote on the Trojan war. This becomes the more likely if we suppose that he merely saw this line quoted apart from the context. Chaucer does not seem to have read Horace for himself. As a matter of fact, ll. 400-420 are translated from the 88th sonnet of Petrarch. See note to Ho. of Fame, 1468. The following is the text of Petrarch’s sonnet:

• ‘S’amor non è, che dunque è quel ch’ i’sento?
• Ma s’egli è amor, per Dio, che cosa e quale?
• Se buona, ond’ è l’effetto aspro mortale?
• Se ria, ond’ è si dolce ogni tormento?
• S’a mia voglia ardo, ond’ è ’l pianto e’l lamento?
• S’a mal mia grado, il lamentar che vale?
• O viva morte, o dilettoso male,
• Come puoi tanto in me s’io nol consento?
• E s’io ’l consento, a gran torto mi doglio.
• Fra si contrari venti, in frale barca
• Mi trovo in alto mar, senza governo.
• Sì lieve di saver, d’error sì carca
• Ch’ i’ medesmo non so quel ch’io mi voglio,
• E tremo a mezza state, ardendo il verno.’

In l. 401, whiche means ‘of what kind.’

[425.]Ital. text—‘Non so s’io dico a donna, ovvero a dea’; Fil. I. 38. Cf. Æneid, i. 327. Hence the line in Kn. Ta. A 1101.

[457.]That; in modern E., we should use But, or else said not for seyde.

[463.]Fled-de is here a plural form, the pp. being treated as an adjective. Cf. sprad-de, iv. 1422; whet-te, v. 1760.

[464.]savacioun; Ital. ‘salute.’ Mr. Rossetti thinks that salute here means ‘well-being’ or ‘health’; and perhaps savacioun is intended to mean the same, the literal sense being ‘safety.’

[465.]fownes, fawns; see Book of the Duch. 429. It is here used, metaphorically, to mean ‘young desires’ or ‘fresh yearnings.’ This image is not in Boccaccio.

[470.]I take the right reading to be felle, as in Cm. Ed., with the sense ‘destructive.’ As it might also mean ‘happened,’ other MSS. turned it into fille, which makes a most awkward construction. The sense is: ‘The sharp destructive assaults of the proof of arms [i. e. which afforded proof of skill in fighting], which Hector and his other brothers performed, not once made him move on that account only’; i. e. when he exerted himself, it was not for mere fighting’s sake. Chaucer uses fel elsewhere; the pl. felle is in Troil. iv. 44; and see Cant. Ta. D 2002, B 2019. For preve, proof, see l. 690.

[473, 4.]riden and abiden (with short i) rime with diden, and are past tenses plural. l. 474 is elliptical: ‘found (to be) one of the best, and (one of those who) longest abode where peril was.’

[483.]the deeth, i. e. the pestilence, the plague.

[488.]title, a name; he said it was ‘a fever.’

[517.]daunce, i. e. company of dancers. Cf. Ho. Fame, 639, 640.

[530-2.]‘For, by my hidden sorrow, (when it is) blased abroad, I shall be befooled more, a thousand times, than the fool of whose folly men write rimes.’ No particular reference seems to be intended by l. 532; the Ital. text merely has ‘più ch’ altro,’ more than any one.

[557.]attricioun, attrition. ‘An imperfect sorrow for sin, as if a bruising which does not amount to utter crushing (contrition); horror of sin through fear of punishment . . . while contrition has its motive in the love of God;’ New E. Dict.

[559.]ley on presse, compress, diminish; cf. Prol. A 81.

[560.]holinesse, the leanness befitting a holy state.

[626.]‘That one, whom excess causes to fare very badly.’

[631-679.]Largely original; but, for l. 635, see note to Bk. III. 329.

[638-644.]There is a like passage in P. Pl. C. xxi. 209-217. Chaucer, however, here follows Le Roman de la Rose, 21819-40, q. v.

[648.]amayed, dismayed; O. F. esmaier. So in Bk. IV. l. 641.

[654.]Oënone seems to have four syllables. MS. H. has Oonone; MS. Cm. senome (over an erasure); MS. Harl. 3943, Tynome. Alluding to the letter of Œnone to Paris in Ovid, Heroid. v.

[659-665.]Not at all a literal translation, but it gives the general sense of Heroid. v. 149-152:

• ‘Me miseram, quod amor non est medicabilis herbis!
• Deficior prudens artis ab arte mea.
• Ipse repertor opis uaccas pauisse Pheraeas
• Fertur, et a nostro saucius igne fuit.’

Ipse repertor opis means Phœbus, who ‘first fond art of medicyne;’ Pheraeas, i. e. of Pherae, refers to Pherae in Thessaly, the residence of king Admetus. Admetus gained Alcestis for his wife by the assistance of Apollo, who, according to some accounts, served Admetus out of attachment to him, or, according to other accounts, because he was condemned to serve a mortal for a year. Chaucer seems to adopt a theory that Apollo loved Admetus chiefly for his daughter’s sake. The usual story about Apollo is his love for Daphne.

[674.]‘Even though I had to die by torture;’ cf. Kn. Ta. A 1133.

[686.]‘Until it pleases him to desist.’

[688.]‘To mistrust every one, or to believe every one.’

[694.]The wyse, Solomon; see Eccles. iv. 10.

[699.]Niobe; ‘lacrimas etiamnum marmora manant;’ Ovid, Met. vi. 311.

[705.]‘That eke out (increase) their sorrows,’ &c.

[707.]‘And care not to seek for themselves another cure.’

[708.]A proverb; see note to Can. Yem. Ta. G 746.

[713.]harde grace, misfortune; cf. Cant. Ta. G 665, 1189. Tyrwhitt quotes Euripides, Herc. Furens, 1250: Γέμω κακω̂ν δή, κοὐκέτ’ ἐσθ’ ὅπου τεθῃ̑.

[730, 731.]From Boethius, Bk. I. Pr. 2. l. 14, and Pr. 4. l. 2.

[739.]‘On whose account he fared so.’

[740.]Compare: ‘He makes a rod for his own breech’; Hazlitt’s Proverbs.

[745.]‘For it (love) would sufficiently spring to light of itself.’

[747.]Cf. Rom. de la Rose, 7595-6.

[763.]‘But they do not care to seek a remedy.’

[780.]Pronounced ben’cite; see note to Cant. Ta. B 1170.

[786.]Ticius, Tityos. MS. H2. wrongly has Siciphus. ‘The fowl that highte voltor, that eteth the stomak or the giser of Tityus, is so fulfild of his song that it nil eten ne tyren no more;’ tr. of Boeth. Bk. III. Met. 12. 28. The original has:

• ‘Vultur, dum satur est modis,
• Non traxit Tityi iecur.’

See also Verg. Æn. vi. 595; Ovid, Met. iv. 456.

[811.]First foot deficient, as in ll. 603, 1051, 1069, &c. winter, years. Perhaps imitated from Le Rom. de la Rose, 21145-9.

[846, 847.]See Boethius, Bk. ii. Pr. 3. 52-54.

[848.]From Boethius, Lib. II. Pr. 1: ‘si manere incipit, fors esse desistit.’ See p. 26 above, l. 83.