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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) VI.: TO THE KINGES MOST NOBLE GRACE; AND TO THE LORDES AND KNIGHTES OF THE GARTER. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces)
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VI.: TO THE KINGES MOST NOBLE GRACE; AND TO THE LORDES AND KNIGHTES OF THE GARTER. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 7 (Supplement: Chaucerian and Other Pieces) [1897]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols.
Part of: The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 7 vols.
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VI.TO THE KINGES MOST NOBLE GRACE; AND TO THE LORDES AND KNIGHTES OF THE GARTER.Cestes Balades ensuyantes feurent faites au tres noble Roy Henry le quint (que dieu pardoint!) et au tres honourable conpaignie du Jarter. I.From P. (Phillipps 8151); also in Ed. (ed. 1542).
II.
Cest tout. [1. ]Ed. honour; P. honour. [2. ]P. Our right cristen; Ed. om. right. Ed. the heire; P. om. the. [6. ]P. chiualrie; Ed. cheualry. [8. ]P. nat; Ed. neuer. [10. ]Ed. om. the. [11. ]P. loue and; Ed. humble. [14. ]P. bittir; Ed. bytter. [15. ]P. foorth; Ed. forthe (twice). [16. ]P. Ed. Holde. [19. ]P. fikilnesse; Ed. crabbydnesse. [20. ]P. Weeneth; Ed. Weneth. [22. ]P. seruiture; Ed. seruytude. [25. ]P. Commandith; Ed. Commaundeth. [26. ]Ed. O; P. Our. Ed. our; P. and. [27. ]Ed. dispute. [28. ]P. where; Ed. Her. [29. ]P. Spryngith; engendrith. [30. ]P. Makith. P. aght; Ed. ought. [31. ]P. been; Ed. be. [32. ]P. Dooth. [33. ]P. Yee. [34. ]P. approped (!). [38. ]Ed. duite. [39. ]P. keepith; Ed. kepeth. [40. ]P. nakid; Ed. naked. [41. ]Ed. om. that. P. yee been. [43. ]P. arn; Ed. be. [44. ]P. Engeland and; Ed. England and of. [45. ]P. yee. [46. ]P. othir. [47. ]P. qwenche. P. nusance; Ed. noysaunce (read nuisance). [49. ]P. Conqueste;Ed. Conquest. [50. ]Ed. myscreaunce. [51. ]P. roote rype; Ed. rote repe. P. yee. [52. ]P. Sleepe; Ed. Slepe. [54. ]P. yee been. [55. ]P. Dooth. [56, 57. ]P. yee. [57. ]P. shuln; Ed. shal. P. greeue. [58. ]Ed. the; P. and. [59. ]Ed. tourne. [60. ]Ed. Nowe kythe of your beleue the constaunce. [62. ]P. blissid; Ed. blysfull. [2.]king, Henry V, as we see from the French title. [3.]Justinian; emperor of Constantinople, ad 527–65, whose fame rests upon the justly celebrated Justinian Code of laws. The reference, fortunately, is explained by Hoccleve himself, in a longer Balade concerning Sir John Oldcastel, printed in Anglia, v. 23; and again in Hoccleve’s Poems, ed. Furnivall, p. 8. Hoccleve is praising Justinian’s orthodoxy, to which (as he tells us) Henry V was heir; and the exact reference is to the following clause in one of Justinian’s laws, which is quoted in full in the margin of the Balade above mentioned; see Anglia, v. 28; or Poems, ed. Furnivall, p. 14. ‘Nemo clericus vel militaris, vel cuiuslibet alterius conditionis de fide Christiana publice turbis coadunatis et audientibus tractare conetur,’ &c. So that Justinian’s ‘devout tenderness in the faith’ was exhibited by repressing religious discussion; cf. l. 27. See Gibbon’s Roman Empire, ch. 44. [5.]the Garter. The noble Order of the Garter was founded by Edward III on St. George’s day, Apr. 23, 1349; cf. l. 54. [10.]Constantyn. He now proceeds to liken Henry V to Constantine the Great, who was a great supporter of the church; see note above, to Poem no. IV, l. 339. Cf. Anglia, v. 29; or Poems, ed. Furnivall, p. 15; st. 28. [15.]do forth, proceed, continue to do as you have done in the past. Not a common expression; see forth in Mätzner. [18.]Very characteristic of Hoccleve; the accents required by the verse are thrown upon the weak words your and the. But perhaps your is emphatic. Cf. fullý in l. 20, á sharp, 21. [30.]Hoccleve is clearly urging the King to repress Lollardry. [37.]‘God would have it so; and your allegiance would also have it so.’ This is explained in a sidenote in the margin: ‘quia Rex illam iustissimam partem tenet.’ That is, the lords ought to put down heresy, because their master the king was against it. [41.]Your style, your motto; the famous ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense.’ Hence shame here means scandal; but foos to shame is an awkward expression in this connexion. [47.]nuisaunce, annoyance; referring to heresy; cf. l. 50. [52.]Slepë nat this, be not sleepy about this; a rare construction. [58.]norice of distaunce, nurse of debate or strife. [60.]‘Variation from the faith would be a damnable thing.’ [64.]The remark—Cest tout—instead of the usual word explicit, occurs at the end of several poems by Hoccleve; see his Poems, ed. Furnivall, pp. 8, 24, 47, 51, 57, 58, 61, 62, 64, &c. |
