Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookhe quotes from Étude sur G. Chaucer, by M. Sandras, p. 290. Or consult the Notes, in vol. i., to the Book of the Duchesse, ll. 155, 250, 634, 779, 805, 919, 950, 1037. [89] Observe particularly this rime of _complain_ with _plein_. This shews whence Chaucer derived such rimes as _seke_, _seke_; Prol. 17, 18. There is a poem of 92 lines called Le Dit de la Harpe, printed in Bartsch's Crestomathie Française, p. 408, in which more than half the rimes are of this character. [90] It is none too clear who are meant by 'the parson and his companion.' Perhaps it means the Parson and the Ploughman (his brother). [91] Observe this substitution of _one_ Tale for _two_, tacitly accepted by Chaucer's readers as better suiting the circumstances. [92] This statement, that the Frere was 'a grey frere,' is of some interest. [93] See Morley's English Writers, vi. 115-8, where an analysis of the Tale is given. [94] I.e. thorpe, village; I quote from the edition of 1561. Broughton is an error for Boughton. [95] Ed. 'as ye'; which gives no sense. [96] For a good account of the Tabard Inn and a discussion of the pilgrims, see Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, by J. Saunders, ed. 1889. [97] Compare the articles by Koch and Kölbing, in Englische Studien, i. 249, ii. 528, and in Essays on Chaucer, p. 357. [98] 'In describing the commencement of this amour, which is to be the subject of the remainder of the poem, Chaucer has entirely departed from his author in three principal circumstances, and, I think, in each with very good reason, (1) By supposing Emilia to be seen first by Palamon, he gives him an advantage over his rival which makes the catastrophe more consonant to poetical justice. (2) The picture which Boccaccio has exhibited of two young princes violently enamoured of the same object, without jealousy or rivalship, if not absolutely unnatural, is certainly very insipid and unpoetical. (3) As no consequence is to follow from their being seen by Emilia at this time, it is better, I think, to suppose, as Chaucer has done, that they are not seen by her.'--Tyrwhitt. [99] The same story has been imitated in the Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles, and in the Berceau of Lafontaine (Morley). [100] I.e. Abington, seven miles to the S.E. of Cambridge, and nearly as far from Trumpington. In one way, it suits better; Trumpington is too near Cambridge for the clerks to have been benighted there. [101] For an analysis of the Tale, see Morley, Eng. Writers, v. 321. [102] _Se-ïnt_ seems to have been occasionally dissyllabic, as in Chaucer's Prologue, A 697. [103] This may be true of some of the traditions embodied in the story; but as we have it, the date is much later. [104] Or of the fourteenth century; they did not much vary. [105] Reprinted in Chalmers' English Poets, i. 607 (1810). [106] The objection is made that _all_ people 'speak in prose'; but I think Chaucer refers to something more rhetorical than ordinary conversation. [107] All adapted from his early work, Of the Wretched Engendering of Mankinde; see p. 407. The four stanzas are: B 421-7, 771-7, 925-31, and 1135-41. [108] Chaucer is, in fact, alluding to Trivet. [109] In Anglia, xiv. 77-122, 147-185. [110] I sometimes copy Mr. Brock's very words. [111] The Dominican friars were also called _Friars Preachers_. [112] Reprinted for the Early Eng. Text Soc., ed. S. J. Herrtage, 1879; see pp. 311, 493 of this edition. [113] Warton gives the reference, viz. to his Speculum Historiale, lib. vii. c. 90, fol. 86 a. [114] I.e. it is the sole authority for placing both the Shipman's Prologue and his Tale precisely here. At the same time, at least seventeen other MSS. make the Shipman's Prologue follow the Man of Law's Tale; only they turn it into a Prologue for the Sompnour or Squire. [115] The Monk's cell is mentioned in the Prologue, l. 172; Chaucer's was his 'celle fantastyk'; Kn. Ta. 518 (A 1376). [116] I put (_e_) not (_b_), in order to show the _chronological_ order, which is that of the letters, _a_, _b_, _c_, _d_, _e_, _f_. [117] The group (_f_) has nothing to do with (_e_); as will appear. [118] I say 'recollections' advisedly; see note to B 3293. The mistake of confusing 'Busirus' with Diomedes, king of Thrace, suggests that Chaucer had not as yet written out his translation of Boethius, but had read it hastily. In other words, part of the Monkes Tale must be earlier than 1380. [119] Printed 'Chauncer' in the old edition which I here follow. [120] Ed. 1532, alther; Edd. 1550, 1561, _all ther_; Morris corrects to _a lither_. [121] Compare C 1. [122] C 164. [123] C 165-170; 178-189. [124] C 154. [125] C 142. [126] C. 192-9. [127] C 203-206. [128] C 254-276. [129] A remarkable coincidence with the language of St. Paul in 1 Tim. vi. 10. [130] But this passage still more resembles Jerome against Jovinian; see note to the line. [131] Cf. Lounsbury, Studies in Chaucer, ii. 292. [132] I.e. the first edition of Gower's poem certainly preceded the Wife's Tale, though the second edition did not appear till 1393. [133] Lat. 'nepos'; but later on, Claudius is called his _eme_, i.e. uncle. [134] To which it is not unusual to object, by insisting that it was not Chaucer himself who met Petrarch, but the Clerk who tells the tale. I doubt if this amounts to more than a quibble. There is nothing out of place in Chaucer's reference to an incident in his own life, inasmuch as he was a clerk himself, in the sense of being a student. Otherwise, we have to explain how the poor clerk raised the money to pay for this long journey; how it came to pass that _he_ met Petrarch, and _when_; and how he acquired a copy of Petrarch's tale. [135] See E 27, 40. [136] See E 1147--'Petrark _wryteth_.' And yet Warton could imagine that Chaucer did not use a copy of Petrarch's version, but only wrote from recollection of what he had heard! If we enquire, how did Chaucer obtain this version, no answer is so likely as the supposition that Petrarch gave it him at parting. It is difficult to see how he could have got it otherwise. [137] The words 'He is _now_ deed,' in E 29, suggest that Petrarch was still living when Chaucer first wrote the Tale. 'There was also Grisildis innocence, And al hir mekenes and hir pacience.' Lydgate, Temple of Glas, ed. Schick, l. 75. [139] It occurs also in the black-letter editions, and in MSS. Harl. 1758 and 7333, Barlow 20, and Royal 18 C. ii; as well as in E., Hn., Cm., and Dd. Several MSS. follow it up by various scraps, taken from E. 2419-40 and F 1-8, with the false substitution of _Sire Frankeleyn_ for _Squier_ in F 1, which makes the line too long. See Part I of the Six-text edition, pp. xvii*-xx*. [140] Chaucer und Albertanus Brixiensis; in Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen; vol. 86, p. 29. [141] To which are appended fables by Avian (leaf 106); by Alfonce (leaf 120, back); and by Poge the Florentyn (leaf 1 |