Heronere means ' used for flying at herons'; only the best hawks would serve for this. 1122. Y-bete, in the Knight's Ta. 121, means 'ornamented with beaten gold,' or with gold flattened out by the hammer. It might mean 'ornamented by means of the hammer'; but as 'new florins' can hardly be said to be used for decorating cups, it seems best to take with in the sense of 'as well as'; in which case florins newe y-bete means 'florins newly struck.' The allusion to florins is curious; see note to P. Plowman, B. iii. 45. Cf. Æn. i. 640-'Ingens argentum mensis, caelataque in auro Fortia facta patrum.' 1128-1135. From Æn. i. 643-656. 1135. Take, present, offer, deliver. This sense was once common; see Sec. Non. Ta. G. 223; Can. Yem. Ta. G. 1030, 1034, 1365; P. Plowman, B. i. 56, iv. 58, &c. 1136-1149. Much abridged from Æn. i. 657-722. 1145. 'Let it be as it may; I care little about it.' 1150-1155. Chaucer here comes to the end of Æn. bk. i, and passes over the second book with the remark in 1. 1153. 1155. Entendeden, gave their attention. Corson and Gilman explain it by 'attend,' as if it were the present tense. 1156. Chaucer here passes on to Vergil's fourth book, which he epitomises, and seldom follows quite exactly. 1157. Sely, simple, unsuspecting; see 1. 1254. Trench, Select Glossary. See Silly in 1161. 'Why I have told the story so far, and must tell the rest.' 1163. The reading his (for her) in MS. C. can be justified, and may be right. The A. S. móna was masculine, but the Lat. luna was feminine. Hence arose a confusion, so that the M. E. mone is of either gender. Hence, in Chaucer's Astrolabe, pt. ii. § 34, 1. 12, we find—‘And nota, that yif the Mone shewe himself by liht of day,' &c.; whereas in the same, pt. ii. § 40, 1. 52, we find -'the Mone, loke thou rekne wel her cours howre by howre; for she,' &c. 1166. Brayd, start, sudden movement. In the Cursor Mundi, 7169, we read of Samson, that — 'Vte of thair handes son he stert And gaue a braid sa fers and fast, That all the bandes of him brast.' See Braid in Murray's Dictionary. 1170-1181. From Vergil's Æn. iv. 9–29. 1174. And eke so likely to be a hero.' Man is here used emphatically; cf. 'quam forti pectore et armis'; iv. II. 1182, 1183. Cf. Æn. iv. 31-53; but Chaucer cuts it short. 1187. Love (A. S. lufu) is here monosyllabic; cf. Kn. Ta. 277. 'Love desires (to have) love; for no one will it desist.' Cf. A. S. wandian, to turn aside, blench, fear. And see wol, in l. 1191. 1188-1211. From Æn. iv. 129–159. 1191. An hunting, on hunting, a-hunting. Here an is another form of the prep. on, and hunting is a substantive, like Lat. uenatio. See Skeat, Principles of Eng. Etymology, p. 260. Wol, desires (to go); cf. wol in l. 1187. 1196. Hoven, wait in readiness, hover. Cf. ' where that she hoved and abode'; Gower, C. A. iii. 63; and see P. Plowman, B. prol. 210, xviii. 83. It just expresses the notion of slight movement, whilst remaining nearly in the same place. The old editions read heven, which gives no sense; for it never means 'mount,' as has been suggested. Cf. Vergil's 'expectant'; iv. 134. 1198. Paper-whyt, as white as paper; a curious and rare compound. Printed paper white (as two words!) in former editions. 1200. The 4th sense of Bar in Murray's Dict. is-'An ornamental transverse band on a girdle, saddle, &c.; subsequently, an ornamental boss of any shape.' 1201. Sit, sits. Wrye, covered; A. S. wrigen, pp. 1204. Startling, moving suddenly; the frequentative form of starting, which Chaucer preferred when repeating this same line in his Kn. Tale, 644. 1205. A litel wyr, i.e. a small bit. See 1. 1208. 1206. Phebus; Vergil's 'Apollo'; iv. 144. describe (him). To devyse, to This form is the Compl. of 1209. Wold, willed, desired; the pp. of willen. very rare, but we again find hath wold in l. 11 of Venus; and hadde wold in P. Plowman, B. xv. 258. Prof. Corson aptly quotes three examples from Malory's Morte Arthur, ed. T. Wright, with the references 'vol. i. c. 33, vol. iii. c. 119, and vol. iii. c. 123. The first of these answers to bk. ii. c. 8, p. 54 in the 'Globe' edition, where we find 'Then said Merlin to Balin, Thou hast done thyself great hurt, because thou savedst not this lady that slew herself, that might have saved her and thou wouldest. Caxton (ed. 1485) also has woldest; but Wright, following the edition of 1634, has had would. For the other passages, see bk. xviii. capp. 15 and 19. 1212-1231. From Vergil, Æn. iv. 154-170. 1213. Go bet, go more quickly, hasten; a term of encouragement. See Pard. Tale, C. 667, and my note. Prik thou, spur thou, push on; a like term. Lat goon, let (the dogs) go. 1230. 'Ille dies primus leti, primusque malorum Causa fuit'; iv. 169. It looks as if Chaucer has translated leti by 'gladnesse,' as if it were letitiae. (Bech makes a similar remark.) 1232-1241. These lines are original. Cf. Ho. Fame, 253–292. 1242. Here follows, in Vergil, the celebrated description of Fame, which Chaucer had already introduced into his Hous of Fame, 1368-1392; it is therefore here omitted. He passes on to Æn. iv. 195. 1245. Yarbas, i. e. Iarbas, son of Ammon; Æn. iv. 196. 1254-1284. Original; but see Ho. Fame, 269-292. 1262. Pilled, robbed. 'A knight . . . shuld defende holy chirche, and not robbe it ne pille it'; Persones Tale, De Avaritia. 1277. Ther-as, whereas. Sterve, to die. 1288. And he secretly causes his ships to be prepared'; lit. causes (men) to prepare his ships.' 1289. Shapeth him, intends, purposes. See Prologue, 772. 1295. 'Me patris Anchisae . . Admonet . . imago'; iv. 351. 1297. Mercurie, Mercury; 'interpres Divûm'; iv. 356. 1305. What womman, what sort of a woman. 1310. Seketh halwes, repairs to saints' shrines; a curious medieval touch. Vergil only mentions the sacrifice; iv. 453. Cf. Prologue, 14, and the note. To go seken halwes'; C. T. 6239 (Wyf of Bathes Prol.). 1312, 3. 'Si pudet uxoris, non nupta, sed hospita dicar,' &c.; Ovid, Her. vii. 167. 1316. Cf. 'Sed neque fers tecum'; Her. vii. 79. 1317. Thise lordes; 'Nomadumque tyranni'; Æn. iv. 320. Also Pygmalion and Iarbas, id. 325, 6. 1324. The former syllable of Mercy forms the first foot in the line; cf. l. 1342. Have pitee on my sorwes smerte!' Ho. Fame, 316; which see. 1331. Lavyne, Lavinia, daughter of King Latinus; Æn. vii. 359. 1332. A cloth. This refers to the Trojan garments left behind by Æneas; Iliacas uestes'; iv. 648. The sword is mentioned by Vergil just two lines above; 646. 1338-1340. Here the cloth answers to the Lat. exuuiae; and whyl hit leste=whilst it pleased. These three lines are a close imitation of Vergil, Æn. iv. 651-3:— 'Dulces exuuiae, dum fata Deusque sinebant ; Accipite hanc animam, meque his exsoluite curis; Vixi, et quem dederat cursum fortuna, peregi.' We hence see that, in l. 1339, the right reading is unbind me of this unreste, a close translation from the Latin. Me of are run together; see note to Minor Poems, p. 230, l. 11. 1341. Withouten, without any succour from Æneas. 1346. Her norice, her nurse, or rather the nurse of Sichæus, named Barce; Æn. iv. 632. 1351. She roof hir-selve to the herte'; Ho. Fame, 373. 1352. Here Chaucer, having done with Vergil, takes up Ovid, who is intended by the words myn autour. 1354. A lettre, i.e. the 7th Epistle in Ovid's Heroides. See 1. 1367. 1355-1365. From the first 8 lines in the above Epistle. 'Sic, ubi fata uocant, udis abiectus in herbis, ad uada Maeandri concinit albus olor. Nec, quia te nostra sperem prece posse moueri, Sed merita et famam, corpusque animumque pudicum IV. (PART I) THE LEGEND OF HYPSIPYLE. The chief sources of this fourth Legend are Guido de Colonna's Historia Troiana, Ovid's Metamorphoses, bk. vii, and Heroides, letters vi. and xii. The story of Hypsipyle is also in Statius' Thebaid, bk. v, and in l. 1437 (see note) there is a reference to the Argonauticon of Valerius Flaccus. See further in the Preface; and see the note to l. 1396. .1368-1395. This is a Prologue to the Legend, and is original. 1371. Reclaiming, enticement, power to subdue; lit. a calling back. Halliwell has: To reclaim a hawk, to make her gentle and familiar, to bring her to the wrist by a certain call. It is often used metaphorically, to tame.' Cf. 'since this same wayward girl is so reclaimed'; Romeo, iv. 2. 47. 1373. Of, by means of. Farced, stuffed; as in Prologue, 233. 1377. 'Wher others betray one, thou betrayest two.' 1381. Shove, pushed forward, brought into notice; cf. 1. 726. 1383. Have at thee! let me attack (or pursue) thee. Thyn horn is blowe, the horn is blown that summons all to pursue thee; a metaphor taken from the chase. 1387. Aboght, bought; pp. of abye, which was corrupted into abide; whence 'thou shalt dearly abide it.' 1388. Box, blow, buffet; now only used of 'a box on the ear.' 1389. Et, eateth; pres. tense. So in the Ayenbite of Inwyt, p. 135, l. 10, and in Ælfric's Grammar, ed. Zupitza, p. 200. 1394, 1395. On, in the case of. 1. 2655. By, with reference to. Y-sene, evident; as in 1396. The reading Guido (in MSS. C., T., A.) where the other MSS. and the editions have Ouyde, is important; especially as it is correct, and gives us a new clue. The Historia Troiana of Guido de Colonna begins with the story of Jason, and it is evident that Chaucer follows him, at least as far as 1. 1461. This can easily be seen by comparing the present passage with the beginning of Book I. of the alliterative Troybook, ed. Panton and Donaldson, otherwise called the Gest Historiale of the Destruction of Troy, which is closely translated from Guido. Gower also tells the story of Jason (C. A. ii. 236), and says that the tale 'is in the boke of Troie write.' 1397. Pelleus; so spelt in the allit. Troy-book, l. 104; Gower has Peleus. Medieval names are strangely confused. The right form is not Peleus, but Pelias. He was king of Thessaly, half-brother of Æson, and guardian of Jason. The reading king gives him his title in anticipation, but is right. So also, in the allit. Troy-book, l. 103: There was a kyng in that coste,' &c.; and Guido has 'rex' here. 1398. Eson (as in Gower); Æson, the aged father of Jason. 1420. Al made he, although he made. 1425. Colcos, properly Colchis, now Mingrelia; between the Caucasus and the Eastern shore of the Black Sea. In the allit. Troy-book, it is called Colchos, 1. 152; and so in Gower. It is not really an island, but Chaucer follows the Latin text, which has 'insula'; see note to l. 1590. |