[Sidenote: Forage is old and hard provision made for horses and cattle in winter,] Forage in one place you expounde meate, and in other place fodder. boothe whiche properly cannott stande in this place of chaucer in the reves prologue, where he sayeth, "my fodder is forage." for yf forrage be fodder, then is the sence of that verse, "my fodder is fodder." But fodder beinge a generall name for meate gyven to Cattle in winter, and of affynytie withe foode applied to menne and beasts, dothe onlye signyfye meate. And so the sence is, "my meate ys forage," that is, my meate is suche harde and olde provis{i}one as ys made for horses and Cattle in winter. for so doth this worde forragiu{m} in latyne signyfye. and so dothe Chaucer meane. for the word next before dothe well shewe yt, when the Reve sayeth,

I ame olde, me liste not play for age, Grasse tyme is donne, my fodder is forrage.

[Sidenote: or metaphorically, or to help out the ryme it may mean grass.] Yet metaphorically yt may be taken for other than drye horse meate, although improperlye; as Chaucer hathe, in Sir Topas Ryme, where he makethe yt grasse for his horse, and vseth the woorde rather to make vpp the ryme than to shewe the true nature thereof; sayinge,

That downe he layed hym in that place, to make his steede some solace and gyve hym good forage.

[Sidenote: Heroner is a long-winged hawk for the heron.] Heroner yo{u} expounde a certeyne kynde of hawke, whiche is true, for a gowshawke, sparrowe hawke, tassell,&c. be kyndes of hawkes. But this heroner, is an especiall hawke (ofanye of the kyndes of longe winged hawkes) of moore accompte then other hawkes are, because the flighte of the Herone ys moore daungerous than of other fowles, insomuch, that when she fyndeth her selfe in danger, she will lye in the ayre vppon her backe, and turne vpp her bellye towardes the hawke; and so defile her enymye with her excrementes, that eyther she will blinde the hawke, or ells with her byll or talons pierce the hawkes brest yf she offer to cease vppon her.

[Sidenote: The Hyppe is the berye of the sweet bryer or eglantine.] The Hyppe is not simplye the redde berrye one the Bryer, vnlest yo{u} adde this epithetone and saye, the redde Berrye one the swete Bryer, (which is the Eglantyne,) to distinguyshe yt from the comone Bryer or Bramble beringe the blacke Berye, for that name Bryer ys comone to them boothe; when the Hyppe is proper but to one, neither maye yt helpe yo{u} that yo{u} saye the redd Berye, to distinguyshe yt from the Blacke, for the blacke berye ys also redde for a tyme, and then may be called the redde Berye of the Bryer for that tyme.

[Sidenote: Nowell meaneth more than Christmas.] Nowell yo{u} expounde Christmasse, whiche ys that feaste and moore, for yt is that tyme, whiche is properlye called the Advente together with Christmasse and Newe yeres tyde, wherefore the true etymologye of that worde ys not Christmasse, or the twelve dayes, but yt is godd with us, or, oure Godde, expressinge to vs the comynge of Christe in the fleshe, whiche p{er}adventure after a sorte, by the figure synecdoche, yo{u} may seeme to excuse, placinge ther xemas (Christmasse) ap{ar}te of this tyme of Nowell for all the tyme that Nowell conteynethe. for in the same worde is conteyned sometyme xx, but for the most p{ar}te thirtye dayes before Christmesse, aswell as the Christmesse yt selfe, that woorde being deduced as hathe Will{iel}m{u}s Postellus in Alphabet. 12 Linguarum, from the hebrue worde Noell: for thus he writethe: noel noel, sonat deus noster sive Deus nobis advenit, solitaq{ue} est hec vox cantari a plebe ante xi ({Christi}) natalitia viginti aut triginta dies quodam desiderio.

[Sidenote: Porpherye is a peculiar marble, not marble in common.] Porpherye you expounde marble, w{hi}che m{ar}ble ys genus, but porpherye is species, for as there is white and grey marble, so ys there redde marbell, whiche is this porpherye, astone of reddish purple coolor, distincte or enterlaced with white veynes as yo{u} may see in the great pillars entringe into the royall exchange or burse in Cornhill.

[Sidenote: Sendale, a sylke stuffe.] Sendale you expounde a thynne stuffe lyke cypres. but yt was a thynne stuffe lyke sarcenette, and of a rawe kynde of sylke or sarcenett, but courser and narrower, than the sarcenett nowe ys, as my selfe canne remember.

[Sidenote: The trepegett is not the battering-ram, but an engine to cast stones.] Trepegett you expounde a ramme to batter walles. But the trepegete was the same that the magonell; for Chaucer calleth yt a trepegett or magonell; wherefore the trepegett and magonell being all one, and the magonell one instrumente to flynge or cast stones (asyoure selfe expoundeyt) into a towne, or against a towne walles, (an engine not muche vnlyke to the catapulte, an instrumente to cast forthe dartes, stones, or arrowes,) the trepeget must nedes also be one instrumente to cast stones or such lyke against a wall or into a towne, and not a Ramme to batter wales; since the Ramme was no engine to flinge anye thinge, but by mens handes to be broughte and pusshed againste the walles; athinge farr different in forme from the magonell or catapulte, as appereth by Vigetius and Robertus Valturius de re militari.

[Sidenote: Wiuer or Wyvern, a serpent like unto a dragon.] Wiuer yo{u} expounde not. Wherefore I will tell you, awyuer is a kynde of serpent of good Bulke, not vnlyke vnto a dragon, of whose kinde he is, athinge well knowen vnto the Heroldes, vsinge the same for armes, and crestes, & supporters of manye gentle and noble menne. As the erle of Kent beareth a wiuer for his creste and supporters, the erle of Pembroke, awiuer vert for his creste; the erle of Cumberlande, awiuer geules for his supporters.

[Sidenote: Autenticke meaneth a thing of auctoritye, not of antiquitye.] Autenticke yo{u} expounde to be antiquytye. But howe yo{u} may seme to force and racke the worde to Chaucers meaninge, Iknowe not; but sure I ame the proper signyficat{i}one of autenticke is a thinge of auctoritye or credit allowed by menne of auctoritye, or the originall or fyrste archetypu{m} of any thinge; whiche I muse that you did not remember.

[Sidenote: Abandone is not liberty though Hollyband sayeth so.] Abandone you expounde libertye; whiche in all Italiane, Frenche, and Spanishe, signifyeth relinquere, to forsake and leave a thinge; w{hi}che me thinkethe yo{u} most hardely stretche to libertye, vnlest yo{u} will saye that, when one forsakethe a thinge, he leaveth yt at libertye; whiche ys but a streyned speche, although the frenche Hollybande, not vnderstandinge the true energye of our tongue, hath expounded yt libertye; whiche may be some warrante vnto you.

VNDER THE TITLE OF YOURE Annotacions and Corrections.

[Sidenote: Of the Vernacle.] IN YOURE ANNOTACIONS you describe, oute of the prologues, the vernacle to be a broche or figure, wherein was sett the instruments wherewith Christe was crucyfyed, and withall a napkyn whereine was the printe of his face. but the vernacle did not conteyne the instrumentes of his deathe, but only the clothe wherein was the figure of his face; as I conceve yt with others.

[Sidenote: Master Thynne would read Campaneus for Capaneus, and giveth reasons.] Fo: 1. pa: 2. For Campaneus you wolde reade Capaneus, wherunto I cannott yelde. for althoughe Statius and other latine authors do call hym Capaneus; yet all the writers of Englande in that age call him campaneus; as Gower, in confessione amantis, and Lidgat in the historye of Thebes taken out of Statius, and Chaucer hym selfe in many other places. so that yt semethe they made the pronu{n}tiatione of Campaneus to be the dialecte of our tongue for Capaneus. Besides chaucer is in this to be p{ar}doned, in that taking his knightes tale out of the Thesayde of Bocas, written in Italiane (and of late translated into frenche,) doth there, after the Italiane manner, call him campaneus; for so the Italians pronounce woordes beginninge with cap: with the interposit{i}one of the l{ette}re m, pronouncinge yt camp: for, that w{hi}che the Latins call capitoliu{m}, the Italians call campidoglio; and suche lyke. Wherefore since yt was vniversallye receued in that age, to call him Campaneus: lett vs not nowe alter yt, but p{er}mytte yt to have free passage accordinge to the pronuntiat{i}one and wrytinge of that age. since, in deducinge woordes from one language to one other, there ys often additione and substract{i}one of letters, or of Sillabes, before, in the middle, and in the ende of those wordes. whereof infynyte examples mighte be produced, whiche I nowe shonne for brevytye.

[Sidenote: Liketh the reading of Eros, but preferreth that of Heros, and giveth reasons.] Fo: 3. pa: 2. ("Noughte comelye lyke to lovers maladye of Hereos.") for whiche woorde hereos you reade eros, i. cupide, avery good and probable correct{i}one, well gathered out of Luciane. But (salua patient{i}a vestra, and reservinge to myselfe better iudgmente hereafter yf I nowe mystakeyt,) Iwolde, for the printed hereos of Chaucer, read heroes. whiche two woordes onlye differ in misplacinge of the letters; acomone thinge for the printer to do, and the corrector to overpasse. for Arcyte, in this furye of his love, did not shewe those courses of gouer[n]mente, whiche the Heroes, or valiante p{er}sons, in tymes past vsed, for thoughe they loued, yet that passione did not generallye so farre overrule them (althoughe yt mighte in some one p{ar}ticuler personne) as that theye lefte to contynewe the valor, and heroicke actions, whiche they before performed. for the Heroes sholde so love, as that they sholde not forgett, what they were in place, valor, or magnanymytye, whiche Arcite, in this pass{i}one, did not observe "lyke to lovers malady of Heroes." Whereof I coulde produce six hundred examples, (asthe proverbeys,) were yt not that I avoyde tedious prolixytye.

[Sidenote: Of florins and their name from the Florentines.] Fo: 6. pa: 2. ("Manye a florence.") In whiche noote yo{u} expounde a florence to be ij^s frenche, and a gelder to be the same in dutche. Wherein yo{u} mistake the valewe of the florens, suche as was vsed in Chaucers tyme, w{hic}he taking his name of the woorkemenne, beinge florentynes, (ofthe terrytorye of florence in Italye,) were called Florens; [Sidenote: Sterling money taketh its name from the Esterlings.] as sterlinge money tooke their name of Esterlinges, whiche refyned and coyned the silver in the tyme of kinge Henry the seconde. for two shillinges frenche ys not equall in valewe (asI nowe takeyt) to two shillinges Englishe: and much lesse equall to the florens in Chaucers tyme, whiche was of the valewe of thre shillings, fowre pence, or halfe a noble, or, at the leaste, of two shillinges tenne pence farthinge, as apperethe by recorde and historye: some of them being called florens de scuto or of the valewe of the shelde or frenche crowne and some of them called florens regall. Whereof yo{u} shall fynde, in the recorde of pellis exitus in the exchequer in michelmas terme 41. Ed. 3. this note. Bartholomeo de Burgershe militi in denariis sibi liberatis in parte solutionis 8000 florenoru{m} de scuto pretii petii iij^s. iiij^d. sibi debitis de illis 30000 florenoru{m} de scuto in quibus Rex tenebatur eidem Bartholomeo pro comite de Ventadoure, prisonario suo apud Bellu{m} de Poyters in guerra capto, et ab eodem Bartholomeo ad opus Regis empt{o}, vt patet per litteras Regis patentes, quas idem Bartholomeus inde penes se habet. in Dors. de summa subscripta, per bre{ve} de magno sigillo, inter mandata de Term. Michaelis de anno 36 —xx^li. To the valewe whereof agreeth Hipodigma Neustri, pa. 127, [Sidenote: King John of France, his ransom of three millions of florens.] where setting downe the ransome of the frenche kinge taken at Poyters to the valewe of thre milliones of florens, he sayethe "of w{hic}he florens duo valebant vj^s. viij^d." These florens the same Walsingha{m} in another place callethe scutes or frenche crownes, pa. 170, sayinge: Rex quidem Franci pro sua redemptione soluit regi Angli tres milliones scutoru{m}, quoru{m} duo valent vnu{m} nobile, videlicet, sex solidos et octo denarios. Whiche scutes in lyke manner, in the tyme of kinge Henry the sixte were of the same valewe, as apperethe in Fortescues commentaries of the lawes of Englande. But as those florens for the redempt{i}one of the frenche kinge, were of the valewe of half one noble: so at the tyme of that kings reigne there were also one other sorte of florens, not of lyke valewe, but conteyned within the price of ij^s. x^d. [QR]. called florene regales, as apperethe in this record, of Easter terme, of Pellis exitus before sayed, where yt is thus entred one the sixte of Julye: Guiscardo de Angles. Domino de pleyne martyne, In denariis sibi liberatis per manus Walteri Hewett militis in pretio 4000 florenoru{m} regaliu{m} pretii petii —ij^s. x^d. [QR] de quibus florenis regal{ibus} 7 computantur pro tribus nobilibus, eidem Guiscardo debitis. Whereby yo{u} see the meanest of these florens did exceed the valewe of ij^s. frenche, (although you sholde equall that with ii^s. Englishe,) as yt did also in other countryes. for in the lowe countryes at those dayes yt was much aboute the valewe of iij^s. iiij^d. beinge halfe a pistolet Italiane or Spanyshe. for so sayethe Heuterius Delphicus, (inthe Historye of Burgundye, in the lyfe of Philippe le hardye,) lyving at that tyme, and sonne to the frenche kinge taken prisoner by the Inglishe. Heuterius' woordes be these. Illustris viri aliorumq{ue} nobiliu{m} mors ade comite{m} com{m}ovit, vt relicta obsidione exercitus ad co{m}meatus ducendos in proxima loca distribuerit. Decem millibus florenorum (moneta Belgica est semipistoletu{m} Italicu{m} pendens) pro Anglicani, aliorumq{ue} nobiliu{m} cadaverum redemptione solutis,&c.

[Sidenote: Of the oken garland of Emelye.] Fo: 7. pa: 2. For unseriall yo{u} will vs to reade cerriall, for cerrus[8] is a kynde of tree lyke one oke, bearinge maste; and therefore by yo{ur} correct{i}one yt sholde be a garland of grene oke cerriall: But for the same reasone (because cerrus ys a kynde of oke as ys also the Ilex) Ijudge yt sholde not be redde cerriall but unseriall, that ys, (yfyou will nedes have this worde cerriall,) agarlande of greene oke not cerriall, as who sholde saye, she had a Garlande of Grene oke, but not of the oke Cerriall. and therefore a garlande of oke unseriall, signifyinge a garlande that was freshe and Grene, and not of dedd wannyshe Coolor as the oke Cerriall in some parte ys. for the Cerrus, being the tree w{hi}che we comonly call the holme oke, (asCooper also expoundeth the ilex to be that which wee call holme,) produceth two kyndes; whereof the one hathe greater, and the other lesser acornes, whose leaves beinge somewhat grene one the one syde, and of one ouer russett and darkyshe Coolor on the other syde, were not mete for this garland of Emelye, whiche sholde be freshe and Grene one everye parte, as were her younge and grene yeres, lyke to the goddesse to whome she sacryfyced, and therefore a garlande of Grene oke unseriall, not beinge of oke cerriall, for yf yt had byn oke serriall, yt wolde haue shewed duskyshe and as yt were of dedishe leaves, and not freshe and orient as chaucer wolde haue her garlande. And this for yo{u}r e[x]posit{i}one of unseriall, in some parte: for I wolde suppose that this worde unseriall dothe not vnaptly signifye perfectione of coolor, so that She having aGarlande of Grene oke unseriall, doth signyfye the oke to be grene and unseriall, that is, (assome do expounde this worde unseriall,) unsered, unsinged, unwithered, of freshe coolor, lyke unto the oke Quercus whiche hath no sered nor withered cooloor in his leafes. And yt was of necessytye that Emely (sacryfysinge to Diana) must haue a garlande of the Grene oke Quercus, because that they whiche sacryfyced vnto Diana, otherwise called Hecate, (which name is attribute to Diana, as natalis Comes affirmethe with statius in his Acheleidos in his first Booke sayinge,

Sic vbi virgineis Hecate lassata pharetris,

being Diana adorned with her bowe and arrowes, called also Triuia because Luna, Diana, and Heccate, were all one, whereof Virgil speaketh,

Tergemina{m}q{ue} Hecaten, tria virginis ora Dian,)

were adorned w{i}th a crowne of the grene oke Quercus, because that Heccate was wont to be crowned therewith, as hath Pierius Valerianus in his 51 booke of Hieroglyphes, sayinge, Heccate quoqu Quercu coronari solita est. for although Quercus be consecrate to Jupiter, because he gave his oracles in the same in Sylva Dodonea, and therefore called Jupiter Dodoneus; yet Antiqutye adorned and crowned Diana Heccate with the same crowne also. Wherefore I conclude, since she (Emelye) had a garlande of Grene oke, (asChaucer of purpose addeth that woorde Greene to explane unseriall, whiche signyfyethe unsered, unparched, unwithered in every parte, not lyke to the oke Serriall, whose leafe one the one syde is duskyshe as though yt were somewhat withered,) that the same word unseriall must stand unamended, as well (asI sayed before) by youre owne correct{i}one and the nature of the worde; as for that Diana, called Heccate, was crowned with the oke Quercus and not with the oke cerrus. But yf yo{u} obiecte to mee that, in this place, yt must be a garlande of oke cerriall accordinge to the woordes of Chaucer in one other place, because that he in the flower and the leafe (newely printed by yo{u}) hath these woordes;

I sie come first all in theire clokes white a companye that were for delight. Chapletts freshe of oke serriall Newly spronge and Trompetts they were all;

I denye that therefore in the Knightes Tale yt must be oke serriall. for yt may well bee, that such meane persons as trompettes might be crowned with so base one oke as the serriall ys, whiche I call base in respecte of the oke Quercus (dedicate to the godd Jupiter) wherewithe Heccate was crowned, and whereof Garlands were gyven to the Romans for their nooble desarts in the warres, as apperethe in the Quernall crowne gyven to those whiche had saved a cytyzen. Wherefore Chaucer dothe rightly (and of purpose with great iudgm{en}t in my conceyte) make a difference in the chaplettes of the Trompettes and the garlands of Emelye, in that the trompetts chapletts were of oke seriall newly spronge; and not come to perfect{i}one, whiche yet yf they had byn p{er}fecte wolde not haue byn soo oryente and Greene one bothe sydes as ys the oke Quercus, wherewithe he wolde haue this Emelye crowned, as was her goddesse Heccate Diana (towhom she dyd sacryfyce) accustomed to bee. for so in tymes past (asI sayed before) the sacryfycer sholde be adorned with garlandes of suche thinges, as were consecrate to the goddes to whome they sacryfyced. for whiche cause also I ame not moved, thoughe Caxtone in his seconde editione do call yt one oke serriall. for I knowe (not withstandinge his fayre prologe of printing that by a true copye) there be manye imperfections in that Booke.

[Footnote 8: The Quercus cerris, the mossy cupped oak?]

[Sidenote: Eyther for euerye, an overnice correction.] Fo: 9. pa: 1. For euerye) yo{u} will us to reade eyther. But the sence ys good, as well that they dyd ryde one euerye syde of hym, as of eyther syde of him. for they boothe colde not ryde of euerye syde of hym, no moore then they both colde ryde of eyther syde of him; and therefore they two ryding one euerye side of hym, canne haue noone other construct{i}one then that the one did ryde of the one syde and the other one the other side, aud therefore an ouer nice correct{i}one, thoughe some coppies do warrantyt:

[Sidenote: The intellect of Arcite had not wholly gone, or he would not have known Emelye.] Fo: 10. pa: 1. for save only the intellecte,) yo{u} wolde haue us to reade "and also the intellecte." But yf yo{u} well consider the woordes of Chaucer, (as I have donne in all the written copyes whiche I haue yet seene,) his meaninge ys not that the intellecte was wholye goonne, as yt wolde bee yf yo{u} sholde reade, "and also the intellecte" for "save only the intellecte." for Chaucers meanynge ys, that all his streng[t]he and vitall Sprites aboute his outewarde partes were gonne, save onlye the intellecte or vnderstandinge, w{hi}che remayned sounde and good, as apperethe after by the followinge woordes, for when deathe approched, and that all outwarde senses fayled, he (Arcite) yet cast eye vppon Emelye, remembringe her, thoughe the cheifest vitall sprite of his harte and his streng[th]e were gonne from hym. but he colde not haue cast his eye vppon Emelye, yf his intellecte had fayled hym. Yet yf you liste to reade, "and also the intellecte," for saue only the intellecte, yt may after a sorte somewhat be borne withall, notwithstandinge that a pointe at streng[t]he is looste; and a parenthesis includynge (Save only the intellecte, without moore,) will make the sence good in this sort as I have here pointedyt:

And yet moore ouer from his armes two the vital streng[t]he is lost; and all agoo (save only the intellecte without moore) that dwelleth in his hart sicke and sore gan faylen: When the hart felt death &c.

[Sidenote: Straught, a better word than haughte.] Fo: 10. pa: 2. For armes straughte you wolde reade yt haughte, when straughte is moore significa{n}t (and moore answerable to Chaucers woordes whiche followethe) than haughte ys. for he speakethe of the Bredthe and spredinge of the boughes or armes or branches of the tree, whiche this woorde straughte doth signyfye, and is moore aptlye sett downe for stretched, then this woorde haughte, whiche signyfyethe catchinge holde, or holdinge faste, or (yf you will streyne yt againste his nature) stretching on heigh, whiche agreethe not well with Chaucers meanynge. for these be his words:

And twenty fadome of breedth, armes straughte; That is to sayen, the Bowes were so broode,&c.

[Sidenote: Visage for vassalage, an impertinent correction.] Fo: 11. pa: 1. For all forgotten in his vassalage, yow wolde haue vs reade, "for all forgotten is then his visage;" athinge mere impertinente. for the forgettinge of his visage and personage is not materiall, nor regarded of anye to haue his face forgotten, but yt is muche materiall (and so ys Chaucers meanynge) that his vassalage, and the good service donne in his youthe, shold be forgotten when he waxethe olde. And therefore yt must bee "his vassalage forgotten;" as presently after Chaucer sayeth, better for a manne to dye when he is yonge, and his honor in price, than when he is olde, and the service of his youthe forgotten; w{hic}he Icoulde dilate and prove by manye examples; but I cannott stande longe vppon euerye pointe, as well for that I wolde not be tedious vnto yo{u}, as for that leysure serveth me not thereunto.

[Sidenote: Leefe for lothe, a nedeless correction.] Fo: 13. pa: 1. For lothe yo{u} bidde vs reade leefe, which annotacione neded not to haue byn there sett downe, because the verye woorde in the texte is lefe.

[Sidenote: It is more likely that Absolon knocked than that he coughed at the window.] Fo: 14. pa: 1. for knocked yo{u} reade coughed, but, the circumstance considered, (althoughe they may both stande,) yt is moore probable that he[9] knocked at her[10] windowe, than that he coughed. for although those woordes "with a semely sownde" may haue relatione to the voyce, yet they may as well and with as much consonancye haue reference to a semely and gentle kynde of knockinge at the windowe as to the voyce, and so his meanynge was by that sounde to wake her, whiche wolde rather be by the noyse of a knocke than of a coughe. for so he determyned before to knocke, as apperethe in these verses, when he sayed,

So mote I thryve, I shall at cockes crow Full priuily knocke at his windowe:

And so apperethe by the tale afterwarde that he knocked, as he did before, although he coughed also at the latter tyme, for he knocked twyce.

[Footnote 9: [Absolon.]]

[Footnote 10: [The Carpenter's wife's.]]

[Sidenote: Surrye or Russye, indifferent which.] Fo: 23. pa: 2. For Surrye you read Russye. true yt is, that some written copies haue Russye, and some Surrye. And therefore indifferent after the written copies, and some auncient printed copies before my fathers editione. But yf I shall interpone my opynione, Iwolde more willingly (for this tyme) receve Surrey, because yt is most lykelye that the tartarians whiche dwelt at Sara (aplace yet well knowen, and bordering vppon the lake Mare Casp{iu}m,) are nerer to Sorria or the countryes adioynynge called Syria, than to Russya. For as Hato the Armeniane, in his Tartariane Historye, sayeth, The cyttye of Sara was auncyently the famous cyttye of the countrye of Cumania; and the Tartarians obteyned the kingdome of Syria in the yere 1240, w{hi}che must be in the tyme of the fyrst Tartariane emperor called Caius canne, [Sidenote: Cambuscan is Caius canne.] beinge (asI suppose) he whome Chaucer namethe Cambiuscan, for so ys the written copies, such affynytye is there betwene those two names. And, as I gather, yt was after that tyme that the Tartarians had warres in Russia. But I leave yt indifferent at this tyme, as meanynge further to consider ofyt.

[Sidenote: "That may not saye naye," better than "there may no wighte say naye."] Fo: 31. pa: 2. for these woordes, "that may not saye naye," yo{u} reade "there may no wighte say naye." bothe whiche are good, and boothe founde in written coppyes; and yet the firste will better stande, in my conceyte, because [the king of Faerie] there speakinge to his wyfe, he urgethe her that she cannott denye yt; when he sayeth, my wyfe that cannott say naye, as who sholde saye yo{u} cannot denye yt because you knowe yt; and experience teacheth yt, so that these woordes, "that cannott say naye," must be taken as spoken of his wyfes knowledge, and so as good or rather better than "there may no wighte saye naye," consideringe that these wordes "that cannott saye naye," dothe signyfye, "whoe cannott saye naye," in such sorte that this relatyve (that) meanynge (whoe) must haue reference to his antecedente, i. e. this worde wyfe.

[Sidenote: Theophraste, not Paraphraste.] Fo: 35. pa: 2. For "He cleped yt valerye and theophraste," you saye some wolde haue vs reade "Valery and his Paraphraste." But as yo{u} haue left yt at libertee to the reader to iudge, so I thinke yt must nedes be Theophraste; as the author [of] Policraticon in his eighte Booke, ca. 11. [Sidenote: The wife of Bath's Prologue taken from the author of Policraticon.] (from whome Chaucer borrowethe almost worde for worde a great parte of the Wyfe of Bathes Prologe,) doth vouche yt, for the author of that booke, Johannes Sarisburiensis, lyvinge in the tyme of Henrye the seconde, sayethe, Fertur authore Hieronimo Aureolus Theophrasti liber, de nuptiis, in quo quritur an vir sapiens ducat vxorem, etc. And the frenche molinet, moralizinge the Romant of the roose in frenche, and turnynge it oute of verse into proese, writeth, Ha si i'eusse creu Theophraste,&c. Oh, yf I had beleved Theophraste, Ihad never maried womanne, for he doth not holde hym wise that marieth anye womanne, be she fayre, foule, poore, or riche; as he sayeth in his Booke Aureolle; whiche verye wordes chaucer doth recyte.

[Sidenote: Country, not Couentry.] Fo: 38. pa: 2. for this worde Countrye you will vs to reade Couentrye. But in my writtene copies yt is, "in my Countrye," whiche I holde the truer and for the sence as good yf not better.

[Sidenote: Maketh, not waketh.] Fo: 41. pa: 1. This woorde makethe is corrected by you, who for the same do place wakethe; w{hi}che cannott well stande, for Chaucers woordes being, "this maketh the fende," dothe signyfye (bya true conuers{i}one after the dialecte of our tonge, w{hi}che with beawtye vsethe suche transmutac{i}one as I coulde gyve yo{u} manye pretye instances,) that the sence thereof ys, "the fende makethe this," for whiche Chaucer vseth these wordes by Transposit{i}one, (accordinge to the rhethoricall figure Hiperbatone) "This makethe the fende:" Whiche this? Anger: for that comethe, ys made, or occasioned, by the deuell. But yf yt sholde be wakethe, then must the sence bee, that this (whiche is the anger he speakethe of before) wakethe the fende; whiche oure offences cannot do, because he cannott be waked, in that he neyther slumbrethe nor slepethe, but alwayes watcheth and howrely seekethe occas{i}one to destroye us, lyke a roringe lyone. But yf you will nedes saye "this wakethe the fende," that is, by conuersione after this manner, "the fende waketh this," whiche signyfyeth the fende waketh or styrreth this in manne, yt may, after a harde and over-streyned sorte, beare some sence, whiche yet hath not that energye, sprite or lyfe, w{hi}che haue Chaucers woordes, "this maketh the fende." Whiche woordes are in my written copies, and in all written and auncient printed copies whiche I have yet seene.

[Sidenote: Hugh of Lincoln.] Fo: 96. pa: 2. vppon these woordes, "Ohughe of Lincolne sleyne also,&c." You saye, that in the 29. H. 3. eightene Jewes were broughte fro{m} Lincolne, and hanged for crucyfyinge a childe of eight yeres olde. Whiche facte was [in] the 39. H. 3. so that yo{u} mighte verye well haue sayed, that the same childe of eighte yeres olde was the same hughe of Lincolne; of whiche name there were twoe, viz. thys younger Seinte Hughe, and Seinte Hughe bishoppe of Lincolne, whiche dyed in the yere 1200, long before this litle seinte hughe. And to prove [that] this childe of eighte yeres olde and that yonge hughe of Lincolne were but one; Iwill sett downe two auctoryties out of Mathewe Paris and Walsinghame, whereof the fyrste wryteth, that in the yere of Christe 1255, beinge the 39. of Henrye the 3, achilde called Hughe was sleyne by the Jewes at Lyncolne, whose lamentable historye he delyvereth at large; and further, in the yere 1256, being 40. Hen. 3, he sayeth, Dimissi sunt quieti 24 Judei Turri London, qui ibidem infames tenebantur compediti pro crucifixione sancti Hugonis Lincolni: All whiche Thomas Walsingham, in Hypodigma Neustri, confirmeth; sayinge, A^o. 1255. Puer quidam Christianus, nomine HUGO, Judeis captus, in opprobriu{m} Christiani nominis crudelitr est crucifixus.

[Sidenote: "Where the sunne is in his ascensione," agood reading.] Fo: 86. pa: 8. (Where the sunne is in his ascensione,&c.) You will us to reade for the same,

Ware the soone in his ascensione Ne fynde you not replete of humors hotte, For yf yt doe, &c.

But, savinge correct{i}one, the former sence is good: for these woordes: Where the sonne is in his ascensione, must haue relat{i}one to the woordes of the verse before,

Ye be righte colericke of complex{i}one,

and then is the sence, that she [the fair Pertelote] willed hym to purge, for that he was righte (that is, extremelye and in the highest degree) collericke of complex{i}one, where (whiche signyfyeth when) the sonne is in his ascent{i}one. Wherefore he must take heede, that he did not fynde hym repleate (atthat tyme of the sonnes being in his ascent{i}one) of hoote humors, for yf he did, he sholde surelye haue one ague. And this will stand with the woordes Where the sonne is in his ascentione, taking where for when, as yt is often vsed. But yf yo{u} mislyke that gloosse, and will begyn one new sence, as yt is in some written copyes, and saye, Ware the sonne in his ascentione ne fynde you not repleate,&c. yet yt cannott bee that the other wordes, (for yf yt doo,) canne answer the same, because this pronoune relative (yt) cannot haue relat{i}one to this worde (you) which wente before in this lyne, Ne fynde yo{u} not repleate of humors hotte. So that yf you nowe will nedes reade ware for where, yet the other parte of the followinge verse must nedes be, "for yf you doe," and not "for yf yt dooe;" vnleste you will saye that this woorde (yt) must haue relat{i}one to these woordes, (the sonne in his ascentione,) whiche yt cannott have, those woordes goinge two lynes before, and the pronowne (you) interposed betwene the same and that his correlative (yt.) Wherefore these woordes, (for yf yt doe,) must nedes stande as they did before, though you will correcte "Where the sonne&c." and saye "Ware the sonne&c." W{hi}che yf you will nedes haue, you must correcte the rest in this sorte:

Ware the sonne in his ascentione that yt fynde you not repleat of humors hotte, for yf yt do, &c.

But this correct{i}one (savinge, as I sayed, correct{i}one) semeth not so good as the former texte.

[Sidenote: Kenelm slain by Queen Drida.] Fol: 86. pa: 2. Vppon these woordes, (Lo,in the lyfe of Kenelme we reade,) you saye that Kenelme was sleyne by his sister Quenda, whiche sholde be Quendrida; as Williame of Malmsberye and Ingulphus have. Whiche Quendrida dothe signyfye Quene Drida; as the author of the Antiquyties of Seint Albons and of the Abbottes thereof (supposed to be Mathewe Paris) dothe expounde yt. for that auctor, speakinge of the wyfe of Offa the greate kinge of Mercia, (awicked and proude womanne because she was of the stocke of Charles the greate,) dothe saye, that she was called Drida, and being the kings wyfe was termed Quendrida, id est, Regina Drida.

[Sidenote: Master Speight mistaketh his almanack.] Fo: 87. p: 1. Vppon these woordes of "Taurus was fortye degrees and one," you saye that this place ys misprinted, as well in not namynge of the sygne, as of the misreckonynge of the degrees, that the two and twentye of Marche the sunne is in Aries, and that but eleven degrees or thereaboutes, and hathe in all but thirtye degrees. In whiche, in semynge to correcte the former printe (whiche in truthe deseruethe amendement, but not in that order,) you seme to mee to erre, as farre as heauen and yerthe, in mistakinge Chaucers meanynge and his woordes, as well for the daye of the monthe, as for the signe. for where yo{u} suppose that Chaucere meanethe the two and twentithe daye of Marche, you mistake yt. for although yt should be the 22 of the monthe, as the printed booke hathe; yet canne yt not be the 22 daye of Marche, but must of necessytye be the two and twentythe of Aprille: and so the signe Taurus trulye named. But first I must saye, the number of the dayes are misprinted, for where yt is twentye dayes and two, yt must be (and so are my written copies) thirtye dayes and two, whiche must be the seconde of Maye, as yo{u} shall well see by the woordes of Chaucer, for whether yowe recken thirtye two dayes, withe the truthe, as hathe the written copye, or xxii dayes, withe the printe: yet must yo{u} begynne to recken them from after the last of Marche. for so dothe Chaucer, sayinge Marche was compleate, in these woordes:

When the month in whiche the worlde began, That hight Marche, when God first made man, Was complete, and passed were also Since Marche byganne, &c.

Wherebye yo{u} see, that yo{u} must begynne to recken the nomber of dayes from the tyme of marche complete; and then woulde the signe fall out to be in Taurus. Yf yo{u} holde yo{u} to the printe (for the 22 daye after Marche, which is the 22 daye of Aprill in which the sonne is aboute xi degrees in Taurus;) or to the written copye of thirtye two dayes, (w{hi}che is the seconde of maye at what tyme the sonne ys also aboute some xxi degrees in Taurus;) the signe is not misreckoned or misnamed, as yo{u} suppose. nether canne these woordes, since Marche beganne, helpe you to recken them from the begynnynge of Marche, (asyou seme to doo;) because they muste answere and be agreable to the former wordes of Chaucer, w{hi}che sayethe M{ar}che was complete, and, for that we shoulde not dobte thereof, he addethe also farther, And passed were also since Marche beganne; where the worde beganne ys mysprinted for be gonne, that is, since marche be gonne, this word begonne being put for is gonne, or gonne bye, or departed. so that the genuyniell sence hereof is, When march was complete, and also were passed, since march is gonne, or gonne by, or departed. for, in many olde inglishe woordes, this syllable (be) is sett before to make yt moore signyficante and of force, as for moone we saye bemone, for sprincled, besprincled; for dewed, bedewed,&c. as in this case for gonne ys sett downe begonne. But although there be no misnaminge of the [Sidenote: The degrees of the signe are misreckoned, not the signe itself.] signe; yet yt is true the degrees of the signes are misreckoned, the error whereof grewe, because the degree of the signe, is made equall with the degree of the sonne ascended above the Horizon, beinge at that tyme xli degrees in heighte from the Horizon. But to remedye all this, and to correcte yt accordinge as Chaucer sett yt downe in myne and other written copies; and that yt may stande w{i}th all mathematicall proport{i}one, whiche Chaucer knewe and observed there, the print must be corrected after those written copies (whiche I yet holde for sounde till I maye disprove them) having these woordes:

when that the month in whiche the worlde beganne, that hight Marche, when god first made manne, was complete, and passed were also since marche begonne thirty dayes and two: befell that Chanteclere in all his pride, his seven wives walkinge him beside, cast vp his eyen to the bright sonne, that in the signe of Taurus had yronne Twentye degrees and one and somewhat moore; And knewe by kynde and by noone other loore That yt was pryme, and crewe with blisful steven: The sunne, quoth he, is clomben vp on heaven Fortye degrees and one, and moore, ywis, &c.

And that this shoulde be mente xxxij dayes after Marche, and the seconde of Maye, there be manye reasons, besides those that Chaucer nameth; which are, that the sonne was not farre from the middle of his ascent{i}one, and in the signe Taurus. ffurther, since I am now in Chantecler's discourse, Imust speake of one woorde in the same, deservinge correct{i}one, w{hi}che I see you overslipped; and because I thinke yo{u} knewe not what to make of yt, (asin dede by the printinge few menne canne vnderstandeyt,) Iwill sett downe the correct{i}one of the same; [Sidenote: Mereturicke is a corruption of Merecenrycke, or the kingdom of Mercia.] being the worde Mereturicke, farr corrupted for Mercenricke, in saxon Meecenke which is the kingdome of Mercia, for so was Kenelme the sonne, and Kenulphus the father, both kinges of Mercia; the one reignynge 36 yeres, and the other murdred by his sister Quendrida, as ys before noted. And that yt is the kingdome of Mercia, the etymon of the woorde doth teache; for k in the saxon tonge signyfyethe a kingdome; mecen signyfyethe markes or boundes or marches of Countryes. So that Mercenricke is regnu{m} Merci, or the kingdome of Mercia, or of the boundes so called, because almost all the other kingdoms of the saxons bounded vppon the same, and that lykewise vppon them, since that kingdome did lye in the middle of England, and conteyned most of the shires thereof.

[Sidenote: Pilloures of silver borne before Cardinalls.] Fo: 90. pa: 2. for pilloure you will vs to reade Pellure, signifyinge furres. but althoughe the Clergye ware furres, and some of them had their outwarde ornamentes thereof when they came to their service, as the Chanons had their Grey amises; yet in this place, to shewe the proude and stately ensignes of the Clergye, he there nameth the popes crowne, and the Cardinalls pilloures, yf I be not deceved. for euery cardinall had, for parte of his honorable ensignes borne before hym, certein silver pillers; as had Cardinall Wolsey, in the tyme of kinge Henrye the eighte, and Cardinall Poole, in my memory. So that pilloure in that place is better than pellure, because pilloures were a note of more pride and maiestye (againste whiche the Plowmanne dothe enveye in those woordes,) than in the weringe of furres.

[Sidenote: Liketh best the old reading of "change of many manner of meates."] Fo: 90. pa: 2. for these wordes, with change of many manner of meates, yo{u} wolde have vs reade, They eate of many manner of meates. Touchinge whiche, althoughe the sence stande well, yet sure Chaucer followeth this matter in many staues together with this preposit{i}one (cu{m}, with,) and this coniunctione (et,and;)—as, "With pride misledd the poore, and with money filled manye a male,&c." so he contynuethe yt still with that prepositione, "with change of many meates;" w{hi}che is as good as the other, for euery one knoweth Chaucers meanynge to be that they eate of many meates, when they haue change of many meates; for why sholde they haue change of meates, but for varyetye to please the palates taste in eatynge. [Sidenote: And also the old reading of "myters" more than one or two for the sake of the meter.] In the next staffe, (for myters moe then one or two) you teache vs to reade, "myters they weare mo then one or two;" whiche, me thinkethe, nedeth not. For the wearinge of their myters is included in these woordes, And myters more then one or two. W{hi}che wordes are curteyled for the verse his cause, that the same mighte kepe an equall proport{i}one and decorum in the verse, whiche would be lengthened one foote or sillable moore than the other verses, yf your readinge shoulde stande. But yf yo{u} saye, that in this and other thinges I am overstreyghte laced and to obstinatlye bente to defende the former printed editione, in that I woulde rather allowe one imperfecte sence, and suche as must be vnderstoode, when yt ys not fully expressed, than a playne style, Iwill answere withe a grounde of the lawe, quod frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora, and quod subintelligitur non deest. Wherefore yt is nedelesse to make that playner by addit{i}one of woordes, when yt maye be as well conceyved in any reasonable mens vnderstandinge without such addit{i}one. But on these and suche petit matters, Iwill not nowe longe insiste, (being things of no greate momente,) vntill I haue further examyned more written copyes to trye, whether wee shall reade the olde texte or your newe correctione.

[Sidenote: The lordes sonne of Windsore is in the French Romant of the rose, but is there spelled Guindesores.] Fo: 122. pa: 2. The lordes sonne of Windsore.) Vppon these woordes you saye, this maye seme strange bothe in respecte that yt is not in the frenche, as also for that there was no lorde Windsore at those dayes. But yt semeth to me moore strange that these woordes shoulde seme strange to yo{u}, not to bee in the frenche, where yo{u} shall fynde them. For thus hathe the frenche written Romante, as maye appere in the old frenche vsed at the tyme when the Romante was composed, in this sorte:

Pris a Franchise lez alez Ne sai coment est apelles, Biaus est et genz, se il fust ores Fuiz au seign{eur} de Guindesores:

Whiche is thus englished: Next to Franchise went a young bacheler, Iknowe not howe he was called, he was fayre and gentle, as yf he had byn sonne to the lorde of Windsore. Where in olde frenche this word fuiz (vsed here as in manye places of that Booke) is placed for that whiche we wryte and pronounce at this daye for filz or fitz, in Englishe sonne. and that it is here so mente, you shall see in the Romante of the Roose turned into proese, moralized, by the french Molinet, and printed at Paris in the yere 1521, who hathe the same verses in these woordes in proese. AFranchise s'estoit prins vn ieune Bacheler de qui ne scay le nome, fors bell, en son temps filz du seigneure de Guindesore. Whiche yo{u} mighte have well seene, had you but remembered their orthographie, and that the latyne, Italiane, frenche, and spanyshe have no doble w, as the Dutche, the Englishe, and such as haue affynytye with the Dutche, since they vse for doble w (aletter comone tovs) these two letters Gu, as in Gulielmus, which we wryte Willielmus; in guerra, which we call and writte warre, in Gualterus, which we write Walter; in guardeine, which we pronounce and write wardeyne; and suche lyke; accordinge to whiche in the frenche yt is Guindesore for Windesore. [Sidenote: Master Thynne knoweth not clearly why the Baron should be called of Windsor.] for your other coniectures, whye that Chaucer sholde inserte the loordes sonne of Windesore, they are of [{no}?] great momente, neque adhuc constat that Chaucer translated the Romante, whene Windsore Castle was in buildinge. for then I suppose that Chaucer was but yonge; whereof I will not stande at this tyme, no moore than I will that there was no lord Windsore in those dayes; althoughe I suppose that sir William Windsore, being then a worthye knighte and of great auctorytye in Englande and in the partes beyond the seas under the kinge of Englande, mighte be lord Windsore, of whom the Frenche tooke notice, being in those partes, and by them called seigneure de Windesore, as euery gouerno{r} was called seigneure emongst them. But whether he were a Baron or no in Englande, Icannott yet saye, because I haue not my booke of Somons of Barons to parliamente in my handes at this instante.

[Sidenote: The ordeal was not tryall by fier only, but also by water, nor for chastity only, but for many other matters.] Fo: 171. pa: 2. by ordall,&c. Vppone whiche yo{u} write thus. "Ordalia is a tryall of chastytye, throughe the fyre, as did Emma, mother of the Confessor, or ells over hoote burnynge culters of yrone barefotte, as did Cunegunde,&c." But in this describinge definit{i}one, you have commytted manye imp{er}fect{i}ons. first, that ordell was a tryall by fyre, w{hi}che is but a species of the ordell; for ordaliu{m} was a tryall by fyre and water: secondlye, that yt was a tryall of Chastitye whiche was but parcell thereof; for the ordale was a tryall for manye other matters. [Sidenote: The fyery ordeal was by going on hote shares and cultors, not going through the fyre. The mother of Edward confessor passed over nine burnynge shares.] Thirdlye, yo{u} saye yt was by goinge throughe the fyre. when the fyery ordale was onlye by goinge one hoote shares or cultores, or by holdinge a hoote pece of yrone in the hande, and not going through the fyre. fourthlye, that Emma, mother to Edwarde the confessor, receued this tryall by goinge through the fyre: But she passed not through the fyre as you bringe her for one example of your ordale but passed barefotte vppone nyne burnynge shares, fowr for her selfe, and fyve for Alwyne Bishoppe of Winchester, with whome she was suspected with incontynencye, whiche historye you maye see at large in Ranulphus Higden, in his policronicone li: 6. ca: 23, and in other auctors; of whiche ordale I colde make a longe and no commone discourse; of the manner of consecrating the fyre and water, how yt was vsed emongst the saxons before, and the normans since, the Conqueste, and of many other thinges belonging vnto yt. but I will passe them ouer, and only deliuer to you a thinge knowen to fewe, [Sidenote: The ordeal taken away by the court of Rome, and after by Henry III.] how this ordale was contynued in Englande in the tyme of kinge Johne, as appereth in Claus. 17. Johɨs, m.25, vntill yt was taken awaye by the courte of Rome; and after that, in Englande, by the auctorytye of kinge Henrye the thirde, whereof you shall fynde this recorde in the towre Patente. 3. H. 3. mem. 5, where yt speakethe of iudgmente and tryall by fyer and water to be forbydden by the Churche of Roome, and that yt sholde not be vsed here in Englande; as apperethe in the woordes of that record: Illis vero qui mediis criminibus vectati sunt, et quibus competeret iudiciu{m} ignis vel aqu si non esset prohibitum, et de quibus si regnum nostru{m} abiurarent, nulla fieret postea, maleficiendi suspitio, regnu{m} nostru{m} abiurent&c.

[Sidenote: The stork bewrayeth not adultery but wreaketh the adultery of his owne mate.] Fo: 246. pa: 1. speaking of the storke, you saye that Chaucers woordes "wreaker of adulterye" shoulde rather bee "bewrayer of Adulterye;" w{hi}che in truth accordinge to one propryetye of his nature may be as you saye, but according to another propryetye of his nature, yt sholde be "the wreaker of Adulterye," as Chaucer hathe; for he ys a greater wreaker of the adulterye of his owne kynde and female than the bewrayer of the adulterye of one other kynde, and of his hostesse one the toppe of whose howse he harborethe. for Aristotle sayeth Bartholomeus de proprietatibus reru{m} li: 12. cap. 8. with many other auctors, that yf the storke by any meanes perceve that his female hath brooked spousehedde, he will no more dwell with her, but stryketh and so cruelly beateth her, that he will not surcease vntill he hathe killed her yf he maye, to wreake and revenge that adulterye.

These and suche lyke in my conceyte are worthye to be touched in your Annotac{i}ons, besides other matters whiche you haue not handled; whereof (because tyme requirethe after all this tedious treatyce to drawe to one ende) Iwill not now treate; but onlye speake a little moore of fyve especiall thinges, woorthye the animadvers{i}one, of which the fyrste ys, [Sidenote: The plowman's tale is wrong placed.] that yo{u} make the Plowmans tale to go next before the persons tale, suffering the persons corrupted prologue to passe with this begynnynge, "By that the plowmanne had his tale ended," when all written copies, (whiche I coulde yet see,) and my fathers editione, haue yt, "By that the mancyple had his tale ended." And because my father colde not see by any Prologues of thee other tales, (whiche for the most parte shewe the dependancye of one Tale vppone one other,) where to place the plowmans tale, he putt yt after the persons tale, whiche, by Chaucers owne woordes, was the laste tale; as apperethe by the persons prologue, where the hooste sayethe, that "euery manne had tolde his Tale before." So that the plowmans tale must be sett in some other place before the manciple and persons tale, and not as yt ys in the last edit{i}one.

[Sidenote: Chaucer's proper works should be distinguished from those adulterat and not his.] One other thinge ys, that yt would be good that Chaucers proper woorkes were distinguyshed from the adulterat and suche as were not his, as the Testamente of Cressyde, the Letter of Cupide, and the ballade begynnynge "Ihave aladye where so she bee,"&c. whiche Chaucer never composed, as may sufficientlye be proved by the things themselves.

[Sidenote: There were three editions of Chaucer before William Thynne dedicated his to Henry VIII.] The thirde matter ys, that in youre epistle dedicatorye to Sir Roberte Cecille, yo{u} saye, "This Booke whene yt was first published in printe was dedicate to kinge Henrye the eighte." But that is not soo. for the firste dedicatione to that kinge was by my father, when diverse of Chaucers woorkes had byn thrise printed before; whereof two editions were by Will{ia}m Caxtone, the firste printer of Englande, who first printed Chaucers Tales in one columne in a ragged letter, and after in one colume in a better order; and the thirde edit{i}one was printed, as farre as I remember, by Winkin de Worde or Richarde Pynson, the seconde and thirde printers of Englande, as I take them.[11] [Sidenote: The first editions being very corrupt, William Thynne augmented and corrected them.] Whiche three edit[i]ons beinge verye unperfecte and corrupte occasioned my father (for the love he oughte to Chaucers learnynge) to seeke the augmente and correct{i}one of Chaucers Woorkes, w{hi}che he happily fynyshed; the same being, since that tyme, by often printinge much corrupted. of this matter I sholde have spooken first of all, because yt is the first imperfect{i}one of your paynfull and comendable labors: Yet because the proverb ys better late than never, Ihold yt better to speake of yt here then not at all.

[Footnote 11: Caxton, 1475-1481-2. Wynkyn de Word, 1495-1498.]

[Sidenote: Master Speight hath omytted many auctors vouched by Chaucer.] The fourthe thinge ys, that, in the catalogue of the auctors, you haue omytted many auctors vouched by chaucer; and therefore did rightlye intitle yt, moost, and not all, of the auctors cited by Geffrye Chaucer.

[Sidenote: It should be Harlottes, and not Haroldes.] The fyfte matter ys in the Romante of the Roose, fo. 144, that the worde Haroldes in this verse,

My kinge of Haroltes shalte thou bee,

must, by a mathesis or transpositione of the letters, be Harlotes, and not Haroltes, and the verse thus,

My kinge of Harlottes shalt thou bee

And so ys yt in the edit{i}one of Chaucer's Works, printed in anno Domini 1542, accordinge to the frenche moralizatione of Molinet, fo. 149. where he is called "Roye des Ribauldez," [Sidenote: The king of Ribalds or Harlottes, an officer of great accompt in times past.] w{hi}che is, the kinge of Ribaldes or Harlottes or evill or wicked persons; one officer of great acco{m}pte in tymes paste, and yet vsed in the courte of France but by one other name, in some parte beinge the office of the marshall of Englande. All whiche, because yo{u} shall not thinke I dreame, (though yt may seme strange to the ignorant to have so greate one officer intituled of suche base p{er}sons as to be called kinge or gouernor of Ribauldes,) [Sidenote: Johannes Tyllius maketh mention of a Rex Ribaldorum.] yo{u} shall here Joh{ann}es Tyllius (inhis seconde booke de rebus Gallicis vnder the title de Prefecto pretorio Regis) confirme in these woordes: In domesticis regu{m} constitutionibus, quos proximo capite nominavimus, fit mentio Regis Ribaldorum, officii domestici, quem semper oportet stare extra Portam pretorii,&c. and a litle after the explanynge of their office, he addeth; "sic autem appellantur, quia iam tum homines perditi Ribaldi, et Ribald mulieres puellq{ue} perdit vocantur. Regis nomen superiori aut Iudici tribuitur, Quemadmodu{m} magnus Cubicularius dicitur Rex Mercatorum,"&c. Where he maketh the "Regem Ribaldoru{m}" an honorable officer for manye causes, [Sidenote: Also Vincentius Luparius maketh him an honourable officer.] as Vincentius Luparius in his fyrste booke of the Magistrates of france doth also, vnder the title of "Rex Ribaldoru{m} et prouostus Hospitii;" makinge the Iudex pretorianus and this rex ribaldorum or provostus hospitii to seme all one, addinge further (after manye other honorable partes belonginge to this office) that "meretricibus aulicis hospitia assignare solebat." In whiche pointe, bothe for orderinge and correctinge the harlottes and evill persons followinge the Courte of Englande, (whiche is the duty of the marshall,) the frenche and wee agree. [Sidenote: The Rex Ribaldorum was like unto our Marshall. The Marshalls duties and his powers over Harlotts and lost men.] Wherefor, touching that parte, yo{u} shall heare somewhat of the Marshalls office sett downe and founde in the Customes, whiche Thomas of Brothertonne (sonne to kinge Edwarde the fyrste) challenged to his office of Marshalcye; where, emongst other thinges, are these woordes: eoru{m} (w{hi}che was of the marshalls deputyes executinge that he shoulde ells do hym selfe) interest virgatam meretricibus prohibere, et deliberare, et habet, ex consuetudine mariscallus ex qulibet meretrice com[m]uni infra metas hospitii inventa iiij^d. primo die. Qu, si iteru{m} inventa in Balliu su inveniatur, capiatur; et coram seneschallo inhibea{n}tur ei hospitia Regis et Regin et liberoru{m} suorum, ne iteru{m} ingrediatur,&c. And so afterwarde shewethe what shall be done to those women, yf they be founde agayne in the Kinges courte, in suche sorte, that, as by Tillius, this Rex Ribaldorum his auctorytye was over homines perditos, mulieres puellasq{ue} perditas. And that yt was, by Lupanus, to assigne to Ribaldes lodginge out of the courte, (for so modestye willeth vs to vnderstande, because they shoulde not offende and infecte the courte with their sighte and manners,) so ys yt our Marshalls office, to banyshe those harlottes the courte, and bestowe them in some other place, where they might be lesse annoyance. [Sidenote: Master Thynne being a herold liketh not that false semblance should be thought one.] Wherefore I conclude w{i}th the frenche, and the former edit{i}one of Chaucer in the yere of Christe 1542, that False Semblance was of righte to be made kinge of Harlottes, and not of Haroldes, who wolde mightely be offended to haue them holden of the conditions of false semblance. Nowe here be nug in the Romante of the Roose, I cannott (asthe proverbys) take my hand from the table, (fyndinge go manye oversightes in the two last editiones,) but must speake of one thing more, deserving correctione, in these woordes of the Romante, fo. 116 of the last impress{i}one:

Amide saw I hate stonde, That for wrathe and yre & onde Semed to be a minoresse;

[Sidenote: Hate was a Moueresse or stirrer of debate, not a minoresse.] Where this woorde Minoresse shoulde be Moueresse, signyfyinge a mover or styrrer to debate, for these be the frenche verses in the oldest written copye that euer was (tobe founde in Englande, yf my coniecture fayle me not,) by the age of the frenche wordes, which are these:

Enz euz le milieu vi hayne, qui de courouz et datayn Sembla bien estre moueresse, et courouse et teucerresse.

Beinge thus englyshed, as of righte they oughte, accordinge to the frenche:

Amyde sawe I hate stonde, That of wrathe and yre & onde Semed well to be mooveresse, An angry wighte and chyderesse.

[Sidenote: Molinet calleth Hate a Ducteress, or leader.] Whiche woord mooveresse the learned molinet, in his moralizat{i}one of that Romant, dothe turne into Ducteresse, aleader or leadresse, so that they agree yt shoulde not be a minoresse, but a mooveresse or leadresse of and to anger and yre; anye of whose woordes will as well and rather better fytt the sence and verse of Chaucer, and better answere the Frenche originall and meanynge, than the incerted woorde Minoresse.

Thus hooping that yo{u} will accepte in good and frendlye parte, these my whatsoever conceytes vttered vnto you, (tothe ende Chawcers Woorkes by much conference and many iudgmentes mighte at leng[t]he obteyne their true p{er}fect{i}one and glory, as I truste they shall, yf yt please godde to lend me tyme and leysure to reprinte, correcte, and comente the same after the manner of the Italians who have largely comented Petrarche;) Isett end to these matters; comyttinge yo{u} to god, and me to your curtesye.

Clerkenwell Greene, the xvi of december 1599. Your lovinge frende, FRANCIS THYNNE.



INDEX.

Abandone, p. 33. Absalom, whether he coughed or knocked, p.42. Aketon, a sleeveless jacket of plate for the war, p.24. Arcite, his intellect, p. 40. Authentic, a thing of authority, p. 33.

Bath, Wife of, her Prologue, p. 44. Begyns, superstitious women, p. 29. Besant, a coin of Bizantium, p. 25. Burgersh, Bartholomew de, sent into Henault for Philippa, p.12. Burgo, Serlo de, built Knaresborough Castle, p.18.

Cambuscan, or Caius, Cause, p. 43. Campaneus, reading of, p. 34. Chaucer, MSS., collection made by William Thynne, p.5. Chaucer, MSS., dispersed by his son, p. 8. Chaucer's parentage, p. 9. Chaucer and the Franciscan friar, p. 16. Chaucer's marriage, p. 17. Chaucer's coat-of-arms, p. 10. Chaucer's children, p. 17. Chaucer, his education, p. 13. Chaucer, his skyll in Geometrye, p. 11. Chaucer, his ancestors, whether merchants of the staple or no, pp. 12,13. Chaucer, the stemme of, p. 17. Chaucer, his children and their advancement, p.17. Chaucer, Thomas, married to Maude, daughter of Sir John Burgersh, p.18. Chaucer, his dream, not the book of the Duchess, pp. 22,23. Chaucer, early editions of, p. 56. Chausier, one who hoseth or booteth a man, p.9. Citrination, a term of Alchemy, p. 30. Colin Clout, written in William Thynne's house at Erith, p.7.

Drida, Queen, slayeth Kenelm, p. 47.

Fermentacione, a term of Alchemy, p. 25. Florius, concerning, p. 35. Forage, winter provision, p. 30.

Garland, oken of Emelye, p. 37. Gaunt, John of, his children born pre-nupt, p.17. Gaunt, John of, his incontinency, p. 23. Gaunt, John of, his marriage, p. 23. Gower, query whether of the Gowers of Stittenham, p. 14. Gower, his greeting to Chaucer, p. 13.

Harlottes, King of, p. 57. Heroner, a hawk for a heron, p. 31. Hyppe, the berye of the eglantine, p. 31.

John of France, his ransome, p. 36.

Knaresborough Castle, built by Serlo de Burgo, p.18. Kenelm, slain by Queen Drida, p. 47.

Leefe, for lothe, p. 42. Lincoln, Hugh of, p. 44.

Mortone, John, Earl of, the manner of his creation, p.16. Merecenrycke, p. 50.

Navarre, Joan of, married to Henry IV., p.18. Neville, Richard, Earl of Salisbury, his wife, p.21. Nowell, meaning of, p. 32.

Orfrayes, a sort of cloth of gold, p. 26. Ordeal, the manner of, p. 54. Oundye meaneth wavy, p. 28.

Philippa, of Henault, her marriage, p. 11. Pilgrime's Tale, setting forth the evil lives of churchmen, p.6. Plowman's Tale, not made by Sir T. Wyat, p.7. Porpherye, a peculiar marble, p. 32. Printing, notes on the history of, p. 21. Pillars, silver, borne before Churchmen, p.51. Poole, William de la, Merchant of Hull, lendeth money to the King, p.18. Poole, Richard de la, a chief governor of Hull and Pincerna Regis, p.18. Poole, Michael de la, Chancellor, p. 19.

Resager, or Ratsbane, p. 28. Ribalds, king of, p. 57. Roses, chaplet of, for knighthood, not for poesy, p.15. Rose, Romant of, notes on, p. 21.

Sendale, a sylke stuffe, p. 32. Staple, Merchants of the, had no arms till 10 or 11 Ed. III., p.13. Sterling money, p. 35. Straught, a better word than haughte, p. 41. Stork, the, wreaketh adultery, p. 55. Surrye or Russye, p. 43.

Temple, lawyers not in the, till the latter part of Ed. III., p.16. Theophraste, not Paraphraste, p. 44. Trepegett, an engine to cast stones, p. 33. Thynne, Sir John, reports that the parliament was minded to forbid Chaucer's tales, p.7. Thynne, William, in favour with Henry VIII., p.6. Thynne, William, his collection of Chaucer's MSS., p.5. Thynne, William, protecteth John Skelton, p.7.

Vernacle, of the, p. 34. Veseye, Eustace de, p. 18. Visage for vassalage, p. 42.

Walsingham, offended at temporall men being preferred to office, p.20. Windsore, Lords son of, p. 52. Wiuer or Wivern, a serpent like unto a dragon, p.33. Wolsey, his enmity to William Thynne, p. 7. Wolsey, his great power with the King, p.7. Wyat, old Sir Thomas, did not make the Plowmans Tale, p.7.

JOHN CHILDS AND SON, PRINTERS.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Errors and Inconsistencies

Non-Roman Scripts

In the 1865 text, thorn is used for Saxon "r": in saxon Meecenke which is the kingdome of Mercia, for so was Kenelme the sonne, and Kenulphus the father, both kinges of Mercia; the one reignynge 36 yeres, and the other murdred by his sister Quendrida, as ys before noted. And that yt is the kingdome of Mercia, the etymon of the woorde doth teache; for k in the saxon tonge signyfyethe a kingdome; mecen signyfyethe markes.

The 1876 text uses the Saxon letterforms: Merecenrke, rk, mercen.

At the time of preparation (June 2009), Saxon letters had been assigned Unicode values, but font support was extremely limited. Your text reader will probably not be able to display the character.

Similarly for Greek Chi, rho: placinge ther xemas (Christmasse) a p{ar}te of this tyme of Nowell .... ante xi (Christi) natalitia viginti aut triginta dies quodam desiderio. The 1876 text gives only the expanded (Roman script) form of words in Chr-.

Hebrew: for thus he writethe: noel noel [both editions misprint voel with bet for nun]

Introduction

acareful copier with a clean pen, indefatiguable [unchanged] aribald wit might create terrible havock [unchanged] Footnote 2 [reference missing, supplied from 1876 edition] Martin Chuzzelwit the elder [unchanged] demanding why Falstalf [unchanged]

List of Thynne's Works

18 ... since the reign of the conqueror. [extraneous close quote]

Errors corrected from 1876 edition:

This list includes missing letters that were silently supplied in 1865: that is, the text is right but the MS reading was wrong. It does not include misplaced italics such as "tri{u}m" for "triu{m}".

the Romans in the heigh[t]e of their glorye [heighe] selfe will or fonnd conceyte [found] Chaucers woorkes haue byn sithens printed twyce [sitheus] that lerned and eloquent kn[i]ghte [knighte] asI have herde S^r Johne Thynne reporte [St. Johne] as the chanons yomane [chanous] [all occurrences of "chanons" in this passage are printed "chanous" in 1865] the recordes in Dorso Rotulor. patent. [Rolulor] [1876 edition also adds "me{m}b." after "patent."] datu{m} per manu{m} Walteri Merton [Walleri] consorti ipsius Regis&c." [close quote missing] "Rogero couentry &c [open quote missing] so had the[y] fewer Rooses placed [they] euerye manne to his owne iudgemente [iudgemte] Gersone soughte no further meanynge [meanyuge] tantiq{ue} quanti placuit vendiderunt." [close quote missing] (otherwise called "Flores Historiarum" or "Florilegus") [printed with open parenthesis, close bracket] almoste to the heigh[t]e of perfect{i}one [heighte] solitaq{ue} est hec vox cantari a plebe [cantaria] shewe those courses of gouer[n]mente, [gouernmente] ("Manye a florence.") [' for "] in another place callethe scutes or frenche crownes [calle the] yo{u}r e[x]posit{i}one of unseriall [exposit{i}one] tria virginis ora Dian,) [close parenthesis missing] that all his streng[t]he and vitall Sprites [strengthe] a pointe at streng[t]he is looste [strengthe] agreethe not well with Chaucers meanynge [Chancers] Whiche facte was [in] the 39. H. 3. ["in" not bracketed] with change of many manner of meates, [superfluous close bracket] Regis nomen superiori aut Iudici tribuitur, [superfluous close quote] Rex Ribaldoru{m} et prouostus Hospitii ["pro-/vuostus" at line break] si iteru{m} inventa in Balliu su [Ballin] many iudgmentes mighte at leng[t]he obteyne [lengthe]

Shared anomalies:

Thus (withe hartye prayer comendinge [both versions have extra open bracket/parenthesis] I will passe over all those matters scito pede [both versions have "scito": error for "cito"?] The lordes sonne of Windsore.) [both versions missing open bracket/parenthesis] by a mathesis or transpositione [shared error for "metathesis"]

Textual differences, with 1876 reading shown in brackets:

p{ar}soune and plowmane [p{ar}sonne] Under the tytle of chaucers countaye,[4] [countrye, no footnote] H. Regis patris nostri [Henrici Regis] apud West {minsteriu}m [Westm{onasterium}] 316 In whiche are two unperfect{i}ons. [imperfect{i}ons] thus sett downe to the forthe daye of februarye [... in the ferthe daye ...] with the daye when and where they presented her ["with de daye" with footnote "MS. plainly de"] apud Eboru{m} in comitatiua [Ebor{ac}u{m}] the laude fulfilled is ouer all [lande] 346 For in truth yo{u}r armes of this S^r Johne Gower [{th}e armes] an ensigne of his poetrye [one] for he was an olde manne [one] Ric. de la Poole [Ric{hard}] continentem iij^c lxx^li xviij^s 1^d [I^d (capital Eye for One)] factum ad Scaccariu{m} computator [computator{is}] iiij^c marc. [marc{as}] (amagistrate of greate welthe in Hull,) [a marchante] Walsingham (who wroote longe after) [w{hic}he wroote] by reasone of others mens dealinge ["othere mens dealing{es}" with footnote "MS. others"] and, as some have yt [and, [printinge,] as some have yt] In the title of the augmente [argumente] w{hic}h Chaucer w{i}th muche of that matter omytted [w{i}th Chawcer,] [footnote "? for which Chaucer englisht"] In the expositione of the olde wordes [Footnote: "of of" with first "of" boldface] to oure nowe vnderstandinges [vnderstandinge] beinge an indiffynyte speache [one] an olde coyne of france [one] Iwill produce twoo auctorauctors [twoo Auctors] written in Gothyshe rymynge verse [verses] That dame abstinence streyned ["weyned" with footnote (MS) "streyned"] And ganne her gratche as a Bygin. [footnote (MS) "graithe"] A large cover-cherfe of Thredde [cover-cheife] whiche is true, for a gowshawke ["goshawke", with footnote "MS. gowshake"] with her byll or talons [talentes] an engine not muche vnlyke to the catapulte [one engine] a Ramme to batter wales [wal[l]es] Wherein yo{u} mistake the valewe of the florens [a florens] the same Walsingha{m} in another place [in other place] within the price of ij^s. x^d. [QR] —ij^s. x^d. [QR] de quibus florenis regal{ibus} [in both passages, 1865 has the "QR" symbol while 1876 expands to "q{uad}r{anta}"] as were her younge and grene yeres [was] yo{u} wolde haue us to reade [haue us reade] save onlye the intellecte or vnderstandinge [his intellecte] And twenty fadome of breedth, armes straughte [breed th'armes] he[9] knocked at her[10] windowe [1876 text ADDS "to make her the better to heare" after this phrase (skipped line in original MS?)] are nerer to Sorria [is nerer] reference to his antecedente, i. e. this worde wyfe [word "i. e." omitted] eightene Jewes were broughte fro{m} Lincolne [1876 text ADDS [to London] in brackets after "broughte"] For yf yt doe, &c. [For yf yt doe, . . .] [the fair Pertelote] [parenthesised in 1865 text, moved to footnote in 1876] So that yf you nowe will [yf yowe will] that hight Marche ... the bright sonne [hight[e] ... bright[e]] and in the signe Taurus [signe of Taurus] than in the weringe of furres [than ys] "with change of many meates;" [with many change of meates] kepe an equall proport{i}one and decorum [one equall] But on these and suche petit matters [in these] they are of [{no}?] great momente [1865 has "no" italicized and in parentheses; 1876 omits question mark] as apperethe in the woordes [by these woordes] Aristotle sayeth Bartholomeus [sayethe &] Iwill not now treate; [entreate] Whiche three edit[i]ons beinge verye unperfecte [imperfecte] An angry wighte and chyderesse [One angry]

The HTML version of this e-text includes a detailed record of differences between the 1865 and 1876 editions. Neither edition includes a facsimile of the original MS, so readers will have to decide for themselves which differences reflect editorial decisions and which ones are errors in one edition or the other.

Basic variations:

Typographic: Variations in punctuation and capitalization Decorative features of final letters, especially -ll printed with connecting line Font changes such as boldface instead of small capitals Prices are printed inline as ijs. and similar

Consistent: Initial v used throughout (medial u/v is variable) "you" always printed with superscript "u" (replacing both "you" and yo{u}) "S^r" (superscript "r") printed as "S{i}r" (italic "i") "emongst(e)" always spelled with medial "e" as "emongest(e)"

Common: initial J or j printed as I (always capitalized) "than" spelled "then" "could(e), would(e), should(e)" spelled "cold(e), wold(e), shold(e)" in plurals or possessives of words ending in two consonants (other than -ll-), where 1865 has simple "-s", 1876 has -{es} "which" written "whiche", sometimes "wh{ic}he" "your" transcribed "yo{u}r" final "-eth" spelled "-ethe"

Occasional: "y" for "i" The two occurrences of "it" in 1865 may be errors; 1876 has "yt", agreeing with all other occurrences of the word. "i" for "e", "aw" for "au" ("Chawcer") several occurrences of "an" are read as "one" ampersand (&) for word "and" final "-e", especially in "much(e), such(e)"; sometimes in "doth(e), hath(e)" and other words single "o" changed to "oo": "moore", "woordes" some Latin citations have final -e for - words ending -o{r} transcribed as -o{u}r word divisions such as "as well", "my selfe"

THE END