Canterbury Tales and Other Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer (best summer reads .TXT) 📕

>10. It was the custom for squires of the highest degree to carve at their fathers’ tables.

 

11. Peacock Arrows: Large arrows, with peacocks’ feathers.

 

12. A nut-head: With nut-brown hair; or, round like a nut, the hair being cut short.

 

13. Grey eyes appear to have been a mark of female beauty in Chaucer’s time.

 

14. “for the mastery” was applied to medicines in the sense of “sovereign” as we now apply it to a remedy.

 

15. It was fashionable to hang bells on horses’ bridles.

 

16. St. Benedict was the first founder of a spiritual order in the Roman church. Maurus, abbot of Fulda from 822 to 842, did much to re-establish the discipline of the Benedictines on a true Christian basis.

 

17. Wood: Mad, Scottish “wud”. Felix says to Paul, “Too much learning hath made thee mad”.

 

18. Limitour: A friar with licence or privilege to beg, or exercise other functions, within a certain district: as, “the limitour of Holderness”.

 

19. Farme: rent; that is, he paid a premium for his licence to beg.

 

20. In principio: the first words of Genesis and John, employed in some part of the mass.

 

21. Lovedays: meetings appointed for friendly settlement of differences; the business was often followed by sports and feasting.

 

22. He would the sea were kept for any thing: he would for anything that the sea were guarded. “The old subsidy of tonnage and poundage,” says Tyrwhitt, “was given to the king ‘pour la saufgarde et custodie del mer.’ — for the safeguard and keeping of the sea” (12 E. IV. C.3).

 

23. Middleburg, at the mouth of the Scheldt, in Holland; Orwell, a seaport in Essex.

 

24. Shields: Crowns, so called from the shields stamped on them; French, “ecu;” Italian, “scudo.”

 

25. Poor scholars at the universities used then to go about begging for money to maintain them and their studies.

 

26. Parvis: The portico of St. Paul’s, which lawyers frequented to meet their clients.

 

27. St Julian: The patron saint of hospitality, celebrated for supplying his votaries with good lodging and good cheer.

 

28. Mew: cage. The place behind Whitehall, where the king’s hawks were caged was called the Mews.

 

29. Many a luce in stew: many a pike in his fish-pond; in those Catholic days, when much fish was eaten, no gentleman’s mansion was complete without a “stew”.

 

30. Countour: Probably a steward or accountant in the county court.

 

31. Vavasour: A landholder of consequence; holding of a duke, marquis, or earl, and ranking below a baron.

 

32. On the dais: On the raised platform at the end of the hall, where sat at meat or in judgement those high in authority, rank or honour; in our days the worthy craftsmen might have been described as “good platform men”.

 

33. To take precedence over all in going to the evening service of the Church, or to festival meetings, to which it was the fashion to carry rich cloaks or mantles against the homecoming.

 

34. The things the cook could make: “marchand tart”, some now unknown ingredient used in cookery; “galingale,” sweet or long rooted cyprus; “mortrewes”, a rich soup made by stamping flesh in a mortar; “Blanc manger”, not what is now called blancmange; one part of it was the brawn of a capon.

 

35. Lodemanage: pilotage, from Anglo-Saxon “ladman,” a leader, guide, or pilot; hence “lodestar,” “lodestone.”

 

36. The authors mentioned here were the chief medical text-books of the middle ages. The names of Galen and Hippocrates were then usually spelt “Gallien” and “Hypocras” or “Ypocras”.

 

37. The west of England, especially around Bath, was the seat of the cloth-manufacture, as were Ypres and Ghent (Gaunt) in Flanders.

 

38. Chaucer here satirises the fashion of the time, which piled bulky and heavy waddings on ladies’ heads.

 

39. Moist; here used in the sense of “new”, as in Latin, “mustum” signifies new wine; and elsewhere Chaucer speaks of “moisty ale”, as opposed to “old”.

 

40. In Galice at Saint James: at the shrine of St Jago of Compostella in Spain.

 

41. Gat-toothed: Buck-toothed; goat-toothed, to signify her wantonness; or gap-toothed — with gaps between her teeth.

 

42. An endowment to sing masses for the soul of the donor.

 

43. A ram was the usual prize at wrestling matches.

 

44. Cop: Head; German, “Kopf”.

 

45. Nose-thirles: nostrils; from the Anglo-Saxon, “thirlian,” to pierce; hence the word “drill,” to bore.

 

46. Goliardais: a babbler and a buffoon; Golias was the founder of a jovial sect called by his name.

 

47. The proverb says that every honest miller has a thumb of gold; probably Chaucer means that this one was as honest as his brethren.

 

48. A Manciple — Latin, “manceps,” a purchaser or contractor -

- was an officer charged with the purchase of victuals for inns of court or colleges.

 

49. Reeve: A land-steward; still called “grieve” — Anglo-Saxon, “gerefa” in some parts of Scotland.

 

50. Sompnour: summoner; an apparitor, who cited delinquents to appear in ecclesiastical courts.

 

51. Questio quid juris: “I ask which law (applies)”; a cant law-Latin phrase.

 

52 Harlot: a low, ribald fellow; the word was used of both sexes; it comes from the Anglo-Saxon verb to hire.

 

53. Significavit: an ecclesiastical writ.

 

54. Within his jurisdiction he had at his own pleasure the young people (of both sexes) in the diocese.

 

55. Pardoner: a seller of pardons or indulgences.

 

56. Newe get: new gait, or fashion; “gait” is still used in this sense in some parts of the country.

 

57. Vernicle: an image of Christ; so called from St Veronica, who gave the Saviour a napkin to wipe the sweat from His face as He bore the Cross, and received it back with an impression of His countenance upon it.

 

58. Mail: packet, baggage; French, “malle,” a trunk.

 

59. The Bell: apparently another Southwark tavern; Stowe mentions a “Bull” as being near the Tabard.

 

60. Cheap: Cheapside, then inhabited by the richest and most prosperous citizens of London.

 

61. Herberow: Lodging, inn; French, “Herberge.”

 

62. The watering of Saint Thomas: At the second milestone on the old Canterbury road.

 

THE KNIGHT’S TALE <1>

 

WHILOM*, as olde stories tellen us, formerly There was a duke that highte Theseus. *was called <2>

Of Athens he was lord and governor,

And in his time such a conqueror

That greater was there none under the sun.

Full many a riche country had he won.

What with his wisdom and his chivalry, He conquer’d all the regne of Feminie,<3>

That whilom was y-cleped Scythia;

And weddede the Queen Hippolyta

And brought her home with him to his country With muchel* glory and great solemnity, *great And eke her younge sister Emily,

And thus with vict’ry and with melody

Let I this worthy Duke to Athens ride, And all his host, in armes him beside.

 

And certes, if it n’ere* too long to hear, were not I would have told you fully the mannere, How wonnen was the regne of Feminie, <4> *won By Theseus, and by his chivalry;

And of the greate battle for the nonce Betwixt Athenes and the Amazons;

And how assieged was Hippolyta,

The faire hardy queen of Scythia;

And of the feast that was at her wedding And of the tempest at her homecoming.

But all these things I must as now forbear.

I have, God wot, a large field to ear plough<5>; And weake be the oxen in my plough;

The remnant of my tale is long enow.

I will not *letten eke none of this rout*. hinder any of Let every fellow tell his tale about, this company

And let see now who shall the supper win.

There as I left, I will again begin. where I left off

 

This Duke, of whom I make mentioun,

When he was come almost unto the town, In all his weal, and in his moste pride, He was ware, as he cast his eye aside, Where that there kneeled in the highe way A company of ladies, tway and tway,

Each after other, clad in clothes black: But such a cry and such a woe they make, That in this world n’is creature living, That hearde such another waimenting lamenting <6>

And of this crying would they never stenten, desist Till they the reines of his bridle henten*. *seize “What folk be ye that at mine homecoming Perturben so my feaste with crying?”

Quoth Theseus; “Have ye so great envy

Of mine honour, that thus complain and cry?

Or who hath you misboden*, or offended? *wronged Do telle me, if it may be amended;

And why that ye be clad thus all in black?”

 

The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer, countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear. *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven,

Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That none estate ensureth to be wele*. assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate

Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

 

“I, wretched wight, that weep and waile thus, Was whilom wife to king Capaneus,

That starf* at Thebes, cursed be that day: *died <7>

And alle we that be in this array,

And maken all this lamentatioun,

We losten all our husbands at that town, While that the siege thereabouten lay.

And yet the olde Creon, wellaway!

That lord is now of Thebes the city,

Fulfilled of ire and of iniquity,

He for despite, and for his tyranny,

To do the deade bodies villainy, insult Of all our lorde’s, which that been y-slaw, *slain Hath all the bodies on an heap y-draw, And will not suffer them by none assent Neither to be y-buried, nor y-brent, burnt But maketh houndes eat them in despite.”

And with that word, withoute more respite They fallen groff,* and cryden piteously; *grovelling “Have on us wretched women some mercy, And let our sorrow sinken in thine heart.”

 

This gentle Duke down from his courser start With hearte piteous, when he heard them speak.

Him thoughte that his heart would all to-break, When he saw them so piteous and so mate abased That whilom weren of so great estate.

And in his armes he them all up hent, raised, took And them comforted in full good intent, And swore his oath, as he was true knight, He woulde do *so farforthly his might* as far as his power went

Upon the tyrant Creon them to wreak, avenge That all the people of Greece shoulde speak, How Creon was of Theseus y-served,

As he that had his death full well deserved.

And right anon withoute more abode* delay His banner he display’d, and forth he rode To Thebes-ward, and all his, host beside: No ner Athenes would he go nor ride, *nearer Nor take his ease fully half a day,

But onward on his way that night he lay: And sent anon Hippolyta the queen,

And Emily her younge