Chaucer in My Study Windows. See also Arnold's, Collier's, Shaw's, Cleveland's, Spalding's, Chambers', Angus's works on English Literature; Allibone's Dictionary of Authors; The Encyclopedia Britannica, and New American Cyclopedia; Home Pictures of English Poets, etc. Let the student cull from these and other sources additional facts in regard to Chaucer.

1.

Ñ.

3.

THE CLERK'S TALE.

There is, right at the west side of Itaille,*

Down at the root of Vesulus the cold,

A lusty plain abundant of vitaille;

There many a town and tower thou mayest behold,
That founded were in time of fathers old,
And many another delitable sight;
And Saluces this noble country hight.

A marquis whilom lord was of that land,
As were his worthy elders him before;
And obeisant aye ready to his hand
Were all his lieges, bothe less and more.
Thus in delight he liveth and hath done yore,
Beloved and drad, through favor of fortune,
Both of his lordes and of his commune.

Therewith he was, to speaken of lineage,

The gentilest yborn of Lombardy,

* Itaille (0. Fr. from Lat. Italia), Italy. Accent the word on 2d syl.-Vesulus, now Monte Viso, about 13,000 feet high, one of the Alps on the boundary between Italy and France, and forty miles S. W. of Turin.-Lusty (A. S. lust, lyst, vigor; Dan. and Ice. lyst, fr. Ice. liosta, to strike), fruitful.-Vitaille (0. Fr. for victuaille, fr. Lat. victualia, fr. victus, nourishment, fr. vivere, victum, to live), food.-There, where. A. S. thær. This demonstrative came to be used as a relative, just as the word that is still used.-Delitable (Lat. delectabilis, fr. delectare, to delight), delightful.-Saluces, Saluzzo, formerly the name of a region, now a city in Piedmont. Trisyl.Hight (A. S. hátan, to call, name; be called; Ger. heiszen), is called. So Byron, "Childe Harold was he hight."-Whilom (A. S. hwîlom, old dat. plu. of hwîl, time; Ger. weile), formerly.— Obeisant (Fr. obeissant, fr. obéir, to obey; Lat. obedire, fr. ob, to, and audire, to give ear, perhaps akin to Lat. auris and Eng. ear), obedient. Lieges (either fr. Lat. ligare, to bind, denoting one bound by a feudal tenure, as a vassal to his lord; or fr. Ger. ledig, free, i. e., denoting one free fr. all obligation to others, being bound to one alone), liegemen, vassals.- Bothe (A. S. bâ, both, tva, two; akin to Lat. ambo, Gr. aμow?). Dissyl.-Yore (A. S. geára, formerly, gear, gêr, a year; or fr. A. S. geo, of old, and œr, before), for a long time.-Drad (A. S. drædan, to fear), dreaded, revered.-Lordes (Semi-Sax. plu. fr. A. S. hiaford, a bread-keeper, fr. hlaf, bread, and weardian, to ward or guard), lords, nobles. Dissyl.-Commune (Lat. communis, common, ordinary; perhaps allied to Ger. gemein), common people.-Speaken (0. En. infin., like hearken).-Gentilest (Lat. gentilis, fr. gens, a clan or race), most noble in rank. See gentilesse and note thereon, stanza 6. -Yborn (A. S. ge-, akin to Lat. co-, Ger. ge-, a particle often prefixed to A. S. verbs, and becoming, in O. Eng., y-). The student should test the accuracy of all these notes. Let him make free use of lexicons, cyclopedias, histories, classical dictionaries, etc. The sooner the habit of thorough and original investigation is formed, the better.

There is .... the west side. Th, when sonant as in there, has a demonstrative force; e. g., that, then, this, there; the. Give other examples of this.

4.

5.

6.

A fair person* and strong and young of age
And full of honor and of courtesy;
Discreet enough his country for to gie,
Save in some thinges that he was to blame:
And Walter was this younge lordes name.

I blame him thus, that he considered nought
In time coming what might him betide,

But on his lust present was all his thought,
And for to hawk and hunt on every side:
Well nigh all other cures let he slide;

And eke he n'old (that was the worst of all)
Wedden no wife, for nothing that might befall.
Only that point his people bare so sore,
That flockmel on a day to him they went,
And one of them, that wisest was of lore,
(Or elles that the lord would best assent
That he should tell him what his people meant,
Or elles could he show well such matier,)
He to the marquis said as ye shall hear.

"O noble Marquis, your humanity
Assureth us and giveth us hardinesse,
As oft as time is of necessity,

That we to you may tell our heaviness.
Accepteth, Lord, now of your gentilesse,
That we with piteous heart unto you plain,
And let your eares not my voice disdain.

* Person (Fr. personne, fr. Lat. persona, a mask, fr. personare, to sound through). Acc. 2d syl.-Gie, guide.-Thinges (O. Semi-Sax. plu.). Dissyl.-Younge (A. S. géong; Ger. jung; allied to Lat. juvenis). Dissyl.-Lordes. Dissyl. The A. S. pos. termination of many nouns in the sing. was -es, -is, or -ys. The e, i, or y, of this ending, was afterwards omitted by syncope, and the apostrophe took its place. Hence the mode of forming the possessive case in Eng.--Time. Dissyl.-Lust (A. S. lystan, to desire), pleasure, wish.-Present. Acc. 2d syl.- Hawk, to attempt to catch birds with hawks trained for the purpose, a favorite amusement of the O. Eng. nobility.--Cures (Lat. cura, care, fr. quæro, I seek, inquire), cares. Dissyl.-Eke (A. S. eacan, to add to; eac, also; Moso-Goth. auk, allied to Lat. ac, and, or to augere, to increase), also.-N'old (A. S. nillan, to be unwilling; Lat. nolle), was unwilling to.-Wedden (Semi-Sax. and O. E. infin.), wed.-No wife. Observe the use of a double negative for emphasis.-Flockmel, in flocks.-Lore (A. S. lâr, fr. læran; Ger. lehren, to teach).—Elles (A. S. elles; pos. or genitive of the root of Gr. ďλdos, Lat. alius, other), else. Dissyl.-Matier (0. Fr. fr. Lat. materia), matter.-Giveth. Monosyl.-Hardiness, boldness.-Accepteth (the imperative plu. in A. S. is written with the ending dh; in Early Eng., th), accept. The plu. is politely used for the sing.--Gentilesse (Lat. gentilis, fr. gens, race, stock, family, with a sense of noble or respectable, as we say a man of birth or family; whence genteel), complaisance, gentleness.— Piteous, sorrowful.--Plain, complain. Obs., except in poetry.-Eares (A. S. eare; Lat. auris; Gr. oûs ; Ger. ohr, ear), ears. Dissyl.-Voice (Gr. ö¥; Lat. vox, voice; O. Fr. vois; Fr. voix). Disdain (Lat. dis, asunder, apart, not; dignari, to deem worthy; O. Fr. desdaigner, to deem unworthy; Fr. dédaigner, to disdain).

Well nigh all other cures let he slide. Sl, as in slide, slip, slime, sly, sleight, slink, slow, (like gl,) denotes smoothness or silent motion. Other examples?

حماه

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9.

10.

"And have I nought to don* in this matiere
More than another man hath in this place;
Yet, forasmuch as ye, my Lord so dear,
Have always showed me favor and grace,

I dare the better ask of you a space

Of audience, to showen our request,

And ye, my Lord, to don right as you lest.
"For certes, Lord, so well us liketh you
And all your work, and ever hath done, that we
Ne couthen not ourselves devisen how

We mighten live in more felicity;

Save one thing, Lord, if that your wille be,
That for to be a wedded man you lest;

Then were your people in sovereign hertes rest.
"Boweth your neck under that blissful yoke
Of sovereignety and not service,

Which that men clepen spousail or wedlock;
And thinketh, Lord, among your thoughtes wise,
How that our dayes pass in sundry wise;

For though we sleep, or wake, or roam, or ride,
Aye fleeth the time; it will no man abide.

"And though your greene youthe flower as yet,

In creepeth age alway as still as stone:

And death menaceth every age, and smit

In each estate, for there escapeth none.

And also certain as we know each one

*Don (A. S. dôn), do.-Ye (A. S. ge), you.-Showed. Dissyl.-Favor. Acc. 2d syl.Showen (Semi-Sax. and Early Eng.), show.-Lest (A. S. lystan, lustan, incline, desire), list, please.-Certes (Lat. certus, sure; Fr. certes), certainly.—Us (dative, i. e. case of indirect object, after liketh).-Liketh (plu.; you and work being the subject nominative), please. Us liketh = axe pleasing to us.-Ne.. ..... not. The double negative for emphasis.-Couthen (0. plu. past tense of A. S. cunnan, to know, ic can, I know; Ger. können, to know; akin to Lat. gnoscere, noscere, Gr. yiуvóσkw, to know), knew, were able to.-Lest, incline, please. See st. 7.-Hertes (Lat. cor, cordis; Gr. Kaрdía, κĥp; Ger. herz), heart's.-Boweth, bow. Imperative.-Which that, which.-Clepen (A. S. clepan), call.-Thinketh. Imperative.-Wise. A. S. wis; Ger. weise; akin to wit; A. S. witan, to know; Ger. wissen; Sans. wid, to know; Lat. vid-ere, to separate by the eye, Gr. o-18-a).-Sundry wise (A. S. synderig, separate, fr. sunder, to separate. Hence sundry several).-Wise (A. S. wisian, to direct; Ger. weise, mode, manner), ways.-Aye (A. S. a, awa; Lat. ævum, an age; Gr. àcí, ever), ever.-Still as stone='stone still.'-Menaceth. Acc. 2d syl.-Smit (A. S. smitan; Ger. schmeiszen, to smite. Hence smith, one "that smootheth with the hammer"), smiteth.-None. A. S. nân, fr. ne, not; ân one. Compare with this the Latin nemo, no one, fr. ne, not, homo, man.

And though your greene youthe flower as yet. Fl and bl, as in Lat. flo, flare, flos, floreo, Gr. pλóos, Ger. blühen, blüthe, blume, blähen, blasen; Eng. flower, flourish, bloom, blossom, blow, blaze, blast, blister, denotes a blowing or blooming; also ƒ denotes a flowing, as in Gr. pdéw, fdíw, þλúw; Lat. fluo; Ger. fliessen, fluth, Eng. flow, flood, Lat. flere. Let the student exercise his Ingenuity in collecting other examples to illustrate these phonetic principles. Let him also carefully verify or disprove the statements in the foot-notes.

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12.

13.

14.

That we shall die, as uncertain * we all
Ben of that day when death shall on us fall.
Accepteth then of us the true intent,
That never yet refused your behest,

And we will, Lord, if that you will assent,
Choose you a wife in short time at the mest,
Born of the gentilest and of the best

Of all this land, so that it ought to seem
Honor to God and you, as we can deem.
"Deliver us out of all this busy dread,
And take a wife, for highe Goddes sake!
For if it so befell, as God forbid,
That through your death your lineage should slake,
And that a strange successor should take
Your heritage, oh, wo were us on live!
Wherefore we pray you hastily to wive."

Hir meeke prayer and hir piteous cheer
Made the marquis for to have pity.

"Ye wold," quoth he, "mine owen people dear,
To that I never ere thought, constrainen me;
I me rejoiced of my liberty,

That selden time is found in marriage;

There I was free, I must ben in servage.

"But natheless I see your true intent,

And trust upon your wit, and have done aye.
Wherefore, of my free will, I will assent

To wedden me as soon as ever I may.

But thereas ye have proffered me to-day

To choosen me a wife, I you release

That choice, and pray you of your proffer cease.

* Uncertain. Acc. 1st and 3d syl.-Ben (0. Eng.), be, are.-Mest (A. S. mast), most.Busy (A. S. bysig, D. bezig, busy; Ice. bisa, to toil), causing business or care.-Slake (A. S. slacian, to slacken; sleacian, or slacian, to render less intense, mitigate), fail.-Strange (Lat. extraneus, foreign; extra, beyond). Dissyl. To make strange fr. extraneus, the prefix is dropped. So to form uncle fr. avunculus, and sample fr. exemplum.-Successor. Acc. 1st and 3d syl.-On live, in life. Emphatic.-Hir (early Eng. pos.), their.-Cheer, countenance. See Index.-Made. Dissyl.-Pity (Fr. pité; Lat. pietas, filial affection, kindness). Acc. 2d syl.-Wold (A. S. willan ; Ger. wollen; Lat. velle, volo; Fr. vouloir, voudra; Eng. would; Gr. Boúλoμai), would. Auxil.Ere, before.- Selden (A. S. seldon or seldan, rare), seldom.-There, where.-Servage, servitude.-Natheless (A. S. na; Lat. ne, no, not; the; less), nevertheless. In Milton we have nathless. Trisyl.-Thereas, whereas.-Owen (st. 13) is past participle of A. S. âgan, to possess.

Ben of that day when death shall on us fall. The sound of a in fall, as it requires the mouth to be opened wide to enounce it properly, and is rather large in volume, seems appropriate for large things, and for serious or important subjects. E. g., all, lord, broad, law. Other examples? Deliver us out of all the busy dread. Busy has, perhaps, an onomatopoetic force. We speak of the hum of business. Buzz is clearly imitative of sound. Z final often denotes buzzing sounds, as in whiz, buzz, buzfuz. Give other examples.

15.

16.

17.

"For God it wot,* that children often been
Unlike hir worthy elders them before.
Bountee cometh all of God, not of the streen
Of which they been engendered and ybore.
I trust in Goddes bounty, and therefore
My marriage and mine estate and rest
I him betake; he may do as him lest.

"Let me alone in choosing of my wife;
That charge upon my back I will endure!
But I you pray, and charge upon your life,
That, what wife that I take, ye me assure
To worship her, while that her life shall dure,
In word and work, both here and everywhere,
As she an emperores daughter were.

"And furthermore thus shall ye swear, That ye
Against my choice shall never grudge nor strive;
For since I shall forego my liberty

At your request, as ever mote I thrive,
There as mine heart is set, there will I wive;
And, but ye will assent in such mannere,

I pray you speak no more of this matiere."
18.

With hertly will they sworen and assenten

*Wot (A. S. witan, to know), knows.--Been, are.-Bountee (Nor. Fr. bountee; Lat. bonitas, goodness; bonus, good; Fr. bonte), goodness.-Streen (A. S. strynd, stock, breed; streon, power), race, stock, breed, descent. In Shakespeare we have strain in this sense. Ybore, born. The A. S. past tense, and often the past participle, took the prefix ge, at first with an intensive force. This ge became y.--Marriage, Tris.-I him betake (A. S. dative case is him or hym to him), I refer to him, or I entrust to him.--Him lest, it pleases him. -Dure (Lat. durare, to harden, to last; durus, hard; Fr. durer, to last), endure.—Emperores (Lat. imperator, commander-in-chief; Fr. empereur; emperores being old pos.; the e of the old pos. being now dropped, and the apostrophe taking its place to form the pos.)-Mote (A. S. mot; O. Sax. motan), must. 1st sing. present.-There as, there where, just where.-But ye (A. S. butan, without, except; be, by, with; utan, out, abroad. Be is not here the imperative), unless ye.-Hertly (Ger. herzlich. Herz is akin to Lat. cor, cord-is, Eng. heart; Gr. κapdía), hearty. This word illustrates Grimm's famous law of consonant changes. This law embraces remarkable correspondences among the English, the German, and the classical languages; in fact, it extends to the whole Indo-European stock, though with many exceptions in particular words. The Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Lithuanian, and Slavonic, are one class; the High German dialects, another; the Moso-Gothic and Low German, a third. The mutes are divided into:

To change Latin or Greek to English (or to A. S.), change smooth to rough, rough to middle, and middle to smooth. To change German to English, change rough to smooth, middle to rough, and smooth to middle. To change English to Latin or Greek, or to German, reverse these operations respectively. Thus Lat. cor, cord-is, Gr. κapdía, becomes Eng. heart; Lat. corn-u becomes Eng. horn; Lat. tres becomes Eng. three; Lat. frater, Eng. brother; Lat. pater, Eng. father; Lat. frang-o, freg-i, Eng. break. For further illustrations, see Index, Grimm's Law.- Sworen. O. plu.--The student should be taught to scan every line; that is, to distinguish and name the metrical feet of which each verse is composed.

Against my choice shall never grudge nor strive. Str, as in strive, seems to denote exertion; e. g., strain, strenuous, stress, strike, stroke, streak, strip, strap, stripe, strife, string, strong, strength, strict, stretch, straight, struggle. The fact is, it requires a considerable exertion to articulate properly this combination of consonants. Hence its fitness to express effort. Other examples?