Part 4

[Sidenote: He correcteth Master Speight his dates and history of printing.] IN THE LATTER END of the title of Chawcers deathe yo{u} saye, that printinge was brought oute of Germanye in the yere 1471 being the 37. H. 6. into Englande, beinge fyrst founde at Magunce by one Johne Cuthembergus, and broughte to Roome by Conradus one Almayne. But the yere of Christe 1471 was not the 37. H. 6. but the eleuenthe of kinge Edward the fourthe; and, as some have yt, was not fyrste founde at Magonce or mentz but at Strasborowe, and perfected at Mago{n}ce. David Chytreus in his historye sayethe, yt was fyrst founde in anno 1440, and brought to Rome by Henricus Han[6] a Germane in the yere 1470; whereof Antonius Campanus framed this excellente epigrame:

Anser Tarpeii custos Jovis, vnde, quòd alis Constreperis, Gallus decidit; vltor adest Vlricus Gallus, ne quem poscantur in vsum, Edocuit pennis, nil opus esse tuis.

[Footnote 6: “Hahn,”--German, a cock. “Cognomine Latino _Gallus_,” Maittaire _Ann. Typ._ i. 52.]

But others do suppose that yt was invented at Argenterote, as dothe Mathewe Parker in the lyfe of Thomas Bourchier Archbyshoppe of Canterburye; whiche for the incertentye thereof I leave at this tyme to farther examinat{i}one, not havinge nowe presente leysure therefore.

[Sidenote: The Romante of the Rose began by Guillm̄ de Loris, and finished by John de la Meune.] IN THE TITLE OF THE augmente to euerye tale and booke you write, that the Romante of the Roose was made in frenche by Johne Clopinell alias Johne Moone; when in truthe the booke was not made by hym alone: for yt was begonne by Guillame de Loris, and fynished fourtye yeres after the death of Loris, by Johne de Meune alias Johne Clopinell, as apperethe by Molinet, the frenche author of the moralytye vppon the Romante of the Roose, ca. 50. fo. 57. and may further appere also in the frenche Romante of the Roose in verse, w{hic}h Chaucer w{i}th muche of that matter omytted, not havinge translated halfe the frenche Romante, but ended aboute the middle thereof. Againste whiche Booke Gersone compiled one other, intituled La reprobat{i}o{ne} de la Romante del Roose; as affirmethe the sayed Molinett, in the 107 chapter of the sayed moralizatione, where he excusethe Clopinell and reprouethe Gersone for that Booke, because Gersone soughte no further meanynge than what was conteyned in the outewarde letter, this Clopinell begynnynge the Romante of the Rose, in these verses of Chaucer:

Alas my wane hoope nay, pardyee; for I will neuer dispayred bee: yf happe me fayle, then am I vngratious and vnworthy, &c.

[Sidenote: Why the dream of Chaucer cannot be the book of the Duchess.] Secondlye, under that title yo{u} saye, the woorke, before this last edit{i}one of Chaucer, termed the Dreame of Chaucer, is mystermed, and that yt is the Booke of the Duches, or the Deathe of Blanche. wherein you bee greatlye mysledde in my conceyte, for yt cannott bee the Booke of the Duches or of the Deathe of Blanche, because Johne of Gaunt was then but fowre and twentye yere olde when the same was made, as apperethe by that tretyse in these verses:

Then founde I syttinge euen vprighte A wonder well faringe knighte, By the manner me thought so, Of good mokell, and right yonge thereto, Of the age of twentye fowre yere, Vppon his bearde but little heare.

Then yf he were but fowre and twentye yeres of age, being born, as hath Walsingha{m}, in the yere of Christ 1339 the 13. of kinge Edwarde the thirde; and that he was maryed to Blanche the fourtene calendes of June 1359, the 33 of Ed: the thirde; he was at this mariage but twentye yeres of age; who within fower yeres after sholde make his lamentac{i}on for Blanche the duchesse which must be then dedde. But the duchesse Blanche dyed of the pestilence in the yere of xxe 1368, as hath Anonimus MS, or 1369, as hath Walsinghame w{hi}che by the first accompte was the {ix.} and by the last the {x.} yere after the mariage, and sixe or at the least five yeres after this lamentatione of Johne of Gaunte made in the fowre and twentye yere of his age. Wherfor this cannott be the boke of the Duches because he colde not lamente her deathe before she was deade. And yf you replye that yt pleinlye apperethe the same treatyce to be mente of the duches Blaunche, whiche signyfyethe whyte, by which name he often termethe his ladye there lamented, but especially in these verses,

Her throte, as I haue memoyre, semed as a round towre of yuoire, of good gretnesse and not to greate, and fayre white she hete, that was my ladies name righte; she was thereto fayre and brighte, she had not her name wronge, right fayre sholders and body longe, &c.

I will answere, that there is no necessitye that yt must be of Blanche the Duchesse because he sayeth her name was white; since there ys a famelye of that denominatione, and some female of that lyne myghte be both white in name, and fayre and white in p{er}sonne; and so had not her name wronge or in veyne, as Chaucer sayeth. or yt mighte be some other louer of his called Blanche, [Sidenote: John of Gaunt, his incontinency.] since he had many paramou{r}s in his youthe, and was not verye contynente in his age. Wherefore, to conclude, yt apperethe as before, that yt coulde not be mente of the Duchesse Blanche his wyfe, whiche dyed long after that compleinte. for whiche cause that Dreame of Chaucer in mye opynyone may well (naye rather of righte sholde) contynewe his former title of The Dreame of Chaucer. for that, wh{ic}he you will haue the Dreame of Chaucer, is his Temple of Glasse; as I haue seene the title thereof noted, and the thinge yt selfe confirmethe.

[Sidenote: Doubteth master Speight’s ability in the exposition of old words, but commendeth his diligence and knowledge.] IN THE EXPOSITIONE of the olde wordes, as yo{u} shewe greate diligence and knowledge, so yet in my opynione, unlesse a manne be a good saxoniste, french, and Italyane linguiste, (from whence Chaucer hathe borowed manye woordes,) he cannott well expounde the same to oure nowe vnderstandinges, and therefore (thoughe I will not presume of much knowledge in these tounges) yt semeth yet to mee, that in your expositione, soome woordes are not so fullye and rightlye explaned as they mighte bee, althoughe peradventure yo{u} haue framed them to make sence. Wherefore I haue collected these fewe (from many others lefte for moore leysure) whiche seme to mee not to be fully explaned in their proper nature, thoughe peradventure yo{u} will seme to excuse them by a metaphoricall gloose.

[Sidenote: Aketon or Slevelesse jacket of plate for the war.] Aketon or Haketone you expounde a jackett w{i}thoute sleves, without any further addit{i}one, that beinge an indiffynyte speache, and therefore may be entended a comone garmente daylye vsed, suche as we call a jerken or jackett withoute sleues: But _haketon_ is a slevelesse jackett of plate for the warre, couered withe anye other stuffe; at this day also called a jackett of plate, suche aketon Walter Stapletone, Bishoppe of Excester and Custos or Wardene of Londone, had vppon hym secretlye, when he was apprehended and behedded in the twentyeth yere of Edwarde the seconde.

[Sidenote: A besant is a besant, and not a duckett.] Besante you expounde a duckett, But a duckett ys farre from a besante, bothe for the tyme of the invent{i}one, and for the forme; and as I suppose for the valewe, not withstandinge that Hollybande in his frenche-Englishe dictionarye make yt of the valewe of a duckett, whiche duckett is for the most part eyther venetiane or spanyshe, when the Besante ys mere Grekishe; a coyne well knowen and vsed in Englande (and yet not therefore one auncient coyne of Englande, as Hollybande sayethe yt was of france,) emongst the Saxons before, and the Normans after the Conqueste; the forme whereof I will at other tyme describe, onlye nowe settinge downe, that this besante (beinge the frenche name, and in armorye rightlye accordinge to his nature, for a plate of golde,) was called in Latine Byzant{i}um, obteyninge that name because yt was the coyne of Constantinople sometyme called Bizant{i}um; and because you shall not thinke this any fic{ti}one of myne owne, I will warrante the same with Williame of Malmesberye in the fourthe booke De Regibus, who hathe these wordes: Constantinopolis prim{u}m Bizantiu{m} dicta forma{m} antiqui vocabuli preferu{n}t imperatorii nu{m}mi Bizantiu{m} dicta; where one other coppye for nummi Bizantiu{m} hath Bizantini nu{m}mi, and the frenche hath yt besante or Bezantine, makinge yt an olde coyne of france, (when he sholde haue sayed one olde coyne in France and not of France,) of the valewe of a duckette.

[Sidenote: Fermentacione is fermentacione, and not dawbing even metaphorically.] Fermentac{i}o{n}e yo{u} expounde Dawbinge, whiche cannott anye way be metaphoricallye so vsed in Chaucer, althoughe yt sholde be improperlye or harsely applied. For fermentac{i}one ys a peculier terme of Alchymye, deduced from the bakers fermente or levyne. And therefore the Chimicall philosophers defyne the fermente to bee anima, the sowle or lyfe, of the philosophers stoone. Whereunto agreethe Clauiger Bincing, one chimicall author, sayinge, ante viuificatio{ne}m id est fermentac{i}o{ne}m, w{hi}che is before tinctinge, or gyvinge tincture or cooler; that beinge as muche to saye as gyvinge sowle or lyfe to the philosophers stoone, wherby that may fermente or cooler or gyue lyfe to all other metaline bodyes.

[Sidenote: Orfrayes not Goldsmith’s work, but frysed cloth of gold, a manufacture peculiar to the English.] Orfrayes yo{u} expounde Goldsmythes worke, w{hi}che ys as nere to goldsmythes woorke as clothe of golde, for this worde orefrayes, beinge compounded of the frenche worde (or) and (frays, or fryse,) the Englishe is that w{hi}che to this daye (beinge now made all of one stuffe or substance) is called frised or perled cloothe of gold; in Latyne, in tymes past, termed aurifrisium or aurifrixori{u}m. A thinge well knowen to the Saxons in Englande before, as to the Normans after, the Conqueste, and therfore fullye to satisfye you thereof, I will produce twoo auctorauctors of the weavinge and vse thereof before the conquest and since, wherin you shall pleynely see what yt was, and in what acco{m}pt yt was holden, beinge a worke peculier to the Englishe. The lieger booke of Elye, speakinge of Ediswetha daughter to Brightnothus, aldermanne, erle or duke, of northumberlande before the Conquest sayethe; cui tradita Coveneia, locus monasterio vicinus, vbi aurifrixorie et texturæ secretiùs cu{m} puellis vacabat; and a little after, Tunica Rubra purpura per gyrum et ab humeris aurifri vndiq{ue} circumdatu{m}. Then, after the conquest, mathew Paris speakethe thereof aboute ornamentes to be sente to the Poope. but because I haue not my mathewe Paris here, I will vouche one whose name hathe muche affinytye with hym, and that is Mathewe Parker Archbyshoppe of Canterburye, who, in the Lyfe of Bonifacius Archbishoppe of that see, hathe these wordes. “A^o. Domini 1246, Romæ multi Anglicani aderant Clerici, qui capis vt aiu{n}t chorealibus, et infulis, ornamentisq{ue} ecclesiasticis, ex Anglice tunc more gentis, ex lana tenuissima et auro artificiosè intexto fabricatis, vterentur. Huius modi ornamentoru{m} aspectu et concupiscentia provocatus Papa, rogavit cuiusmodi essent. Responsu{m} est, aurifrisia appellari, quia et eminens ex panno et lana qua{m} Angli fryse appellant, simul contexta sunt. Cui subridens et dulcedine captus Papa, Vere, inquit,” (for these are the woordes of Mathewe Paris whiche lyved at that tyme,) “Hortus noster delitiaru{m} est Anglia, verus puteus est inexhaustus, et vbi multa abundant, de multis multa sumere licet. Itaq{ue}, concupiscentia illectus oculorum, litteras suas Bullatas sacras misit ad Cistercienses in Anglia Abbates, quoru{m} orationibus se devotè commendabat, vt ipsi hec aurifrisia speciosissima ad suum ornandu{m} choru{m} compararent. Hoc Londoniensibus placuit, quia ea tum venalia habebant, tantiq{ue} quanti placuit vendiderunt.” In whiche discourse you not onlye see that orefryes was a weued clothe of golde and not goldsmythe worke, and that Englande had before and since the conqueste the arte to compose suche kynde of delicate Cloothe of golde as Europe had not the lyke; for yf yt hadd, the poope wolde haue made suche prouis{i}one thereof in other places, and not from Englande. And because you shall not thinke that yt was onlye vsed of the Clergye, you shall fynde in a record of the Towre that yt was also one ornamente of the kings garmente, since the Conqueste, for, in Rotulo Patentiu{m} 6. Joh{ann}is in Dorso (in whiche the kinge comaunded the templers to deliuer suche jewells, garmentes, and ornamentes as they had of the kings in kepinge,) are these wordes: “Dalmaticam de eodem samitto vrlatani de orfreyes et cu{m} lapidibus.” Whiche is to saye, the kings Dalmaticall garmente of the same samitte (spoken of before, whiche was crymsone,) vrled or bordrede (suche as we nowe calle garded) withe orfreyes.

[Sidenote: Oundye and Crispe meaneth wavy like water.] fforthlye Oundye and Crispe is by you expounded slyked and curled, whiche sence althoughe yt may beare after some sorte; yet the proprytye of the true sence of oundye (beinge an especiall terme appropriate to the arte of Heraldye) dothe signifye wavinge or movinge, as the water dothe; being called vndye, of Latyne vnda for water, for so her haire was oundye, that is, layed in rooles vppone and downe, lyke waves of water when they are styrred with the winde, and not slyked or playne, etc.

[Sidenote: Resager is ratsbane or arsenic.] ffyftlye You expounde not Resager, beinge a terme of Alchymye; as yo{u} leave manye of them vntouched. This worde sholde rather be resalgar, wherefore I will shewe yo{u} what resalgar ys in that abstruse science, whiche Chawcer knewe full well, althoughe he enveye againste the sophisticall abuse thereof in the chanons Yeomans Tale. This Resalgar is that w{hi}che by some is called Ratesbane, a kynde of poysone named Arsenicke, which the chimicall philosophers call their venome or poysone. Whereof I coulde produce infynyte examples; but I will gyve yo{u} onlye these fewe for a taste. Aristotle, in Rosario Philosophoru{m}, sayethe, “nullu{m} tingens venenum generatur absq{ue} sole et eius vmbra, id est, uxore.” whiche venome they call by all names presentinge or signifyinge poysone, as a toode, a dragon, a Basilyske, a serpente, arsenicke, and suche lyke; and by manye other names, as “in exercitacio{n}e ad turbam philosophorum,” apperethe, wher aqua simplex is called venenu{m}, Argentum vivum, Cinnabar, aqua permanens, gumma, acetu{m}, urina, aqua maris, Draco, serpens, etc. And of this poysone the treatyce _de phenice_,[7] or the philosophers stoone, written in Gothyshe rymynge verse, dothe saye;

Moribunda, corporis virus emanabat quod materna{m} faciem ca{n}dida{m} fœdabat.

[Footnote 7: A copy of this curious poem in Thynne’s hand-writing, and marvellously illustrated by him, is in the Brit. Mus., MSS. Add. No. 11,388.]

[Sidenote: Begyns are nuns, though it cometh to mean superstitious and hypocritical women from their nature.] Begyn and Bigott yo{u} expounde sup{er}sticious hypocrites, whiche sence I knowe yt maye somewhat beare, because yt sauorethe of the disposit{i}one of those begins, or Beguines, for that ys the true wrytinge. But this woorde Begyn sholde in his owne nature rightlye haue ben expounded, sup{er}sticious or hipocriticall wemenne, as appereth by chaucer himselfe, w{hi}che nombrethe them emongest the wemen in the Romante of the Roose when he sayethe,

But empresses, & duchesses, These queenes, & eke countesses These abbasses, & eke Bigins, These greate ladyes palasins.

And a little after, in the same Romante, he doth write,

That dame abstinence streyned Tooke one a Robe of camelyne, And ganne her gratche as a Bygin. A large cover-cherfe of Thredde She wrapped all aboute her hedde.

These wemene the Frenche call Beguynes or nonnes; being in Latyne called Bigrinæ or Biguinæ. Whose originall order, encrease, and contynuance are sett downe by mathewe Paris and Mathewe Westm{inster}. But as I sayed, since I haue not my mathewe Paris at hand, I will sett you downe the wordes of mathewe Westmynster (otherwise called “Flores Historiarum” or “Florilegus”) in this sorte. Sub eisdem diebus (w{hi}ch was in the yere of Christe 1244, and aboute the 28 of kinge Henry the thirde,) quidam in Almania precipuè se asserentes vitam et habitu{m} relligionis elegisse, in utroq{ue} sexu, sed maximè in muliebri, continentia{m}, cu{i}u{s} vitæ simplicitate profitentes, se voto priuato deo obligaru{n}t. Mulieresq{ue}, quas Bigrinas vulgaritèr vocamus, adeò multiplicatæ sunt, quòd earu{m} numerus in vna ciuitate, scilicèt Colonia, ad plus quam mille asseritur ascendisse, etc. After whiche, speakinge yn the yere of Christe 1250 of the encrease of relligious orders, he sayeth, Item in Alemania et Francia mulieres, quas Biguinas nominant, etc.

[Sidenote: Citrinatione or perfect digestion.] Citrinatione yo{u} do not expounde, beinge a terme of Alchymye. Whiche Citrinatione is bothe a color and parte of the philosophers stoone. for, as hathe Tractatus Avicennæ (yf yt be his and not liber suppositi[ti]us, as manye of the Alchimicall woorkes are foysted in vnder the names of the best lerned authors and philosophers, as Plato, Aristotle, Avicen, and suche others,) in parte of the 7 chapter. Citrinatio est que fit inter albu{m} et rubru{m}, et non dicitur coolor perfectus, whiche Citrinat{i}one, as sayethe Arnoldus de Nova Villa, li. i. ca. 5. nihil aliud est quàm completa digestio. For the worke of the philosophers stoone, following the worke of nature, hathe lyke color in the same degree. for as the vrine of manne, being whityshe, sheweth imp{er}fecte digestione: But when he hathe well rested, and slepte after the same, and the digestione p{er}fected: the vrine becomethe citrine, or of a depe yellowe cooler: so ys yt in Alchymye. whiche made Arnolde call this citrinatione perfect digestion, or the cooler provinge the philosophers stoone broughte almoste to the heigh[t]e of perfect{i}one.

[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 (of anye 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 xþemas (_Christmasse_) a p{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: ‏‏ נאלnoel, sonat deus noster sive Deus nobis advenit, solitaq{ue} est hec vox cantari a plebe ante xþi ({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, a stone 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 (as youre selfe expounde yt) 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; a thinge farr different in forme from the magonell or catapulte, as appereth by Vigetius and Robertus Valturius de re militari.