Part 7

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 (in his 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 Ribaldæ mulieres puellæq{ue} perditæ 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 à meretricibus prohibere, et deliberare, et habet, ex consuetudine mariscallus ex quâlibet meretrice com[m]uni infra metas hospitii inventa iiij^d. primo die. Quæ, si iteru{m} inventa in Balliuâ suâ inveniatur, capiatur; et coram seneschallo inhibea{n}tur ei hospitia Regis et Reginæ 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 nugæ in the Romante of the Roose, I cannott (as the proverb ys) 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 (to be 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, a leader 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, (to the 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;) I sett 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 þ is used for Saxon “r” ꞃ: in saxon Meþecenþÿke 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 þÿk in the saxon tonge signyfyethe a kingdome; meþcen signyfyethe markes.

The 1876 text uses the Saxon letterforms: Meꞃecenꞃÿke, ꞃÿk, meꞃcen.

_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 Χρ (Chi, rho): placinge ther xþemas (_Christmasse_) a p{ar}te of this tyme of Nowell .... ante xþi (_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: נאל noel [_both editions misprint באל with bet ב for nun נ_]

Introduction

a careful copier with a clean pen, indefatiguable [_unchanged_] a ribald 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] as I 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 Dianæ,) [_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 Balliuâ suâ [Ballinâ] 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}] (a magistrate 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] I will 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 &] I will 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 -æ words ending -o{r} transcribed as -o{u}r word divisions such as “as well”, “my selfe”