821. Lenger, longer. For change of ecrevisse), pent-house (from appentis), o into e, see note on line 330.

848. Forward and composicioun. See note on line 46.

849. Han, contracted for haven.Needeth, the Southern plural. Grammar, page 13, sect. 1.

See

850. Seigh, saw. See note on line 193. Note that Chaucer has both saugh and seigh for the past tense.

854. What, a mere exclamation, like the modern German Was! Shakspeare has it very frequently. Thus we have, Henry IV., Part II., V, iii.

133:
'What! I do bring good news.'
And he frequently employs it in calling
to persons, Merry Wives of Windsor,
III. iii. 1: 'What, John! What,
Robert!'

856. With that word. Here with denotes simultaneousness-a use quite common in Shakspeare. Thus: 'And with that word she spied the hunted boar.'

858. Anon, at once. See note on line 32.

PLAN OF PREPARATION.

1. The student should begin with getting up a small portion at a time. The text will be found more easy to be understood if it be read aloud. Those students who know German, or one of the provincial dialects of English, should read the lines with that pronunciation.

2. The student should provide himself with three small note-books -one for the PERSONS, the second for the WORDS, and the third for the GRAMMAR. (i) In the first, he should enter the chief points of each character under the head of Personal appearance; Habits; Opinions, and so on. (ii) In the second, he should enter the words under the heads of Norman-French; Obsolete Old English; Old English; and note under each the changes in use, and the different ways in which the same word happens to be spelled. (iii) In the third, he should note under the headings of Verbs, Nouns, etc. all the differences between Chaucer's usage and the modern usage. (What the student thus notes for himself will be remembered much longer and more accurately than the ready-made and second-hand knowledge which he finds in books.)

3. He should write in simple English prose (or paraphrase) the characters and descriptions of the chief personages.

4. He should write out these also, after a time has elapsed, from memory.

5. He should draw up every fortnight or so an examination paper like those following, and write answers to them a few days afterwards.

6. It would be well for two students to agree to question each other on the locality of a line (to what character it belongs); to cap lines; to give Chaucer's epithets to nouns ; to give cognates of words, and so on. This will work Chaucer's lines into the living memory.

EXAMINATION PAPERS.

[Some questions selected from the CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION PAPERS.]

A (LIFE AND Language).

1. Write a short account of the life of Chaucer.

2. What are his chief works?

3. Write an account of the framework of the Canterbury Tales. 4. What were the three main dialects of English in Chaucer's time, and what are the chief characteristics of these dialects?

5. State the different modes of forming the plural in Chaucer; and give examples under each head.

6. State what you know of the grammar of Adjectives and Pronouns in Chaucer.

7. Give a general view of the grammar of Verbs.

8. Write out the plurals of Am, can, mot, and wot.

9. Write a brief view of Chaucer's versification.

10. What are the chief points of difference between the pronunciation of English in the fourteenth and in the nineteenth century?

B (THE FIRST 284 LINES).

1. Write a description of the YEMAN.

2. Of whom are the following lines said:

(a) His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.
(b) Wel couthe he in eschaunge scheeldes selle.

(c) His typet was ay farsëd ful of knyfes.
(d) He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt.
(e) Ful many a deynté hors hadde he in stable.
(f) Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer.

(g) He was as fressh as is the moneth of May.
(h) And of his port as meke as is a mayde.

3. Annotate any peculiarities you notice in the above lines.

4. Explain the compositions and give the meanings of the following words: Anon; corage; reysed; nightingale; overlippe; countrefete; i-schrive; frankeleyns; tappestere.

5. Give as many instances as you can of the change of the guttural into y, w, or i; and also of its total disappearance.

6. What are Chaucer's words for the following: Wood; agreement; flower; them; landing (of troops); anything unbecoming; surely; valuable; work hard.

7. Give as many instances as you can of Chaucer's doublets, like trouthe and honour.

8. In the following passage, underline all the French words, and give their Latin forms:

And sikerly sche was of great disport,
And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port,
And peynede hire to countrefete cheere
Of court, and ben estatlich of manere,
And to ben holden digne of reverence.

9. Why had the Yeman a not-heed?

10. Give some instances of French idioms in Chaucer.

C (LINES 285-622).

1. Write a description of the SCHIPMAN.

2. State of whom the following lines are said:

(a) A bettre envyned man was nowher noon.
(6) Hire keverchefs ful fyne weren of grounde.
(c) Of nyce conscience took he no keep.
(d) His wonyng was ful fair upon an hethe.

(e) His nose-thurles blake were and wyde.
(f) For to be wys in beyying of vitaille.

(g) He cowde in litel thing han suffisaunce.

3. Annotate any peculiarities of language or grammar that exist in the above lines.

4. Explain fully the following phrases: Atte parvys; him was lever; a purchasour; Seynt Julian he was; table dormant; he yaf the syke man his boote; ofte sithes; sette here aller cappe.

5. Give the derivations of the following words: Clerk; sergeant; sheriff; fiddle; livery; surgeon; tally; nostrils; danger.

6. What is the origin of the story of Whittington and his Cat?

7. Why was the Merchant so anxious that the sea should be 'kept'?

8. What is a Cold Harbour?

9. At what periods in Chaucer's life did the plague visit England? 10. Give examples of the use of with for by.

THE END.

Edinburgh:
Printed by W. & R. Chambers.