The prologue to the Canterbury tales, with notes [ &c.] by J.M.D. Meiklejohn1880 |
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Page 12
... meant to seize the oppor- tunity of exposing the vices and corruptions of the new state of ecclesiasticism in England . The form of the drama had neither been invented in nor imported into England in the fourteenth century ; had it been ...
... meant to seize the oppor- tunity of exposing the vices and corruptions of the new state of ecclesiasticism in England . The form of the drama had neither been invented in nor imported into England in the fourteenth century ; had it been ...
Page 46
... meant old or ancient , and the second far off or distant . -Halwes , holies or saints . The O.E. for saint was halga ( from hal , whole ) ; and the g appears as a w in halwe , and as a y in holy . Cf. the phrases , ' Hallowed be thy ...
... meant old or ancient , and the second far off or distant . -Halwes , holies or saints . The O.E. for saint was halga ( from hal , whole ) ; and the g appears as a w in halwe , and as a y in holy . Cf. the phrases , ' Hallowed be thy ...
Page 50
... meant to count or reckon . 98. Sleep , for slep , the old past tense . -Nightyngale . Then in this word is intrusive ; as in the words passenger , Gale is messenger , porringer , etc. from galan , to sing , now altered to yell . 100 ...
... meant to count or reckon . 98. Sleep , for slep , the old past tense . -Nightyngale . Then in this word is intrusive ; as in the words passenger , Gale is messenger , porringer , etc. from galan , to sing , now altered to yell . 100 ...
Page 52
... meant a sheep - pen or hurdle . Then the divisions of the Roman army were called by this name cohorts . In Low Latin the word became curtis ; in French court . Then it rose to the dignity of indicating royalty and its surroundings ...
... meant a sheep - pen or hurdle . Then the divisions of the Roman army were called by this name cohorts . In Low Latin the word became curtis ; in French court . Then it rose to the dignity of indicating royalty and its surroundings ...
Page 53
... meant prayers . bid one's bedes was to say one's prayers . Cf. Spenser's Faerie Queene , I. i . 30 : ' Silly old man , that lives in hidden cell , Bidding his beades all day for his trespas . ' ' A peire of bedes eke she bere , Upon a ...
... meant prayers . bid one's bedes was to say one's prayers . Cf. Spenser's Faerie Queene , I. i . 30 : ' Silly old man , that lives in hidden cell , Bidding his beades all day for his trespas . ' ' A peire of bedes eke she bere , Upon a ...
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The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, with Notes [ &C.] by J.M.D. Meiklejohn Geoffrey Chaucer No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
adjectives adverb atte berd bettre bokeler But-if Cæsar called Canterbury CANTERBURY TALES century Chaucer Cogs Connen court couthe dative DEFECTIVE VERBS dialect Edward Edward III England English English Language felaweschipe FRANKELEYN French accent ful fair genitive German grammar gret guttural hath heed Hence hire holy hood inflections J. M. D. MEIKLEJOHN John of Gaunt Julius Cæsar king knight labour language large numbers Latin London lord lovede Low Lat Maunciple meaning Milton modern moot Norman-French note on line nought noun oldest participle past phrase pilgrimage pilgrims plural ending poem prest PROLOGUE pronunciation reeve Richard II says schal sche schort schulde Scotland Seynt Shak Shakspeare smalë Sompnour speke spelling stoor swetë Swynke syllable Tabard tale ther therto tyme Uppon verb verse vileinye vowel Wel cowde weren weye whan wight wolde woote word worthi wyde
Popular passages
Page 15 - PERSOUN of a toun; But riche he was of holy thoght and werk. He was also a lerned man, a clerk, 480 That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche; His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.
Page 19 - Ful riche he was astored prively, His lord wel coude he plesen subtilly, 610 To geve and lene him of his owne good, And have a thank, and yet a cote and hood, In youthe he lerned hadde a good mister ; He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter. This reve sat up-on a ful good stot.
Page 11 - At Alisaundre he was whan it was wonne. Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne Aboven alle nacions in Pruce; In Lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce, No Cristen man so ofte of his degree.
Page 11 - But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre...
Page 11 - Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede. Noght o word spak he moore than was neede, And that was seyd in forme and reverence, And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence; Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche, And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.
Page 12 - Poynaunt and scharp, and redy al his gere. His table dormant in his halle alway Stood redy covered al the longe day. At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire.
Page 11 - Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage To Caunterbury with ful devout corage, At night was come in-to that hostelrye Wel nyne and twenty in a companye, Of sondry folk, by aventure y-falle In felawshipe, and pilgrims were they alle, That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde ; The chambres and the stables weren wyde, And wel we weren esed atte beste.
Page 20 - Com hider, love, to me. This sompnour bar to him a stif burdoun, Was nevere trompe of half so gret a soun...
Page 11 - With frankeleyns overal in his contree; And eek with worthy wommen of the toun, For he hadde power of confessioun, As seyde himself, more than a curat, For of his ordre he was licentiat.
Page 13 - Burdeuxward, whil that the chapman sleep. Of nyce conscience took he no keep; If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond, By water he sente hem hoom to every lond.