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 Westminster. 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 (which was in the yere of Christe 1244, and aboute the 28 of kinge Henry the thirde,) quidam in Almania precipuè se asserentes vitam et habitum relligionis elegisse, in utroque sexu, sed maximè in muliebri, continentiam, cuius vitæ simplicitate profitentes, se voto priuato deo obligarunt. Mulieresque, quas Bigrinas vulgaritèr vocamus, adeò multiplicatæ sunt, quòd earum 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.
Citrinatione or perfect digestion. Citrinatione you 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 album et rubrum, et non dicitur coolor perfectus, whiche Citrinatione, 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 imperfecte digestione: But when he hathe well rested, and slepte after the same, and the digestione perfected: 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 perfectione.
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 provisione as ys made for horses and Cattle in winter. for so doth this worde forragium 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.
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