Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 — Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems

by Geoffrey Chaucer

273. maltalent, ill-will; see 330. Cf. talent, Cant. Ta. C 540.

276. Read melt'th. for pure wood, as if entirely mad. The simple phrase for wood, as if mad, occurs in Ho. Fame, 1747; Leg. of Good Women, 2420 (unless For-wood is there a compound adjective).

292. baggingly, askant, sideways; cf. baggeth, looks askant, Book Duch. 623.

311. fade, withered. 'Thi faire hewe is al fade'; Will. of Palerne, 891. Compare the description of Sorrow in Sackville's 'Induction'; see my Specimens of Eng. Literature, iii. 286.

360. dwyned, dwindled, wasted; cf. for-dwyned, 366.

361. forwelked, much wrinkled; cf. welked, Cant. Ta. C 738.

368. potente, a crutch, staff; cf. Cant. Ta. D 1776.

369, 381. With these lines cf. Cant. Tales, B 20-24.

380. F. trois tens, three moments. It is here asserted that no one can think of the present moment; for while he tries to do so, three moments have fled.