Chaucer's Works, Volume 2 — Boethius and Troilus

by Geoffrey Chaucer

[66]. of hir wille, of their own accord (as it were); 'ultro.'

[68]. what is it; 'quid est, quòd in se expetendae pulcritudinis habeant, nedum aliis praestent?'

Metre 4. Cf. Monkes Tale, B 3653-60.

[2]. Tirie, Tyre; lit. 'Tyrian,' the adjectival form; 'Tyrio superbus ostro.' So above, Bk. ii. Met. 5, l. 8.

[3]. throf he, he flourished (lit. throve); 'uigebat.'

[6]. reverents, the pl. form of the adj. See above, Bk. iii. Met. 2, l. 19. unworshipful, &c.; 'indecores curules.'

Prose 5. [1]. regnes, kingdoms; familiaritees, friendships.

[2]. How elles, why not? 'Quidni?' whan, whenever.

[4]. kinges ben chaunged. This is the subject of Chaucer's Monkes Tale. Examples are certainly numerous. In the time of Boethius (470-524), they were not wanting. Thus Basiliscus, emperor of the East, had a reign which Gibbon describes as 'short and turbulent,' and perished miserably of hunger in 476; and Odoacer was killed by Theodoric in 493; see Gibbon's History.

[13]. upon thilke syde that, on whichever side.