[572]. The readings all shew various corruptions of thurfte, which none of the scribes understood; see thurfen, tharf, in Stratmann. This is not the only place where thurfte has been ousted from the text. Cf. thar (for tharf) in the Reves Ta. A 4320, &c. Yow thurfte have, you would need (to) have. Yow is the dat. case, governed by the impers. verb. The reading yow durste turns yow (an accusative) into an imaginary nominative; but the nom. form is ye, which the scribes did not venture to substitute.
[584]. goosish, goose-like, silly. This delicious epithet was turned into gofysshe by Thynne, and modern editions perpetuate the blunder. Tyrwhitt derived gofish from F. goffe, a word which is much later than Chaucer, and was probably merely adapted from Ital. goffo, stupid. The Century Dict. goes a step further, inserting a second f, and producing a form goffish, against all authority. Cf. Parl. Foules, 568, 586.
[601]. stewe, small chamber, closet; cf. G. Stube.
[602]. 'Where he was shut in, as in a coop.'
[609]. 'There was no dainty to be fetched'; they were all there.
[614]. Wade; this is the hero mentioned in the Merch. Tale, E 1424; see note.
[617-620]. Cf. Boethius, Bk. iv. Pr. 6. 60-68.
[622]. 'Without her leave, at the will of the gods.'
[624]. bente, i. e. curved, crescent; see l. 549. Cf. Boeth. Bk. I. Met. 5. 6, 7.
[625]. The Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter were all in conjunction in Cancer, which was the mansion of the moon. We are to understand that this caused the great rain.