Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales

by Geoffrey Chaucer

[722]. The first foot consists of the single syllable Mai-.

[725]. Naso, i.e. Ovid; really named Publius Ouidius Naso.

[726]. Réport; accented on the e. Y-shove, pushed (into notice); cf. l. 1381.

[727]. 'Tempore creuit amor'; Met. iv. 60.

[730]. 'Sed uetuere patres'; id. 61.

[735]. 'As (to quote the proverb) cover up the glowing coal, and the hotter the fire becomes.' Ovid has—'Quoque magis tegitur, tanto magis aestuat ignis'; 64. Wry is in the imperative mood, singular. Cf. Troilus, ii. 538-9.

[741]. Sene, visible; see note to l. 694. Dere y-nogh a myte, even in a slight degree; lit. '(to an extent) dear enough at a mite.' A singular use of the phrase. Cf. 'dere ynogh a leek'; Can. Yem. Ta., G 795; 'not worth a myte'; id., G 633.

[742]. 'Quid non sentit amor?' Met. iv. 68.

[745]. 'In a tone as low as if uttering a confession.' A curious medieval touch. Ovid says, 'murmure ... minimo'; 70.

[756]. 'Inuide, dicebant, paries, quid amantibus obstas?' 73.