Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 — Notes to the Canterbury Tales

by Geoffrey Chaucer

'Sin first that day that shapen was my sherte,

Or by the fatal sustren had my dom.'

So also in Troil. iii. 733.

1593. I drede noght, I have no fear, I doubt not.

1594. outher ... or = either ... or.

1609. To darreyne hir, to decide the right to her. Spenser is very fond of this word; see F. Q. i. 4. 40; i. 7. 11; ii. 2. 26; iii. i. 20; iv. 4. 26, 5. 24; v. 2. 15; vi. 7. 41. See deraisnier in Godefroy's O. Fr. Dict.

1622. to borwe. This expression has the same force as to wedde, in pledge. See l. 1218.

1625. The expression 'sooth is seyd' shews that Chaucer is here introducing a quotation. The original passage is the following, from the Roman de la Rose, 8487:—

'Bien savoient cele parole,

Qui n'est mençongiere ne fole: