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

by Geoffrey Chaucer

2. ydelnesse, idleness; considered as a branch of Sloth, which was one of the Seven Deadly Sins. See The Persones Tale, De Accidia.

3. Chaucer took this idea from the Romaunt of the Rose; see ll. 528-594 of the English version, where a lover is described as knocking at the wicket of a garden, which was opened by a beautiful maiden named Idleness. He afterwards repeated it in the Knightes Tale, A. 1940; and again in the Persones Tale (de Accidia), I. 714: 'Thanne comth ydelnesse, that is the yate [gate] of alle harmes ... the hevene is yeven to hem that wol labouren, and nat to ydel folk.'

4. To eschue, to eschew; the gerund. The sentence really begins with l. 6, after which take the words to eschue; then take ll. 1-3, followed by the rest of l. 4 and by l. 5.

7. Jehan de Vignay's Introduction begins thus: 'Monseigneur sainct Hierosme dit ceste auctorite—"Fays tousiours aucune chose de bien, que le dyable ne te trouue oyseux."' That is, he refers us to St. Jerome for the idea. A like reference is given in the Ayenbite of Inwyt, p. 206. We are reminded, too, of the familiar lines by Dr. Watts—

'For Satan finds some mischief still

For idle hands to do.'

8. Cf. Persones Tale (de Accidia), I. 714:—'An ydel man is lyk to a place that hath no walles; the develes may entre on every syde.'

10. 'Ydelnesse is the develis panter [net], to tempte men to synne'; Wyclif, Works, ed. Arnold, iii. 200.

14. Cf. Pers. Tale (de Accidia), I. 689:—'Agayns this roten-herted sinne of accidie and slouthe sholde men exercise hemself to doon gode werkes'; &c. 'Laborare est orare' was the famous motto of St. Bernard.