‘Accipit aerata iuvenem Collatia porta.’
Cp. l. 4911 below. Both Chaucer and Gower make the tragedy occur at Rome, though Chaucer professes to have Livy before him.
4902. ‘audentes forsve deusve iuvat.’
4937. To hire: cp. v. 5724. It means here much the same as ‘by her.’
5062. sche myhte it noght, ‘sche could not help it.’
5088 ff.
‘Illa iacens ad verba oculos sine lumine mouit,
Visaque concussa dicta probare coma.’ Fasti, ii. 845 f.
5093 ff. This latter part is added from other sources, perhaps from Livy.
5131 ff. Chaucer tells the story of Virginia as the Tale of the Doctor of Physic, professing to follow Livy, but actually taking his materials chiefly from the Roman de la Rose, 5613 ff., from which he transcribes also the reference to ‘Titus Livius.’ His story differs from that of Livy in many respects, and the changes are not at all for the better. For example, Chaucer does not mention the absence of Virginius in the camp, and he makes him kill his daughter at home and carry her head to Appius. Gower follows Livy, or some account drawn from Livy, without material alteration. It may be observed that Chaucer (following the Rom. de la Rose) uses the name ‘Apius’ alone for the judge, and ‘Claudius’ for the dependent, while Gower names them more correctly ‘Apius Claudius’ and ‘Marchus Claudius.’ On the subject generally reference may be made to Rumbaur’s dissertation, Geschichte von Appius und Virginia in der engl. Litteratur, Breslau, 1890.