37.

38.

39.

Thy daughter will I take, ere that I wend,
As for my wife unto her lifes end.

"Thou lovest me, that wot I well certain,
And art my faithful liegeman* ybore,
And all that liketh me, I dare well sayn,
It liketh thee, and, specially, therefore,
Tell me that point that I have said before,
If that thou wilt unto this purpose draw,
To taken me as for thy son-in-law."

The sudden case the man astonied so
That red he wax, abashed, and all quaking
He stood, unnethes said he wordes mo;

But only this, "Lord," quoth he, "my willing
Is as ye will; against your liking

I will no thing, ye be my lord so dear,
Right as you list, governeth this matier.”

"Then will I,” quoth this marquis softely,
"That, in thy chamber, I and thou and she
Have a collation, and wost thou why?
For I will ask her if it her will be

To be my wife and rule her after me;
And all this shall be done in thy presence :
I will not speak out of thine audience."
40.

And in the chamber while they were about
The treaty, which as ye shall after hear,

The people came unto the house without,

And wondered them in how honest mannere

* Liegeman. See lieges, st. 2.-Liketh (A. S. lician, to be pleased, to please), pleaseth.Sayn, say.---Astonied (A. S. stunian, to stun; Ger. staunen, to be astonished; Lat. attonare, to thunder at; fr. ad, to, and tonare, to thunder; Fr. étonner; O. Eng. astone), astonished. So in the Bible; e. g., Dan. iv. 19.-Wax (A. S. weaxen; Ger. wachsen, to grow), waxed, grew.-Unnethes (A. S. un; Lat. in, not; A. S. eadh, ready, easy; Goth. azets, easy; Fr. aisé), not easily, with difficulty.-Mo (A. S. mâ; Scot. mae, more; A. 8. mâra; Ger. mehr; Lat. magis, more), more.— Against. To make out the metre, pronounce against as a trisyl.-Governeth. Impera. plu. See governance, st. 134.-Matier. Acc. 2d syl.-Collation (Lat. co-, con-, cum, together, latum, to bring; collatio, a bringing together), a conference, an interview.-Wost (2d sing. fr. wis, pres. tense of A. S. witan, to know; wiste, knew; Lat. vid-ere, to separate with the eye, to see, becoming Eng. wit by Grimm's law, and the latter meaning to separate with the mind, to know, Gr. ¿Fida, I know), knowest. See void, in Index.-Rule her, rule herself.-Audience, hearing.— Treaty (Fr. traité; Lat. tractatus, a drawing out, agreement drawn up; Fr. traho, I draw), agreement.-Which as which.-Wondered them (a reflexive combination, like 'bethought them'), wondered.-Honest (Lat. honestus, honorable), respectable. Acc. 2d syl.

Thou lovest me, that wot I well certain. The smooth sound of l is adapted to express what is soft or soothing; as in lull, like, love, lave, lute; Lat. levis, smooth; Gr. Aeios; Lat. libet and lubet, it pleases. By analogy, especially at the end of words, it denotes slight or little things; as satchel, a little sack; Lat. scutulum, a little shield. Naturally it is employed to name actions in which the tongue, the organ that is chiefly used in enunciating the sound, is the main instrument; as Gr. λadéw, to prate; Lat. lallo; Ger. lallen; Eng, loll; Welsh, llolian; Gr. λáπtw; Eng. lap; Lat. lambo; Gr. λeíxw; Lat. lingo, Eng. lick, Ger. lecken, Ir. lighim. Other examples?

41.

42.

43.

14.

And tenderly she kept her father dear.
But utterly Griseldes wonder might,
For never erst* ne saw she such a sight.

No wonder is, though that she be astoned
To see so great a guest come in that place.
She never was to none such guestes woned;
For which she looked with full pale face.
But shortly forth this matter for to chase,
These arn the wordes that the marquis said
To this benign, veray, and faithful maid.

'Griseld," he said, "ye shall well understand,
It liketh to your father and to me

That I you wed; and eke it may so stand,
As I suppose ye will that it so be.
But these demandes ask I first," quoth he,
"That since it shall be done in hasty wise,
Will ye assent, or elles you avise?

"I say this, 'Be ye ready with good heart
To all my lust, and that I freely may,
As me best thinketh, do you laugh or smart,
And never ye to grutchen night ne day,
And eke when I say yea, ye say not nay,
Neither by word ne frowning countenance?'
Swear this, and here I swear our alliance."
Wondering upon this thing, quaking for dread,

She saide, "Lord, undigne and unworthy
Am I to thilk honor that ye me bid;
But as ye will yourself, right so will I ;
And here I swear that never willingly

In work, ne thought, I n'ill you disobey,

* Erst (superlative of ere, before; fr. A. S. ær, before; ærest, most before; Ger. eher, before; erst, first), before.-Never .. ne. The double negative increases the negative force.Astoned. Same as astonied, st. 38.--Never... none. Strengthened negation.-Woned (A. S. wunian, to dwell; O. Eng. won; Ger. wohnen), wonted, accustomed.-Chase (0. Fr. chacier Fr. chasser; Lat. captare, to strive to seize, fr. capere, to take. See Grimm's law), pursue. —Arn (0. Eng. plu.), are.-Veray (Lat. verus, true), true, very.-Avise, give counsel, advise. See st. 26.-Me best thinketh, seems best to me.-My lust, my wish or will.-Grutchen (0. Fr. groucher, to murmur; Ger. grunzen, Eng. grunt. The u in these and many other words expresses low and obscure sounds), grudge.-Ne, nor. See n'as, st. 54.-Alliance. Acc. 1st and 3d. syl.-Saide. Dissyl.-Undigne (Lat. in, not, dignus, worthy), undeserving.—Unworthy. Acc. 1st and 3d syl.-Thilk, this. See st. 21.-Honor. Acc. 2d syl. N'ill, will not.-The reader will notice the large infusion of the French element in Chaucer's language. Contemporaries complained that he "imported a wagon-load of foreign words." Why may Chaucer have been predisposed to do this?

That I you wed, and eke it may so stand. To sound the st, as in stand, tends to bare and set the front teeth, and gives the face a look that denotes firmness, stability. Thus, Gr. iorqui, Lat. stare, Eng. stand, staff, stake, stalk, stall, stay, steady, stem, stick, stiff, stock, stout, stub, stubborn, stump, sturdy; Ger. stein, Eng. stone. Other illustrations of this?

45.

46.

47.

48.

For to be dead, though* me were loth to die.”
"This is enough, Griselde mine," quoth he,
And forth he goeth, with a full sober cheer,
Out at the door, and after that came she;
And to the people he said in this mannere :
'This is my wife," quoth he, "that standeth here.
Honoreth her and loveth her, I pray,

Whoso me loveth. There is no more to say."

And for that nothing of her olde gear
She shoulde bring into his house, he had
That women should despoilen her right there;
Of which these ladies weren nothing glad
To handle her clothes, wherein she was clad.
But natheless this maiden bright of hue,
From foot to head they clothed have all new.
Her haires have they kempt, that lay untressed
Full rudely, and with their fingers smale

A coroune on her head they have ydressed,
And set her full of nouches great and smale.
Of her array what should I make a tale ?
Unneth the people her knew for her fairness,
When she translated was in such richesse.

This marquis hath her spoused with a ring
Brought for the same cause, and then her set
Upon a horse snow-white and well ambling,

And to his palace, ere he longer let,

* Though. die, though to die were grievous to me.-Honoreth. Impera. plu. Acc. 2d syl. For that, because.-Gear (A. S. geara, gearwa, provision, furniture; gearwian, to prepare; Ger. gärben, to prepare leather, to tan), clothing.-Clothes. Dissyl.-Haires. Dissyl.-Kempt (A. S. cemban; O. Eng. kemben; Ger, kämmen; to comb), combed.-Rudely. Trisyl.-Coroune (Lat. corona), crown.--Ydressed, adjusted.--Nouches (allied to notch, or from 'Late Latin' nusca, or nosca, noschia, a clasp), clasps, buckles, jewels.—What, why.-Unneth, scarcely. See unnethes, st. 38.--Translated, transformed.-Richesse (Fr. and O. Eng.), riches. A. S. ric, Ger. reich, rich. The word was originally in the singular number.-Same. Dissyl. -Let (A. S. lat, late; letian, lettan, to make late, hinder), delayed. Let in the sense of permit, is from A. S. lætan, O. Sax. latan, Ger. lassen. The student should accustom himself to scrutinize closely the root-meanings of words. The teacher will find it a very profitable exercise, for pupils to look out and memorize with great care the roots, primitive meanings, and kindred forms, of a number of words regularly assigned for the purpose as a part of the daily lesson.

To handle her clothes, wherein she was clad. The sound of cl, as in cloth and clad, often denotes cleaving to, or adhering. E. g., cleave, clay, cling, clinch, clutch, climb, clamber, clot, clod, clasp ; Ger. kleid, garment. Shakespeare's lines illustrate this origin of the word clothes:

"New honors, come upon him,

Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould,
But with the aid of use.-MACBETH, Act I., Scene 3.

This marquis hath her spoused with a ring. The sound of r, as in ring, denotes interrupted or distorted motion; as Lat. rota, wheel; Eng. ring, round, cramp, crook, crown, gripe, grasp, reel, roll. It also denotes broken or rattling noises, as Gr. κpíšw, kρoréw, kpww; Eng. croak, crack, cry, crash, creak, rattle. Other examples?

49.

50.

51.

52.

With joyful people that her led and met,
Conveyed her; and thus the day they spend
In revel, till the sunne gan* descend.

And shortly forth this tale for to chase,
I say that, to this newe marquisesse,
God hath such favor sent her of his grace
That it ne seemed not, by likeliness,
That she was born and fed in rudeness,
As in a cote, or in an oxe stall,
But nourished in an emperores hall.

To every wight she waxen is so dear
And worshipful, that folk there she was born,
And from her birthe knew her year by year,
Unnethes trowed they, but durst have sworn
That to Janicle, of which I spake biforn,
She daughter n'as; for, as by conjecture,
Hem thought she was another creature.

For though that ever virtuous was she,
She was increased in such excellence
Of thewes good yset in high bountee,
And so discreet and fair of eloquence,

So benign and so digne of reverence,

And couthe so the people's heart embrace,
That each her loveth that looketh in her face.

Not only of Saluces in the town
Published was the bountee of her name,

But eke beside in many a regioun,

If one said well, another said the same.

So spreadeth of her high bountee the fame
That men and women, young as well as old,
Gon to Saluce, upon her to behold.

* Gan, began. See st. 34.-Tale. Dissyl.-Rudeness. Trisyl.-Cote (A. S. cote, cyte, a small house; Ice. kot; W. cwt), cottage.-There, where.-Trowed (A. S. treowian; Ger. trauen, to believe, trust), thought.-Biforn, before.-N'as, was not. "The nasals, m and n, are employed to express negation, being the natural sounds to express refusal." Fowler. Why?--Hem thought (them-thought, like me-thought; him being the A. S. dat. plu.; Semi-Sax. heom; O. Eng. hem, to them), it seemed to them.--Creature. Trisyl.--Thewes (A. S. theaw, thau, thaw), manners, qualities.-Digne (Lat. dignus), worthy.-Couthe, knew how to, could. See couthen. st. 8.-Loveth. This line reminds of Spenser's sweet encomium on Sir Philip Sidney :

Published.

gon, for goen), go.

"Was never eye did see that face,

Was never ear did hear that tongue,
Was never mind did mind his grace,
That ever thought the travel long;

But eye and ear and every thought

Were with his sweet perfections caught."

Acc. 2d syl.-Gon (A. S. gangan; Scot. gang; Ger. gehen, to go; 0. Eng. plu,
Went comes from A. S. wendan, to turn, to go. Give the origin, root-mean-

ing, allied forms, etc., of every word of the fifth line, fifty-second stanza.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57.

Thus Walter lowly, nay, but really,*
Wedded with fortunate honestetee,

In Goddes peace liveth full easily

At home, and outward grace enough had he.
And for he saw that under low degree
Was ofte virtue hid, the people him held
A prudent man, and that is seen full seld.

Not only this Griseldes through her wit
Couth all the feat of wifely homeliness,
But eke when that the time required it,
The common profit coulde she redress.
There n'as discord, rancor, ne heaviness,
In all the land, that she ne could appease,
And wisely bring hem all in rest and ease.

Though that her husband absent were, anon,

If gentlemen, or other of that country,

Were wroth, she woulde bringen them at one;
So wise and ripe wordes hadde she,
And judgement of so great equity,

That she from heaven sent was, as men wend,
People to save and every wrong to amend.
Not longe time after that this Griseld
Was wedded, she a daughter hath ybore.
All had her lever han borne a knave child.
Glad was this marquis and the folk therefore;
For though a maiden child come all before,
She may unto a knave child attain

By likelihood, sith she n'is not barrein.

PARS TERTIA.

There fell, as falleth many times mo,

*Really, royally. See real, st. 31.-Honestetee (Lat. honestas; O. Fr. honesteté; Fr. honnêteté), virtue, good manners.--Couth, knew. See st. 8.-Feat (Lat. factum, doing, deed; Fr. fait; Nor. Fr. feat; fr. facere, to act, do), work, performance.-Homeliness (A. S. hẩm, home; Ger. heim; perhaps Gr. κóun, by Grimm's law; -li, fr. A. S. lic, like; -ness, fr. A. S. -ness, -niss ; O.Ger. -nis, -nissa; Ger. -nisz; denoting abstract quality, the termination -ness being found in about 1,300 Eng. words), home management, domestic economy. In some proper names -ness means nose, from A. S. näse, as Fifeness.-Redress, set right again.-Ne, nor, not.-Anon (0. Eng. for in one), in one moment, quickly.—At one, to agreement. Hence atone to make one, to reconcile.Judgment. Trisyl.-Wend (A. S. wênan, wanan; Ger. wähnen; O. Eng. ween; to think), weened, thought, fancied.-Ybore (A. S. beran; Lat. ferre; Gr. ¿épew, to bear. See Grimm's law), borne.-Lever (A. S. leof, leve, dear; lever is the comparative degree), more gladly, rather. -Knave (A. S. cnafa or cnapa, offspring, boy; Ger. knabe), a boy.-Sith (A. S. sith; O. Eng. sin, since; Ger. seit), since.-Mo, more.

That she from heaven sent was, as men wend. H, as in heaven, is enounced with strong breathing. It therefore sometimes denotes effort and aspiration; as Lat. halare, to breathe; Eng, haul, heave, hate, hurry, hent, hope, hark, high, holy. Other examples?