DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61385#0287
Critical and Explanatory Notes. Pages 25—26, ll. 521—550. 85
verb oow in the present tense. See Skeat’s note, Leg. of G. W., 1. 27, and
note to Spec., 1. 159 ; Pearl, str. 46, 1. 12 : ‘ uus oghe to take more.’
1. 525. widoute fable=widoute les, 1. 518, a common expletive often
useful in filling out an incomplete line. See illustrations collected by
Zupitza, note to Guy of Warwick, 1. 3254, explained by wythowt lesynge,
1. 550 of Guy of Warwick; by withoute layne, 1. 2994; and by the more
emphatic withouten gabbe of the Specuhim, 1.464. See Kolbing’s no doubt,
]. 2027 of Sir Beues. Examples in Sir Beues are : A, 1. 1672, 2027, 2219 ;
M, 1. 1933 ; S, 1. 2612; 0, 1. 2381 ; Ipotis, 1. 436 ; Seven Sages, 1. 1558.
Compare the usage of other writers :
Spense, Rhymes of Rome, 7 : ‘Alas, by little ye to nothing flie,
The people’s fable and the spoyle of all. ’
Ben Jonson, Volpone, 1. 1 : ‘ Know you not, Sir, ’tis the common fable.'
Marlowe, Faustus vi., 1. 62 : ‘ But is there not caelum igneum et crystallinum I ’
No, Faustus, they are Lut fables.'
Pearl 50, 1. 4 : ‘ Other holy wryt is bot a fable.'
1. 526. merciable: also 1. 534. The suffix -able has not the force of
modern English here, but is used in an active sense to show, ‘inclined to
mercy,'' as is indicated by Abbott, Shaks. Gr., § 3, § 445, and illustrated
by Schick, T. of Gl., 1. 1266. profitable, 1. 4 of the Speculum, is to be
interpreted ‘ is capable of yielding profit.’ Merciable has an active force
in Chaucer’s texts :
An A. B. C., 1. 1 : ‘Almighty and al merciable quene . . .’
1. 182 : ‘ Ben to the seed of Adam merciable,
So bring us to that palais that is bilt
To penitents that ben to mercy able. Amen.’
Leg. of G. W., 1. 347 : ‘ And therto gracious and merciable.’
1. 410 : ‘ Yow oghte been the lighter merciable.’
Prioresses Tale, 1. 1878 : ‘ That of his mercy god so merciable
On vs his grete mercy multiplye.’
1. 531. flesh and bon: Generides, A, 1. 1348; Monkes Tale, Hercules,
1. 10, another common circumlocution used instead of ‘body,’ found in
Job ii. 5 ; bone and flesh, xix. 20; Sir Beues, A, 11. 628, 4044, 4407 ; Chron.
of Engl., k 675, etc.; nother flesshe ne bones, Tundale, 1. 910. See also
flesh and blocl 573.
1. 539. of Jrinkep : for ]>ynkki]> of A2 and R, is used probably in sense
of gives displeasure, according to Zupitza’s note to Guy of Warwick,
1. 984.
I. 540. crie]) merci: See Gamelyn, 874 ; Tundale, 11. 233, 234 ; PM.
of Gl., also in Chaucer and Shakspere :
Rbt. of Gl., A, 1. 288 : ‘ crie on horn no mercy }er nis.’
1. 499 : ‘ & criede him milce and ore.’
Tale of M. of L., 1. 1111 : ‘mercy I yow crye.’
Merry Wives, III. v. 25 : ‘ I cry you mercy.’
Cf. on the other hand Two N. Kinsmen, I. ii. 13 : ‘ Cried up with example,’
i. e. enforced by experience.
Page 26. 1. 547. gospel: i. e. Matt. vii. 1 ; Mark iv. 24; Luke
vi. 38.
II. 549, 550. Piers Plowman, 1, A, 11. 151, 152 :
‘ For Je same Mesure >at je Meten • Amis ojer elles,
je schul be weyen per with • whon je wenden hennes.’
See Latin preceding, 1. 150, for the text incorporated in MS. R: 1 Eadem
mensura qua mensi fueritis remeci[e]tur uobis.’ For mete, see Zupitza’s
note to Guy of Warwick, 1. 6954.
verb oow in the present tense. See Skeat’s note, Leg. of G. W., 1. 27, and
note to Spec., 1. 159 ; Pearl, str. 46, 1. 12 : ‘ uus oghe to take more.’
1. 525. widoute fable=widoute les, 1. 518, a common expletive often
useful in filling out an incomplete line. See illustrations collected by
Zupitza, note to Guy of Warwick, 1. 3254, explained by wythowt lesynge,
1. 550 of Guy of Warwick; by withoute layne, 1. 2994; and by the more
emphatic withouten gabbe of the Specuhim, 1.464. See Kolbing’s no doubt,
]. 2027 of Sir Beues. Examples in Sir Beues are : A, 1. 1672, 2027, 2219 ;
M, 1. 1933 ; S, 1. 2612; 0, 1. 2381 ; Ipotis, 1. 436 ; Seven Sages, 1. 1558.
Compare the usage of other writers :
Spense, Rhymes of Rome, 7 : ‘Alas, by little ye to nothing flie,
The people’s fable and the spoyle of all. ’
Ben Jonson, Volpone, 1. 1 : ‘ Know you not, Sir, ’tis the common fable.'
Marlowe, Faustus vi., 1. 62 : ‘ But is there not caelum igneum et crystallinum I ’
No, Faustus, they are Lut fables.'
Pearl 50, 1. 4 : ‘ Other holy wryt is bot a fable.'
1. 526. merciable: also 1. 534. The suffix -able has not the force of
modern English here, but is used in an active sense to show, ‘inclined to
mercy,'' as is indicated by Abbott, Shaks. Gr., § 3, § 445, and illustrated
by Schick, T. of Gl., 1. 1266. profitable, 1. 4 of the Speculum, is to be
interpreted ‘ is capable of yielding profit.’ Merciable has an active force
in Chaucer’s texts :
An A. B. C., 1. 1 : ‘Almighty and al merciable quene . . .’
1. 182 : ‘ Ben to the seed of Adam merciable,
So bring us to that palais that is bilt
To penitents that ben to mercy able. Amen.’
Leg. of G. W., 1. 347 : ‘ And therto gracious and merciable.’
1. 410 : ‘ Yow oghte been the lighter merciable.’
Prioresses Tale, 1. 1878 : ‘ That of his mercy god so merciable
On vs his grete mercy multiplye.’
1. 531. flesh and bon: Generides, A, 1. 1348; Monkes Tale, Hercules,
1. 10, another common circumlocution used instead of ‘body,’ found in
Job ii. 5 ; bone and flesh, xix. 20; Sir Beues, A, 11. 628, 4044, 4407 ; Chron.
of Engl., k 675, etc.; nother flesshe ne bones, Tundale, 1. 910. See also
flesh and blocl 573.
1. 539. of Jrinkep : for ]>ynkki]> of A2 and R, is used probably in sense
of gives displeasure, according to Zupitza’s note to Guy of Warwick,
1. 984.
I. 540. crie]) merci: See Gamelyn, 874 ; Tundale, 11. 233, 234 ; PM.
of Gl., also in Chaucer and Shakspere :
Rbt. of Gl., A, 1. 288 : ‘ crie on horn no mercy }er nis.’
1. 499 : ‘ & criede him milce and ore.’
Tale of M. of L., 1. 1111 : ‘mercy I yow crye.’
Merry Wives, III. v. 25 : ‘ I cry you mercy.’
Cf. on the other hand Two N. Kinsmen, I. ii. 13 : ‘ Cried up with example,’
i. e. enforced by experience.
Page 26. 1. 547. gospel: i. e. Matt. vii. 1 ; Mark iv. 24; Luke
vi. 38.
II. 549, 550. Piers Plowman, 1, A, 11. 151, 152 :
‘ For Je same Mesure >at je Meten • Amis ojer elles,
je schul be weyen per with • whon je wenden hennes.’
See Latin preceding, 1. 150, for the text incorporated in MS. R: 1 Eadem
mensura qua mensi fueritis remeci[e]tur uobis.’ For mete, see Zupitza’s
note to Guy of Warwick, 1. 6954.