Francis Thynne

“ After this booke was last printed, I understand that M. Francis Thynn had a purpose, as indeed he hath when the time shall serve, to set out Chaucer with a coment in our tongue, as the Italians have Petrarke and others in their language. Whereupon I purposed not to meddle any further in this work, although some promise made to the contrarie, but to referre all to him; being a gentleman for that purpose inferior to none, both in regard to his own skill, as also of those helps left to him by his father. ”

“ It is most tantalizing that after all he says about that mysterious question of “The Lords son of Windsor,” a question as mysterious as that demanding why Falstalf likened Prince Henry’s father to a “singing man” of the same place, we should be left as wise as we were before. ”

“ Wherefore I conclude, since she (Emelye) had a garlande of Grene oke, (as Chaucer of purpose addeth that woorde Greene to explane unseriall, whiche signyfyethe unsered, unparched, unwithered in every parte, not lyke to the oke Serriall, whose leafe one the one syde is duskyshe as though yt were somewhat withered,) that the same word unseriall must stand unamended, as well (as I sayed before) by youre owne correctione and the nature of the worde; as for that Diana, called Heccate, was crowned with the oke Quercus and not with the oke cerrus. ”

“ In the expositione of the olde wordes, as you shewe greate diligence and knowledge, so yet in my opynione, unlesse a manne be a good saxoniste, french, and Italyane linguiste, (from whence Chaucer hathe borowed manye woordes,) he cannott well expounde the same to oure nowe vnder­standinges, and therefore (thoughe I will not presume of much knowledge in these tounges) yt semeth yet to mee, that in your expositione, soome woordes are not so fullye and rightlye explaned as they mighte bee, althoughe peradventure you haue framed them to make sence. ”

“ Begyns are nuns, though it cometh to mean superstitious and hypocritical women from their nature. Begyn and Bigott you expounde supersticious hypocrites, whiche sence I knowe yt maye somewhat beare, because yt sauorethe of the dispositione of those begins, or Beguines, for that ys the true wrytinge. But this woorde Begyn sholde in his owne nature rightlye haue ben expounded, supersticious or hipocriticall wemenne, as appereth by chaucer himselfe, whiche nombrethe them emongest the wemen in the Romante of the Roose when he sayethe ”

“ Forage is old and hard provision made for horses and cattle in winter, Forage in one place you expounde meate, and in other place fodder. boothe whiche properly cannott stande in this place of chaucer in the reves prologue, where he sayeth, “my fodder is forage.” for yf 39 forrage be fodder, then is the sence of that verse, “my fodder is fodder.” But fodder beinge a generall name for 31 meate gyven to Cattle in winter, and of affynytie withe foode applied to menne and beasts, dothe onlye signyfye meate. ”

“ The intellect of Arcite had not wholly gone, or he would not have known Emelye. Fo: 10. pa: 1. for save only the intellecte,) you wolde haue us to reade “and also the intellecte.” But yf you well consider the woordes of Chaucer, (as 41 I have donne in all the written copyes whiche I haue yet seene,) his meaninge ys not that the intellecte was 51 wholye goonne, as yt wolde bee yf you sholde reade, “and also the intellecte” for “save only the intellecte.” ”

“ But as I cannott saye that Johne was father to Richarde, or hee to Geffroye: So yet this muche I will deliuer in settinge downe the antiquytye of the name of chaucer, that his anncesters (as you well coniecture) were strangers, as the etymon of his name (beinge frenche in Englishe synyfyinge one who shueth or hooseth a manne) dothe prove, Chausier, one who hoseth or shueth a man. ”

“ For as Hato the Armeniane, in his Tartariane Historye, sayeth, The cyttye of Sara was 54 auncyently the famous cyttye of the countrye of Cumania; and the Tartarians obteyned the kingdome of Syria in the yere 1240, whiche must be in the tyme of the fyrst Tartariane emperor called Caius canne, Cambuscan is Caius canne. beinge (as I suppose) he whome Chaucer namethe Cambiuscan, for so ys the written copies, such affynytye is there betwene those two names. And, as I gather, yt was after that tyme that the Tartarians had warres in Russia. ”

“ Touchinge whiche, althoughe the sence stande well, yet sure Chaucer followeth this matter in many staues together with this prepositione (cum, with,) and this 64 coniunctione (et, and;) —as, “With pride misledd the poore, and with money filled manye a male, &c.” so he contynuethe yt still with that prepositione, “with change of many meates;” whiche is as good as the other, for euery one knoweth Chaucers meanynge to be that they eate of many meates, when they haue change of many meates; for why sholde they haue change of meates, but for varyetye to please the palates taste in eatynge. ”

“ And therefore yt must bee “his vassalage forgotten;” as presently after Chaucer sayeth, better for a manne to dye when he is yonge, and his honor in price, than when he is olde, and the service of his youthe forgotten; whiche I coulde dilate and prove by manye examples; but I cannott stande longe vppon euerye pointe, as well for that I wolde not be tedious vnto you, as for that leysure serveth me not thereunto. ”

“ Trepegett you expounde a ramme to batter walles. But the trepegete was the same that the magonell; for Chaucer calleth yt a trepegett or magonell; wherefore the trepegett and magonell being all one, and the magonell one instrumente to flynge or cast stones (as youreselfe expounde yt) into a towne, or against a towne walles, (an engine not muche vnlyke to the catapulte, an instrumente to cast forthe dartes, stones, or arrowes,) the trepeget must nedes also be one instrumente to cast stones or such lyke against a wall or into a towne, and not a Ramme to batter wales ”

“ A merchant by Attorney is no true merchant. And yet yt may bee that he mighte have some factors in merchandise, and deale by his attorneyes as many noble menne and great persons have donne, whereuppon Walsingham (who wroote longe after) might seme to call hym merchante by reasone of others mens dealinge for hym, althoughe in troothe he was neuer merchante in respecte of his owne persone, (for whiche they are properly called merchantes,) as may be supposed. ”

“ Wherefor, touching that parte, you shall heare somewhat of the Marshalls office sett downe and founde in the Customes, whiche Thomas of Brothertonne (sonne to kinge Edwarde the fyrste) challenged to his office of Marshalcye; where, emongst 73 other thinges, are these woordes: eorum (whiche was of the marshalls deputyes executinge that he shoulde ells do hym selfe) interest virgatam à meretricibus prohibere, et deliberare, et habet, ex consuetudine mariscallus ex quâlibet meretrice com [m] uni infra metas hospitii inventa iiijd. primo die. ”

“ Wherefore Chaucer dothe rightly (and of purpose with great iudgment in my conceyte) make a difference in the chaplettes of the Trompettes and the garlands of 50 Emelye, in that the trompetts chapletts were of oke seriall newly spronge; and not come to perfectione, whiche yet yf they had byn perfecte wolde not haue byn soo oryente and Greene one bothe sydes as ys the oke Quercus, wherewithe he wolde haue this Emelye crowned, as was her goddesse Heccate Diana (to whom she dyd sacryfyce) accustomed to bee. ”

“ But yf yt sholde be wakethe, then must the sence bee, that this (whiche is the anger he speakethe of before) wakethe the fende; whiche oure offences cannot do, because he cannott be waked, in that he neyther slumbrethe nor slepethe, but alwayes watcheth and howrely seekethe occasione to destroye us, lyke a roringe lyone. ”

“ For in truth your armes of this Sr Johne Gower beinge argent one a cheuerone azure, three leopardes heddes or, do prove that he came of a contrarye howse to the Gowers of Stytenham in Yorkeshyre, who bare barrulye of argent and gules a crosse patye florye sable. Whiche difference 15 of armes semethe a difference of famelyes, vnlesse you canne prove that, beinge of one howse, they altered their armes vppone some iuste occasione, as that soome of the howse maryinge one heyre did leave his owne armes and bare the armes of his moother ”

“ So that the plowmans tale must be sett in some other place before the manciple and persons tale, and not as yt ys in the last editione.
Chaucer’s proper works should be distinguished from those adulterat and not his. One other thinge ys, that yt would be good that Chaucers proper woorkes were distinguyshed from the adulterat and suche as were not his, as the Testamente of Cressyde, the Letter of Cupide, and the ballade begynnynge “I have a ladye whereso she bee,” &c. whiche Chaucer never composed, as may sufficientlye be proved by the things themselves. ”

“ This woorde makethe is corrected by you, who for the same do place wakethe; whiche cannott well stande, for Chaucers woordes being, “this 45 maketh the fende,” dothe signyfye (by a true conuersione after the dialecte of our tonge, whiche with beawtye vsethe suche transmutacione as I coulde gyve you manye pretye instances,) that the sence thereof ys, “the fende makethe this,” for whiche Chaucer vseth these wordes by Transpositione, (accordinge to the rhethoricall figure Hiperbatone) “This makethe the fende:” Whiche this? Anger: for that comethe, ys made, or occasioned, by the deuell. ”

“ In the next staffe, (for myters moe then one or two) you teache vs to reade, “myters they weare mo then one or two;” whiche, methinkethe, nedeth not. For the wearinge of their myters is included in these woordes, 52 And myters more then one or two. Whiche wordes are curteyled for the verse his cause, that the same mighte kepe an equall proportione and decorum in the verse, whiche would be lengthened one foote or sillable moore than the other verses, yf your readinge shoulde stande. ”

“ Gower the poet was not of the Gowers (or Gores) of Stittenham. Then in a marginall note of this title you saye agayne oute of Bale, that Gower was a Yorkshire manne; but you are not to be touched therfore, because you discharge your selfe in vouching your auctor. Wherfore Bale hath muche mistaken yt, as he hath donne infynyte thinges in that Booke de scriptoribus Anglie, beinge for the most parte the collections of Lelande. ”

“ Wherefore I will tell you, a wyuer is a kynde of serpent of good Bulke, not vnlyke vnto a dragon, of whose kinde he is, a thinge well knowen vnto the Heroldes, vsinge the same for armes, and crestes, & supporters of manye gentle and 42 noble menne. ”

“ And that yt was, by Lupanus, to assigne to Ribaldes lodginge out of the courte, (for so modestye willeth vs to vnderstande, because they shoulde not offende and infecte the courte with their sighte and manners,) so ys yt our Marshalls office, to banyshe those harlottes the courte, and bestowe them in some other place, where they might be lesse annoyance. Master Thynne being a herold liketh not that false semblance should be thought one. ”

“ The stork bewrayeth not adultery but wreaketh the adultery of his owne mate. Fo: 246. pa: 1. speaking of the storke, you saye that Chaucers woordes “wreaker of adulterye” shoulde 68 rather bee “bewrayer of Adulterye;” whiche in truth accordinge to one propryetye of his nature may be as you saye, but according to another propryetye of his nature, yt sholde be “the wreaker of Adulterye,” as Chaucer hathe; for he ys a greater wreaker of the adulterye of his owne kynde and female than the bewrayer of the adulterye of one other kynde, and of his hostesse one the toppe of whose howse he harborethe. ”

“ Aristotle, in Rosario Philosophorum, sayethe, “nullum tingens venenum generatur absque sole et eius vmbra, id est, uxore.” whiche venome they call by all names presentinge or signifyinge poysone, as a toode, a dragon, a Basilyske, a serpente, arsenicke, and suche lyke; and by manye other names, as “in exercitacione ad turbam philosophorum,” apperethe, wher aqua simplex is called venenum, Argentum vivum, Cinnabar, aqua permanens, gumma, acetum, urina, aqua maris, Draco, serpens, etc. ”

“ Autenticke meaneth a thing of auctoritye, not of antiquitye. Autenticke you expounde to be antiquytye. But howe you may seme to force and racke the worde to Chaucers meaninge, I knowe not; but sure I ame the proper signyficatione of autenticke is a thinge of auctoritye or credit allowed by menne of auctoritye, or the originall or fyrste archetypum of any thinge; whiche I muse that you did not remember.
Abandone is not liberty though Hollyband sayeth so. Abandone you expounde libertye; whiche in all Italiane, Frenche, and Spanishe, signifyeth relinquere, 34 to forsake and leave a thinge ”

“ Resager is ratsbane or arsenic. ffyftlye You expounde not Resager, beinge a terme of Alchymye; as you leave manye of them vntouched. This worde sholde rather be resalgar, wherefore I will shewe you what resalgar ys in that abstruse science, whiche Chawcer knewe full well, althoughe he enveye againste the sophisticall abuse thereof in the chanons Yeomans Tale. This Resalgar is that whiche by some is called Ratesbane, a kynde of poysone named Arsenicke, which the chimicall philosophers call their venome or poysone. ”

“ The Romante of the Rose began by Guillm̄ de Loris, and finished by John de la Meune. In the title of the augmente to euerye tale and booke you write, that the Romante of the Roose was made in frenche by Johne Clopinell alias Johne Moone; when in truthe the booke was not made by hym alone: 22 for yt was begonne by Guillame de Loris, and fynished 28 fourtye yeres after the death of Loris, by Johne de Meune alias Johne Clopinell, as apperethe by Molinet, the frenche author of the moralytye vppon the Romante of the Roose, ca. 50. ”

“ But as you haue left yt at libertee to the reader to iudge, so I thinke yt must nedes be Theophraste; as the author [of] Policraticon in his eighte Booke, ca. 11. The wife of Bath’s Prologue taken from the author of Policraticon. (from whome Chaucer borrowethe almost worde for worde a great parte of the Wyfe of Bathes Prologe,) doth vouche yt, for the author of that booke, Johannes Sarisburi­ensis, lyvinge in the tyme of Henrye the seconde, sayethe, Fertur authore Hieronimo Aureolus Theophrasti liber, de nuptiis, in quo quæritur an vir sapiens ducat vxorem, etc. ”

“ And because you shall not thinke that yt was onlye vsed of the Clergye, you shall fynde in a record of the Towre that yt was also one ornamente of the kings garmente, since the Conqueste, for, in Rotulo Patentium 6. Johannis in Dorso (in whiche the kinge comaunded the templers to deliuer suche jewells, garmentes, and ornamentes as they had of the kings in kepinge,) are these wordes: “Dalmaticam de eodem samitto vrlatani de orfreyes et cum lapidibus.” ”

“ Wherefore I conclude with the frenche, and the former editione of Chaucer in the yere of Christe 1542, that False Semblance was of righte to be made kinge of Harlottes, and not of Haroldes, who wolde mightely be offended to haue them holden of the conditions of false semblance. Nowe here be nugæ in the Romante of the Roose, 74 I cannott (as the proverb ys) take my hand from the table, (fyndinge go manye oversightes in the two last editiones,) but must speake of one thing more, deserving correctione, in these woordes of the Romante, fo. ”