117.

120.

121.

122.

123.

And here again your clothing I restore,
And eke your wedding ring forevermore.

"The remnant of your jewels ready be
Within your chamber, dare I safely sayn.
Naked out of my father's house," quoth she,
"I came, and naked mote I turn again.
All your pleasaunce would I fulfill fain;
But yet I hope it be not your intent

That I smokles* out of your palace went."

"The smok," quoth he, "that thou hast on thy back,
Let it be still, and bear it forth with thee."

But well unnethes thilke word he spake,
But went his way for ruth and for pity.
Before the folk hirselven strippeth she,
And in her smok, with foot and head all bare,
Toward her father's house forth is she fare.

The folk her folwen weeping in hir way,
And fortune aye they cursen as they gone;
But she from weeping kept her eyen drey,
Ne in this time word ne spake she none.
Her father, that this tiding heard anon,
Curseth the day and time, that nature
Shope him to be a lives creature.

For, out of doubt, this olde poore man
Was ever in suspect of her marriage.
For ever he deemed, sith that it began,
That when the lord fulfilled had his courage,
Him woulde think that it were disparage
To his estate, so lowe for to light,

And voiden her as soon as ever he might.

Agains his daughter hastily goeth he;
For he by noise of folk knew her coming;

* Smokles (A. S. smocc; Ice. smokkr, chemise. As to -les, see reccheles, Index), without under-garment.-Unnethes, with difficulty. See Index.-Ruth (A. S. hreowan, to rue; Ger. reuen), sorrow, compassion.-Fare (A. S. and Goth. faran, to go; Ger. fahren; Ice. and Sw. fara; Dan. fare), gone.-Folwen (A. S. folgian; Ger. folgen, to follow), follow.-Drey (A. S. dryg, dryge, drege, dry; D. droog; Ger. trocken), dry.--Time. Dissyl.-Shope, shaped. See schope, Index.-Lives (A. S. libban, to live; libbe, surviving; lif, life; Ger. leben, to live), live, living.-Courage, inclination.-Disparage (Lat. dispar, unequal; dis, asunder; par, equal), a disparagement. Acc. 1st and 3d syl.-Voiden, make empty, remove, cause to quit. See void, Index.-Agains (A. S. agen, ongegn; Ger. entgegen, against; O. Eng. agens; A. S. to-geanes, to genes, toward, against; Fries. aien, agen; D. tegens. Agains is here probably the genitive case of an old noun), towards, to meet. To illustrate this origin of agains, or against, we may remark, that since, amongst, betwixt, amidst, and whilst are also old genitives. See Gibbs' Teutonic Etymology.

The smok, quoth he, that thou hast on thy back. The sound of a in hast and back, as well as that of a in half, being one of the very earliest and easiest, stands at the head of the Indo-European and some other languages, and often seems to be used where no reason exists for any other special Vowel

124.

125.

126.

And with her olde coat,* as it might be,
He covereth her, full sorrowfully weeping.
But on her body might he it not bring,
For rude was the cloth, and more of age
By dayes fele than at her marriage.

Thus with her father for a certain space
Dwelleth this flower of wifely patience,
That neither by her wordes ne by her face,
Beforn the folk, nor eke in her absence,
Ne shewed she that her was done offence;
Ne of her high estate no remembrance
Ne hadde she, as by her countenance.

No wonder is, for in her great estate
Her ghost was ever in plain humility;
Ne tender mouth, no hearte delicate,
Ne pompe, ne semblant of realty;
But full of patient benignity,

Discreet and prideless, aye honorable,

And to her husband ever meek and stable.

Men speak of Job, and most of his humblesse,
As clerkes, when hem list, can well indite;
Namely, of men; but as in soothfastness,
Though clerkes praisen women but a lite,
There can no man in humblesse him acquite
As women can, ne can be half so true

As women ben, but it befall of new.

*Coat, frock, gown.-Fele (A. S. fela, fele; Ger. viel, many), many.-Beforn (A. S. be-; Goth. bi-; O. Ger. pi-; Ger., Sw., Dan., D., be-, originally the same as by, and denoting nearness of place; sometimes giving emphasis, as bedeck, bedaub. See note on betide, st. 4; and see Teutonic Etymology, by Prof. Gibbs. Often, as here, the original meaning of the prefix is lost. Fore is A. S. for, fore; Ger. fùr, vor; Lat. pro; Gr. πрó, in front; A. S. beforan ; O. Eng. beforn; Ger. bevor), in front, before.-Her was done, to her was done.-Ghost (A. S. gast, breath; O. Eng. gast; Ice. geysa, to be impelled; whence geyser, a spouting spring of boiling water), spirit.-Pompe. Dissyl.-Realty (0. Fr. roial, real. The ending -ty is fr. Lat. -itas, which is much used in Lat. to form abstract substantives), royalty. See real, st. 31.-Aye (Gr. deí, ever; aióv, an age; Lat. ævum; Goth. aivs; Ice. afi; A. S. awa, aa, a, always), always.— Humblesse (Lat. humilitas, humility; humus, the ground; Gr. xauai, on the ground; xaμaλós), humility.-Clerkes (Lat. clericus, a clergyman; Gr. κλŋpɩkós, a priest; κλpos, a lot, the clergy, to whom lands were allotted for their support; A. S. clerc, cleric, cleroc, priest, clerk; afterwards any educated person, for the ministers of religion were almost the only literary men), scholars.— Lite (A. S. lyt, lytel), little.-Him acquite, acquit himself, conduct himself. But it befall of new, unless it happen recently. The word ben, in this line, illustrates the O. Eng. plural in -en. So we have, four lines before, praisen, and, in st. 121, folwen and cursen. The loss of this ending and the dropping of inflections generally, accompany the transition from A. S. to Eng.

Ne of her high estate no remembrance. The sound of m in remembrance, being highly internal, made with closed lips, is exceedingly suggestive of subjectivity, belongs to one's own consciousness, and is indicative of important mental operations. E. g., Sans. man, to think; Gr. unviw; Lat. moneo, I remind; memini, I remember; Ger. mahnen, meinen, Eng. mean, to intend, imply; Lat. mens, Eng. mind. Hence, perhaps, the word man, A. S. mann, mon, means the thinker. Other examples?

127.

128.

129.

130.

PARS SEXTA.

From Boloygne is the Earl of Panik come,
Of which the fame up sprang to more and less;*
And to the peoples eares, all and some,

Was couth eke that a newe marquisess

He with him brought, in such pomp and richess,
That never was there seen with mannes eye

So noble array in all West Lombardy.

The marquis which that shope and knew all this,
Ere that this earl was come, sent his message

For thilke poore sely Griseldes.

And she with humble heart and glad visage,
Not with no swollen heart in her courage,
Came at his hest, and on her knees her sette,
And reverently and wisely she him grette.

"Griseld," quoth he, "my will is utterly,
This maiden, that shall wedded be to me,
Received be to-morrow as really

As it possible is in mine hous to be;
And eke that every wight in his degree
Have his estate in sitting and service,
In high pleasaunce, as I can best devise.
"I have no woman suffisant certain
The chambers for to array in ordinance
After my lust, and therefore would I fain,
That thine were all such manner governance.
Thou knowest eke of old all my pleasance.

* More and less, great and small.—All and some, 'all and singular,' each and all. -Couth, known. See couthen, Index.-Richess, riches. See Index.-Sely (A. S. sel, good; salig, gesalig, happy; Ger. selig; O. Eng. seely, lucky, inoffensive), good. This is the original of our word silly, the notion of innocence easily passing, in the minds of our naughty ancestors, into that of folly.-Grette (A. S. gretan, to address; Ger. gruszen, to greet), greeted.Really, royally. See really, Index.-Mine. Monosyl.-Sitting (A. S. sittan for sitian; Ger. sitzen, to sit; Lat. sedere. See Grimm's law, by which sed- in sedere becomes set or sit; Gr. Souat. The suffix -ing has several uses: (1) to form a present active participle, it being then akin to Sans. -ant; Gr. -ovт; Lat. -ent, or -ant; A. S. -ende, -and, and -ande; Ger. -end; O. Eng. -and, as glitterand in Spenser; (2) to form an adjective, it being then the same in origin as the participle; (3) to form an abstract verbal noun, it being then the same as the Gothic-eins; Ice. -ung; D. -ing; Ger. and A. S. -ung ; (4) to form, in A. S., patronymic nouns, as Elising, the son of Elisha; (5) to indicate, in the Saxon tongue, offspring, as Browning, brown offspring; (6) to denote meadow or field in O. Eng., as Ruddington, town of the red meadow), situation.-Suffisant (Fr., fr. Lat. sufficiens), sufficient. See suffisance, Index.-Ordinance, order, good order.-Lust, inclination, pleasure.-Manner governance, manner of direction. See manner sergeant, st. 67. Governance is fr. Gr. Kußeprav, to act as pilot; Lat. gubernare; Fr. gouverner, to govern; gouvernance, government.-Knowest. Give the derivation, root-meaning, etc., of each word in this line.

Not with no swollen heart in her courage. The sound of sw in swollen is said to denote gentle motion, this notion arising from the soft sound of w (which is the same nearly as oo in foot or smooth). E. g., sway, swagger, sweep, swell, swerve, swing. Other examples?

131.

132.

133.

134.

Though thine array be bad and evil byseye,*
Do thou thy devoir at the leste way."

"Not only, lord, that I am glad," quoth she,
"To don your lust, but I desire also
You for to serve and please in my degree,
Withoute fainting, and shall evermo.
Ne never for no weal, ne for no wo,

Ne shall the ghost within mine hearte stent
To love you best with all my true intent."

And with that word she gan the house to dight
And tables for to set and beddes make,
And pained her to don all that she might,
Praying the chambereres for Goddes sake
To hasten 'em and faste sweep and shake,
And she, the most serviceable of all,
Hath every chamber arrayed, and his hall.
Abouten undern gan this earl alight,

That with him brought these noble children twey;
For which the people ran to see the sight

Of her array, so richely byseye.

And then at erst amonges em they say

That Walter was no fool, though that him lest
To change his wife; for it was at the best.
For she is fairer, as they deemen all,
Than is Griseld, and more tender of age;
And fairer fruyt between them shoulde fall,
And more pleasant for her high lineage.

Her brother eke so fair was of visage

* Byseye (A. S. beseon, to view; fr. be and see), beseen, adapted, adjusted. Evil byseye, ill to be seen.-Devoir (Fr. fr. Lat. debere, to owe, fr. de, from, and habere, to have; to have something from another, and so to owe), duty.-Leste (A. S. lytel, little; A. S. lassa, lasse, less; lasest, last, least), least. At the leste way, at least.-Stent, cease, be weary. See stint, Index. -Dight (A. S. dightan, to dictate, arrange; fr. Lat. dictare, to dictate; fr. dic-ere, to speak; Ger. dichten, to write poetry), set in order.-Pained, took pains. Dissyl.-Chamberes, chambermaid. See Index.-Undern, nine in the morning. See st. 30.-Twey, two. See Index.-Byseye, adjusted. See above.-Amonges•(A. S. amang, onmang, among, fr. gemang, mixture; Ger. and D. mengen, to mix; Dan. mänge, to mix: -st or -est, is usually the superlative ending; but here is probably an old genitive ending -es; O. Eng. amonges, in the crowd), among.-Deemen (A. S. deman, to think), deem. O. Eng. plu.-Fruyt (Lat. fructus, fruit; frui, to enjoy; Fr. fruit), fruit, offspring.

Ne never for no weal, ne for no wo. The sound of the first e in never, is really nothing more than the shortened sound of a in hate. The sound of e in the French word feve is akin to the sound of a in care. The sound of e in her, is the same as that of u in fur. E is a very frequent substitute for other vowels, as well as for the leading vowel. It is also often silent. These facts explain the frequent recurrence of the letter, without reference to the possible natural signification of the sound. When a little sound, however, it is not inappropriate to express little things and little actions. Thus lancet, trumpet, pocket, streamlet, cockerel, pickerel, satchel, crackle (once pronounced crack-le = crack-ly), diminutives from lance, trump, pock, stream, cock, pike, sack, crack. Give other illustrations.

135.

136.

137.

138.

That hem to seen the people hath caught pleasance,
Commending now the marquis' governance.*

O stormy people, unsad and ever untrue!
And undiscreet and changing as a fane,
Delighting ever in rumble that is new;
For, like the moone, waxen ye and wane.
Aye full of clapping, dear enough a jane,
Your doom is false, your constance evil previth
A full great fool is he that on you lieveth!
Thus saiden sade folk in that city,
When that the people gazed up and down;
For they were glad right for the novelty,
To have a newe lady of their town.
No more of this now make I mentioun,

But to Griseld again I will me dress,
And tell her constance and her business.
Full busy was Griseld in everything,
That to the feste was appertinent.

Right naught was she abashed of her clothing,
Though it were rude and some del eke to-rent;
But with glad cheere to the gate is went
With other folk, to greet the marquisesse,
And after that doth forth her business.

With so glad cheer his guestes she receiveth,
And cunningly everich in his degree,
That no defaute no man apperceiveth,

But aye they wondren what she mighte be,

* Governance, management. See governance, Index.-Unsad, unsteady. See sad, Index. -Fane (A. S. fana, a banner; Ger. fahne, D. vaan; O. Eng. fane; Goth. fana, a cloth), vane, weathercock.--Rumble (Fr. romeler; Ger. rummeln. This is one of the onomatopoetic class of words; i. e., those words whose sound, in pronouncing them, is like the sound they indicate, as hiss, buzz), rumor.-Jane (Lat. Genua; Low Lat. janua; O. Eng. Jean; Genoa), a small coin of Genoa.-A Jane, at a farthing.-Preveth (O. Fr. prover; Fr. prouver, to prove; Lat. probare, to try, approve, fr. probus, good; A. S. profian; Ger. prufen, proben), proveth.-Lieveth (A. S. lefan, to allow; gelefan, to believe; leafa, belief; Ger. glauben, to believe), believeth.-Sade, thoughtful. See sad, Index. Dissyl.-Dress (Lat. dirigere, to direct; dis, apart, regère, to straighten; Fr. dresser, to make straight), direct.-Del (A. S. del, part; dælan, to divide, deal out; Ger. theilen, to divide; theil, a portion), part.-Somedel, somewhat.-To-rent (A. S. to; Ger. zu; A. S. rendan, to rend; W. rhanu, to divide), torn.-Went, gone. See went, Index.-Business (A. S. bysig, biseg, busy; Ice. bisa, to work hard. For the suffix -ness, see homeliness, Index), business. Trisyl. -Cunningly (A. S. cunnan, to know, be able, can; O. Eng. cun, to know, con, to know, to study over; Goth. kunnan; D. kunnen; Ger. konnen, to know; O. Eng. ken. Is not this word allied to the root gno- in i-gno-sco, and ytyvwσko ?), with skill.-Everich (A. S. afer, ever; Lat. ævum, an age; Gr. aióv; A. S. av, eternity; a, always; ylk, same; alc, elc, each), every one.— Defaute (0. Fr. defaulte; Fr. defaut, deficiency; Lat. de, down; fallere, to deceive), defect.

O stormy people, unsad and ever untrue. The sound of o is produced by the muscles in a state of tension around the lips, accompanied by a forcible expiration (and sometimes inspiration). It is appropriate to express pain, wonder, surprise. Hence its universal use as an interjection. When prolonged, it may express greatness. Examples?