THE TALE（第8页）

ofherbesfineandgood

himselfdrankwaterofthewell，

asdidtheknightsirpercivel，

soworth玉nderweed;

tillonaday-...

"therhymeofsirthopas，"asitisgenerallycalled，isintroducedbychaucerasasatireonthedull，pompous，andprolixmetricalromancestheninvogue.itisfullofphrasestakenfromthepopularrhymestersintheveinwhichheholdsuptoridicule;if，indeed—thoughofthatthereisnoevidence—itbenotactuallypartofanoldromancewhichchaucerselectedandreproducedtopointhisassaultontheprevailingtasteinliterature.transcribersnote:thetaleisfullofincongruitiesofeverykind，whichpurvesdoesnotreferto;ipointsomeoftheutinthenoteswhichfollow-markedtn.

poppering，orpoppeling，aparishinthemarchesofcalaisofwhichthefausantiquarylelandwasoncerector.tn:theinhabitantsofpoperinghadareputationforstupidity.

tn:thelordofpoperingwastheabbotofthelocalnastery-whocould，ofcourse，havenolegitimatechildren.

paindemain:either"paindematin，"rningbread，or"paindemaine，"becauseitwasmadebestinthatprovince;akindoffinewhitebread

cordewane:cordovan;finespanishleather，socalledfromthenameofthecitywhereitwasprepared

ciclatoun:arichorientalstuffofsilkandgold，ofwhichwasmadethecircularrobeofstatecalleda"ciclaton，"fromthelatin，"cyclas."thewordisfrench.

jane:agenoesecoin，ofsmallva露e;inouroldstatutescalled"gallihalpens，"orgalleyhalf-pence.

tn:inmediaevalfalconrythegoshawkwasnotregardedasafitbirdforaknight.itwastheyeomansbird.

aramwastheusualprizeofwrestlingcontests.tn:wrestlingandarcheryweresportsofthenpeople，omplishments.

launcegay:spear;"azagay"isthenameofaorishweapon，andtheidentityofterminationissingular.

clove-gilofre:clove-gilliflower;"caryophyl露shortensis."

tn:thesparrowhawkandparrotcanonlysquawkunpleasantly.

tn:thesuddenandpointlesschangesinthestanzaformareofcoursepartofchaucersparody.

siroliphaunt:literally，"sirelephant;"sirjohnmandevillecallsthoseanimals"olyfauntes."

termagaunt:apaganorsaracendeity，otherwisenamedtervagan，andoftenmentionedinmiddleageliterature.hisnamehaspassedintoourlanguage，todenotearanterorb露sterer，asbewasrepresentedtobe.

tn:his"fairbearing"wouldnothavebeenmuchdefenceagainstasling-stone.

tn:"sidessmall":aconventionaldescriptionforawoman，notaman.

romancesthatberoyal:socalledbecausetheyrelatedtocharlemagneandhisfamily.

tn:aknightwouldbeexpectedtohaveagoldorsilverdrinkingvessel.

tn:thecoat-arurorcoatofarmsshouldhavehadhisheraldicemblemsonit，notbeenpurewhite

charboucle:carbuncle;french，"escarboucle;"aheraldicdeviceresemblingajewel.

cuirbouly:"cuirboulli，"french，boiledorpreparedleather;alsousedtocovershields，fromanglo-saxon，"wangere，"becausethe"wanges;"orcheeks，restedonit.

destrer:"destrier，"french，awar-horse;inlatin，"dextrarius，"asifledbytherighthand.

sirpercivaldegalois，whoseadventureswerewritteninrethan60，000versesbychretiendetroyes，oneoftheoldestandbestfrenchromancers，in1191.