Ne that a monk whan he is rekkeles Is like to a fish that is waterles; 186 This is to fay, a monk out of his cloistre;): This ilke text held he not worth an oifire; What! fhuide he ftudie and make himfelven wood, Upon a book in cloitre alway to pore, 185 Or fwinken with his houdes, and laboure, As Auflin bit! how fhal the world be ferved? v. 179. han he is rekkeles] Mf. C. reads cloifierles; to which the only objection is, that if it had been the true reading there would have been no occafion to explain or paraphrase it in ver, 181. The text alluded to is attributed by Gratian, Decret. P. ii. Cau. xvi. q. i. c. 8, to a Pope Eugenius-" Sicut pifcis fine "aquâ caret vitâ, ita fine monafterio monachus." In P. P. according to mf, Cotton, Vefp. B. xvi. (for the paffage is omitted in the printed editions) a fimilar faying is quoted from Gregory; T Gregori the grete clerk gart write in bekes Riyt fo religious roten and iterven That out of covent or cleifire covciten to dwelle. As the known fenfes of rekkcies (viz. careless, negligent,) by no means fuit with this paffage, I am inclined to fuspect that Chaucer poffibly wrote reghelles, i. c. without rule. Regol(from regula) was the Saxon word for a rule, and particularly for a monaftick rule. Hence regol-lif, regularis feu monaftica vita; regol-lage, regularium lex; and in the quotation from Orm Fay, &c. n. 52, an reghel-boc fingnifies the book of rules by which the Auguftinian canons were governed. . 187. As Auf in bit] i. e. biddeth: Chaucer frequently abbreviates the third perfon fingular of the prefent tense in this Therfore he was a prickafoure a right. Greihoundes he hadde as swift as foul of flight. 190 I faw his fleves purfiled at the hond.. His bootes fouple, his hors in gret estat; 195 200 manner. See ver. 976, 983, rit for rideth; ver. 4069, 15686, fint for findeth; ver. 4191, rift for rifeth; ver. 5038, 5071, 5, fant for ftandeth; ver. 7239, fit for fitteth; ver. 7998, fmit for finiteth. .193. bis ferves purfiled] From the Fr. pourfiler, which properly fignifies to work upon the edge. Pur Eng, and pour Fr. are generally corruptions of the Latin pro.—It is not clear what fpecies of fur the gris was, only that it was one of the better forts. See Du Cange in v. Grifeum. Ifit was the fame with vair, (commonly called menerver, i. e, menu vair) as he sup poses, it was probably next in efteem to ermin. See the ftatute 37 E. III. c. 10 and 12. One of Wolfey's ordinances for the reformation of the Auguftinian monks in 1519 is directed against the foppery here described; " In manicis fub nullo modo fur"ruris utantur aut pellibus, nifi prout iis permiffum eft in fta$6 tutis Benedictinis." Monaf. v. ii. p. 567. .203. His Lootes fouple] This is part of the defcription of a He was not pale as a forpined goft; A Frere ther was, a wanton and a mery, In all the ordres foure is non that can So moche of daliance and fayre langage. 203 210 He hadde ymade ful many a mariage Ful wel beloved and familier was he 215 With frankeleins over all in his contree, And eke with worthy wimmen of the Toun, As faide himfelfe, more than a curat, For of his ordre he was a licenciat. 220 225 He may not wepe although him fore smerte ; 230 fmart abbot by an anonymous writer of the 12th century; "Ocreas habebat in cruribus, quafi innatæ effent, fine plica "porrectas." Ms. Bod. James, n. 6, p. 121. Therfore in ftede of weping and praieres Wel coude he finge and plaien on a rote. And over all, ther as profit fhuld arife .233. farfed] Stuffed, from the Fr. farcin v. 237. Of yeddinges] 'This word, being not understood, has been changed in fome copies into tidinges and weddinges. Iț probably means a kind of fong, from the Sax. geddian or gid, dian, to ling. See the Saxon Boethius, cap, i. l. ult. where the words thus fingende cuæth, are rendered in the poetical verfion, p. 152, gyddode thus. See more inttances in Lye's Saxon Dia. The Saxon paffes frequently into y.. 3P And gave a certaine ferme for the grant 255 260 . 256. In principio] This phrafe is commonly explained to refer to the beginning of St. John's Gospel; it may also refer to the beginning of Genefis. In an old French romance, l'Hiftoire des trois Maries, it seems to fignify fome passage in the conclufion of the mafs. Acad. des Inf. t. xiii. p. 521; Moult aife fui quant audio Le Preftre dire in principio, It is not very material in which of thefe fenfes it is understood either here or in ver. 15169. v. 258. His pourchas was, &c.] From the Rom. de la Rofe, 12288; Mieux vault mon pourchas que ma rente. See R. R. 6838. 66 . 260. In lovedayes] A day appointed for the amicable fettlement of differences was called a Love-day. Bracton, 1. v. fol. 369, "fi ante judicium capiatur dies amores."-Rot. Parl. 13 H. IV. n. 13, agayn the fourme of a love-day taken by"twen the fame parties." The gloffary calls them, improperly, Meetings for pleasure and diverfion. They were meetings for bufinefs, though it is probable that the bufinefs when finifhed was usually followed by a treat given to the arbitrators,&c. See the Par. Roll. quoted above. In P. P. fol. xxvii, Sloth in the character of a priest says, I can holde lovedayes, and here a reve's rekenynge, |