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; sælig, gesælig, 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. ësoμai. The suffix -ing has several uses: (1) to form a present active participle, it being then akin to Sans. -ant; Gr. -ovr; 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. κußeрvav, 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), dẹem. 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 (0. 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, regĕre, 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. cùnnan, 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 yɩyvóσkw?), with skill.-Everich (A. S. æfer, ever; Lat. ævum, an age; Gr. aiúv ; 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?

139.

140.

141.

142.

143.

That in so poor array was for to see,
And couthe* such honour and reverence;
And worthily they praisen her prudence.
In all this mene while, she ne stent
This maid and eke her brother to commend,
With all her heart in full benigne intent,
So well that no man could her praise amend.
But at the last, when that these lordes wend
To sitten down to meat, he gan to call
Griseld, as she was busy in the hall.

"Griseld," quoth he, as it were in his play,
"How liketh thee my wife and her beauty!"
"Right well, my lord," quoth she, "for in good fay,
A fairer saw I never none than she.

pray to God give her prosperity ;
And so hope I that he will to you send
Pleasance enough unto your lives end.

"One thing beseech I you and warn also-
That ye ne pricke with no tormenting
This tender maiden, as ye have done mo.
For she is fostered in her nourishing
More tenderly, and, to my supposing,
She coulde not adversity endure
As could a poorly fostered creature."

And when this Walter saw her patience,
Her glade cheer and no malice at all,
And he so oft had done to her offense,
And she aye sad and constant as a wall,
Continuing ever her innocence over all,
This sturdy marquis gan his hearte dress
To rewe upon her wifely steadfastness.

“This is enough, Griselde mine,” quoth he,
'Be now no more aghast, ne evil apaid,

* Couthe, knew. See couthen, Index.-Mene (Lat. medius, midst; Gr. μéoos; It. mezzo; Fr. moyen), mean, middle.--Stent, stinted, withheld. See stint, Index.-Amend (Lat. emendo, fr. out, and menda, spot, stain; whence emendare, to remove a spot or stain), amend, correct, improve. -Wend, go. See went, Index.—Fay (0. Fr. fei; Lat. fides; Fr. foi, faith; O. Eng. feith, fayeth, fay), faith.—Pricke (A. S. priccian; D. prikken, to prick; A. S. prica, a sharp point), prick, sting.--Mo (A. S. me; Goth. mik; Ger. mich; Lat. me; Gr. μé; Sans. má, me), me. Is this a desperate attempt at rhyme ?--Creature. Trisyl.--Malice. Acc. 2d syl.-As a wall. This reminds of the remark attributed to Gen. Lee, "There stands Jackson's brigade lik ea stone wall; whence Stonewall Jackson.-Dress, direct. See st. 136.-Rewe, have compassion. See ruth, Index.-Quoth (Lat. inquit, said; A. S. cwedhan, to say; Mœso-Goth. qitha, qath; O. Ger. quethan ; Dan. qväde; whence -queath in bequeath), said.--Apaid, repaid.

One thing beseech I you and warn also. The sound of e in beseech, requiring some tension of the muscles and closeness of the aperture made by the organs of speech, would seem to be appropriate to express closeness, strain, pressure, effort; as squeeze, squeal, scream. Care must be taken, however, in this case, as in all of these illustrations, not to press the analogy too far.

144.

145.

146.

147.

I have thy faith and thy benignity,
As well as ever woman was, assayed,
In great estate, and poorelich arrayed.
Now know I, deare wife, thy steadfastness.”
And her in arms he took and gan her kiss.
And she for wonder took of it no keep :*
She hearde not what thing he to her said.
She ferde as she had start out of a sleep,
Till she out of her mazedness abraid.
“Griseld,” quoth he, "by God that for us deyd,
Thou art my wife, none other I ne have,

Ne never had, as God my soule save!

"This is my daughter, which thou hast supposed
To be my wife. That other faithfully

Shall be mine heir, as I have aye purposed.
Thou bare them of thy body trewely.

At Boloygne have I kept them privily.
Take them again, for now mayst thou not say
That thou hast lorn none of thy children twey.
"And folk that otherwise have said of me-
I warn them well that I have done this deed
For no malice, ne for no cruelty,
But for to assay thee in thy womanhede,
And not to slay my children-God forbid!
But for to keep them privily and still,
Till I thy purpose knew and all thy will."

When she this heard, aswouned down she falleth
For piteous joy; and, after her swouning,

She both her younge children to her calleth,
And in her armes, piteously weeping,
Embraceth them, and tenderly kissing,
Full like a mother, with her salte tears,

She bathed both her visage and her hairs.

* Keep (A. S. cepan; O. Eng. kepen, to retain), heed.-Ferde (A. S. far, a sudden coming upon, deceit, fear, danger; Ger. gefahr. Akin to ver- in Lat. vereor?) feared.-Start, started.— Mazedness (A. S. mase, a whirlpool; Ice. meis, a winding, curve), amazedness, confusion.—Abraid (A. S. abredian, to draw out, move away), awoke, aroused, recovered. So in Spenser:

"For fear lest her unawares she should abraid " (i. e., awake).

Deyd (0. Fries. and Ice. deya, to die; Goth. divan, to die), died. Spelled to rhyme with abraid.-Lorn (A. S. leosan, to lose; loren, lost; Ger. ver-lieren, to lose; verloren, lost), lost.None. The negative repeated for emphasis.--Aswouned (A. S. swunan, áswunan, to fail in intellect; swânian, to faint; swimman, to swim; svima, vertigo), in a swoon, having swooned.— Piteous, sorrowful.-Swouning, swooning.

And her in arms he took, and gan her kiss. The sound of s or ss as in kiss, is often onomatopoetic, or imitative. E. g. his, siss, whisper, whistle. As a rule, it is disagreeable; though here we have a palpable exception! S at the beginning of some words is supposed to have a demonstrative force; as in so, she, some. Give other illustrations.