The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

TRiO US AND' CRASS A;.
chamber b lis friend Pandarus, the uncle of Bears eke the wh6esome herbs, ad-ful oft
Cressida.. Pandarus, seeking to divert hi sor- Next to the foul ettlet, rougnd tii,
row by making him angry, jeeringl -aasks The lily waxeth, white, and smooth, and soft
whether remorse of conscience, or devotion, And next the valley isthehillaloft,
or fear of - the Greeks, has caused all this ado. And next the darke nightlis the glad morrow
Troilus pitifully beseeches his friend to leave And also joy is next the fiee8 of sorrow."
him to die alone, for die he must, from a cause
which he miust keep hidden; but Pandarus Pandarus holds out to Troilus good hope. of
argues against Troilus' cruelty in hiding from achieving his desire; and tes hi that, since
a friend such a sorrow, and Troilus at last con- he has been converted from his wicked rebellion
fesses that his malady is love. Pandarus against Love, he shall be made the best post of
suggests that the belove&-object may be such allove's law, and mot grieve Loves enemies
that his counsel might advance his friend's Troilus gives utterance to a hint of fear-; but he
desires; but Troilus scouts the suggestion, is silenced by Pandarus with another proverbsaying that Pandarus could never govern him- Thou hast full great care, lest that the carl
self in love. should fall out of the moon." Then the lovesick youth breaks into a joyous boast that some
"Yea, Troilus, hearken to me," quoth of the Greeks shall smart; he mounts his horse,
Pandare, and plays the lion in the field; while Pandarus
"Though I be nice;I it happens often so, retires to consider how he may best recommend
That one that access 2 doth full evil fare, to his niece the suit of Troilus.
By good counsel can keep his friend therefro'.
I have my selfe seen a blind man go THE SEcoND Boo.
Where as he fell that looke could full wide;
A fool may eke a wise man often guide. IN the Proem to the Second Book, the poet
"Awhetstoe is no cvi in, hails the clear weather that enables him to sail
A'whetstone is no'carving instrument,
out of those black waves in which his beat so
But yeit make sharp carving to is; laboured that he could scarcely steer-that is,
And, if thou know'st that I have aught miswent,3 rtht is
Eschewthouthat, forsuch thingtothee school4is.'the tempestuous matter of despair, that Troilus
Eschewthouthat, for such thing to thee school4is.
was in; but now of hope the kalendels begin."
Thus oughte wise men to beware by fooles; was in; but nowof hope thekalendsbegin.
If so thou do thy wit is well bewared by fHe invokes the aid of Clio; excuses himself to
By its contrariy is everything declwared. every lover for what may be found amiss in a
book which he only translates; and, obviating
"For how might ever sweetness have been any lover's objection to the way in which Troilus
know obtained his lady's grace-through Pandarus'
To him that never tasted bitterness? mediation-sys it seems to him no wonderful
And -.o man knows what gladness is, I -trow, thing:
That never was in sorrow or distress:' "For ev'ry wighte that to Romie went
Eke white by black, by shame eke worthiness, Held not one path, nor alway one mannere;
Each set by other, more for other s~eemeth,5 Eke in some lands were all the game y-shent.9
As men may see; and so the wise man deemeth." If that men far'd in love as men do here,
As thus, in open dealing and in cheer,
Troilus, however, still begs his friend to leave dealing and incheer,
him to mourn in peace, for all his proverbs can In visiting,inform,orsayingtheirsaws; i
avail nothing. But Pandarus insists on plying Fo thus men say: Each contryhathits laws.
the lover with wise saws, arguments, reproaches; "Eke scarcely be there in this place three
hints that, if he should die of love, his lady may That have in love done or said like in all;"'
impute his death to fear of the Greeks; and And so that which the poem relates may not'finally induces Troilus to admit that the well of please the reader-but it actually was done, or
all his woe, his sweetest foe, is called Cressida. it shall yet be done. The Book sets out with,Pandarus breaks into praises of the lady, and -the visit of Pandarud to Cressida: —
congratulations of his friend for so well fixing
In May, that mother is of monthdsglade1
his heart; he makes Troilus utter a formal con- In y, that mother is ofmonth la
When all the fresh6 flowers,green and red,
fession of his sin in jesting at lovers, andbidsBe quick 13 again, that wint deade made,
him think well that she of whom rises all his
And full of balm is floating ev'ry mead;
woe, hereafter may his comfort be also.
When Phoebus doth his brightB beames spread
"For thilke 6 ground, that bears the weedes Right in the white Bull, so it betid'14
wick' As I shall sing, on Maye's day the thiid,l
1 Foolish.'2 In an access of fever. or to have had a special importance in cocqnection with
3 Erred, failed. 4 Schooling, lesson. those May observances of which the poet so often
5 That is, its quality is made more obvious by the speaks.. It is on the third night of May that Palamon',
contrast. 6 That same. in The Knight's Tale, breaks out of prison, and at early
7 Groweth.' 8 The border, the end. morn encounters in the forest Arcita,. who has gone
S9 ll the sport spoilt. 10 Sayings, speeches. forth to pluck a garland in honour of May (pages 31,
11 Alike in all respects. 2: Glad. 32; 32it is on the third night of, May thatthe poet hears
13 Alive. 14 Happened. th dbe of "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" (page
15 The Third of May seems either to have possessed 212)-; and again in the present passage the favotre4.peculiar favour or significance with Chaucerpersonally, daterecurs.