Notes to the Nun's Priest's Tale

23. Undern:  In this case, the meaning of "evening" or "afternoon" can hardly be applied to the word, which must be taken to signify some early hour of the forenoon. See also note 4 to the Wife of Bath's tale and note 5 to the Clerk's Tale.

24. Ganilion: a traitor.  See note 9 to the Shipman's Tale and note 28 to the Monk's Tale.

25. Greek Sinon: The inventor of the Trojan Horse. See note 14 to the Squire's Tale

26. Boult it from the bren: Examine the matter thoroughly; a metaphor taken from the sifting of meal, to divide the fine flour from the bran.

27. Thomas Bradwardine, Archbishop of Canterbury in the thirteenth century, who wrote a book, "De Causa Dei," in controversy with Pelagius; and also numerous other treatises, among them some  on predestination.

28. In a popular mediaveal Latin treatise by one Theobaldus, entitled "Physiologus de Naturis XII. Animalium" ("A description of the nature of twelve animals"),  sirens or mermaids are described as skilled in song, and drawing unwary mariners to destruction by the sweetness of their voices.

29. "Nigellus Wireker," says Urry's Glossary, "a monk and precentor of Canterbury, wrote a Latin poem intituled 'Speculum Speculorum,' ('The mirror of mirrors') dedicated to William Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, and Lord Chancellor; wherein, under the fable of an Ass (which he calls 'Burnellus') that desired a longer tail, is represented the folly of such as are not content with their own condition. There is introduced a tale of a cock, who having his leg broke by a priest's son (called Gundulfus) watched an opportunity to be revenged; which at last presented itself on this occasion: A day was appointed for Gundulfus's being admitted into holy orders at a place remote from his father's habitation; he therefore orders the servants to call him at first cock-crowing, which the cock overhearing did not crow at all that morning. So Gundulfus overslept himself, and was thereby disappointed of his ordination, the office being quite finished before he came to the place." Wireker's satire was among the most celebrated and popular Latin poems of the Middle Ages. The Ass was probably as Tyrwhitt suggests, called "Burnel" or "Brunel," from his brown colour; as, a little below, a reddish fox is called "Russel."

30. Flattour: flatterer; French, "flatteur."

31. Losengeour: deceiver, cozener; the word had analogues in the French "losengier," and the Spanish "lisongero." It is probably connected with "leasing," falsehood; which has been derived from Anglo-Saxon "hlisan," to celebrate -- as if it meant the spreading of a false renown

32. Dan Russel: Master Russet; a name given to the fox, from his reddish colour.

33. Geoffrey de Vinsauf was the author of a well-known mediaeval treatise on composition in various poetical styles of which he gave examples. Chaucer's irony is therefore directed against some grandiose and affected lines on the death of Richard I., intended to illustrate the pathetic style, in which Friday is addressed as "O Veneris lachrymosa dies" ("O tearful day of Venus").

34. "Priamum altaria ad ipsa trementem
     Traxit, et in multo lapsantem sanguine nati
     Implicuitque comam laeva, dextraque coruscum
     Extulit, ac lateri capulo tenus abdidit ensem.
     Haec finis Priami fatorum."
("He dragged Priam trembling to his own altar, slipping on the
blood of his child; He took his hair in his left hand, and with the
right drew the flashing sword, and hid it to the hilt [in his body].
Thus an end was made of Priam")
-- Virgil, Aeneid. ii. 550.

35. Jack Straw: The leader of a Kentish rising, in the reign of Richard II, in 1381, by which the Flemish merchants in London were great sufferers.

36. Beams: trumpets; Anglo-Saxon, "bema."

37. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." -- 2 Tim. iii. 16.

NOTES TO THE EPILOGUE

1.  The sixteen lines appended to the Tale of the Nun's Priest
seem, as Tyrwhitt observes, to commence the prologue to the
succeeding Tale -- but the difficulty is to determine which that
Tale should be. In earlier editions, the lines formed the opening
of the prologue to the Manciple's Tale; but most of the
manuscripts acknowledge themselves defective in this part, and
give the Nun's Tale after that of the Nun's Priest. In the Harleian
manuscript, followed by Mr Wright, the second Nun's Tale, and
the Canon's Yeoman's Tale, are placed after the Franklin's tale;
and the sixteen lines above are not found -- the Manciple's
prologue coming immediately after the "Amen" of the Nun's
Priest. In two manuscripts, the last line of the sixteen runs thus:
"Said unto the Nun as ye shall hear;" and six lines more
evidently forged, are given to introduce the Nun's Tale.  All this
confusion and doubt only strengthen the certainty, and deepen
the regret, that "The Canterbury Tales" were left at Chaucer's,
death not merely very imperfect as a whole, but destitute of
many finishing touches that would have made them complete so
far as the conception had actually been carried into
performance.

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