麒麟小说

THE TALE（第27页）

ofthistragedyitoughtenoughsuffic

whosowillhearit*inalongerwise，**atgreaterlength*

readethegreatepoetofltale，

thatdantehight，forhecanitdevise

frompointtopoint，notonewordwillhefail。

acioswork，"decasibusvirorumil露strium;"（"storiesofil露striousmen"）butchaucerhastakentheseparatestoriesofwhichitisposedfromdifferentauthors，anddealtwiththemafterhisownfashion。

ioopenshisbookwithadam，whosestoryistoldatmuchgreaterlengththanhere。lydgate，io，speaksofadamandeveasmade"ofslimeoftheerthindamascehefelde。"

judgesxiii。3。ioalsotellsthestoryofsamson;butchaucerseems，byhisquotationafewlinesbelow，tohavetakenhisversiondirectfromthesacredbook。

oliveres:olivetrees;french，"oliviers。"

"liberjudicum，"thebookofjudges;chap。xv。

querne:mill;fromanglo-saxon，"cyrran，"toturn，"cweorn，"amill，

harpies:thestymphalianbirds，whichfedonhumanflesh

busiris，kingofegypt，waswonttosacrificeallforeignersingtohisdominions。herculeswasseized，bound，andledtothealtarbyhisorders，buttheherobrokehisbondsandslewthetyrant。

thefeatsofherculeshererecordedarenotalltheseknownasthe"twelvelabours;"forinstance，thecleansingoftheaugeanstables，andthecaptureofhippolytesgirdlearenotinthislist—otherandlessfausdeedsoftheherotakingtheirplace。forthis，however，usenotchaucer，butboethius，whomhehasalstliterallytranslated，thoughwithsomechangeoforder。

trophee:oneofthemanuscriptshasamarginalreferenceto"tropheusvateschaldaeorum"（"tropheustheprophetofthechaldees"）;butitisnotknownwhatauthorchaucermeant—unlessthereferenceistoapassageinthe"filostrato"io，onwhichchaucerfoundedhis"troi露sandcressida，"andwhichlydgatementions，underthenameof"trophe，"ashavingbeentranslatedbychaucer。

pres:near;french，"pres;"themeaningseemstobe，thisnearer，lowerworld。

ioswork"declarismulieribus。"（"ofil露striouswomen"）

odenatus，who，forhisservicestotheromans，receivedfromgallienusthetitleof"augustus;"hewasassassinatedina。d。266—not，itwasbelieved，withouttheconnivanceofzenobia，eededhinthethrone。

saporwaskingofpersia，whomadetheemperorvalerianprisoner，conqueredsyria，andwaspressingtriumphantlywestwardwhenhewasmetanddefeatedbyodenatusandzenobia。

aurelainbecameemperorina。d。270。

vitremite:thesignificationofthisword，whichisspelledinseveralways，isnotknown。skinnersexplanation，"anotherattire，"foundedonthespelling"autremite，"isobviouslyinsufficient

greatpartofthis"tragedy"ofneroisreallyborrowed，however，fromthe"romanceoftherose。"

trice:thrust;fromanglo-saxon，"an。"

so，inthemanoflawstale，thesultanesspromiseshersonthatshewill"renyherlay。"

asthe"tragedy"ofholofernesisfoundedonthebookofjudith，abees，chap。ix。

abeus;。chap。viii。

six:thehighestcastonadicing-cube;hererepresenthehighestfavouroffortune。

pompeyhadmarriedhisdaughterjuliatocaesar;butshediedsixyearsbeforepompeysfinaloverthrow。

atthebattleofpharsalia，b。c。48。

wordandend:apparentlyacorruptionoftheanglo-saxonphrase，"ordandend，"meaningthewhole，thebeginningandtheend。

attheopeningofthestoryofcroesus，chaucerhascopiedfromhisowntranslationofboethius;butthestoryismainlytakenfromthe"romanceoftherose"