#  Glosses for quiz #1 of the The Reeve's Prologue and Tale (Lines I.3855-4045) 

 



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**Compare your translations with the glossed text:**

3855 Whan folk hadde laughen at this nyce cas  
**nyce cas**: foolish business  
  
3863 He gan to grucche, and blamed it a lite.  
**grucche**: complain  
  
3866 If that me liste speke of ribaudye.  
**ribaudye**: ribaldry, coarse jesting  
  
3871 But if I fare as dooth an open-ers --  
**open-ers**: fruit of the medlar  
  
3878 To have an hoor heed and a grene tayl,  
**hoor**: white-haired  
  
3884 Avauntyng, liyng, anger, coveitise;  
**Avauntyng**: boasting **coveitise**: greed, avarice  
  
3885 Thise foure sparkles longen unto **eelde**.  
**eelde**: old age  
  
3892 Deeth **drough the tappe** of lyf and **leet it gon**,  
**drough the tappe**: drew the tap, turned on the spigot  
  
3901 He seide, "What **amounteth al this wit**?  
*What does all this wisdom amount to?*  
  
3912 For **leveful is with force force of-showve**.  
*For it is permitted (**leveful**) to repel (**of-showve**) force with force*  
  
3918 I pray to God his nekke mote **to-breke**;  
**to-breke**: break in pieces  
  
3923 Upon the whiche brook ther **stant** a **melle**;  
**stant** (*= stondith*), stands **melle**: mill  
  
3931 A joly **poppere** baar he in his **pouche**;  
**poppere**: small dagger **pouche**: pocket  
  
3936 He was a **market-betere** atte fulle.  
**market-betere**: bully, quarrelsome swaggerer  
  
3941 His name was **hootedeynous** Symkyn.  
**hoote**: called **deynous**: haughty  
  
3949 **To saven his estaat of yomanrye**.  
*To maintain his state of free (rather than servile) birth*  
  
3958 That with hire dorste **rage** or ones pleye,  
**rage**: flirt  
  
3964 She was **as digne as water in a dich**,  
**as digne as water in a dich**: as haughty as ditchwater  
  
3967 What for hire **kynrede** and hir **nortelrie**  
**kynrede**: lineage **nortelrie**: nurture, education  
  
3972 In cradel it lay and was a propre **page**.  
**page**: boy  
  
3981 His purpos was for to bistowe hire **hye**  
**hye**: nobly  
  
3992 And on a day it happed, **in a stounde**,  
**in a stounde**: at a time, once  
  
3999 For which the **wardeynchidde and made fare**.  
**wardeyn**: master of the college **chidde and made fare**: chided and made a fuss  
  
4000 But therof sette the millere nat a **tare**  
**tare**: weed (i.e., nothing)  
  
4005 And, oonly for hire myrthe and **revelrye**,  
**revelrye**: pleasure, delight  
  
4020 John knew the wey -- **hem nedede** no gyde --  
**hem nedede**: they needed  
  
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**Score 4 points for each correct answer; if you made an 80 or more go on to continue your reading; if you scored 76 or less, go back and again read carefully through this part (lines I.3855-4045) of the The Reeve's Prologue and Tale, paying close attention to meaning and availing yourself of the page glosses, the explanatory notes, and the glossary.**