#  Glosses for Quiz on the The Merchant's Prologue, Tale, and Epilogue (Lines IV.1213-1440) 

 



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

1269 And namely whan a man is oold and hoor;  
 **hoor**: white-haired  
  
1295 What force though Theofraste liste lye?  
 **What force**: what does it matter  
  
1314 Or moebles -- alle ben yiftes of Fortune  
 **moebles**: personal property  
  
1332 His paradys terrestre, and his disport.  
 **paradys terrestre**: earthly paradise  
  
1361 Do alwey so as wommen wol thee rede.  
 **rede**: advise  
  
1410 And I wol fonde t' espien, on my syde,  
 **fonde t'espien**: try to discover  
  
1458 I feele my lymes stark and suffisaunt  
 **stark**: strong  
  
1512 Crist halt hym of this conseil ful wel apayd.  
 **halt hym** (*= holdeth hym*), considers himself **ful wel apayd**: very well satisfied  
  
1591 For hire sadnesse and hire benyngnytee  
 **sadnesse**: seriousness  
  
1598 For love is blynd alday, and may nat see.  
 **alday**: always  
  
1658 He wolde noon auctoritee allegge,  
 **allegge**: cite, adduce  
  
1671 She may be Goddes meene and Goddes whippe;  
 **meene**: means, instrument  
  
1714 The mooste deyntevous of al Ytaille.  
 **deyntevous**: delicious  
  
1753 That he that nyght in armes wolde hire streyne  
 **streyne**: press  
  
1786 Lyk to the naddre in bosom sly untrewe,  
 **naddre**: adder, serpent  
  
1847 He was al coltissh, ful of ragerye,  
 **coltissh**: frisky as colt **ragerye**: wantonness  
  
1893 The fourthe day compleet fro noon to noon,  
 **compleet**: completed  
  
1911 And therto manly, and eek servysable,  
 **servysable**: willing to serve, attentive  
  
2061 O brotil joye! O sweete venym queynte!  
 **brotil**: uncertain  
  
2198 Or elles I empeyre so my name,  
 **empeyre**: damage  
  
2262 Thanne shal he knowen al hire harlotrye,  
 **harlotrye**: wickedness  
  
2331 I moste han of the peres that I see,  
 **of the peres**: some of the pears  
  
2367 "O stronge lady stoore, what dostow?"  
 **stronge lady stoore**: bold, crude woman  
  
2402 Ne may nat sodeynly so wel yse,  
 **yse**: see  
  
2413 He kisseth hire and clippeth hire ful ofte,  
 **clippeth**: embraces

Score 4 points for each correct answer; if you made an 80 or more, congratulations. If you scored 76 or less, go back and again read carefully through of The Merchant's Prologue, Tale and Epilogue (IV.1213-2440), paying close attention to meaning and availing yourself of the page glosses, the explanatory notes, and the glossary.