Glosses for Quiz on the Wife of Bath's Prologue (Lines III.1-856)

Compare your translations with the glossed text:

516 In this matere a queynte fantasye:
      queynte fantasye: curious, strange inclination

522 Greet prees at market maketh deere ware,
      prees: crowd     deere: expensive

533 To hire biwreyed I my conseil al.
      biwreyed: revealed

554 Was shapen for to be, or in what place?
      shapen: destined

566 This clerk and I, that of my purveiance
      purveyance: foresight, provision

582 And al was fals; I dremed of it right naught,
      right naught: not at all

592 I wepte but smal, and that I undertake.
      smal: little     undertake: affirm, declare

622 I ne loved nevere by no discrecioun,
      discrecioun: moderation, prudence

633 He nolde suffre nothyng of my list.
      list: desires

638 And of my tonge a verray jangleresse,
      jangleresse: chatterbox

649 Withouten his wityng, he forsook hire eke.
      wityng: knowledge

664 This made hym with me wood al outrely;
      al outrely: entirely

691 Ne of noon oother womman never the mo.
      never the mo: in any way

699 Mercurie loveth wysdam and science,
      science: knowledge

719 Lo, heere expres of womman may ye fynde
      expres: clearly

767 And lete hir lecchour dighte hire al the nyght,
      dighte: copulate with

788 And whan I saugh he wolde nevere fyne
      fyne: cease

799 Til atte laste out of my swogh I breyde.
       swogh: swoon     breyde: started up, awoke

806 That I have doon, it is thyself to wyte.
      to wite: to blame

809 And seyde, `Theef, thus muchel am I wreke;
      wreke; avenged

818 By maistrie, al the soveraynetee,
      soveraynetee: sovereignty, mastery

832 And whan the Somonour herde the Frere gale,
      gale: cry out

844 "Now elles, Frere, I bishrewe thy face,"
      bishrewe: curse

848 That I shal make thyn herte for to morne,
      morne: mourn

852 Ye fare as folk that dronken ben of ale.
      fare: act

 

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 The Wife of Bath's Prologue (III.1-856), paying close attention to meaning and availing yourself of the page glosses, the explanatory notes, and the glossary. Go on to The Wife of Bath's Tale.