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

 



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**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.