Glosses for Quiz on the Wife of Bath's Tale (Lines III.857-1254)

Compare your translations with the glossed text:

867 That serchen every lond and every streem,
      serchen: haunt

878 Wommen may go saufly up and doun.
      saufly: safely

887 Of which mayde anon, maugree hir heed,
      maugree hir heed: against her will, despite all she could do

898 To chese wheither she wolde hym save or spille.
      spille: put to death

909 A twelf-month and a day, to seche and leere
      seche: search     leere: learn

911 And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace,
      suretee; pledge

922 But he ne koude arryven in no coost
      coost: coast (region)

941 That we nel kike, for he seith us sooth.
      nel kike: will not (nel = ne wil) kick back

944 We wol been holden wise and clene of synne.
      holden: considered

950 Pardee, we wommen konne no thyng hele;
      hele: hide, keep secret

965 But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde
      dyde: would die

970 Doun to a mareys faste by she ran --
      mareys: marsh

989 And in his wey it happed hym to ryde,
      it happed hym: he chanced

999 A fouler wight ther may no man devyse.
      devyse: imagine

1030 And afterward this knyght was bode appeere.
      bode appeere: commanded to appear

1059 I woot right wel that swich was my biheste.
      biheste: promise

1069 Sholde evere so foule disparaged be!"
      disparaged: degraded by union with someone of lower birth

1120 For which we clayme to been of heigh parage,
      heigh parage: noble lineage

1136 Pryvee and apert thanne wolde they nevere fyne
      fyne: cease

1142 Yet wole the fyr as faire lye and brenne
      lye: blaze

1152 And he that wole han pris of his gentrye,
      pris of his gentrye: praise for his noble birth

1161 Which is a strange thyng to thy persone.
      strange thyng: thing foreign to, not naturally part of

1189 But he that noght hath, ne coveiteth have,
      have: to have (anything)

1209 Were in no book, ye gentils of honour
      gentils: nobles

1216 Been grete wardeyns upon chastitee.
      wardeyns: guardians

 

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 Tale (III.857-1254), paying close attention to meaning and availing yourself of the page glosses, the explanatory notes, and the glossary.