Book V

. 319, was perhaps suggested by the mention of Ascalaphus by Guido (after Dictys, i. 13, Homer, Il. ii. 512) as being one of the Grecian leaders; see allit. Troy-book, l. 4067.

[57] I. e. glove; from Gk. [Greek: cheir], hand, and [Greek: thêkê], case.

[58] Put for xenium ([Greek: xenion]), a gift, present.

[59] Cf. 'And save hir browes ioyneden y-fere'; Troil. v. 813.

[60] _Talke_ is not in the Glossary. As _lk_ is a common way of writing _kk_ (as shewn in my paper on 'Ghost-words' for the Phil. Soc.), the word is really _takke_, a variant of _take_; and the sense is 'let him take.'

[61] Lydgate began his Troy-book on Oct. 31, 1412, and finished it in 1420; see this shewn in my letter to the _Academy_, May 7, 1892.

[62] Hence it was not written by Sir Hugh Eglintoun, if he died either in 1376 or 1381; see Pref. to allit. Troy-book, pp. xvii, xxv.

[63] MS. to disport; _but_ to _is needless_.

[64] MS. I for; I _is needless_.

[65] Two false rimes; _ye_ and _aweye_; _dispyt_ and _bright_ (correctly, _bright e_).

[66] Not _clene_, as in the St. John's MS. and in the Phillipps MS.; for Chaucer never rimes _clene_ (with open _e_) with such words as _grene_, _quene_ (with close _e_); see, on this point, the remarks on my Rime-Index to Troilus, published for the Chaucer Society. MS. Harl. 2392 likewise has _sheene_, a word in which the long _e_ is of 'variable' quality.

[67] Some guess that it means 'Tres gentil Chaucer.' But this seems to me very improbable, if not stupid.