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And certainly he was a good felaw; Full many a draught of wine he hadde draw, From Burdeaux ward, while that the chapmen slepe, Of nice conscience took he no kepe. If that he fought, and hadde the higher hand, By water he sent hem home to every land.

Already by the end of the fourteenth century the English clothiers were beginning to rival those of the Netherlands in the making of fine cloth, as witness Chaucer's Wife of Bath: Of clooth-making she hadde swiche an haunt She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt, and by the end of the sixteenth century all real rivalry was at an end, for the English manufacture was so clearly victorious.

And she that hadde but beautie alone, thoughe her qualities ware not so excellente, yet for her honestie that beside forth was singuler in theim all, founde that beautie and honestie could not be vnmaried. These therefore ware not permitted to euery mannes choise, but graunted to suche as ware thoughte menne worthie of suche women.

Old Palsgrave, in his "Eclaircissement de la Langue Francaise," gives "dradge" as spice, rendering it by the French word dragde. Chaucer says, of his Doctor of Physic, "Full ready hadde he his Apothecaries To send him dragges, and his lattuaries." The word sometimes may have signified the pounded condiments in which our forefathers delighted.

And Abraham hadde another sone Ysmael, that he gat upon Agar his chambrere. And when Ysaac his sone was 8 dayes olde, Abraham his fadre leet him ben circumcyded, and Ysmael with him, that was 14 zeer old: wherfore the Jewes, that comen of Ysaacces lyne, ben circumcyded the 8 day; and the Sarrazines, that comen of Ysmaeles lyne, ben circumcyded whan thei ben 14 zeer of age.

James was more distant from his country than that of any other of the Apostles. And those are called romei who go to Rome, where these whom I call pilgrims were going. Chaucer says, the Wif of Bathe "Had passed many a straunge streem; At Rome sche hadde ben, and at Boloyne, In Galice at Seynt Jame, and at Coloyne."

And zee schulle undirstonde, that oure lady hadde child, whan sche was 15 zeere old: and sche was conversant with hire sone 33 zeer and 3 monethes; And aftre the passioun of oure Lord, sche lyvede 24 zeer.

Then in the ship's dimmed and ancient log we find this quaint note: "In time it was discouvered yt ye troblesome passenger hadde gone downe and got ye anchor, and toke ye same and solde it to ye dam sauvages from ye interior, saying yt he hadde founde it, ye sonne of a ghun!"

"His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas, And eek his face, as he hadde been anoint. He was a lord ful fat and in good point." The completeness of the picture of fourteenth century English life in the Canterbury Tales makes them absolutely necessary reading for the historian as well as for the student of literature.

Atte passynge of this ryvere, seynt Eustache loste hys two sones, whanne that he hadde lost hys wyffe. And yt gooth thorewe the playne of Arthadoe; and so un to the Reed See. And so men moten goon un to the cytee of phenne, and so un to the cytee of Ferne. And Antyoche ys a ful fayre cytee and wel walled. For hyt ys two myle longe and eche pylere of the brygge thare ys a goud toure.