PROLOGUE: NOTES
8-10 The allusions here are to the humors, of which there are four: phlegm, sanguine (blood), choler, and melancholy. Each humor is marked by specific conditions of temperature and moisture, which contribute to its influence on human behavior. Phlegm is cold and moist and seated in the liver; it has a clammy, inhibiting effect upon behavior that leads to equanimity or sluggishness and dullness. Sanguine is hot and moist and is seated in the heart; its character is usually cheerful, passionate, or aggressive. Choler is hot and dry, and is gathered in the gall; it helps natural heat and the senses, but also leads to anger. Melancholy is cold and dry; situated in the spleen, it makes one reflective and morose, but is a curb to the two hot humors. Although Mars is choleric - hot and dry and filled with anger and rage - his melancholic humor restrains him somewhat.
11 fyré. Bergen emends to fyry; see 2.3748 and 4.3155.
19-20 The planets are more at home in some houses (mansions) of the zodiac than others. Lydgate indicates that Mars is most influential when residing in the tenth mansion, Capricorn, but he is weak and troublesome when in Taurus, the second mansion. It was on his visit to Taurus that he made love to Venus and was weakened and exposed by Vulcan to ridicule amongst the gods. See note to line 23.
22 Vulcanus. MS: Wlcanus.
23 meschef. The mischievous bedding of Mars and Venus is told in Ovid's Ars Amatoria 2.561-92 and became a favorite literary topic throughout the Middle Ages. See Chaucer's elaborate dramatization of the "visit" in his "Complaint of Mars" and "The Complaint of Venus." Gower tells the story in his discussion of the jealousy of lovers, Confessio Amantis, 5.635-725. Both draw upon Jean de Meun's Roman de la Rose, lines 13847-14186.
38 Othea is a goddess of wisdom and instructor to Hector; see Christine de Pisan's Epistle of Othea.
40, 46 Clio and Calliope. Lydgate invokes the same Muses that Chaucer did in his telling of Book 2 (Clio) and Book 3 (Calliope) of Troilus and Criseyde, as if to gain the support of history (Clio) and eloquence (Calliope) in the unfolding of his great Troy story.
41 Pernaso. MS: Pernasa. A mountain near Delphi, sacred to Apollo and the Muses. Pegasus broke open the spring of the muses, whose waters sustain the arts. See note to line 44.
42 Elicon. Mount Helicon, a favorite haunt of the Muses which rivalled Parnassus for that honor. Lydgate follows Chaucer in making Helicon a well on Parnassus.
43 stremys. MS: stemys.
44 Caballyn. Lydgate's source is the Prologue to Persius's Satires: "Nec fonte labra prolui caballino / nec in bicipiti somniasse Parnaso / memini, ut repente sic poeta prodirem" (lines 1-3). Chaucer uses the same source for his various references to Parnassus (Franklin's Tale, V.720; Troilus and Criseyde 3.1810; The House of Fame, line 521; Anelida and Arcite, line 16). Persius is alluding to the Hippocrene - the well, as Lydgate says in the next line, "[t]hat sprang by touche of the Pegasee." Persius is ironic in treating the tradition of poetic inspiration associated with Helicon and Parnassus. His phrase "labra prolui" is a consciously exaggerated way of saying "drink." "Caballino" is a term taken from popular speech and applied sarcastically to Pegasus (hence "the nag's well"). Lydgate evidently missed the intended irony and took fons caballinus as a conventional epithet.
51 Parchas and Furies. The Parcae are the Roman goddesses of Fate - Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos - derived from the Greek Moirai. The Furies (Erines) - Tisiphone, Allecto, and Megaera - are chthonian powers who inflict retribution for wrongs and blood-guilt, especially in the family.
52 Cerberus. The watchdog of Hades, born of Typhon and Echidna, along with the Hydra and Chimaera. Hesiod gives him fifty heads, but most medieval versions designate three heads. Orpheus charmed him with his music, thereby succeeding in passing by him without harm.
53 In a number of instances I have followed Bergen, who adds a final -e to regularize the meter of Lydgate's verse. For example, here the MS reads: best, which I print as beste. See also the following instances: Prologue: trouthe (116), myghte (130), dirke (143), nere (159), grete (174), Withoute (178), pleyne (194), Withoute (204), grete (240), trouthe (259), trouthe (288), veyne (290); Book 1: grete (66), rekeles (82), herte (151), moste (157), londe (726), syghte (785), scharpe (798), Troye (811), hadde (931), Withoute (990), alle (1058), myghte (1059), helpe (1077), grete (1103), truste (1106), grete (1111), mente (1121), schippe (1149), graunte (1157), myghte (1189), oughte (1844), yeve (1847), grete (1935), myghte (2002), caste (2006), herte (2011), herte (2027), faire (2093), herte (2107), shulde (2122), hole (2134), goode (2885), beste (2971), oughte (3230), hoole (3244), nekke (3279), raughte (3306), moste (3352), brighte (3391), scharpe (3401), doute (4054), herde (4063), horse (4086), felte (4090), Nadde (4106), rede (4157), horse (4160), scharpe (4162), herte (4167), scharpe (4183), horse (4197), grete (4256), myghte (4290), scharpe (4300), scharpe (4306), newe (4379), broughte (4382), goode (4401), firste (4426); Book 2: wante (144), weye (192), heyghte (519), longe (685), highte (736), alofte (907), schulde (933), stronge (949), myghte (959), righte (1818), herte (1826), newe (1838), herte (2327), trouthe (2367), hire (2400), game (2412), brighte (2418), myghte (2430), brighte (2459), righte (2509), grete (2591), moste, (2597), faste (2659), herke (2711), righte (2791), herte (2798), feste (3440), feste (3462), joye (3479), stronge (3502), newe (3531), herte (3546), herte (3566), hoote (3583), oughte (3626), weye (3633), hadde (3639), hadde (3642), brighte (3664), herte (3721), righte (3749), moste (4702), myghte (4739), hymsilfe (4752), myghte (4757), moste (4876), myghte (4877), myghte (6579), faste (6586), consumpte (6621), hadde (6649), grete (6658), hadde (6660), juste (6694), stonde (6707), alle (6716); Book 3: dirke (4), durste (7), myghte (556), herte (571), silfe (593), scharpe (764), myghte (775), myghte (790), laste (792), horse (808), truste (827) scharpe (831), grete (841), myghte (877), herte (881), lefte (986), highte (996), horse (1022), worthinesse (1045), herte (1053), wolde (1061), firste (1062), myghte (1064), stronge (1075), scharpe (1091), truste (1896), herte (1921), durste (1943), nadde (1967), yonge (2043), wylde (2136), faste (2294), brighte (2667), dirke (2676), brighte (2681), stronge (2697), gayne (2736), sente (3109), righte (3118), myghte (3134), myghte (3197), myghte (3204), fulle (3207), Thilke (3235), herte (3737), goode (3741), myghte (3839), fulle (3877), herte (3919), holde (3966), happe (4032), myghte (4066), hidde (4101), gonne (4111), helpe (4145), shulde (4183), myghte (4211), hoole (4234), gilte (4237), laughe (4292), secte (4356), fulle (4406), myghte (4902), thoughte (4918), nexte (4918), felle (4925), herte (4967), routhe (4989), assente (4997), herte (5045), myghte (5089), myghte (5112), myghte (5158), myghte (5222), sharpe (5266), caste (5283), myghte (5284), myghte (5304), grete (5312), thoughte (5313), thoughte (5316), beste (5317), myghte (5318), roughte (5319), myghte (5320), awayte (5386), wente (5416), brighte (5486), salte (5531), myghte (5590), myghte (5672), brenne (5722); Book 4: fulle (191), alle (267), thinge (301), righte (323), routhe (579), myghte (600), wente (629), herte (648), thoughte (651), knowe (654), hadde (700), muste (710), roughte (720), herte (812), myghte (829), grete (844), herte (853), Eleyne (888), thridde (890), righte (906), trowe (983), stonde (993), shulde (1024), Eleyne (1050), moste (1086), brighte (1089), myghte (1181), fledde (2036), hadde (2063), faste (2068), faste (2076), myghte (2082), grete (2111), myghte (2112), myghte (2124), soughte (2164), fulle (2690), brighte (2712), helpe (2719), stronge (2748), hoole (3139), shulde (3164), sharpe (3192), grete (3229), hoole (3820), durste (3840), wolde (3854), myghte (3936), salte (3939), myghte (3958), stinte (3971), myghte (3972), maille (4304), sharpe (4332), myghte (4413), grete (4417), myghte (5107), alle (5159), faire (5225), hadde (5587), grete (5631), nexte (5702), myghte (5709), false (5739), wolde (5741), treste (5763), holde (5783), stonde (5784), graunte (6067), grete (6199), thoughte (6307), lefte (6354), myghte (6402), shadde (6408), durste (6430), wiste (6434), yonge (6474), herte (6502), wolde (6544), fynde (6875), myghte (6881), myghte (6914), grete (6917), hadde (6922), oughte (7048), grete (7070), myghte (7082); Book 5: queynte (1811), alle (1848), longe (1851), ilke (1854), grete (1909), platte (1923), gonne (1954), hadde (1965), Caste (1968), tolde (1978), myghte (1996), herte (2066), myghte (2080), beste (2109), Thilke (2112), herte (2116), hevynesse (2117), shulde (2120), alle (2140), herte (2168), wolde (2168), herte (2184), herte (2192), yonge (2209), trouthe (2216), hemsilfe (2267), trowe (2286), thilke (2938), myghte (2971), platte (2984), silfe (2996), moste (2998), geyne (3009), myghte (3034), shulde (3048), myghte (3105), silfe (3128), righte (3141), hente (3154), longe (3241), grete (3256), wexe (3305), silfe (3330), helpe (3350), oughte (3406), brighte (3423), hadde (3502), Awaite (3555); Envoy: beste (12).
54-68 In his invocation, Lydgate describes his task as "making" (fashioning verse in a technical sense) rather than original poetic composition and as rhetorical amplification (see below Pro.324-52). He subsequently (Pro.245- 323) seeks to distinguish the truth of chronicle histories from the deceitful, invented fables of the poets, along the lines sketched out by Benoît (lines 45-70 and 110-16) and Guido (4.204 and 276).
63-75 An extended modesty trope of the poet apologetically standing to correction. See also Pro.379-84.
74 My lordes bydding. That is, at the pleasure of Henry V, Lydgate's patron. See Introduction, pp. 7-9.
81 fyn. MS: fynde.
84 vertuous besynesse. See Chaucer's Second Nun's Prologue: "leveful bisynesse" (VIII.5) and "feithful bisynesse" (VIII.24).
89 Vygecius. Flavius Vegetius Renatus, whose military manual Epitoma rei militaris (written between 383 and 450) remained an authority into the eighteenth century on Roman military practices.
95 eldest sone. Henry, Prince of Wales, later Henry V; Shakespeare's Prince Hal.
104 Brutus Albyoun. The phrase echoes "The Complaint of Chaucer To His Purse," a supplication to King Henry IV, where the poet addresses the king as "conquerour of Brutes Albyon" (line 22). In Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of England, Brutus, a descendant of Aeneas, conquers Albion to establish his rule on the island, hence the name Britain.
109 Guido. Guido delle Colonne, whose Historia destructionis Troiae is Lydgate's source.
115 in Latyn and in Frensche. Bergen questions whether Lydgate knew any French version of Guido first hand (4:211).
124 Fourtene complete. Lydgate began the poem in 1412, during the reign of Henry IV, and completed it in 1420.
126 Lydgate's astronomical reference recalls the calculations mentioned in the Canterbury Tales in the introduction to The Man of Law's Tale (II.1-14), The Nun's Priest's Tale (VII.3187-97), and The Parson's Prologue (X.1-9).
133 cold. MS: coldyng.
141 upryst. MS: upright.
146 Sagittarie. The mansion of Sagittarius, the ninth house in the astrological scheme of time. Lydgate names it as if it were an inn where Apollo might spend the night.
149 auctours. MS: auntours.
150 Of the dede the verreie trewe corn. MS: Of the dede of the verreie trewe corn. In medieval scriptural and literary exegesis, wheat and chaff commonly distinguish verbal ornament from the interior meaning of a text; see Chaucer's The Nun's Priest's Tale: "Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille" (VII.3443).
168-70 Torti, p. 174, observes that these lines echo Troilus and Criseyde 1.365-69, where Troilus recalls seeing Criseyde in the temple.
172 slayen. MS: slayn. In a number of instances I have supplied a medial vowel or ending inflection where the meter and syntax require it. See also dirked for dirk (175); Book 1: Ageynes for Ageyn (182), sythen for syth (241), growen for growe (783), Ageynes for Ageyns (862), hastily for hastly (959), bryngen for bryng (1097), dawenyng for dawnyng (1155), femynynyté for femynyte (1860), Kyndely for Kyndly (1877), restreynen for restreyn (1879), freelté for frelte (1923), schewen for schew (2023), trewely for trewly (2063), Ageynes for Ageyns (2099), hooly for hool (2862), douteles for doutles (2930), trewely for trewly (2946), hennes for hens (2976), slayen for slayn (4113), Ageynes for Ageyns (4150), douteles for doutles (4203), pereles for perles (4282), amonges for among (4413), rudenesse for rudnesse (4331); Book 2: douteles for doutles (554), dayes for day (572), citezeyns for citzeyns (782), pleies for pleis (792), conquerouris for conquerous (857), chaunteplure for chauntplure (914), lasten for last (989), nounsureté for nounsurte (1892), douteles for doutles (2298), loveres for lovers (2519), Amonges for Among (3481), seyen for seyn (3564), Ageynes for Ageyns (3578), wisten for wist (3720), douteles for doutles (4709), pereles for perles (4710), joyneden for joynden (4748), gruccheth for grucche (6529), seyth for sey (6529), whiles for whils (6606), hennes for hens (6629); Book 3: trewely for trewly (2078), kyndely for kyndly (2087), Ageynes for Ageyns (2668), genterye for gentrye (3214), rekeles for rekles (3873), hennes for hens (3923), Ageynes for Ageyns (3953), ageynes for ageyns (4157), Ageynes for Ageyns (5018), sureté for surté (5088), broughten for brought (5234), rekeles for rekles (5383), pereles for perles (5384), namely for namly (5478), slayen for slayn (5523); Book 4: namely for namly (289), Ageynes for Ageyns (691), Ageynes for Ageyns (857), Ageynes for Ageyns (863), putten for putte (925), Ageynes for Ageyns (980), casten for cast (1029), Douteles for Doutles (1098), hennes for hens (1133), rekeles for rekles (1139), Ageynes for Ageyns (1145), Ageynes for Ageyns (1158), rekeles for rekles (1174), trewes for trews (2029), dawenynge for dawynge (2049), helpeles for helples (2736), endelonge for enlonge (2778), slayen for slayn (3109), disaray for disray (3913), stonden for stonde (3943), slayen for slayn (4392), slayen for slayn (4411), slayen for slayn (4431), douteles for doutles (5174), Ageynes for Ageyns (5236), ageynes for ageyns (5250), sithen for sith (5565), Ageynes for Ageyn (5577), haddest for hast (5665), behyght for hyght (5747), offeringe for offringe (6050), neghebour for neghbour (6140), yborn for born (6143), conspiracioun for conspiracoun (6321), myghtestow for myghtstow (6449), Ageynes for Ageyns (6510), gilteles for giltles (6767), Ageynes for Ageyns (6781), slayen for slayn (6808), Endelong for Endlong (6857), gilteles for giltles (6890), nayades for naydes (6987), hennes for hens (7015); Book 5: ymade for made (1812), letuaryes for letuarye (1994), soules for soule (2038), yblent for blent (2082), hevynesse for hevynes (2117), slayen for slayn (3342), slayen for slayn (3349), douteles for doutles (3415), avouterye for avoutrye (3559); Envoy: benyngely for benyngly (60), Ageynes for Ageyns (105).
220 trouth. Bergen reads trouthe.
224 the keye of remembraunce. See Chaucer, The Legend of Good Women F 26.
227 and. MS: of.
229 Crop and rote. See Troilus and Criseyde 2.348 and 5.1245. Pearsall (1970, p. 99) remarks that Lydgate uses this phrase as well as "sours and welle" to indicate the full realization of a virtue, quality, or vice; see 3.4935 and Env.1.
230 Stace. Publius Papinius Statius (45-96 A.D.), author of the Thebaid, which tells the story of Oedipus and his sons. Chaucer's Criseyde reads such a romance of Thebes to pass the time at the beginning of Book 2 of Troilus and Criseyde. After Troy Book, Lydgate wrote The Siege of Thebes under the fiction that he joins the Canterbury pilgrims on their return journey and is asked to tell the first tale.
246 cronycleris. Bergen emends to cronyculeris.
263 veyn. Bergen emends to veyne.
286 is. Accepting Bergen's addition.
290 Reyseth. MS: Rysed.
293 fame blowe. Lydgate's phrase recalls Chaucer's description of the rock of ice on which the palace of Fame stands (The House of Fame, line 1139) and the satirical and skeptical treatment of fame and renown later in The House of Fame, lines 1567-1867.
298 many worthi knyght. Bergen emends the phrase to many a worthi knyght.
303 it. MS: he. I follow Bergen's emendation so that the obscure speech rather than Ovid ensnares the readers who see it. entriketh. Lydgate describes Ovid's writing in the same way as the fountain of Narcissus in the Roman de la Rose; see Romaunt of the Rose, line 1642.
309 Here and in Chaucer's The House of Fame (line 1468) and Troilus and Criseyde (1.394), Lollius is presented as an authority on the Trojan War. Modern scholars believe that medieval poets knew Lollius as an author because of an error in the manuscript tradition and subsequent references to Horace, Epistulae 1.2.1-2, which make it seem as if Lollius were the greatest of the authors on the Trojan War instead of Maximus Lollius, whom Horace addresses in his poem.
316 Lydgate makes the same claim for the essential agreement of the chronicles that is commonly adduced for the unity of the Bible.
319 Cornelius. Cornelius Nepos (c. 99-c. 24 B.C.) was one of the first writers of biography. His De viris illustribus deals with famous people, both Roman and foreign.
320 Salustius. Gaius Sallustius (c. 85-35 B.C.). Sallust was a Roman Tribune forced out of office by Caesar, who in retirement became an historian and dealer in moral commonplace. Lydgate alludes, perhaps, to his Historiae or possibly to his Bellum Catilinae or his Bellum Iugurthinum.
324-52 Lydgate here gives a list of topics that can be used for rhetorical amplification.
al. Accepting Bergen's addition.
333 Or. MS: Of.
344 lengest dide. MS: dide lengest.
348 strif. MS: stif.
366 hathe. Bergen reads hath.
373 excellest. MS: excellent.
377 whom. Lydgate uses this syntactic device again at 2.1038, 3.3829, and 5.1916.