1180. 'He shall not give us any commentary on a gospel.' To _glose_ is to comment upon, with occasional free introduction of irrelevant matter. The _gospel_ is the text, or portion of the Gospel commented upon. 1181. 'We all agree in the one fundamental article of faith'; by which he insinuates--'and let that suffice; we want no theological subtilties discussed here.' 1183. _springen_, scatter, _sprink_-le. The pt. t. is _spreynde_ or _spreynte_; the pp. _spreynd_ occurs in B. 422, 1830.--M. Gower, Conf. Amantis, bk. v., ed. Pauli, ii. 190, speaks of _lollardie_ 'Which now is come for to dwelle, To sowe cockel with the corne.' 1185. _body_, i. e. self. Cf. _lyf_ = a person, in P. Plowman, B. iii. 292.--M. 1186. See B. 3984, which suggests that there is a play upon words here. The Shipman will make his horse's bells ring loudly enough to awake them all; or he will ring so merry a peal, as to rouse them like a church bell that awakes a sleeper. 1189. It is plain that the unmeaning words _phislyas_ and _phillyas_, as in the MSS., must be corruptions of some difficult form. I think that form is certainly _physices_, with reference to the Physics of Aristotle, here conjoined with 'philosophy' and 'law' in order to include the chief forms of medieval learning. Aristotle was only known, in Chaucer's time, in Latin translations, and _Physices Liber_ would be a possible title for such a translation. Lewis and Short's Lat. Dict. gives '_physica_, gen. [168] _physicae_, and _physice_, gen. _physices_, f., = [Greek: phusikê], natural science, natural philosophy, physics, Cicero, Academ. 1. 7. 25; id. De Finibus, 3. 21. 72; 3. 22. 73.' Magister Artium et _Physices_ was the name of a degree; see Longfellow's Golden Legend, § vi. That Chaucer should use the gen. _physices_ alone, is just in his usual manner; cf. _Iudicum_, B. 3236; _Eneidos_, B. 4549; _Metamorphoseos_, B. 93. Tyrwhitt's reading _of physike_ gives the same sense. THE SHIPMANNES TALE. This Tale agrees rather closely with one in Boccaccio's _Decamerone_, Day viii. nov. 1. See further in vol. iii. p. 420. 1191. _Seint Denys_, Saint Denis, in the environs of Paris. Cf. ll. 1247, 1249, and note to 1341. 1202. _us_, i. e. us women. This is clear proof that some of the opening lines of this Tale were not originally intended for the Shipman, but for the Wife of Bath, as she is the only lady in the company to whom they would be suitable. We may remember that Chaucer originally meant to make each pilgrim tell _four_ Tales; so there is nothing surprising in the fact that he once thought of giving this to the Wife. This passage is parallel to D. 337-339. 1209. _perilous._ Cf. D. 339: 'it is peril of our chastitee.' 1228. Referring to the common proverb--'As fain as a fowl [bird] of a fair day'; cf. l. 1241 below, A. 2437, G. 1342. 1233. _Daun_, Dan, for Lat. _Dominus_, corresponding to E. _sir_, as in 'Sir John,' a common title for a priest. Cf. B. 3119.