Gower gives the names of Icilius, to whom Virginia was betrothed, and of Marcus Claudius. But Chaucer omits the name Marcus, and ignores the existence of Icilius. The French text does the same. 11. This is the 'noble goddesse Nature' mentioned in the Parl. of Foules, ll. 368, 379. Cf. note to l. 16. 14. _Pigmalion_, Pygmalion; alluding to Ovid, Met. x. 247, where it is said of him:-- 'Interea niueum mira feliciter arte Sculpit ebur, formamque dedit, qua femina nasci Nulla potest; operisque sui concepit amorem.' [261] In the margin of E. Hn. is the note--'Quere in Methamorphosios'; which supplies the reference; but cf. note to l. 16 below, shewing that Chaucer also had in his mind Le Roman de la Rose, l. 16379. So also the author of the Pearl, l. 750; see Morris, Allit. Poems. 16. In the margin of E. Hn. we find the note:--'Apelles fecit mirabile opus in tumulo Darii; vide in Alexandri libro .1.º [Hn. _has_ .6.º]; de Zanze in libro Tullii.' This note is doubtless the poet's own; see further, as to Apelles, in the note to D. 498. _Zanzis_, Zeuxis. The corruption of the name was easy, owing to the confusion in MSS. between _n_ and _u_.[26] In the note above, we are referred to Tullius, i. e. Cicero. Dr. Reid kindly tells me that Zeuxis is mentioned, with Apelles, in Cicero's De Oratore, iii. § 26, and Brutus, § 70; also, with other artists, in Academia, ii. § 146; De Finibus, ii. § 115; and alone, in De Inventione, ii. § 52, where a long story is told of him. Cf. note to Troil. iv. 414. However, the fact is that Chaucer really derived his knowledge of Zeuxis from Le Roman de la Rose (ed. Méon, l. 16387); for comparison with the context of that line shews numerous points of resemblance to the present passage in our author. Jean de Meun is there speaking of Nature, and of the inability of artists to vie with her, which is precisely Chaucer's argument here. The passage is too long for quotation, but I may cite such lines as these:-- 'Ne _Pymalion_ entaillier' (l. 16379), 'voire _Apelles_ Que ge moult bon paintre appelles, Biautés de li james descrive Ne porroit,' &c. (l. 16381). '_Zeuxis_ neis par son biau paindre Ne porroit a tel forme ataindre,' &c. (l. 16387). Si cum _Tules_ le nous remembre Ou livre _de sa retorique_'; (l. 16398). Here the reference is to the passage in De Oratore, iii. § 26. 'Mes ci ne péust-il riens faire _Zeuxis_, tant séust bien portraire, Ne colorer sa portraiture, Tant est de grant biauté _Nature_.' (l. 16401). A little further on, Nature is made to say (l. 16970):-- 'Cis Diex méismes, par sa grace,... Tant m'ennora, tant me tint chere, Qu'il m'establi sa chamberiere ... Por chamberiere! certes vaire, Por connestable, et por _vicaire_.' [262] 20. See just above; and cf. Parl. of Foules, 379--'Nature, the _vicaire_ of thalmighty lord.' 32-4. Cf. Le Rom. de la Rose, 16443-6.