284. _noot_ = _ne_ + _woot_, know not; so _niste_ = _ne_ + _wiste_, knew not. THE CLERK. 285. _Clerk_, a university student, a scholar preparing for the priesthood. It also signifies a man of learning, a man in holy orders. See [31] Anstey's Munimenta Academica for much interesting information on early Oxford life and studies. _Oxenford_, Oxford, as if 'the ford of the oxen' (A. S. _Oxnaford_); and it has not been proved that this etymology is wrong. _y-go_, gone, betaken himself. 287. Hence 'Leane as a rake' in Skelton, Philip Sparowe, l. 913; 'A villaine, leane as any rake, appeares'; W. Browne, Brit. Past. bk. ii. song 1. 290. 'His uppermost short cloak (of coarse cloth).' The syllable _-py_ answers to Du. _pije_, a coarse cloth; cf. Goth. _paida_, a coat. Cf. E. _pea_-jacket. See D. 1382; P. Plowman, B. vi. 191; Rom. Rose, 220. 292. 'Nor was he so worldly as to take a (secular) office.' Many clerks undertook legal employments; P. Plowman, B. prol. 95. 293. 'For it was dearer to him to have,' i. e. he would rather have. _lever_ is the comparative of M. E. _leef_, A. S. _l[=e]of_, lief, dear. 294. The first foot is defective: Twen | ty bo | kes, &c. 296. In the Milleres Tale, Chaucer describes a clerk of a very opposite character, who loved dissipation and played upon a 'sautrye' or psaltery. See A. 3200-20. _fithel_ is the mod. E. _fiddle_. _sautrye_ is an O. F. spelling of our _psaltery_. 297. _philosophre_ is used in a double sense; it sometimes meant an alchemist, as in G. 1427. The clerk knew philosophy, but he was no alchemist, and so had but little gold. 298. _Hadde_, possessed; as _hadde_ is here emphatic, the final _e_ is not elided. So also in l. 386. 301. Chaucer often imitates his own lines. He here imitates Troil. iv. 1174--'And pitously gan for the soule preye.' _gan_, did. 302. _yaf him_, 'gave him (money) wherewith to attend school.' An allusion to the common practice, at this period, of poor scholars in the Universities, who wandered about the country begging, to raise money to support them in their studies. Luther underwent a similar experience. Cf. P. Plowman, B. vii. 31; also Ploughman's Crede, ed. Skeat, p. 71. 305. 'With propriety (due form) and modesty.' 307. _Souninge in_, conducing to; cf. note to l. 275 above. THE MAN OF LAWE. 309. _war_, wary, cautious; A. S. _wær_, aware. Cf. l. 157. 310. _at the parvys_, at the _church-porch_, or portico of St. Paul's, where the lawyers were wont to meet for consultation. See Ducange, s. v. _paradisus_, which is the Latin form whence the O. F. _parvis_ is derived. Also the note in Warton, Hist. E. Poet., ed. 1840, ii. 212; cf. Anglia, viii. 453. And see Rom. of the Rose. 7108, and the note. 315. _pleyn_, full; F. _plein_, Lat. acc. _plenum_. Cf. _pleyn_, fully, in l. 327. [32]