394. _the hote somer._ 'Perhaps this is a reference to the summer of the year 1351, which was long remembered as the dry and hot summer.'--Wright. There was another such summer in 1370, much nearer the date of this Prologue. But it may be a mere general expression. 395. _a good felawe_, a merry companion; as in l. 648. 396-8. 'Very many a draught of wine had he drawn (stolen away or carried off) from Bordeaux, cask and all, while the chapman (merchant or supercargo to whom the wine belonged) was asleep; for he paid no regard to any conscientious scruples.' _took keep_; cf. F. _prendre garde_. 399. _hyer hond_, upper hand. 400. 'He sent them home to wherever they came from _by water_,' i. e. he made them 'walk the plank,' as it used to be called; or, in plain English, threw them overboard, to sink or swim. However cruel this may seem now, it was probably a common practice. 'This battle (the sea-fight off Sluys) was very murderous and horrible. Combats at sea are more destructive and obstinate than upon land'; Froissart's Chron. bk. i. c. 50. See Minot's Poems, ed. Hall, p. 16. In Wright's History of Caricature, p. 204, is an anecdote of the way in which the defeat of the French at Sluys was at last revealed to the king of France, Philippe VI., by the court-jester, who alone dared to communicate the news. 'Entering the King's chamber, he continued muttering to himself, but loud enough to be heard--"Those cowardly English! the chicken-hearted English!" "How so, cousin?" the king inquired. "Why," replied the fool, "because they have not courage enough _to jump into the sea_, like your French soldiers, who went over headlong from their ships, leaving them to the enemy, who had _no inclination to follow them_." Philippe thus became aware of the full extent of his calamity.' And see Essays on Chaucer, p. 460. 402. _stremes_, currents. _him bisydes_, ever near at hand. 403. _herberwe_, harbour; see note to l. 765. _mone_, moon, time of the lunation. _lodemenage_, pilotage. A pilot was called a _lodesman_; see Way's note in Prompt. Parv. p. 310; Riley's Memorials of London, p. 655; Chaucer's Legend of Good Women, 1488. Furnivall's Temporary Preface, p. 98, gives the Lat. form as _lodmannus_, whence _lodmannagium_, pilotage, examples of which are given. Sometimes, _lodesman_ meant any guide or conductor, as in Rob. of Brunne, Handlyng Synne, 9027; Monk of Evesham, ed. Arber, p. 106. M. E. _lode_ is the A. S. _l[=a]d_, a way, a course, the sb. whence the verb to _lead_ is derived. It is itself derived from A. S. _l[=i]ðan_, to travel. 404. Cf. Rom. de la Rose, 5394--'Qui cercheroit jusqu'en Cartage.' 408. _Gootland_, Gottland, an island in the Baltic Sea. 409. _cryke_, creek, harbour, port. 410. We find actual mention of a vessel called the _Maudelayne_ [40] belonging to the port of Dartmouth, in the years 1379 and 1386; see Essays on Chaucer, p. 484. See also N. & Q. 6 S. xii. 47. THE DOCTOUR.