Advertisements 487 Notes. ILLUSTRATIONS OF CHAUCER, NO. VIII. (Vol. iii., pp. 388. 420.) _The Armorican Word "Menez."_ I have been induced, in consequence of the scene of one of the _Canterbury Tales_ being "In _Armorike_ that called is Bretaigne," to re-examine that tale (the Frankleine's) in the expectation that in it, if anywhere, some light might be thrown upon this newly discovered Chaucerian word "menez"; and I think I have succeeded in detecting its use in the sense of _points_ or _summits_ of _rocks_ emerging from the surface of the water. But in weighing the probability of this being the true sense in which it is used in the present instance by Chaucer, the wide applicability of the word "means" in its usual acceptation of _instrument to an end_, must not be lost sight of. There is scarcely the name of any one thing for which "means" may not be made a plausible substitution; so much so, that if a man were to ask for a hat to cover his head, his demand would be quite intelligible if expressed by "a means" to cover his head. I make this proviso as an answer to the probable objection, that "menes," in its usual acceptation, gives sufficiently good sense to the passage in question; it may do so, and still not be the sense intended by the author. The footing on which I wish to place the inquiry is this: 1st. We have an _Armorican_ word which it is desirable to prove was known to, and used by, Chaucer. 2dly. We find this identical word in a tale written by him, of which the scene is _Armorica_. 3dly. It bears, however, a close resemblance to another word of different meaning, which different meaning happens also to afford a plausible sense to the same passage. The question then is, in case this latter meaning should not appear to be better, nor even so good, as that afforded by the word of which we are in search, shall we not give that word the preference, and thereby render it doubly blessed, giving and receiving light? In coming to a decision, it is necessary to take in the whole context. Arviragus and Dorigene live in wedded happiness, until the former, leaving his wife, takes shipping ---- "to gon and dwelle a yere or twaine In Englelond, that cleped was _eke_ Bretaigne." Dorigene, inconsolable at his loss, sits upon the sea-shore, and views with horror the "grisly, fendly, rockes," with which the coast is studded, in every one of which she sees certain destruction to her husband in his return. She accuses the gods of injustice in forming these rocks for the sole apparent purpose of destroying man, so favoured in other respects, and she concludes her apostrophe in these words,-- "Than, semeth it, ye had a gret chertee Toward mankind; but how then may it be That ye such _men[=e]s_ make, it to destroyen, Which _men[=e]s_ don no good but ever anoyen?"