51. The word _right_ used, as here, in the sense of _very_ is now considered a vulgarism. "A Southerner would say, 'It rains right hard.'"--_Bartlett._ 52. =sawtryë.= Psaltery, a Greek instrument of music. 53. =sownynge.= Sounding; that is, in consonance with. =Sentence= = sense. So, also, construe =forme= and =reverence=, above, as meaning _propriety and modesty_. ON READING CHAUCER. "'How few there are who can read Chaucer so as to understand him perfectly,' says Dryden, apologizing for 'translating' him. In our day, with the wider spread of historical study, with the numerous helps to Old English that the care of scholars has produced for us, with the purification that Chaucer's text has undergone, this saying of Dryden's ought not to be true. It ought to be not only possible, but easy, for an educated reader to learn the few essentials of Chaucerian grammar, and for an ear at all trained to poetry to tune itself to the unfamiliar harmonies. For those who make the attempt the reward is certain. They will gain the knowledge, not only of the great poet and creative genius, but of the master who uses our language with a power, a freedom, a variety, a rhythmic beauty, that, in five centuries, not ten of his successors have been found able to rival."--_T. H. Ward._ The peculiarities of diction and grammar which distinguish Chaucer's poetry seem to make its reading and comprehension difficult and often discourage the student at the outset. A very little study, however, will show that the difficulties in the way are not nearly so great as they at first appear, and, after a little patient practice in reading, they will disappear entirely. By observing the following rules you will soon acquire the ability to read with a fluency which will be highly pleasing to you: 1. Final _e_ should be pronounced as a separate syllable whenever the metre demands it. 2. In all words of French origin, such as viságe, coráge, maniér, the final syllable is accented. The greatest difficulty in reading Chaucer arises from the antiquated manner in which the words are spelled; but if the reader will change an occasional _y_ to _i_, and drop a final _e_ or a final _n_, here and there, the words which seemed at first so strange will appear more familiar to the eye and the understanding. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE.