5. According to Middle Age writers there were two motions of the first heaven; one everything always from east to west above the stars; the other moving the stars against the first motion, from west to east, on two other poles. 6. Atyzar: the meaning of this word is not known; but “occifer”, murderer, has been suggested instead by Urry, on the authority of a marginal reading on a manuscript. (Transcriber’s note: later commentators explain it as derived from Arabic “al-ta’thir”, influence - used here in an astrological sense) 7. “Thou knittest thee where thou art not receiv’d, Where thou wert well, from thennes art thou weiv’d” i.e. “Thou joinest thyself where thou art rejected, and art declined or departed from the place where thou wert well.” The moon portends the fortunes of Constance. 8. Fand: endeavour; from Anglo-Saxon, “fandian,” to try 9. Feng: take; Anglo-Saxon “fengian”, German, “fangen”. 10. Him and her on which thy limbes faithfully extend: those who in faith wear the crucifix. 11. The four spirits of tempest: the four angels who held the four winds of the earth and to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea (Rev. vii. 1, 2). 12. Thennes would it not in all a tide: thence would it not move for long, at all. 13. A manner Latin corrupt: a kind of bastard Latin. 14. Knave child: male child; German “Knabe”. 15. Heried: honoured, praised; from Anglo-Saxon, “herian.” Compare German, “herrlich,” glorious, honourable. 16. Beknow: confess; German, “bekennen.” 17. The poet here refers to Gower’s version of the story. 18. Stound: short time; German, “stunde”, hour. 19. Gestes: histories, exploits; Latin, “res gestae”. THE WIFE OF BATH’S TALE. THE PROLOGUE. <1>