WoB Other Quotes

Question 1

What does the wise astrologer Ptholome say about happiness?

Answer 1

Of alle men his wisdom is the hyeste

That rekketh nevere who hath the world in honde

Question 2

After thy text, ne after thy rubriche,

I wol nat wirche as muchel as a gnat. (I care more for a fly than for your interpretation)

Answer 2

The wife is stubborn - she won’t listen to others interpretation

Question 3

Quote about age similar to views of age in Volpone

Answer 3

But age, allas, that wol envenime,

Hath me biraft my beautee and my pith.

Question 4

In her dream, what does she say blood stands for?

Answer 4

For blood bitokeneth gold, as me was taught.

And al was fals

Question 5

When her fourth husband dies, she weeps bit is also happy - like in Volpone where Mosca says “The weeping of an heir should still be laughter, / Under a visor.”

Answer 5

Whan that my fourthe housbonde was on beere,

I weep algate, and made sory cheer

Question 6

Finding a fair woman who is chaste is like what?

Answer 6

Jankin: A fair womman, but she be chaast also,

Is lyk a gold ring in a sowes nose (in Volpone, Corvino doesn’t seem to appreciate this)

Question 7

Tale: in the times of King Arthur, what was the land filled with?

Answer 7

Al this land fulfild of faierie.
The elf-queene, with hir joly compaignie,
Daunce do ful ofte in many a grene mede.

Question 8

Tale: what walks now where the fairies used to walk?

Answer 8

For ther as wont to walken was an elf,

Ther walketh now the limitour himself

Question 9

Tale: the King gives the power to the women

Answer 9

But that the queene and othere ladies mo
So longe preyeden king of grace,
Til he his lyf him graunted in the place,
And yaf him to the queene, al at hir wille

Question 10

Tale: The knight discovers the old woman

Answer 10

No creature saugh he that bar lyf,
Save on the grene he saugh sittinge a wyf;
A fouler wight ther may no man devise

Question 11

Tale: the old woman, like Celia in Volpone, values marriage and love over wealth and material possessions

Answer 11

Woman: For thogh I be foul, and oold, and poore,
I nolde for al the metal, ne for oore,
That under erthe is grave, or lith above,
But if thy wyf I were, and eek thy love.”

Question 12

Tale: the old wife convinces the knight that nobility stems from God

Answer 12

Crist wole we claime of him oure gentillesse,

Nat of oure eldres for hire old richesse

Question 13

Tale: Dantes tale

Answer 13

Ful seyde up riseth by his branches smale

Prowesse of man, for God, of his goodnesse (man’s moral excellence spreads from our origin in God)

Question 14

Tale: man is low by his deeds, not his birth

Answer 14

For vileyns sinful dedes make a cherl. (…)

For gentillesse cometh fro God allone

Question 15

Tale: the old wife makes the point that Jesus chose a poor life

Answer 15

They hye God, on whom that we bileeve,
In wilful poverte chees to live his lyf.
And certes every man, maiden, or wyf,
May understonde that Jhesus, hevene king,
Ne wolde nat chese a vicious living.

Question 16

Tale: quote on poverty

Answer 16

Poverte is hateful good (a painful blessing)

Question 17

Tale: old wife quote about chastity

Answer 17

For filthe and and eelde, also moot I thee,

Been grete wardeyns upon chastitee

Question 18

Tale: What does the knight choose at the end?

Answer 18

My lady and my love, and wyf so deere,

I put me in your wise governance

Question 19

Tale: the final words of the wife

Answer 19

And eek I praye Jhesu shorte hir lives
That wol nat be governed by hir wives;
And olde and angry nigardes of dispence,
God sende hem soone verray pestilence!