TR4.967 “Bŭt náthĕlés, ăllás, whŏm shál Ĭ léevĕ?
TR4.968 Fŏr thér bĕn grétĕ clérkĕs mány̆ óon
TR4.969 Thăt désty̆né thŏrŭgh árgŭméntĕs prévĕ;
TR4.970 Ănd sóm mĕn séyn thăt nédely̆ thér ĭs nóon,
TR4.971 Bŭt thát frĕ chóis ĭs yéven ŭs évery̆chón.
TR4.972 Ŏ, wélăwáy! Sŏ sléighe ărn clérkĕs óldĕ
TR4.973 Thăt Í nŏt whós ŏpýny̆óun Ĭ măy hóldĕ.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): ‘But nevertheless, alas, whom shall I believe? For there are many great scholars who prove predestination by arguments. And some men say that, of necessity, there is no such thing, but that free choice is given to every one of us. O, alas! Old scholars are so cunning that I don’t know whose opinion I can accept.
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): にもかかわらず、ああ、誰の説を信じたらいいのか。いろいろな議論を通して運命を立証する多くの偉大な学者たちがいるからだ。ある人たちは言っている、必ずしも運命予定は存在せず、自由選択はわれわれ各々にまかされていると。ああ悲しいかな、いにしえの学者たちは皆とても賢いから、誰の意見に従うべきか分からない。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): “许多一等的学者，证明命数确实存在；有些人又说，并无所谓命数，每人都有选择的自由。可是我究竟相信谁呢？啊，古学者太善于诡辩，我真无所适从了。

Word Information

• Etymology: OE
• Addresser: Troilus
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (clerkes)
• Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: Not quoted

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003): N/A
• Fisher (1989: 492): clerkes grete many on: many great scholars
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

of considerable importance; influential

Comments from the Editor

See my comment of ‘certain’ (adj., Tr4.1012).