best adj. (sup.)

  best 
TR3.1590 Thĭs Tróĭlús, wĭth ál th’ăfféccĭóun
TR3.1591 Ŏf fréndĕs lóve thăt hértĕ máy dĕvýsĕ,
TR3.1592 Tŏ Pándărús ŏn knówĕs fíl ădówn,
TR3.1593 Ănd ér thăt hé wŏlde óf thĕ pláce ărísĕ
TR3.1594 Hĕ gán hy̆m thónkĕn ín hĭs béstĕ wísĕ
TR3.1595 Ăn hóndrĕd sýthe, ănd gán thĕ týmĕ bléssĕ
TR3.1596 Thăt hé wăs bórn, tŏ brýnge hy̆m fró dĕstréssĕ.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): With all the affection of love between friends that heart may imagine, Troilus fell down on his knees to Pandarus, and before he would get up from there he thanked him as best he could a hundred times, and blessed the time that he was born, to rescue him from unhappiness.
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): トロイルスは心の尽くせる限り友愛の情を込めて、パンダルスに対して、跪き、その場から立ち上がる前にその上ない感謝の意を尽くして百度も、彼に礼を述べ、窮状から自分が救われたことに、自分が生まれた時を、祝福した。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 特罗勒斯满怀着深厚的友情，向他跪下，诚意道谢，祝福着他不下千百次，因他生来世间解除了他的困厄。

Word Information

  • Etymology: OE
  • Addresser: Narrator (Pandarus)
  • Addressee: N/A
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A (but see 3.56-7)
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: attitude (Troilus’ way to thank P)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003): N/A
  • Fisher (1989): N/A
  • Benson (1987): N/A
  • Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
  • Donaldson (1975): N/A
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

Of things, actions, conditions, etc.: best, most excellent or desirable, of highest quality, most advantageous;

Comments from the Editor

This is Troilus and Pandarus’s first meeting after the protagonists’ consummation. In its Fil. counterpart scene (3.56–7), Troiolo kisses Pandaro twice, but Chaucer seems to have intentionally omitted that detail, possibly following the contemporary custom of men in London.