bettre adj.

  bettre 
 
 TR2.358 “Nŏw úndĕrstónd, fŏr Í yŏw nóught rĕquérĕ
 TR2.359 Tŏ býndĕ yów tŏ hým thŏrŭgh nó by̆héstĕ,
 TR2.360 Bŭt ónly̆ thát yĕ máke hy̆m béttre chĭérĕ
 TR2.361 Thăn yé hăn dóon ĕr thís, ănd móorĕ féstĕ,
 TR2.362 Sŏ thát hĭs líf bĕ sávĕd áttĕ léestĕ;
 TR2.363 Thĭs ál ănd sóm, ănd pléynly̆, óure ĕnténtĕ.
 TR2.364 Gŏd hélp mĕ só, Ĭ névĕre óthĕr méntĕ!

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): Now please understand, because I’m not asking you to bind yourself to him through any promise, but only that you’ll be more friendly towards him than you’ve been up to now and more encouraging, so that at least his life is saved. This is the sum total of all we intend. God help me, I never meant anything else!
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): さあ、分かっておくれ、頼んでいるのは、何も約定によってお前を若君と結びつけることでなく、ただ、今までしてきたよりも親しげな態度で、少なくとも若君の命が救われるように、もっと好意的に接してくれと頼んでいるだけだ、これだけだよ、これが完全に意図するところなのだ。誓って、他意はない。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): “你要明白，我的意思并非想你给他任何诺言，但愿你不像以前那样冷淡对他，愿你稍微表示一些殷勤，至少救出他这条命来，这就是我的本意了；上天助我，我没有任何其他要求。

Word Information

  • Etymology: OE
  • Addresser: Pandarus
  • Addressee: Criseyde
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: attitude
  • Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 66): make hym bettre chiere: look more favourably upon him
  • Fisher (1989): N/A
  • Benson (1987): N/A
  • Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
  • Donaldson (1975): N/A
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

better

Comments from the Editor

Although Pandarus really wants Criseyde to return Troilus’s love with hers, he denies it by swearing to God in the above quotation. This is a good example of Pandarus’s ‘oath’ being no more than a pet saying.