TR1.883 “Nĕ néverĕ sáugh ă mórĕ bóuntĕvóus TR1.884 Ŏf híre ĕstát, n’ă gláddĕr, né ŏf spéchĕ TR1.885 Ă fréndly̆ér, n’ă mórĕ grácĭóus TR1.886 Fŏr tó dŏ wél, nĕ lásse hădde néde tŏ séchĕ TR1.887 Whăt fór tŏ dón; ănd ál thĭs bét tŏ échĕ, TR1.888 Ĭn hónŏur, tó ăs fér ăs shé măy strécchĕ, TR1.889 Ă kýngĕs hértĕ sémeth by̆ hýrs ă wrécchĕ.
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translation (Windeatt: 1998): I never saw a more generous person in her position, nor a more cheerful one, nor friendlier in her talk, nor better disposed to do well, nor who had less need to seek what to do. And to make all this even better: in matters of honour, as far as she’s concerned, a king’s heart seems like that of a wretch in comparison with hers.
- Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 彼女と同じ身分の人で、彼女より大らかで、明るくて、人懐こい話ぶりの女性を私は見たことがありません。また立派に事を行なうのにこれほどきちんとなさる人もいません。どうしたらよいか途方に暮れることも決してなく、さらによいことには、彼女だけは、廉恥心において、王の心でさえ彼女の心に比べると下種の心に見えます。
- Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 在她那地位的人，找不出一个比她更大方，更和悦，言辞更加温雅，或更乐于从善的人；她做事全不牵强；并且她志趣超群，一个君王的胸怀和她的相比，俨然还有云泥之判呢。
Word Information
- Etymology: OF
- Addresser: Pandarus
- Addressee: Troilus
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: glad, friendly, gracious
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): Nulla donna fu mai più valorosa: No lady was ever more deserving (2.22, 1)
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (female: Criseyde)
- Attributive/ Predicative: predicative
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: (Quoted) 1. a. Of persons or agents: Full of goodness; in modern use, always: Full of goodness to others, beneficent; generously liberal, munificent. (s.v. bounteous, adj.)
- MED: (Quoted) 1. (a) Good, virtuous, worthy; (s.v. bǒuntevǒus, adj.)
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 41): bountevous: generous
- Fisher (1989: 414): bounteuous: generous
- Benson (1987: 485): bountevous: full of goodness, generous
- Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) bounteous, lavish (s.v. bountevous, adj.)
- Donaldson (1975: 741): bountevous: magnanimous
- Baugh (1963: 95): bountevous: full of goodness, kind
Possible Definitions
full of goodness, generous
Comments from the Editor
Pandarus speaks extremely highly of Criseyde. This quotation closely follows Fil. 2.22, in which Pandaro repeated ‘nulla (donna) fu più …’ (no [lady] was ever more …) four times. Accordingly Pandarus uses four superlatives to describe Criseyde as the most generous person in her position, also the most cheerful one, who is friendliest in talk and best disposed to do well.