bet adj.

  bet 
 TR2.120 “Ăs éverĕ thríve Ĭ,” quód thĭs Pándărús,
 TR2.121 “Yĕt kóude Ĭ télle ă thýng tŏ dóon yŏw pléyĕ.”
 TR2.122 “Nŏw, únclĕ déerĕ,” quód shĕ, “télle ĭt ús
 TR2.123 Fŏr Góddĕs lóve; ĭs thán th’ăssége ăwéyĕ?
 TR2.124 Ĭ ám ŏf Grékĕs só fĕred thát Ĭ déyĕ.”
 TR2.125 “Năy, náy,” quŏd hé, “ăs éverĕ móte Ĭ thrývĕ,
 TR2.126 Ĭt ís ă thíng wĕl bét thăn swýchĕ fývĕ.”

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): ‘I swear,’ said Pandarus, ‘I could still tell you something to make you happy.’ ‘Now, dear uncle,’ she said, ‘tell it us, for the love for God! Is the siege lifted then? I’m frightened to death of Greeks.’ ‘No, no,’ he said, ‘I swear, it’s something a lot better than five such pieces of news.’
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 「誓って言うが」とパンダルスは言った。「お前を喜ばせることができる話を持っているのだ。」「じゃあ、叔父様、わたしたちにそれを話してよ、お願いだから。ところで包囲は解けたのですか。だってわたし、ギリシャ軍が死ぬほどこわいですもの。」「いや、いや、誓って、それより五倍以上吉事だよ。」
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): “可是，”膨大瑞道，“我还有一件事，你听了就会高兴起来。”“啊，好舅父，”她道，“上天仁爱，请讲给我们一听，是不是这城池解了围？我真被希腊人吓得没命了。”“不是，不是，”他道，“我还想得福呢！但我所要讲的事比这个还好得多。”

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: topic, subject-matter
  • Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 56): wel bet: much better
  • Fisher (1989: 421): wel bet than swyche five: five times better
  • Benson (1987): N/A
  • Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
  • Donaldson (1975: 753): It is a thing wel bet than swiche five. : It’s five times better than that. 
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

better

Comments from the Editor

Criseyde wonders about the news Pandarus brings and asks him whether the siege is lifted. Pandarus denies it and claims his news is far better. In scrutinising Pandarus’s speech, we might feel this scene’s irony. How can a love affair be more important than a war? After all, only commoners really fear war; it never hinders the nobility’s enjoyment of life. At the least, however, we should remember that the royal family’s love affair has caused the siege.