- Jul 2019
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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Of her there bred A thousand yong ones, which she dayly fed,
She's a mother- perhaps easily angered because of the safety of her children.
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By which he saw the vgly monster plaine, Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide, But th’other halfe did womans shape retaine, Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine.
The monster kind of reminds me of medusa.
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They cannot finde that path, which first was showne,
The first challenge was to find the path, but they couldn't succeed.
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she had this Knight from far co[m]peld.
Interesting word use: Compelled. I'm sure a lot of knights would have happily helped her.
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more white then snow, Yet she much white
This reminds me of Lanval- they also described his lover like a white lily.
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Yet nothing did he dread, but euer was ydrad.
I'm not sure if he's truly sad or if he's just missing his sense of purpose that could give him happiness?
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Yet armes till that time did he neuer wield:
Does the knight not use his armour because he's inexperienced or because he's so good in battle that he's doesn't need to be defensive.
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e Venus
Venus= the God of love and beauty.
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welve severall dayes
The number 12 reoccurs a lot.
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being by Merlin armed, and by Timon throughly instructed
Well- Think it's somewhat worth praising that Arthur is seeking advice and listening to others.
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Arthure, before he was king
Does this mean we will see Arthur face more struggles or make mistakes he might not make as a king.
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jealous opinions and misconstructions,
He's writing this story how he desires, not for what he thinks the popular opinion will like best.
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voyding
avoiding
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- Jun 2019
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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Yet I know when God’s Bible was banished the Court, and ” Morte Arthur ” received into the prince’s chamber.
People are promoting more books that are for pleasure reading, than religious books to avoid religious conflicts.
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Morte Arthur,
the death of King Arthur.
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the mind is soon drawn from truth to false opinion.
Kind of reminds me of how people believe other people views and opinions rather than follows their own beliefs that they believe to be true.
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opinions be the works of the flesh and fruits of sin.
Mean/ wrong opinions are a type of sins.
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Ten sermons at Paul’s Cross do not so much good for moving men to true doctrine as one of those books do harm with enticing men to ill living.
Is the language barrier what is causing the mis-perception of the other kind of people?
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should carry at once in one body the belly of a swine, the head of an ass, the brain of a fox, the womb of a wolf.
A lot of simile's are used comparing different animals.
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eschew
Eschew= purposely avoid using. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eschew
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Let your scholar be never afraid to ask you any doubt
Always encourage students to ask questions.
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‘Tully would have used such a word, not this; Tully would have placed this word here, not there
He would use simple corrections and not degrading corrections.
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praise him, and say, Here you do well
This definitely promotes individual learning. Also it encourages children to be rewarded/ praised, it never suggests punishing a child.
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First, let him teach the child chearfully and plainly the cause and matter of the lette
Touches the idea that learning should be a fun experience for students. Learning shouldn't be forced or frustration.
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would not only take wholly away this butcherly fear in making of Latines
Most people spoke mainly English at this time, and seemed to have drifted so far away from the Latin language that they no longer desire to use it.
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pressbooks.pub pressbooks.pub
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for the power of correcting and punishing ill men belongs wholly to the Prince
This definitely contradicts with the idea presented in book 1 where everyone faced a death penalty.
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so they think the begetting of children is a debt which they owe to human nature
Some people feel that they mus have children in order to secure the future.
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auguries
A omen or sign that will happen in the future. https://www.thefreedictionary.com/auguries
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as the chief occasion of spreading their religion over a vast number of nations
The religion they follow is a Christian belief.
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but adore one eternal, invisible, infinite, and incomprehensible Deity; as a Being that is far above all our apprehensions, that is spread over the whole universe, not
One mighty God/being.
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They hurt no man whom they find disarmed, unless he is a spy.
A honorable code to follow.
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Utopians hold this for a maxim, that as they seek out the best sort of men for their own use at home
Here we do see a ranking of men. Everything is initially promoted as equal.
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think that there is nothing more inglorious than that glory that is gained by war;
It is shameful to them, to display the kinds of violence that win a war.
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The Prince himself has no distinction, either of garments or of a crow
Even those who are higher ranking members of society do not want to seem superior.
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and are at last put to death.
Death is a very last resort.
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Another sort of slaves are the poor of the neighbouring countries, who offer of their own accord to come and serve them:
Like a indentured servant.
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that their own natives are treated much worse than other
Even though slavery is different from what the American-idea of slavery is and there is room to argue over whether or not those people deserve to be slaves, There still is not equal treatment.
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husbandman
A farmer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husbandman
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or do I judge it necessary
The author is beginning to put in his own input into the text.
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What sort of pleasure is it that men can find in throwing the dice?’ (for if there were any pleasure in it, they think the doing it so often should give one a surfeit of it); ‘and what pleasure can one find in hearing the barking and howling of dogs, which seem rather odious than pleasant sounds?’ Nor can they comprehend the pleasure of seeing dogs run after a hare, more than of seeing one dog run after another; for if the seeing them run is that which gives the pleasure, you have the same entertainment to the eye on both these occasions, since that is the same in both cases.
Simile
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The delight they find is only a false shadow of joy.
This reminds me of Boethius. He said that once people have a lot of wealth and are on top they must continue their whole lives to fight to be on top- leading to a life of pointless misery.
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Will the bending another man’s knees give ease to yours?
Question why some people are brought happiness knowing that they are higher ranking than others.
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ho think themselves really the better for having fine clothes
How greed begins to be established.
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he is severely treated, he is punished as a fugitive, and sent home disgracefully; and, if he falls again into the like fault, is condemned to slavery.
There isn't really freedom in this idea of travelling. You must go to your destined area or face the consequences.
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dressing and cooking their meat, and the ordering their tables, belong only to the women, all those of every family taking it by turns
This is the first time that not everything is equal. There are some duties that women are assigned to.
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but all the males, both children and grand-children, live still in the same house, in great obedience to their common parent,
This could raise problems. I assume this means that you cannot marry outside of your city.
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One rule observed in their council is, never to debate a thing on the same day in which it is first proposed;
I love this idea.
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nothing belonging to the whole town that is both more useful and more pleasant.
Again we see the garden as community property, just as everything else is.
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cisterns
A tank for storing water. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistern
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it ebbs and flows every six hours with a strong current.
Again a number is used to enhance the description of the land.
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nd equal heat in order to be hatched
Even the animals have everything equal.
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family has fewer than forty men and women in it, besides two slaves
Everyone has equal distribution of goods, but slavery is still present. Does slavery in this case reflect back to book 1 where slaves are criminals and their punishment is slavery.
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fifty-four
A random number it seems? Does 54 hold any kind of significance in these time periods?
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Between its horns
A interesting choice of words to describe a island. It also hints at a island of corruption or evil.
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Book II
I think there is significance that book 1 is much shorter than book 2.
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I cannot think that a nation can be governed either justly or happily
A nation can't have both. This almost suggests that there will be people who are better off and some who will be worse off because of their countries ruling polices.
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proposes raising the value of specie when the king’s debts are large, and lowering it when his revenues
This is the first time I've ever seen the idea of economics deeply analyzed in a novel.
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French faction by pensions. The hardest point of all is, what to do with England
There is a large division of countries at this time. It somewhat reminds me of Beowulf.
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will be happy when either philosophers become kings or kings become philosophers
Philosophers hold a kind of guidance power that many people would desire them to rule. This contradicts the idea of being born into wealth or into a royal family.
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vagabonds
A person who wanders from place to place with no job.<br> https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vagabond
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Those that are found guilty of theft among them are bound to make restitution to the owner, and not, as it is in other places, to the prince
You pay back the person that you stole from, not the prince/king/kingdom.
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but in all other respects they are a free nation, and governed by their own laws
They serve one king, but had their own freedom almost like a democracy.
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with chains about them
The idea of imprisonment.
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nor of that opinion of the Stoics that makes all crimes equal
The idea in America and other countries today, with separating crimes as misdemeanors or felonies.
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It seems to me a very unjust thing to take away a man’s life for a little money, for nothing in the world can be of equal value with a man’s life
He's slamming a capitalist idea that people bring money and therefore the hard-working people are therefore "worth more" as human beings.
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If you do not find a remedy to these evils it is a vain thing to boast of your severity in punishing theft
He listed all of the reasons why people are resulted to steal ( poverty, need to get by etc.), to reinforce his argument that the punishment for theft is too severe.
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pestiferous
A pest or people who are annoying. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pestiferous
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but since wars are only accidental things
He's claiming that wars only happen by accident?
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not broken with age;
An interesting phrase. You can tell his age but it's more referring to him as someone who is in their middle age.
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nor do I much desire it; they are generally more set on acquiring new kingdoms
He restates that he doesn't want land or wealth or a reputation for his work,
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I perceive, Raphael, that you neither desire wealth nor greatness; and, indeed, I value and admire such a man much more than I do any of the great men in the world.
Different from medieval stories like Beowulf where men are fixated on being the greatest.
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I intend only to relate those particulars that he told us, of the manners and laws of the Utopians
He is not going to infer or give his own judgement on situations- he's just going to repeat what was told to him.
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He got wonderfully into their favour by showing them the use of the needle, of which till then they were utterly ignorant.
It's interesting that the needle (sewing) is praised, when you think that perhaps in this time weapons etc. might be glorified.
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not only lived among them without danger, but conversed familiarly with them,
So far there hasn't been any mention of danger or a person of evil yet in this story.
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seaman, but as a traveller, or rather a philosopher
A traveller/ philosopher is a higher rank than a seaman.
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copious
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that his company in a great measure lessened any longings to go back to my country, and to my wife and children
Is this another way of saying that the conversations they had felt like conversations with family members and not colleagues.
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nd of a good rank in his town, though less than he deserves;
It;s kind of controversial of him to write in his book that his friend deserves a greater title, when a king or someone in charge could read the book and be offended.
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candour
He's open and honest.
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but rather because his learning and virtues are too great for me to do them justice
He can't describe his colleague because he thinks his friend is too smart.
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.comEveryman21
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Thy reckoning is crystal-clear.
He confessed his sins and recognized his wrongs, so he is allowed into heaven.
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I loved them better than my Good-Deeds alone. Knowledge, will ye forsake me also?
A reminder that knowledge of what good-deeds are always stays, even when others like beauty strength etc. leave you before death.
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Beauty. Peace, I am deaf; I look not behind me, Not and thou would give me all the gold in thy chest.
Beauty leaves. This makes me think of physical beauty that eventually leaves you more than spiritual beauty.
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No remedy we find under God But all only priesthood.
This is the first time in a novel I've seen angels to be almost discredited.
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Everyman. My friends, hearken what I will tell:
Once he confesses his sins others join him on his journey.
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I would full fain, but I cannot stand verily.
Everyman's Good- deeds could with him but they can't stand truly. Verily- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verily
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Thou traitor to God, that hast deceived me,
Ironic that Everyman is saying that Goods are a traitor to God and has deceived him, when he was the true traitor to God.
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ut if thou had me loved moderately during
Loving material goods is fine, as long as that's not the only thing you love.
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All my life I have loved riches; If that my good now help me might,
All his life he loved riches (material goods) and that doesn't help him now.
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My kinsmen promised me faithfully For to abide with me steadfastly, And now fast away do they flee:
Just like how humans promised to be faithful to God and left him.
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Nay, Everyman,
Again cousin refuses to go with him on the pilgrimage ( Everyman will have to face his actions and their consequences alone).
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I will not a foot with thee go;
Fellowship is leaving him before death.
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begat
Give rise to (sometimes is used when speaking of reproduction). https://www.dictionary.com/browse/begat
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Adonai.
High Judge= God.
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If any have you wronged ye shall revenged be
If he's done anything wrong then he will be punished now before he dies.
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I shall smite Without any advisement.
Death will kill him if he tries to get even a small delay.
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Ne by pope, emperor, king, duke, ne princes.
Your social status in life doesn't matter to death, he eventually takes everyone.
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What, sent to me?
Humanity seems to be in such bad shape that they don't even recognize God's name anymore.
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A pilgrimage
A pilgrimage, just like in Chaucer's Tales.
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They fear not my rightwiseness, the sharp rod;
This is definitely a different aspect of God. In Julian's Devine Love she preaches about how God loves everyone, all throughout their lives. Here God is seen as a figure to obey and even fear.
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Man, in the beginning, Look well, and take good heed to the ending, Be you never so gay!
In the beginning men were nice and happy, but then they wanted more, and this leads them to become greedy with material goods.
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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For if we never fell, we should not know how feeble and how wretched we are of our self, and also we should not fully know that marvellous love of our Maker.
Connects to the idea of why God allowed human beings to sin.
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The mother may give her child suck of her milk, but our precious Mother, Jesus, He may feed us with Himself,
A physical simile of motherhood that adds to Christ being a mother figure.
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If I might suffer more, I would suffer more.
Christ would have suffered more to prove his love. Similar to Julian who wants to receive all of Christ's wounds.
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As verily as God is our Father, so verily God is our Mother
God is both parental figures, not more one than the other.
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Mother Christ
This is the very first time in any novel I've ever seen Christ have feminine aspects, but it's very fitting. Christ shouldn't be a figure who punishes people who do wrong, it should be someone who is nurturing and allows you to grow.
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His loved Wife
I think the simile between and humanity and Christ being like a marriage is almost a perfect comparison. In marriages there are compromises, mistakes and forgiveness- which are all the teaching of Christ, he forgives when you sin.
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“Sin is behovable—[playeth a needful part]—; but all shall be well”
You need to sin in your life because that will teach you to not sin and do better in the future.
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Shewing
This show. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/shewing
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And when I was thirty years old and a half
Her age is somewhat interesting. She is older and therefore may have not devoted her previous life completely to God.
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seeming as it had come out of the veins; and in the coming out they were brown-red, for the blood was full[Pg 16] thick; and in the spreading-abroad they were bright-red; and when they came to the brows,
This is a very vivid description of this image.
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it is all that is made.
All that he made equates to the size of a hazelnut- I think this depicts how fragile life is.
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she is more than all that God made beneath her in worthiness and grace; for above her is nothing that is made but the blessed [Manhood] of Christ, as to my sight.
For a second I was confused by the context of "she" here, is this referring to that fact that in this story Christ is depicted as a mother with feminine characteristics.
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red blood trickle
Is this referencing when Christ dies on the cross and the blood is because of his hands and feet being nailed.
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t I should desire the second wound of our Lord’s gracious gift:
Is she going to suffer all of the wounds that Christ suffered?
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And in this [moment] suddenly all my pain was taken from me, and I was as whole (and specially in the upper part of my body) as ever I was afore.
She is saved just as she begins to die.
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I thought it great sorrow to die;—but for nothing that was in earth that meliked to live for, nor for no pain that I had fear of:
Even though she doesn't want to die, she isn't afraid of death because she knows that God will take care of her.
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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bastards’
A child born out of marriage.
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No clerk should be constrained to do lower-class work.
Class system divided. The lower and upper class shouldn't really interact.
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Or are you perhaps lame in your legs or other limbs of your body, Or maimed through some misadventure, so that you might be excused?”
Asking if you are injured or disabled and cannot give back, will you be punished or forgiven?
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scythe
Something used to cut grass or crops. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scythe
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For I wrote rhymes of those men as Reason taught me.
Connects to the idea that pilgrimages results in story telling o influence others.
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Do well and have well · and God shall have thy soul; But do evil and have evil
The idea that you do good and receive good ( and vice versa), a topic that was widely debated with the idea of fortune and chance.
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English.
English is now the dominant language, as noted earlier Latin is referred to as a evil language.
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He beat them so both · that he near burst their ribs;
A very vivid description. Also the use of the word "burst" contributes to more painful imagery.
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dole
Giving of food, clothes etc. to those in need. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dole
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hoary
Gray or white with age. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoary
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`In the charnel at church · churls are hard to pick out, Or a knight from a knave · know this in thine heart.
Connects to the idea that once people pass away everyone is equal- class systems don't matter.
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knave
A dishonest man or a scroundrel. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knave
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churls
A person of lower rank who is impolite or rude. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churl
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again at a year’s end
A year's time is very common in these stories, like Gawain and the Wife of Bath.
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presents and gifts, Take it not; for perchance · ye may not deserve it,
Don't take something you don't deserve (also connected to the previous ideas to do good things for the purpose of being good not a reward).
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`By Christ!’ quoth a knight then · ‘he teaches the best; But on this theme truly · taught was I never. Teach me,’ quoth the knight · `and, by Christ, I will try!’
Would not being taught before be connected to limited access people had to the bible at the time?
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Some shall sew sacks,’ quoth Piers · ‘for sheltering the wheat; And ye, lovely ladies · with your long fingers,
A traditional common role for women.
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THIS were a wicked way · unless we had a guide That would show us each step’ · thus these folk complained.
People kind of want the easy way out for this...
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.
There are a lot of mentions of the ten commandment and traditional Christian values still seen today.
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They’re called Steal-not and Slay-not
Don't steal and don't kill.
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And then your neighbours next · in no wise use Otherwise than thou wouldest · be wrought to thyself.
Love your neighbors like you would love yourself.
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`! woould not take a farthing · for Saint Tbomas’s shrine!
Is he corrupted by the idea of wealth and possibly greed?
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Father · that formed us all, Looked on us with love and · let his Son die
When Jesus died on the cross.
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Till Truth had determined · the tale of their trespass.
People/knights should do good because it's the right thing to do-not because they want the reward they will get from it.
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How may I save my soul
Telling him a definite answer would be too easy and defeat the purpose of doing good for others.
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`Holy Church I am,’ quoth she · ‘thou oughtest me to know.
This reminds me of Boethius, where a wise woman is teaching a lost uneducated man.
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Adam and Eve · he egged on to ill; Counselled Cain · to kill his brother; Judas he jockeyed · with Jewish silver,
Religious references.
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`Go to the Gospel,’ quoth she · `that God spoke himself,
Justifying that money belongs to God since it needs a religious validation. A lot of times money is seen as a evil creation.
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The first one is vesture · to save thee from chill; And meat for meals · to save thee misease And drink when thou art dry · but do naught out of reason Lest thy worth be wanting · when thou shouldest work.
The people who are really in need are the people who need necessities, like clothing, food or drinks but nothing in excess.
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vesture
A robe/garment or someone who needs to be covered by a garment. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vesture
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as the Devil wished
As the devil wished= as he wrongly wished.
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And not for Love of our Lord once unloosed their lips
The people seem to care more about money than religious devotion.
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Laymen
Laymen= someone who lacks knowledge/ education ( in this time period it would just be common people).
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gree better together, Great mischief on earth · is mounting up fast.
The friar's don't seem to inhibit true Christian beliefs- more corrupt churches.
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their tongue turned to lies More than to tell truth · it seemed by their speech.
Do they lie to make themselves more interesting or credible?
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gluttony
I wonder if we'll hear about the other deadly sins later.
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mirth
Laughter/joy https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mirth
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Such as anchorites and hermits · that kept them in their cells, And desired not the country · around to roam;
Even in his dream Langland believes the hermit life style is better.
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ey sweated right hard And won that which wasters · by gluttony destroy.
The didn't really seem to have a happy life.
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unholy in works, And went wide in the world
I think there's significance is using the world "unholy" and then talking about going into the world (the world is unholy), which a hermit wouldn't do comfortably.
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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y!
I definitely see how this is just a fun meaningless story. The only moral here could be to be faithful in a marriage. This story made me pity the carpenter more than anyone. While he's older than Alison, this is the first story that we see a husband who is completely devoted and genuine to his wife, he doesn't seem to control her either. Everyone else manipulates and betrays him. I'd love to see how Chaucer could've ended this story with Alison, Nicolas and Absalom getting the fate they deserved.
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Water!” cried as madman would,
That's a clever plot twist to do with the carpenter.
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This Nicholas just then let fly a fart As loud as it had been a thunder-clap,
I see now how this story has no moral.
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A beard! A beard!
Did he kiss Nicolas?
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“For, s’help me God, it is not ‘come kiss me.’ I love another, or to blame I’d be, Better than you, by Jesus, Absalom!
Reminds me of Lanval. The insult isn't I have someone else, it's someone else is better.
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There was the revel and the melody! 545 And thus lie Alison and Nicholas,
They do it when the carpenter is very close.
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This foolish carpenter went on his way
I'm not sure he's foolish- he just cares very deeply for his wife and he'd do anything.
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Noah
Biblical reference
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For it is Christ’s own word that I will say, And if you tell a man, you’re ruined quite; This punishment shall come to you, of right, That if you’re traitor you’ll go mad- and should!”
He's manipulating the carpenter to get the young woman.
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This Nicholas sat there as still as stone, 365 Gazing, with gaping mouth, straight up in air.
He seems to be frozen in shock from something.
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house cat had been wont to creep;
Another mention of a cat- the cat seems to symbolize Absalom.
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For all day she’d not seen him, far or nigh;
Separation always increases desire.
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Alison!
Alison is also mentioned in the Wife of Bath tale- is it the same one or does Chaucer just really like that name?
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She was so pretty, sweet, and lickerous.
She is young and seems to be desired by almost all of the young men.
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All in a coat of blue,
Was colors like blue only worn by higher ranking/respected wealthy people at this time?
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He kissed her sweetly, took his psaltery, And played it fast and made a melody.
They change course fast.
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Why, let go,” cried she, “let go, Nicholas! Or I will call for help and cry ‘alas!’ Do take your hands away, for courtesy!”
She remains faithful to her husband.
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White
White can sometimes symbolize innocence or virginity.
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For she was wild and young, and he was old,
Like the Wife of Bath but reversed gender roles.
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This carpenter had recently married a wife Whom he loved more than he loved his life;
I feel really bad for the carpenter now. The women clearly isn't into him as much based on her actions.
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And lived alone there, without company,
The psychological factor of being alone- can drive people to have even more romantic desires.
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A wealthy man who took in guests to board, And of his craft he was a carpenter. A poor scholar was lodging with him there,
The rich v. the poor, I wonder what the women will desire the most :)
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Men should not be too serious at a game.
The other tales have morals or hidden messages, this one won't.
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I will believe full well that I am none. 55 A husband must not be inquisitive Of God, nor of his wife, while she’s alive. So long as he may find God’s plenty there, For all the rest he need not greatly care.”
I wonder if he's just saying this because of his past actions, if he allows his wife the same rules then he's less guilty in his mind?
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“Oh, shut your tap, Let be your ignorant drunken ribaldry!
Did they just shut him up because he is drunk? The Wife of Bath got a long prologue/ backstory.
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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ce!
I liked the emphasis on this story- experience is everything. I think the character of the Wife of Bath is very complex and interesting. The biblical references she mentions that contradicts social standards are wonderfully woven into the prologue. I think you can find the double standard easily, the way she describes her desires and can be portrayed as a slut, but a man would use many relationships/wives as a prideful aspect. The tales in interesting, because the knight finally learns to obey or be controlled by their wives. I think this is somewhat of a monumental story given the time period and what is being said about Christianity and women.
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I care not which it be of these things two; For if you like it, that suffices me.”
He finally realizes that appearance isn't everything.
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Dante
Dante's reference is mentioned in several of these tales.
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There was but heaviness and grievous sorrow;
The wedding has a more funeral like atmosphere.
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“Alas and welaway! 1065 That I so promised I will not protest. But for God’s love pray make a new request. Take all my wealth and let my body go.”
The knight will keep his promise and marry the old woman- but a part of him wishes for death instead.
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“Give me your promise here, hand in hand,” said she, “That you will do, whatever it may be, The thing I ask if it lie in your might; And I’ll give you your answer before the night.”
Foreshadowing a worse punishment than death or how the knight will really learn his lesson.
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Except, on the greensward sitting, an old wife; 1005 A fouler person could no man devise.
He's a very artificial person, who only attracted by appearance.
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ll loved best riches, Some said, fair fame, and some said, prettiness;
I think this is common ideas in society- especially with women (like the wife of Bath who mentioned these desires).
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But that the other ladies and the queen So long prayed of the king to show him grace,
It's interesting the queen comes to his defense even when the king wanted him killed, you'd think that would be switched.
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What I have done, you are to blame therefor. But all the same forgiveness now I seek!’
A twisted view that claims that a women's actions determines if she should be abused.
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Lo here, expressly of woman, may you find That woman was the ruin of mankind.
This reminds me of the common idea at the time that women are the "monsters" that cause men to sin.
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By God, he hit me on the ear, one day, Because I tore out of his book a leaf, So that from this my ear is grown quite deaf.
He also physically abuses her- he's the one that made her half deaf.
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I wept enough and made but sorry cheer, 595 As wives must always, for it’s custom’s grace,
She doesn't really seem too emotionally attached to her husband.
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Were I a widow, might well marry me. 575 For certainly I say it not to brag, But I was never quite without a bag Full of the needs of marriage that I seek.
She's basically shopping for a new husband or a back-up husband like someone buys groceries.
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brutal, too; My ribs yet feel as they were black and blue,
Her 5th husband physically abused her.
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reveller,
Someone who enjoys partying. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/reveller
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And since a man’s more reasonable, they say, Than woman is
She's pointing out more flaws in societal standards.
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For if one care to singe a cat’s furred skin, Then would the cat remain the house within;
Simlie. Basically mocking the idea that if you give women a little attention than she'll fall in love with you.
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