6 162. Ascanius. The son of Aeneas.
Elissa. Another name for Dido. It is Andromache,
not Dido, who in Virgil’s narrative presents
Ascanius with the elaborately embroidered mantle.
Aeneid, Bk. III., 483, etc.
6 168. wear the garter. Become a Knight of the
Garter.
7 2. Theseus. A legendary hero of Greece,
son of Aegeus. He freed Athens from human tribute
to the Cretan Minotaur, with the assistance of Ariadne,
whom he deserted. Succeeded Aegeus as king of
Athens. Expedition against the Amazons resulted
in a victory for him, and he married their queen,
Antiope, not Hippolyta, as in Chaucer, Shakspere,
and Dryden. He joined in Caledonian hunt, fought
the Centaurs, attempted to carry off Proserpina for
Pirithous. On his return found his kingdom usurped,
and, retiring to Scyros, was treacherously killed by
Lycomedes.
7 7. warrior queen. Hippolyta, daughter of Mars,
queen of the Amazons, here confused with her sister
Antiope, whom legend makes the bride of Theseus.
7 21. spousals. Espousal, marriage.
7 22. tilts and turneys. Notice the anachronism
of the transfer of the mediaeval sport to legendary
Greece. Dryden follows Chaucer’s general
method, though here the elder poet makes no such statement.
8 29. accidents. Happenings, literal derivation
from accidere, to happen.
8 31. enjoined us by mine host. The host of the
Tabard, whence Chaucer led his Canterbury pilgrims,
had proposed that each member of the company tell
two stories on the way to Canterbury, and two on the
return, and that the best narrator should receive a
supper at the expense of the others. The plan
was not fulfilled, but such stories as were told form
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
8 50. weeds. Garments, not restricted to mourning
garments.
9 76. Capaneus. One of the seven heroes
who marched from Argos (not Athens) against Thebes.
He defied Jupiter and was struck by lightning as he
was scaling the walls. His wife, Evadne, leaped
into the flames ahd perished. In presenting her
here, Dryden followed Chaucer.
9 81. Creon. King of Thebes, surrendered
the city to Aedipus, who had freed it from the sphinx,
resumed rule after death of Aedipus’ sons, killed
by his son Haeemon for cruelty to Antigone, daughter
of Aedipus.
10 116. Minotaur. A monster lurking in the
labyrinth of Crete, which devoured the tribute of
seven youths and seven maidens sent by Athens every
ninth year. It was slain by Theseus.
11 150. An Alexandrine verse.
11 160. An Alexandrine verse.
12 165. An Alexandrine verse.
12 169. morn of cheerful May. The conventional
month for love in the old poets. Dryden followed
Chaucer.
12 186. Aurora. Goddess of the morning-red.
Each morning she rose from the couch of Tithonus,
and drove swiftly from Oceanus to Olympus to announce
to gods and mortals the coming of day.
