Siihstantivation in Chaucer 13 



{e) As the object of a preposition: 



To make him lyve by his propre good. Cant. Tales : Prologue, 

 581. — As custom is unto these nobles alle. Marchaundes Tale, 

 615. — Uproos the oon of these olde zvise. Tale of Melibeus. 

 Born of the gentilest and the heighest of this land. Clerkes 

 Tale, 75. — By certeyn nienes. Man of Lawes Tale, 382. — That 

 day that I shall drenchen in the deepe. Prologue of Wyf of 

 Bathe, 314. 



2. Use in the vocative and in exclamations. 



Have mercy on me, szvete, or ye wolen do me deye. Frankel- 

 eynes Tale, 250. — Com doun my leef, and if I have myssayde. 

 Marchandes Tale, 1145. — Farwel, my swete! farwel my Emelye. 

 Knyghtes Tale, 1922. — Now .faire blisfulle, O Cipris. Hous of 

 Fame. Bk. II. 10. — myn owne deere. Romaunt of the Rose, 

 4377. — Humblest of herte, highcste of reverence. Compleynte of 

 Dethe of Pite, 57. — O seely prest O sely innocent. Court of 

 Love, 631. — Feirest of alle that ever were or do! Court of Love, 

 631. 



3. Use v/ith adjective and adverb modifiers. The general 

 statement made at the beginning of this discussion of syntax 

 appHes here. Adjectives substantivized may be modified by 

 other adjectives just as nouns are. So we find in Chaucer: 



the neve slye Maketh the ferrc leef to be loth. Milleres Tale, 

 206. — That goode leef my wyf. Prologue of Monkes Tale, 6. — 

 And I to ben youre veray humble treive. Troylus and Cryseyde. 

 Bk. III. 92. — the proverbe saith that many smale maketh a 

 grete. Persones Tale. — And chyde her the holy innocent your . 

 wyfe. Sompnoures Tale, 275. — And to the doctrine of these olde 

 zvyse. Prologue of Legende of Goode Women, 19. — For unto 

 hem it is a bitter szvete. Prologue of Chanounnes Yeman, 325. — 

 And saugh the soruful ernes t of the knyght. Troylus and Cry- 

 seyde Bk. II. 453. 



4. Those adjectives which are not so completely substantivized 

 as to have lost altogether their adjective nature may be modified 

 by adverbs: 



263 



