How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Line). We used the line numbering found on Librarius's online edition.
Quote #4
For thogh they yeve us al hir heritage,
For which we clayme to been of heigh parage,
Yet may they nat biquethe, for no thyng
To noon of us hir vertuous lyvyng.
That mad hem gentil men ycalled be
And baad us folwe hem in swich degre.
(1125 – 1130)
By saying that our elders cannot "bequeath" virtuous living to us, the lady makes the point that gentilesse is not a material possession that people can simply 'pass down' in the family. That heritage can only force others to call us "gentle," and obey us. This last reference to obedience is a neat alignment of gentilesse with the sovereignty that's at issue in the rest of the tale.
Quote #5
Wel kan the wise poete of Florence,
That highte Dant, speken in this sentence.
'Ful selde upriseth by his branches smale
Prowesse of man, for God of his goodnesse,
Wole, that of hym we clayme oure gentillesse.'
For of oure eldres may we no thyng clayme
But temporel thyng that man may hurte and mayme.
(1132 – 1138)
The lady's essentially just repeating here what she's said directly before this, but using the clout of Dante to back up her point. She also takes care to point out that temporal things – material possessions that belong to us only on earth – can be destroyed. The implication is that "gentilesse," as a quality of the soul, is better than material possessions because it can't be hurt and maimed.
Quote #6
Eek every wight woot this as wel as I,
If gentillesse were planted natureelly
Unto a certeyn lynage doun the lyne,
Pryvee nor apert, thanne wolde they nevere fyne
To doon of gentillesse the faire office,
They myghte do no vileynye or vice.
(1139 – 1144)
The lady's point here is that, if gentilesse were something 'natural' to a certain family, this quality would inhere in all of their descendants, who would never do evil deeds whether in private or public. The concept of naturalness is an important one for the example that follows. Something is 'natural' to a thing if it is an inherent, inseparable quality of that thing.