Lombardy a province in Italy.
Theophrastus (Theofraste) the author of a book on nuptials and sometimes quoted by St. Jerome, the antifeminist.
Rebecca, Judith, Abigail, Esther biblical women noted for their good advice or actions.
Solomon (Salomon) the author of the Book of Proverbs.
placebo anything easy to swallow, pleasing, and acceptable, as is Placebo's advice to the Knight.
Zion the land in and around Jerusalem; by Chaucer's day, it also meant the heavenly city.
Orpheus a musician who followed his wife, Eurydice, into the underworld and so influenced Hades with the beauty of his playing that he was allowed to take her back to the upper world.
Amphion He helped rebuild Thebes by playing his music so as to charm the stones into place.
Joab an officer in David's army who blew his trumpet so powerfully that David's enemies fled.
Theodamas a seer of Thebes who trumpeted loudly after any of his prophecies.
"With the ardor paris showed for helen" Old January wishes he had the youthful strength of a Paris (who absconded with Helen of Troy) when he gets May in bed.
De Coitu About Copulation, a book about coitus, or sexual intercourse.
Argus a mythological creature with one hundred eyes meant to guard anything valuable.
Pluto and Proserpina the king and queen of Fairyland.
