[40]. whan thou: 'cùm in Circo duorum medius consulum circumfusae multitudinis exspectationem triumphali largitione satiasti.'
[43]. gave thou wordes: 'Dedisti ... uerba fortunae.'
[48]. privee, a man of private station, not of noble rank: 'priuato.' The reference is to the election of his two sons as consuls in one day.
[55]. Art thou: 'An tu in hanc uitae scenam nunc primum subitus hospesque uenisti.' Thus shadwe or tabernacle is meant to translate scenam.
[60]. laste day; quoted in Chaucer's 'Fortune,' l. 71; see note to the line.
[61]. and also, i. e. even to such Fortune as abides and does not desert the man: 'fortunae ... etiam manentis.'
[62]. thar recche; it is absolutely necessary to insert thee after thar; i. e. And therefore, what, do you suppose, need you care? yif thou, i. e. whether thou.
Metre 3. [10]. the fairnesse: 'Iam spinis abeat decus.'
[13]. over-whelveth, turns over: 'Verso concitat aequore.' whelveth is the right form, as noted by Stratmann; it occurs in MS. Ii. 1. 38, and in the black-letter editions. It occurs again in Palladius on Husbandry, i. 161: 'For harme ... may ... perchaunce the overwhelve,' i.e. for perhaps harm may overthrow thee. And again, in the same, i. 781: 'overwhelve hit upsodowne,' i.e. turn it (the land) right over.
[16]. tomblinge, fleeting, transitory; 'caducis.'