[27]. 'According as a man wishes.'

[29]. 'Tu in unità le case e li cittadi, Li regni, ... Tien.'

[31-34].

'Tu sola le nascosi qualitadi

Delle cose conosci, onde 'l costrutto

Vi metti tal, che fai maravigliare

Chi tua potenza non sa riguardare.'

I. e. 'Thou only knowest the hidden qualities of things, whence thou formest such a construction, that thou makest to marvel any one who knows not how to estimate thy power.' Chaucer seems to have used construe because suggested by costrutto, but he really uses it as answering to sa (in the fourth line), and omits the words 'l costrutto vi metti tal altogether. Hence ll. 33-35 mean: 'when they cannot explain how it may come to pass that she loves him, or why he loves her; (so as to shew) why this fish, and not that one, comes to the weir.'

Io (= jo), come to pass. This word is not in the dictionaries, and has been coolly altered into go (!) in various editions. But it answers to O. F. joer (F. jouer), to play, hence, to play a game, to make a move (as in a game); here, to come about, come to pass.

[35]. were, weir, pool where fish are caught; see Parl. Foules, 138, and note.