[1208]. Atropos is the Fate who cuts the thread of life; see note to v. 7.
[1237]. a forlong wey, two minutes and a half, to speak exactly; see note to C. T., A 3637.
[1241]. Either slayn is here expanded into slayen, or the pause after this word does duty for a syllable, in the scansion.
[1242]. ho, stop, cease; see Kn. Ta. A 1706.
[1244]. ther-e is here made into a dissyllable.
[1245]. morter, mortar. The Century Dict. quotes from Dugdale's Hist. of St. Paul's (ed. Ellis), p. 27: 'A mortar was a wide bowl of iron or metal; it rested upon a stand or branch, and was filled either with fine oil or wax, which was kept burning by means of a broad wick [at funerals or on tombs].' It was named from its similarity in shape to the mortar in which things were pounded. I remember the word in common use; it came to denote what is now called a night-light, and the word night-light seems to have nearly displaced it. In this modern contrivance, the old 'mortar' is sometimes represented by a paper casing. The term was frequently applied, not merely to the saucer which held the grease, but to the light itself, which sometimes took the shape of a short candle. Cotgrave explains F. mortier as 'a kind of small chamber-lamp.' Instead of morter, MS. Cm. has percher, which meant a kind of wax candle placed upon a branch or bar called a perche (perch).
[1295]. 'About that (there) is no question.' Cf. l. 1694.
[1374]. wether, sheep. I. e. it is advisable to give the wolf a limb of a sheep, in order to save the rest.
[1377]. grave, incise, make an impression upon.
[1380]. moble (H., H2. moeble), movable property; cf. F. meubles.