Sed longe sequere, et uestigia semper adora.'
The sense is—'And kiss their footsteps, wherever you see Vergil, &c. pass along.' The reading space is ridiculous; and, in l. 1792, the names Virgíle, &c., are accented on the second syllable. Steppes means 'foot-prints,' Lat. uestigia; see Leg. Good Women, 2209.
[1792]. An important line. Chaucer, in this poem, has made use of Statius (see l. 1485), Ovid (in many places), Vergil (occasionally), and Homer (not at first hand). Lucan seems to be mentioned only out of respect; but see note to Bk. ii. 167. He is mentioned again in Boethius, Bk. iv. Pr. 6. 159.
[1796]. mismetre, scan wrongly. This shews that Chaucer was conscious of his somewhat archaic style, and that there was a danger that some of the syllables might be dropped.
[1797]. red, read (by a single person), songe, read aloud, recited in an intoned voice.
[1802]. thousandes is to be taken in the literal sense. On one occasion, according to Guido, Troilus slew a thousand men at once. See the allit. Destruction of Troy, 9878; Lydgate, Siege of Troy, fol. U 3, back, l. 7.
[1806]. So in Guido; see allit. Destr. of Troy, 10302-11; Lydgate, Siege of Troye, Bk. iv. ch. 31. Cf. l. 1558, and the note.
[1807-1827]. These three stanzas are from Boccaccio's Teseide, xi. 1-3, where, however, they refer to Arcita:—
'Finito Arcita colei nominando
La qual nel mondo più che altro amava,