'We alle desyren, if hit mighte be,
To have housbondes hardy, wyse, and free,
And secree'; Non. Pr. Ta., B 4103.
[1529]. Three pointes. The reference is not to l. 1528, which mentions four points, but to ll. 1530-3 following. I.e. the three points are fredom, lustihede, and being a greet gentil-man; or otherwise, liberality, youthful vigour, and high birth. Cf. l. 1405.
[1533]. Accent Tessálie on the second syllable.
[1535]. Shamefast (from A.S. sceamu) is here trisyllabic. On the corrupt modern spelling shamefaced see Trench, Eng. Past and Present.
[1536]. He hadde lever, he would have it dearer, he would rather.
[1538-40]. In order to scan l. 1538, the word almighty is necessary, though found in MS. A. only. Or else we must insert him, and read—'As wolde God that I hadde him i-yive.' The sense is—'As (I pray) that God would permit that I might have given [him] my blood and flesh, provided that I might still live (to see the result), on the condition that he had anywhere a wife (suitable) to his rank.' So that means 'provided that'; as in 'so that ye be not wroth,' C. T., D 2248 (Sompnoures Tale), in the Harleian MS.; and in the following:—
'Sche saide, sire, ich wille help the,
So that thou wille spousi me.'—Seven Sages, ed. Weber, 2663.