225. 'For the giving (of gifts) to a poor order.' povre, O. F. povre, poor; cf. pover-ty. See pov-re in l. 232.
226. y-shrive = y-shriven, confessed, shriven. The final n is dropped; cf. unknowe for unknowen in l. 126.
227. he dorste, he durst make (it his) boast, i. e. confidently assert.
avaunt, a boast, is from the O. F. vb. avanter, to boast, an intensive form of vanter, whence E. vaunt.
230. he may not, he is not able to. him sore smerte, it may pain him, or grieve him, sorely.
232. Men moot, one ought to. Here moot is singular; cf. l. 149.
233. tipet, a loose hood, which seems to have been used as a pocket. 'When the Order [of Franciscans] degenerated, the friar combined with the spiritual functions the occupation of pedlar, huxter, mountebank, and quack doctor.' (Brewer.) 'Thei [the friars] becomen pedderis [pedlars], berynge knyues, pursis, pynnys, and girdlis, and spices, and sylk, and precious pellure and forrouris [sorts of fur] for wymmen, and therto smale gentil hondis [dogs], to gete love of hem, and to haue many grete yiftis for litil good or nought.'—Wyclif's Works, ed. Matthew, p. 12. As to the tipet, cf. notes to ll. 682, 3953.
In an old poem printed in Brewer's Monumenta Franciscana, we have the following allusion to the dealings of the friar:—
'For thai have noght to lyve by, they wandren here and there,
And dele with dyvers marche, right as thai pedlers were;