220. rype and sad corage, a mature and staid disposition. Petrarch has—'sed uirilis senilisque animus uirgineo latebat in pectore.'
223. spinning; i. e. she spun whilst keeping the sheep; see a picture of St. Geneviève in Mrs. Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art. Line 224 is Chaucer's.
227. shredde and seeth, sliced and sod (or boiled). Lat. 'domum rediens oluscula et dapes fortunae congruas praeparabat, durumque cubiculum sternebat,' &c.
229. on lofte, aloft. She kept up her father's life, i. e. sustained him. His death is recorded in l. 1134.
234. For this line the Latin has only the word transiens.
237. in sad wyse, soberly; Lat. 'senili grauitate.'
242. Here the people means the common people; Lat. 'uulgi oculis.' In the next line he is emphatic, meaning that his eyes were quicker to perceive than theirs.
253. hath don make, hath caused to be made. Lat. 'Ipse interim et anulos aureos et coronas et balteos conquirebat.' Chaucer inserts asure, the colour of fidelity; see F. 644, and note. For balteos he substitutes the English phrase broches and ringes; cf. P. Plowm. B. prol. 75.
257. Scan—Bý | a maýd | e lýk | to hír | statúrë. ||