611. leye in balaunce, place in the balance, weigh against it.
620. can, knows, knows how to exercise.
622. The Yeoman puts in a word for himself—'and moreover, I am of some assistance to him.'
625. up-so-doun, i. e. upside doun, according to our modern phrase. Chaucer's phrase is very common; see Pricke of Conscience, ed. Morris, l. 7230; P. Plowman, B. xx. 53; Gower, Conf. Amantis, i. 218, &c.
628. benedicite, pronounced ben'cite, in three syllables, as in B. 1170, 1974. See note to B. 1170.
632. worship, dignity, honour; here, respectable appearance.
633. oversloppe, upper garment. So in Icelandic, yfirsloppr means
an outer gown; as, 'prestar skrýddir yfirsloppum,' i. e. priests clad in over-slops, Historia Ecclesiastica, i. 473. The word slop is preserved in the somewhat vulgar 'slop-shop,' i. e. shop for second-hand clothes.
635. baudy, dirty. to-tore, torn in half. So in Piers Plowman, B. v. 197, Avarice is described as wearing a 'tabard' which is 'al to-torn and baudy.'
639. The second person sing. imperative seldom exhibits a final e; but it is sometimes found in weak verbs, tellen being one of them. The readings are—Telle, E. Cp. Pt. Hl.; Tel, Ln. Cm. Elsewhere, we find tel, as in D. 1298.