16060. Prov. xxii. 1.
16073. The cry of heralds was ‘Largesce!’ addressed to the knights whose prowess they recorded. Here the poor with their cry of ‘Largesce!’ are the heralds by whom the praise of the liberal man is brought before the throne of God.
16092. ‘By breach of Canon law or Civil.’
16100. Cp. Conf. Am. Prol. 207 ff., where the ‘letters’ are also mentioned.
16138. The MS. has ‘Sa viele loy,’ which can hardly stand.
16181. de celles s’esvertue, ‘strives after these,’ that is the offspring of ‘Franchise’: cp. 16237.
16192. comblera: fut. for subj. in dependent command, as 416, 1184, &c.
16203 ff. This passage seems to need some emendation. Perhaps we might read ‘est’ for ‘a’ in l. 16203, and ‘Les’ for ‘Des’ in 16206, setting a colon after ‘trahi.’ But I have no confidence that this is what the author intended.
16231. pour temptacioun, perhaps ‘because of temptation,’ i.e. to avoid it.
16285. Quiconque, ‘He whom.’