28813. For the form of expression cp. 22744 and Trait. xiv. l. 15: it is common also in the Confessio Amantis.
28847. la sentence, ‘the sentence’ in a judicial sense, i.e. the judgment executed by the spear.
28914. compassioun, used especially of the sufferings of the Virgin during the passion of Christ.
28919. ta meditacioun, ‘meditation upon thee,’ if the text is right, but I am disposed to suggest ‘ta mediacioun.’
28941 f. These two lines are written over an erasure and perhaps in a different hand: cp. 4109, 4116.
29078. Pour ... avoir, see note on 6328.
29178. n’en doubte mie. The author shows here an unexpectedly clear perception of the difference between Gospel history and unauthorized legend.
29222. Qe nous devons, ‘in order that we may,’ so below, ‘Ainçois q’om doit par tout conter,’ ‘but that we may tell it everywhere.’ For this use of ‘devoir’ see note on 1193.
29264. t’encline, ‘bows to thee’: the verb is intransitive and the pronoun dative.
29390. The word ‘pensée’ counts as three syllables in this line, whereas usually the termination ‘-ée’ in Anglo-Norman verse of this period is equivalent to ‘-é’; cp. 29415. Perhaps we should read ‘penseie;’ see Introduction p. xx.