23. perestes. The reading ‘par estes’ is a mistake; the MS. has ‘pestes,’ which might be either perestes or parestes, but perest occurs written out fully in Mir. 1760, 2546.
dangerouse, ‘reluctant to love’: see note on xii. l. 8.
XII. 1. Perhaps the author wrote ‘Ma,’ but the scribe (or rather the illuminator) gives ‘La.’
Chalandre: cp. Mir. 10707 ff.
8. Danger. This name represents in the love-jargon of the day those elements which are unfavourable to the lover’s acceptance by his mistress, partly no doubt external obstacles, but chiefly those feelings in the lady’s own mind which tend towards prudence or prompt to disdain. In the Roman de la Rose, which was the most influential example of this kind of allegory, Danger is the chief guardian of the rose-bush. He has for his helpers Malebouche, who spreads unfavourable reports of the lover, with Honte and Paour, who represent the feelings excited in the lady’s mind leading her to resist his advances. Of these helpers the most valiant is Honte, daughter of Raison and Mesfait. These all are the adversaries of the Lover and of Bel-Acueil his friend and helper. See Rom. de la Rose ll. 2837 ff. Elsewhere the word ‘dangier’ is used for the scornfulness in love of Narcissus, Rom. de la Rose 1498,
‘Du grant orguel et du dangier
Que Narcisus li ot mené.’
or of the difficulties made by a mistress,
‘Or puet o s’amie gesir,
Qu’el n’en fait ne dangier ne plainte.’