‘La hupe toutdis fait son ny,
Et l’escarbud converse auci,
Entour l’ordure et la merdaille;
Mais de ces champs qui sont flori
N’ont garde: et par semblance ensi
Malvoise langue d’enviaille,’ &c.
447. ‘That many envious tale is stered,’ ‘many’ being a monosyllable for the metre before the vowel, as frequently in the expression ‘many a,’ and ‘envious’ accented on the penultimate syllable. For the use of ‘many’ by itself in the singular cp. ii. 89, iv. 1619, &c.
473. That is, she is on her guard against doing that of which she might afterwards repent. For ‘hadde I wist’ cp. i. 1888.
510 f. I myhte noght To soffre &c. A very unusual construction.
547 ff. ‘I cannot find that I have spoken anything amiss by reason of envy,’ &c.