2346. chalk for chese: cp. Prol. 416.

2366. axeth no felawe, ‘requires none to share it.’

2392. The metre requires the form ‘bote,’ which is etymologically correct, and is given in the best MSS.

2403. Me roghte noght: pret. subjunctive, ‘I should not care.’

2423. I wolde: cp. iii. 78. We should expect the negative ‘I nolde,’ as in i. 2750 f.,

‘I wol noght say

That I nam glad on other side.’

The conditional clause thrown in has broken the thread of the sentence.

2430. tant ne quant: so Mirour de l’omme, 3654, 23358.

2437. A man to ben, cp. vi. 57.