It takth ayein,’
that is, it costs nothing.
4724. with ydel hand, ‘with empty hand,’ that is, without a lure. This seems to be the original meaning of the adjective: see New Eng. Dict. ‘idle.’
4731. the gold Octovien. The treasures of Octovien (or Octavian) were proverbial: cp. Rom. de Troie, 1684 f.,
‘Unques Oteviens de Rome
Ne pot conquerre tel aveir,’
and again 28594,
‘Se li tresors Octoviens
Fust lor, si lor donassent il.’
The expression here seems to be in imitation of the French form without preposition, as in the latter of the above quotations.