1424 ff. There is much in the original about the visit of Athenagoras and of other persons, who are successively so far overcome by the tears and entreaties of Tarsia, as not only to spare her but to give her large sums of money, while at the same time they make a jest both of themselves and of one another for doing so.
1451 f. The rhyme is saved from being an identical one by the adverbial use of ‘weie’ in the second line, ‘mi weie’ being equivalent to ‘aweie.’
1513. In the original she is reproached by her husband for the deed, and this is the case in the play of Pericles also.
1518. of record, ‘of good repute.’
1534 f. Cp. Pericles, iv. 4, ‘The fairest, sweetest, best lies here,’ but the rest of the epitaph compares unfavourably with Gower’s.
1567 ff. Here we have a curious lapse on the part of our author. He represents that the king had no sooner held his parliament and celebrated the sacrifice in memory of his wife, than he began to prepare for his voyage to Tharsis. The story requires however that at least fourteen years should elapse, and this, according to the original narrative, has been spent by Apollonius in travelling about as a merchant, a matter of which Gower says nothing. Probably the Pantheon, which is not very clear on the matter, is responsible for the oversight.
1587. ‘For she is continually changing with regard to him.’
1617. besihe, ‘attended to.’ The use of this verb was not very common in Gower’s time except in the participle ‘beseie,’ ‘besein.’ The verb means (1) look, see, (2) look to, attend to, (3) provide, arrange: hence the participle is quite naturally used in the sense of ‘furnished,’ ‘provided,’ and we have ‘unbesein of,’ l. 153, for ‘unprovided with.’ It is usually explained by reference to its first sense, as having regard necessarily to appearance. ‘Appearing in respect of dress, &c.,’ ‘Appearing as to accomplishments, furnished’ (so New English Dictionary), but it is more natural to take these meanings of the participle as from senses (2) (3) of the verb. It is doubtful whether even the phrase ‘well besein’ used of personal appearance means anything but ‘well furnished.’
1636. fordrive, ‘driven about’ by storms, actually and metaphorically.
1670 ff. Her song is given in the original; it is rather pretty, but very much corrupted in the manuscripts. It begins thus,