2500 f. which was believed With bele Ysolde, ‘who was accepted as a lover by Belle Isolde.’ Apparently ‘believed’ is here used in the primary sense of the verb, from which we have ‘lief.’ For the use of ‘with’ cp. l. 2553. We may note here that the spelling ‘believe’ is regular in Gower, ‘ie’ representing ‘̄ẹ.’
2502. Galahot, i. e. Galahalt, called by Mallory ‘the haut prince.’
2504 ff. It may be noted that several of the lovers in the company of Youth are impenitent in their former faithlessness, as Jason, Hercules and Theseus, while Medea, Deianira and Ariadne are left to complain by themselves. Troilus has recovered Cressida, if only for a time. It is hard to say why Pyramus failed of Thisbe’s company, unless indeed she were unable to pardon his lateness (cp. 2582).
2515 ff. Cp. v. 7213 ff.
2553. with Enee: cp. vii. 3359 and l. 2501.
2573 ff. It is likely enough that this idea of Cleopatra’s death may have been a reminiscence of the Legend of Good Women, 696 ff. Chaucer apparently got it from some such account as that quoted by Vincent of Beauvais from Hugh of Fleury, ‘in mausoleum odoribus refertum iuxta suum se collocavit Antonium. Deinde admotis sibi serpentibus morte sopita est.’ From this to the idea of a grave full of serpents would not be a difficult step.
2582. Wo worthe: cp. l. 1334.
2663. I take ‘lay’ to mean ‘law,’ i. e. the arrangement of his company.
2687. Cp. iv. 2314.
2705 ff. An allusion to some such story as we have in the ‘Lay d’Aristote’ (Méon et Barbazan, iii. p. 96).