18. nos: meaning the people of England, as compared with those of other countries.
31 f. Cp. Ovid, Tristia, v. 8. 19 f.
33. Tristia, v. 5. 47.
41. Job v. 6, ‘Nihil in terra sine causa fit’: cp. Mirour de l’Omme, 26857.
59. This is the usual opposition of rose and nettle, based perhaps originally on Ovid, Rem. Amoris, 46: cp. Conf. Amantis, ii. 401 ff.
67 f. Cp. Boethius, Consol. Phil. 2 Pr. 4, ‘in omni adversitate fortunae infelicissimum genus est infortunii fuisse felicem.’ So Dante, Inf. v. 121 ff.,
‘Nessun maggior dolore,
Che ricordarsi del tempo felice
Nella miseria.’
117 ff. Cp. Ovid, Her. v. 109 ff. In l. 117 ‘siccis’ is substituted, not very happily, for ‘suci.’