1443. formalis, that is, ‘eminent,’ from ‘forma’ meaning ‘rank’ or ‘dignity,’ but here also opposed to ‘materialis.’
1454. Originally the line was ‘Dum legit, inde magis fit sibi sensus hebes,’ but this was altered to ‘plus sibi sensus hebes est,’ with the idea apparently of taking ‘magis’ with ‘legit.’ This involves an awkward metrical licence, ‘hebes est’ equivalent to ‘hebest,’ and the original text stands in CEH as well as in TH₂. The expedient of the Roxburghe editor is quite inexcusable.
1493 ff. Cp. Mirour, 20314. The sporting parson was quite a recognized figure in the fourteenth century. Readers of Froissart will remember how when the capture of Terry in Albigeois was effected by stratagem, the blowing of the horn to summon the company in ambush was attributed by those at the gate to a priest going out into the fields, ‘Ah that is true, it was sir Francis our priest; gladly he goeth a mornings to seek for an hare.’
1498. fugat: used apparently as subjunctive also in l. 2078, but it is possible that ‘Nec fugat’ may be the true reading here.
1509 ff. Cp. Mirour de l’Omme, 20313 ff.
1527. Est sibi missa, ‘his mass is over.’
1546. Apparently a proverbial expression used of wasting valuable things.
1549. If benefices went from father to son, little or nothing would be gained by those who go to Rome to seek preferment, for an heir would seldom fail.
1555 ff. Cp. Mirour de l’Omme, 20497 ff. The priests here spoken of are the ‘annuelers,’ who get their living by singing masses for the dead, the ‘Annua seruicia’ spoken of below:
‘Et si n’ont autre benefice,