| Philosophy |  | relating to the body | | natural: the quadrivium. | ||
| reasonable: the trivium. | ||||||
| relating to the soul: moral: the cardinal virtues. | ||||||
| Law | | law: natural. | ||||
| right: reasonable. | ||||||
| custom | | written: constitution. | ||||
| unwritten: usage. | ||||||
122. I. e. 'so that harm, (as punishment) for harm, should restrain evil-doers by the bridle of fear.'
125. contrarioustee of, that which is contrary to.
130. and unworthy, even if they be unworthy.
professe and reguler; the 'professed' were such as, after a year of probation, had been received into a monastic order; the 'regular' were such as were bound by the three monastic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
131. obediencer, bound by obedience; used adjectivally; cf. Low Lat. obedientiarius.
134. Thus the author was himself bound by monastic vows, and was one of the 'regular' clergy.
146-7. abouten, about (me), near at hand. eche, to increase, lengthen.
156. refrete, refrain, burden of a song; O.F. refrait, refret (Godefroy). 'Sobs are a ready (ever-present) refrain in its meditations'; where his (its) refers to goost, or spirit, in l. 155.