1. Jack Uplande, Jack the Countryman, a nickname for one who is supposed to have had but little education; cf. the Plowman's Tale.
6. fellest folk, the wickedest people; referring to the friars.
7. The friar's reply copies several of these expressions: thus we find—'On wounder wise, seith Jak, freres, ye ben growun'; p. 42.
8. 'sowen in youre sectes of Anticristis hondes'; p. 42.
9. not obedient; 'unboxom to bishopis, not lege men to kynges'; p. 42. The friar asserts that they do obey the bishops; but carefully adds—'although not so fer forth as seculer preestes'; p. 44.
11. 'wede, corn, ne gras, wil ye not hewen'; p. 42; repeated on p. 44. The friar retorts that they are not expected to cleanse ditches, like a Jack Upland; p. 44. We thus learn that woode in l. 11 is almost certainly an error for weede.
15. where to been, where they will (hereafter) go to.
21. See 1 Cor. xiii. 1-3.
27. skilfully, reasonably; skill often has the sense of reason.