71. citole, harp; as in C. T., A 1959.
78. 'The wedded turtel, with her herte trewe'; Parl. Foules, 355.
83. Phebus; here used, in an extraordinary manner, of the Holy Spirit, as being the spirit of wisdom; perhaps suggested by the mention of the columbe (or dove) in l. 79.
87. Here Thynne prints dyametre, but the Sloane MS. corrects him.
88. Fewe feres, few companions; i.e. few equals.
92, 93. loupe; cf. F. loupe, an excrescence, fleshy kernel, knot in wood, lens, knob. It was also a term in jewellery. Littré has: 'pierre précieuse que la nature n'a pas achevée. Loupe de saphir, loupe de rubis, certaines parties imparfaites et grossières qui se trouvent quelquefois dans ces pierres.' Hence it is not a very happy epithet, but Lydgate must have meant it in a good sense, as expressing the densest portion of a jewel; hence his 'stable (i.e. firm) as the loupe.' Similarly he explains ewage as being 'fresshest of visage,' i.e. clearest in appearance. Ewage was a term applied to a jacinth of the colour of sea-water; see New E. Dict. and P. Plowman, B. ii. 14; but it is here described as blue, and must therefore refer to a stone of the colour of water in a lake.
98. Read hértè for the scansion; but it is a bad line. It runs:—And hém . recéyvest . wíth . hértè . ful tréwe.
99. gladded, gladdened; referring to the Annunciation.
102. obumbred, spread like a shadow; 'uirtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi'; Luke, i. 35. This explains to thee, which answers to tibi.