592. I. e. yet not so much as she ought to have been, as she had all the trouble; she refers to the lady herself.
598. Oncques, ever; Lat. unquam. 'I can ever rise' seems at first sight to be meant; but ne must be understood; the true sense is, 'I can never rise'; i.e. never succeed. See the context, ll. 605-9.
645. 'I trust in God'; see l. 655.
675. 'Admonish well'; from O.F. monester, to admonish, warn.
680. Here, and in l. 689, the speaker is the lady of the castle. In l. 682 (as in l. 690), the speaker appears to be the fourth lady; it is none too clear.
689. I hate you, I command you. Hate should rather be written hote; perhaps it was confused with the related pt. t. hatte, was called. The reference to Saint James of Compostella is noteworthy.
693. it, i.e. the bill, or petition; it takes the form of a Complaint.
697-8. And, if. ye wolde, i.e. ye wolde seme, (see l. 696), ye would think so. Seem is still common in Devonshire in the sense of think or suppose; usually pronounced zim.
699. her refers to the lady of the castle; at least, it would appear so from l. 705. Else, it refers to Fortune.
736. the water, water thrown in her face by one of her companions, who had by this time entered the arbour.