40. in þis stedde: the rimes hadde: gladde: sadde point to the Towneley MS. reading in darknes stad, 'set in darkness', as nearer the original, which possibly had in þister(nes) stad.
49. we: read ȝe (?). For what follows cp. Isaiah ix. 1-2.
59. puplisshid: the rime with Criste shows that the pronunciation was puplist. Similarly, abasshed: traste 177-9. In French these words have -ss-, which normally becomes -sh- in English. It is hard to say whether -ss- remained throughout in Northern dialects, or whether the development was OFr. -ss- ≻ ME. -sh- ≻ Northern -ss- (notes to I 128, VII 4).
62. þis: read His (?) frendis: here 'relatives', 'parents' (ON. frǽndi); see Luke ii. 27.
65-8. Luke ii. 29-32.
73-82. Matthew iii. 13-17, &c.
75. hande: the rime requires the Norse plural hend as at l. 400; cp. XVII 255, IV a 65 (Footnote).
86 ff. Cp. Matthew xvii. 3 ff., Mark ix. 2 ff.
113. Astrotte: cp. 2 Kings xxiii. 13 'Ashtoreth, the abomination of the Zidonians'. I cannot identify Anaball among the false gods.
115. Bele-Berit: Judges viii. 33 'the children of Israel... made Baal-Berith their god'. For Belial see 2 Cor. vi. 15.