[164]. ofþincþ: see [30/10 note]. The subject of bet is he, as implied by him preceding.
[165]. scameþ . . . gromeð: comp. ‘Teonen þolien ⁊ gromen ⁊ schomen umbe stunde,’ HM 7/8, and for the corresponding nouns in the next line, ‘Þu vs hauest iwroht þes schome. | And alle þene eche grome,’ OEM 83/334, 5; ‘Me to sorge, scaðe and same,’ GE 302; OEH ii. 173/13, 14, 23.
[166]. þo þre: so D þoðre, but þe oþre E e M. oft: e D M agree with T; but E has, þat sculle beon forlorene.
[167], 168. Comp. ‘Ia ne porrat nuls dire ke il seit enganez | En tant com li oil clot serrat li plaiz finez,’ Guischart 444, 5.
[168]. mene, with him reflexive, complain; comp. ‘þat he ne mahte nanes weis | meanen him of wohe,’ SK 1235, 6. D has bimene; comp. ‘Men hem bimenin of litel trewthe,’ Rel. Ant. ii. 121/11. At 196/663, 205/280 it has the more usual sense, with reflexive, of bemoan. strengþe . . . wronge: comp. 19/48-51, 32/48-50, 44/256: the perversion of justice by bribed or overawed judges is a common theme in the literature of the time; see Wright, Political Songs, pp. 224-30. strengþe, violence, has usually a determining adjective in this sense, as ‘nawt wið luðer strencðe,’ SK 1234; ‘liste ne luðer strengðe,’ id. 1516, but see 60/18.
[170]. uuele holden, handled, treated, hardly; comp. ‘and heom heold swa harde; ⁊ mid hærme heom igrette,’ L 29937, 8. redde: a mistake for rerde, as in E; the others have arerde, set up, instituted; comp. 15/80, 85.
[171]. ec: Ac E; End e; ech D; Euerich M. 171, 172 are not in J.
[176], 178. forð mid: see 1/19.
[177]. habbeð doules were: nabbeð god idon E e: comp. 44/254.
[178]. grunde: comp. 46/295; ‘alesde us of helle grunde,’ OEH i. 19/8; ‘al forloren into helle grunde,’ id. 21/35; see also 119/82. For faren forð mid, E e have, falle swiþe raþe.