[49]. efter his rihte, according to his deserts.
[50]. his: RT have correctly þis, and after is, his. Comp. the corresponding passage 127/356-8, where efter ꝥ he is is varied by ‘efter ꝥ him limpeð to,’ and nimed . . . his warde to witene by ‘fondeð . . . his warde te witene.’ This household, each in his own department, undertakes the care of his charge. R omits to witene. With warde . . . witene comp. 74/231; ‘þet he wite ⁊ wardie ou,’ AR 174/24: similar combinations are ‘werieð ⁊ witeð,’ 121/143, 122/192; ‘wite ⁊ werien,’ 123/203, 136/147, 149/169; ‘wardi ⁊ werie,’ 121/141.
[52]. of þe oþre, of the other servants. wit is contracted 3 sing. pr. for witeþ, takes care; T has the equivalent in his dialect, wites: comp. ‘swuchne wardein, þet wit ⁊ wereð us euer wið þe unseiene gostes,’ AR 312/8. R reads ant euchan al swa as of þe oðere wið ꝥ wit onont him . ne schal &c.; wið ꝥ wit is an evident mistake for wit ꝥ. onont him, so far as he is concerned: see NED under Anent; the final t is possibly due to Scandinavian influence (Björkman, 20), and the second o to the analogy of such pairs as hwenne, hwonne, þenne, þonne. Comp. 70/161 note.
[53]: ‘His ita dispositis, introducere debet prudentia aliquos nuntios, qui aliqua narrent, quae ad exercitationem valeant,’ V 208 b.
[54]. fortruste him appears to mean, be over confident, the prefix implying excess: the word occurs here only.
[55]. in, adverb. of feorren: see [118/40 note].
[58]. elheowet, of strange colour: apparently here only. T has blac ille heowet, which looks like a popular derivation of an uncommon word.
[59]. þuncheð ꝥ stont: see [7/52 note]. biuoren, as a preliminary, as the first thing to be said: comp. ‘vore,’ 118/42. RT have biuoren ham, which is rather pointless.
[61]-3. lust: ‘se respondit non aliter quicquam dicturum, nisi summum fiat silentium. Quo impetrato sic incipit. Ego sum timor mortis et mortem vobis venire nuncio,’ V. In AR 306, fearlac binds the sinner condemned in Reason’s court. munegunge, ‘Memoria mortis,’ V.
[64]. bisetten, employ, expend (NED i. 817, comparing bestow): arrange, dispose would better suit wordes, but not werkes.