[263]. beswo þet, provided that: an early instance of the phrase.
[264]. At undren &c.: ‘Et cels met il en sa uigne a tierce . quil torne en son seruise en la hie (= ae, L. aetas) de xx anz.’
[267]. ‘issint est humene nature de greinor chalor en cest aage.’
[269]. agenes þo euen: ‘uers le uespre:’ see 220/206.
[270]. fele: ‘les plusors.’ As so . . . ase, just in the same way . . . as: ‘issint . . . si come.’
[272]. All the same no man should put off turning to God, trusting to His forbearance. ‘Nepurquant ceste grant buntie . damledeu quil done as ous com as autres . ne se deit nul asseurer (asurer ne targer, A) de sei torner a deu . ne targier de lui seruir.’ With Nocht for þan, not on that account, comp. 25/240.
[274]. þane dai: ‘le ior ne lore,’ probably a reference to ‘Vigilate itaque, quia nescitis diem, neque horam,’ S. Matt. xxv. 13, but þet holi writ, ‘lescripture’, is applied to other books than the Bible. for Man—wrench: see 21/108, 29/1, 2 note: there is nothing corresponding to it in the French, but after ‘seruir’ (note on l. 272) ‘quil ne seit suspris de mort dementres.’
[280]. and, if: comp. 176/2.
[283]. halt alle þo, keeps in reserve for all those; ‘quae praeparavit Deus iis, qui diligunt eum,’ 1 Cor. ii. 9: ‘pramet ⁊ estore a ceus qui lui aiment.’