—— l. 10, Sicut servus Stichus.—This name was given to a servant in the Roman comic writers. It is introduced here for the sake of rhyme.
[P. 208], l. 2, nullus.—The MS. has unus.
—— l. 10, Thebanas ... vel Trojanas cædes.—Referring to the Thebaid of Statius, and the poem De bello Trojano of Joseph of Exeter, both of them at that period popular reading books.
—— l. 16, Telluris.—The MS. has Celurus.
[P. 209], l. 4, agro ... positis.—The MS. has ager and positus.
[P. 212]. Song on the Execution of Sir Simon Fraser.—This song was printed by Ritson, in his Ancient Songs.
[P. 213], l. 6, The Waleis.—Wallace was taken prisoner at the second battle of Dunbar, in 1305, and was executed at London on the Eve of St. Bartholomew, (Aug. 24) 1306. The places to which his quarters were sent were Newcastle, Berwick, Perth, and Aberdeen.
—— l. 10, Simond Frysel.—This was the original form of the name of Fraser, and is the way in which it is spelt in all the English documents.
[P. 215], l. 14, kyng of somere.—Matthew of Westminster gives a popular story, that Bruce’s queen had told him in derision, he was but a summer king, and that his kingdom would scarcely last in the winter. See Holinshed, p. 314.
[P. 215], l. 9, Sire Edward of Carnarvon.—The Prince of Wales.