p. 13, l. [441]. Sarsyns : Romaynes. See Introduction, p. xliv.
p. 14, l. [464]. oost does not rhyme with beste. Both the sense and the rhyme will be improved if we read rest for oost.
p. 14, l. [473]. As it stands, the line makes no sense. This is written indistinctly in the MS., so that we may read either this or thus; the sense requires the latter, which I think is the true reading. Or else we may keep this and write idone instead of it done.
p. 15, l. [488]. aras. Read a ras, and see note to l. 1349.
p. 15, l. [491]. and armes makes no sense, as we are hardly entitled to take armes for the 2nd person plural imperative; which in this poem always ends in -eth. See Introduction, p. xxxvii. I think we must change and into as. For the explanation of the phrase “as armes,” see note on l. 2660.
p. 15, l. [495]. The Ascopars or Ascopartes are mentioned in the Destruction as the subjects of the Soudan. The name of this people is not to be found in any other version. Astopars is merely a clerical error for Ascopars, which may be easily accounted for by remembering that in the MSS. the characters c and t are very often formed almost alike. The true spelling Ascopars is found in ll. 2196, 2648; cf. also the Destruction, ll. 98, 426. Nothing is known of the origin and the home of the Ascoparts. That they must have been men of great bodily strength follows from l. 496, “for ye be men of mighte,” and l. 2645, “that bene boolde and hardy to fighte.” Compare also what is said about them by Donne, in his first satire:
“Those Askaparts, men big enough to throw
Charing-cross for a bar.”
It is worthy while to note that a giant, called Askapard, occurs in the romance of Sir Bevis of Hamptoun. See Ellis, Metr. Romances, ed. Halliwell, p. 263.
p. 15, l. [500]. Ho is evidently a mistake for we. rere-warde, “rear-guard;” the van is called fowarde, ll. 502, 732, the main body the medyl partye, l. 735.