5. “Wade’s boat” was called Guingelot; and in it, according to
the old romance, the owner underwent a long series of wild
adventures, and performed many strange exploits. The romance
is lost, and therefore the exact force of the phrase in the text is
uncertain; but Mr Wright seems to be warranted in supposing
that Wade’s adventures were cited as examples of craft and
cunning — that the hero, in fact, was a kind of Northern
Ulysses, It is possible that to the same source we may trace the
proverbial phrase, found in Chaucer’s “Remedy of Love,” to
“bear Wattis pack” signifying to be duped or beguiled.
6. Stopen: advanced; past participle of “step.” Elsewhere
“y-stept in age” is used by Chaucer.
7. They did not need to go in quest of a wife for him, as they
had promised.
8. Thilke tree: that tree of original sin, of which the special sins
are the branches.