15. _Goddes_, goddess, Venus; here spoken of as the goddess of _love_.

16. _Rakelnesse_, rashness. The MSS. have _rekelnesse_, _reklesnesse_,

_reckelesnesse_; the first is nearly right. _Rakelnesse_ is Chaucer's word,

Cant. Tales, 17232 (H 283); five lines above, Phoebus blames his _rakel

hond_, because he had slain his wife.