261. Be the song pleasing beyond all measure, ever so pleasing. #ne#
does not negative the verb, but goes with and strengthens neuer; comp.
‘Ne beo he nefre swa riche, forð he scal þenne is dei cumeð,’ OEH 35/21;
similarly 23/168, 43/225; ‘treouðe nefde he nane[;] to nauer nane
monne,’ L 25471.
262. #þat# is not the correlative of so in the preceding line, which is
a conditional clause; it is an illogical repetition of ‘þat’ in ll. 256,
258: the sense is, though the song be ever so pleasing, it must appear
unpleasing, if it continues &c. For #ne#, see 25/240.
263. #ouer unwille#, ‘beyond what is desirable,’ Specimens, but in the
glossary unwille is translated, displeasure. Wells takes unwille as an
adverb qualified by ouer, ‘too unpleasantly.’ Probably #ouer# is written
for ower which with #unwille# would form an adverbial phrase, against
your will, or pleasure, representing OE. #ūrum unwillum#, the latter
element being _pl. d._ of #unwilla#; comp. ‘ure gast biþ swiþe wide
farende urum unwillum,’ Boethius 152/4. Similar combinations descending
from OE. #unwill# are seen in ‘þe man . . . here wuneð on wanrede ⁊
þoleð his unwille hwile druie, ⁊ hwile wete,’ OEH ii. 123/5; ‘hire
unwilles,’ 140/25; ‘hire unwil,’ 141/136, HM 31/32; ‘min unwil,’ SM
13/3: see 140/25 note.