940. See the story of Holofernes in the Monkes Tale, B. 3741; and the note.
I select the spelling _Olofernus_ here, because it is that of the majority
of the MSS., and agrees with the title _De Oloferno_ in the Monkes Tale.
947. In l. 465, Chaucer mentions the 'Strait of Marrok,' i. e. Morocco,
though there is no mention of it in the French text; so here he alludes
[162] to it again, but by a different name, viz. 'the mouth of Jubalter and
Septe.' _Jubaltar_ (Gibraltar) is from the Arabic _jabálu't tárik_, i. e.
the mountain of Tarik; who was the leader of a band of Saracens that made a
descent upon Spain in the eighth century. _Septe_ is Ceuta, on the opposite
coast of Africa.
965. _shortly_, briefly; because Chaucer here again abridges the original,
which relates how the Romans burnt the Sultaness, and slew more than 11,000
of the Saracens, without a single death or even wound on their own side.
967. _senatour._ His name was Arsemius of Cappadocia; his wife's name was
Helen. Accent _victorie_ on the _o_.
969. _as seith the storie_, as the history says. The French text relates
this circumstance fully.
971. The French text says that, though Arsemius did not recognise
Constance, she, on her part, recognised him at once, though she did not
reveal it.
981. _aunte._ Helen, the wife of Arsemius, was daughter of Sallustius,
brother of the Emperor Tiberius, and Constance's uncle. Thus Helen was
really Constance's first cousin. Chaucer may have altered it purposely; but
it looks as if he had glanced at the sentence--'Cest heleyne, la nece
Constaunce, taunt tendrement ama sa nece,' &c., and had read it as--'This
Helen ... loved her _niece_ so tenderly.' In reality, the word _nece_ means
'cousin' here, being applied to Helen as well as to Constance.