1103. _that we it hadde_, that we might have it. _Hadde_ is here the
subjunctive. Perhaps _have_ would be better, but it lacks authority.
1126. _mortifye_, mortify; a technical term. See note to l. 1431.
1151. 'To blind the priest with.' See note to l. 1055.
1171. For _torned_, read _terved_, i. e. flayed, skinned; MS. E. has
_terued_ (so it may be read). See l. 1274.
1185. _Seint Gyles_, saint Giles; a corrupted form of Ægidius. His day is
Sept. 1; see Chambers' Book of Days, ii. 296; Legenda Aurea, cap. cxxx.; or
Caxton's Golden Legende.
1204-1205. The rime is given by _týmë_ (two syllables, from A. S.
_t[=i]ma_) riming with _by me_.
On referring to Prof. Child's Observations on the Language of Gower, I find
_seven_ references given for this rime, as occurring in the edition by Dr.
Pauli. The references are--i. 227, 309, 370; ii. 41, 114, 277; iii. 369.
Dr. Pauli prints _byme_ as one word!
1210. The last foot contains the words--or a pannë.
1238-1239. MS. E. omits these two lines: the other MSS. retain them.
1244. _halwes_ is in the genitive plural. 'And the blessing of all the
saints may ye have, Sir Canon!'
1245. 'And may I have their malison,' i. e. their curse.
1274. For _torne_, read _terve_, i. e. flay; as in MS. E. Cf. l. 1171.
1283. 'Why do you wish it to be better than well?' Answering nearly
to--'what would you have better?'
1292. A rather lax line. _Is ther_ is to be pronounced rapidly, in the time
of one syllable, and _her-inne_ is of three syllables.
1299. Pronounce _simple_ as _simpl'_; _tong-e_ is dissyllabic.
1313. _his ape_, his dupe. See Prol. 706, B. 1630. The simile is evidently
taken from the fact that showmen used to carry apes about with them much as
organ-boys do at the present day, the apes being secured by a string. Thus,
'to make a man one's ape' is to lead him about at will. The word _apewarde_
occurs in Piers the Plowman, B. v. 540. To _lead apes_ means to lead about
a train of dupes.
1319. _heyne_, wretch. This word has never before been properly explained.
It is not in Tyrwhitt's Glossary. Dr. Morris considers it as another form
of _hyne_, a peasant, or hind, but leaves the phonetic difference of vowel
unaccounted for; the words are clearly distinct. It occurs in Skelton's
Bowge of Courte, l. 327:--
'It is great scorne to see suche an _hayne_
As thou arte, one that cam but yesterdaye,
With vs olde seruauntes suche maysters to playe.'
Here Mr. Dyce also explains it by _hind_, or servant, whereas the context
requires the opposite meaning of a despised _master_. Halliwell
gives--'_Heyne_, a miser, a worthless person'; but without a reference. It
means 'miser' in Udall's translation of Erasmus' Apophthegmes (1564), where
it occurs thrice. Thus, in bk. i. § 106, we find: 'Soch [431] a niggard or
_hayn_, that he coulde not finde in his harte ... to departe with an
halfpeny.' In the same, § 22, we find: '_haines_ and niggardes of their
purse'; and, for a third example, see note to Parl. Foules, 610 (vol. i. p.
523). The word seems to be Scandinavian; cf. Icel. _hegna_, Dan. _hegne_,
to hedge in, Swed. _hägna_, to fence, guard, protect; whence Lowl. Sc.
_hain_, to hedge in, to preserve, to spare, to save money, to be penurious
(Jamieson).
1320. 'This priest being meanwhile unaware of his false practice.' See l.
1324.
1342. Alluding to the proverb--'As fain as a fowl [i. e. bird] of a fair
morrow'; given by Hazlitt in the form--'As glad as fowl of a fair day.' See
Piers the Plowman, B. x. 153; Kn. Tale, 1579 (A. 2437).
1348. _To stonde in grace_; cf. Prol. 88; also A. 1173.
1354. _By our_; pronounced _By'r_, as spelt in Shakespeare, Mid. Nt. Dr.
iii. 1. 14.