955. _Daniel_; so in E. Cm.; but the other five MSS. have _Dauid_, i. e.
David. It appears that _David_ is the correct reading, since the names of
Sampson, David, and Solomon occur both in the Fr. text, and in Ayenb. p.
204.
956-7. Probably Chaucer omitted the ten commandments, because he was
getting tired of the work. He mentions them because they are treated of at
length in the French treatise; see Ayenb. pp. 5-11. Hence his 'leaving them
to divines' is a mere excuse. Cf. Kn. Tale, A. 1323; and see note to 1043
below (p. 474).
We may also see, in this expression, a clear proof that this Treatise was
_originally_ made by Chaucer in his own person. On assigning this Tale to
the Parson, he should have struck out this tell-tale clause; for surely the
Parson was 'a divine.'
DE CONFESSIONE. Instead of this Title, most MSS., including E.,
have--'Sequitur secunda Pars Penitencie.' But this is unsuitable, as it has
already appeared, viz. at p. 586. I have therefore taken, from MSS. Pt. and
Christchurch, the alternative title--'De Confessione.' See p. 639.
958. This chapter, on Confession, answers to a similar chapter in the Fr.
text, though the material has been re-arranged. See Ayenb. pp. 172-180;
Ancren Riwle, pp. 299, 317. The reference to the 'firste chaptire' is to
paragraph 107, on p. 572.
959. _fyve wittes_, five senses, also called 'the vif wittes of the bodie'
in Ayenb. p. 177. And cf. P. Plowman, C. ii. 15, and the note.