50. _Sight-e_ is dissyllabic, as the scansion shews. In l. 15, _wight_ is monosyllabic. It is often difficult to ascertain Chaucer's usage of such forms, and we have to observe, where we can, any instances that are helpful. The Rime-Indexes to the Canterbury Tales and to the Minor Poems are often of great service. We learn from them that _wight_ rimes with the monosyllables _bright_, _knight_, _might_, _night_, _right_, &c., whereas _sighte_ rimes with the infin. moods _light-e_, _fight-e_, &c., as well as with monosyllables, and is therefore used somewhat capriciously. Another helpful list is that given in Ellis's Early Eng. Pronunciation, ch. iv. § 5, founded upon Prof. Child's articles on Chaucer and Gower. This at once refers us to C. T. 2118 (It were a lusty _sight-e_ for to see); 2335 (But sodeinly she saugh a _sight-e_ queynte); &c. We should also consider the etymology. Now _wight_ = A.S. _wiht_, is monosyllabic, and gives no difficulty. On the other hand, the A.S. for 'sight' is _gesiht_ or _gesihþ_; but it is a fem. sb., and makes _all_ its oblique cases with a final _-e_, viz. _gesiht-e_ or _gesihþ-e_. In such instances, the nominative case often lost its distinctive form, and took the form of the other cases, so that already in the Ormulum (l. 12670) we find the nom. case _sihhþ-e_, dissyllabic. Such usages have received careful attention in the present edition, and in almost every case the addition of a final _e_ in an unexpected place can be amply justified by instances of Chaucer's usage in other passages. If the student will endeavour to _verify_ some of the examples here given, he will soon come to a clearer knowledge of the matter. 52. _Hit_, it, i.e. the daisy. But in l. 53 it is referred to as _she_. We shall see why this is hereafter. As a mere flower, it is neuter; but as being the type of Alcestis, it is feminine. Cf. ll. 62, 63. 53. We have come to the first instance in which Chaucer transposed the order of his material in the course of revision. Line 53 of the B-text corresponds to A. 55, whilst B. 61 corresponds to A. 51. All such instances are clearly shewn by printing the transposed passages twice over, once in their right place, and again in their changed place _in a smaller type_. By this arrangement all such transpositions can be understood at a glance. The blank space which here appears in the A-text corresponds to ll. 50-52 in B, which are marked with an asterisk as being peculiar to the latter text. In order to save space, a small blank space (of one or two lines only) often corresponds to an insertion in the other text of some length. 56. 'And I love it, and ever (do so) equally anew,' i.e. unalterably. 57. The word _herte_ is so common that it is worth while to remember that it is usually dissyllabic; the A.S. form being _heorte_. 58. _Al_, although (very common). _Of this_, in this matter. 61. _Weste_, is here a verb; 'to turn to the west.' See l. 197.