221. _Oriental_, eastern; here, of superior quality. 'The precious stones called by lapidaries _oriental ruby_, _oriental topaz_, _oriental amethyst_, and _oriental emerald_ are red, yellow, violet, and green sapphires, distinguished from the other gems of the same name which have not the prefix _oriental_, by their greatly superior hardness, and greater specific gravity'; Engl. Cyclopædia, s.v. Adamantine Spar. Cf. P. Plowman, B. 2. 14. 223. _For which_, by means of which, whereby. 227. In the Rom. of the Rose the 'god of love' is said to be clothed 'not in silk, but all in flowers'; his garment was all covered with flowers, intermingled with rose-leaves; and he had a chaplet of red roses upon his head. See the E. version, l. 890. In l. 228, _fret_ means merely 'ornament' or 'border' of embroidery, whereas in l. 215 it is used in the sense of a caul or net worn on the head. The A-text (160) has _garlond_, and adds that lilies were stuck about among the rose-leaves. Moreover, a 'rose-leaf' here means a petal, or it would not be described as red. _Greves_ is properly 'groves or bushes,' but must here mean sprays or small boughs. 231. _For hevinesse_, to save him from the heaviness and weight of gold. The peculiar use of _for_ in the sense of 'against,' or 'to prevent,' should be noticed. See the note to Sir Thopas, B 2052. 242. _Corouned_ is pronounced as _Coróun'd_. --A. 179. Notice this mention of Alcestis in the A-text. This is altered in the later version, so that the poet does not know who the queen is till l. 511, though she actually announces herself in l. 432. See note to l. 255 (B.) below. 249. _Absolon_, Absalom; remarkable for the beauty of his hair; see 2 Sam. xiv. 26. Cf. 'Absalom o ses treces soves'; Rom. de la Rose, 14074. I have little doubt that the general idea of this Ballade is taken from one quoted from MS. du Roi, à Paris (fonds de Saint-Victor, no. 275, fol. 45, recto, col. 2), by M. Michel, in his edition of Tristan, i. lxxxviii. It begins as follows:-- '_Hester_, Judith, _Penelope_, _Helaine_, Sarre, _Tisbe_, Rebeque, et Sairy, _Lucresse_, _Yseult_, Genèvre, chastelaine La très loial nommée de Vergy, Rachel, et la dame de Fayel _Onc ne furent si precieulx jouel_ D'onneur, bonté, senz, beauté et valour _Con est ma très doulce dame d'onnour_. Se d'_Absalon_ la grant beauté humaine,' &c. The refrain being, as before, 'Con est ma très doulce dame d'onnour.' 250. _Ester_, Esther; cited as an example of 'debonairte' in the Book of the Duch. 986; see also C. T., E 1371, 1744 (Merch. Tale); and the Tale of Melibeus, B 2291. 251. _Ionathas_, Jonathan; remarkable for his 'friendliness' towards David; 1 Sam. xix. 2.