2743. This fine passage is certainly imitated from the account of the death of Atys in Statius, Theb. viii. 637-651. I quote ll. 642-651, in which Atys fixes his last gaze upon his bride Ismene; as to ll. 637-641, see note to l. 2696 above. 'Prima uidet, caramque tremens Iocasta uocabat Ismenen: namque hoc solum moribunda precatur Uox generi, solum hoc gelidis iam nomen inerrat Faucibus: exclamant famulae: tollebat in ora Uirgo manus; tenuit saeuus pudor; attamen ire Cogitur (indulget summum hoc Iocasta iacenti), Ostenditque offertque: quater iam morte sub ipsa Ad nomen uisus, deiectaque fortiter ora Sustulit: illam unam neglecto lumine coeli Adspicit, et uultu non exsatiatur amato.' 2745. 'Also when bloude rotteth in anye member, but it be taken out by skill or kinde, it tourneth into venime'; Batman upon Bartholomè, lib. iv. c. 7. _bouk_, paunch; A. S. _b[=u]c_. 2749. 'The vertue Expulsiue is, which expelleth and putteth away that that is vnconuenient and hurtfull to kinde' [nature]; Batman upon Bartholomè, lib. iii. c. 8. 'This vertue [given by the soul to the body] hath three parts; one is called _naturall_, and is in the lyuer: the other is called _vitall_, or [92] _spiritall_, and hath place in the heart; the third is called _Animal_, and hath place in the brayn'; id. c. 14. 'The vertue that is called _Naturalis_ moueth the humours in the body of a beast by the vaines, and hath a principal place in the liuer'; id. c. 12. 2761. _This al and som_, i. e. _this_ (is) _the al and som_, this is the short and long of it. A common expression; cf. F. 1606; Troil. iv. 1193, 1274. With ll. 2761-2808 compare the Teseide, x. 12, 37, 51, 54, 55, 64, 102-3, 60-3, 111-2. 2800. _overcome._ Tyrwhitt reads _overnome_, overtaken, the pp. of _overnimen_; but none of the seven best MSS. have this reading. 2810. The _real_ reason why Chaucer could not here describe the passage of Arcite's soul to heaven is because he had already copied Boccaccio's description, and had used it with respect to the death of Troilus; see Troil. v. 1807-27 (stanzas 7, 8, 9 from the end). 2815. _ther Mars_, &c., where I hope that Mars will, &c.; may Mars, &c. 2822. _swich sorwe_, so great sorrow. The line is defective in the third foot, which consists of a single (accented) syllable. 2827-46. Cf. the Teseide, xi. 8, 7, 9-11, xii. 6. 2853-962. Cf. the Teseide, xi. 13-16, 30, 31, 35, 38, 40, 37, 18, 26-7, 22-5, 21, 27-9, 30, 40-67.