These quotations set aside Mr. Jephson's interpretation, and solve Tyrwhitt's difficulty. Tyrwhitt says that 'The Romance of Perceval le Galois, or de Galis, was composed in octosyllable French verse by Chrestien de Troyes, one of the oldest and best French romancers, before the year 1191; Fauchet, l. ii. c. x. It consisted of above 60,000 verses (Bibl. des Rom. t. ii. p. 250) so that it would be some trouble to find the fact which is, probably, here alluded to. The romance, under the same title, in French prose, printed at Paris, 1530, fol., can be an abridgement, I suppose, of the original poem.' 2107. _worthy under wede_, well-looking in his armour. The phrase is very common. Tyrwhitt says it occurs repeatedly in the romance of Emare, and refers to folios 70, 71 b, 73 a, and 74 b of the MS.; but the reader may now find the romance in print; see Ritson's Metrical Romances, ii. pp. 214, 229, 235, 245. The phrase is used of ladies also, and must then mean of handsome appearance when well-dressed. See Amis and Amiloun, ed. Weber, ii. pp. 370, 375. Cf. l. 1979. 2108. The story is here broken off by the host's interruption. MSS. Pt. and Hl. omit this line, and MSS. Cp. and Ln. omit ll. 2105-7 as well. [201] PROLOGUE TO MELIBEUS. 2111. _of_, by. _lewednesse_, ignorance; here, foolish talk. 2112. _also_, &c.; as verily as (I hope) God will render my soul happy. See Kn. Ta. A. 1863, 2234. 2113. _drasty_, filthy. Tyrwhitt and Bell print _drafty_, explained by full of draff or refuse. But there is no such word; the adjective (were there one) would take the form _draffy_. See _drestys_, i. e. dregs, lees of wine, in the Prompt. Parv., and Way's note, which gives the spelling _drastus_ (a plural form) as occurring in MS. Harl. 1002. The Lat. _feces_ is glossed by _drastys_ in Wright's Vocab., ed. Wülcker, p. 625, l. 16. And the Lat. _feculentus_ is glossed by the A. S. _dræstig_ in the same, col. 238, l. 20. 2123. _in geste_, in the form of a regular story of adventure of some well-known hero; cf. House of Fame, 1434, 1515. The _gestes_ generally pretended to have some sort of historical foundation; from Low Lat. _gesta_, doings. Sir Thopas was in this form, but the Host would not admit it, and wanted to hear about some one who was more renowned. 'Tell us,' he says, 'a tale like those in the _chansons de geste_, or at least something in prose that is either pleasant or profitable.' 2131. 'Although it is sometimes told in different ways by different people.' 2137. 'And all agree in their general meaning.' _sentence_, sense; see ll. 2142, 2151. 2148. Read it--_Tenforcë with_, &c. THE TALE OF MELIBEUS.