[27] A word acknowledged to be obscure. Mr. Morris suggests _on the left hand_, as unbelieved. [28] "Except that which his sole wit may judge." [29] "Be equal to thy possessions:" "fit thy desires to thy means." [30] "Ambition has uncertainty." We use the word _ticklish_ still. [31] "Is mingled everywhere." [32] To relish, to like. "Desire no more than is fitting for thee." [33] For. [34] "Let thy spiritual and not thine animal nature guide thee." [35] "And I dare not falsely judge the reverse." [36] A poem so like this that it may have been written immediately after reading it, is attributed to Robert Henryson, the Scotch poet. It has the same refrain to every verse as Lydgate's. [37] "Mourning for mishaps that I had caught made me almost mad." [38] "Led me all one:" "brought me back to peace, unity, harmony." (?) [39] "That I read on (it)." [40] _Of_ in the original, as in the title. [41] Does this mean by contemplation on it? [42] "I paid good attention to it." [43] "Greeted thee"--_in the very affliction._ [44] "For Christ's love let us do the same." [45] "Whatever grief or woe enslaves thee." But _thrall_ is a blunder, for the word ought to have rhymed with _make._ [46] "The precious leader that shall judge us." [47] "When thou art in sorry plight, think of this." [48] "And death, beyond renewal, lay hold upon their life." [49] _Sending, message:_ "whatever varying decree God sends thee." [50] "Receives his message;" "accepts his will." [51] Recently published by the Early English Text Society. S.L. IV. [52] "Child born of a bright lady." _Bird, berd, brid, burd_, means _lady_ originally: thence comes our _bride_. [53] In _Chalmers' English Poets_, from which I quote, it is _selly-worme;_ but I think this must be a mistake. _Silly_ would here mean _weak_. [54] The first poem he wrote, a very fine one, _The Shepheard's Calender_, is so full of old and provincial words, that the educated people of his own time required a glossary to assist them in the reading of it. [55] _Eyas_ is a young hawk, whose wings are not fully fledged. [56] "What less than that is fitting?" [57] _For_, even in Collier's edition, but certainly a blunder. [58] _Was_, in the editions; clearly wrong. [59] "Of the same mould and hand as we." [60] There was no contempt in the use of this word then. [61] Simple-hearted, therefore blessed; like the German _selig_. [62] A shell plentiful on the coast of Palestine, and worn by pilgrims to show that they had visited that country. [63] _Evil_ was pronounced almost as a monosyllable, and was at last contracted to _ill_. [64] "Come to find a place." The transitive verb _stow_ means to put in a place: here it is used intransitively. [65] The list of servants then kept in large houses, the number of such being far greater than it is now.