p. 1, l. 9. «ȝyfe.» This is the only instance of «ȝ» being written in the present poem at the beginning of a word. «ȝife» is written «if» in all other passages of the poem, cf. ll. 550, 651, 763, and 1061, etc. As to the pronunciation of «ȝ» in the middle of a word, it is doubtful, whether it had still preserved its ancient guttural sound, or not, as the same words are written sometimes with it and sometimes without it, and are often made to rhyme with words in which «ȝ» or «gh» would be etymologically incorrect; e. g. «nye», which is spelt «nyȝe» in l. 2284, rhymes with «Gye», in l. 2657. We even find «whiȝte», in l. 2289, instead of «white» (l. 2008: «smyte»). At the end of a word «ȝ» has the sound of «s». p. 1, l. 13. «idoone.» The prefix «i-», O.E. «ge-», sometimes occurs in this poem, but more frequently it is not written; see «Introduction», p. xxxviii. p. 1, l. 14. cf. l. 2516.—ll. 1–14 may be said to contain the moral of the whole poem, which we know the romance writers to be very fond of placing at the beginning of their works. “La moralité de tout un poème,” says Léon Gautier, in his «Epopées Françaises», I. 233, “est quelquefois exprimée dans ses premiers vers.” [p096] p. 1, l. 16. «moch» = «much» (as in l. 754) is the usual spelling in this poem. We likewise find «meche», l. 179, and «mikille», l. 1016. p. 1, l. 19, «his» refers to «Rome». p. 1, l. 22. Laban, the father of Ferumbras, is styled «sowdan» only in this poem, and once in the «Destruction de Rome», l. 1436: “Les noveles en vindrent al «soldan» diffaié.” The French, the Provençal and the English version of «Sir Ferumbras» all agree to call him «amyral» or «amirans». p. 1, l. 24. The mention of King Louis and of the abbey of St. Denis (l. 27) seems to be an imitation of the «Destruction», l. 7 «et seq.»: “Le chanchon est perdue et le rime fausee, Mais . . li «rois Louis», dont l’alme est trespassee —Ke li fache pardon la verge honoree— Par lui et par Gautier est l’estoire aunee Et le chanchon drescie, esprise et alumee A «saint Dynis» de France premierement trovee.” St. Denis also occurs in the beginning of the French «Fierabras», l. 4: “A «Saint Denis» en France fu li raules trouvés.” Cf. besides note to l. 26. «witnessith» = attests, testifies; cf. Stratmann, p. 645. It occurs again in l. 1489. p. 2, l. 25. «Romaunce», the French or «Romance» language. We often find the authors of romances, both of translations and of imitations from the French, referring to the original; cf. «Syr Eglamour of Artoys», sign. E i: “His own mother there he wedde, In Romaunce as we rede.” Again, fol. ult.: “In Romaunce this cronycle is.” [Quoted by Warton, «History of English Poetry», II. 146, footnote.]