4 venk. “began.” MED, fon (v.), sense 10a.↩back to note source

6 neyleyhte. “approached, drew near.” See MED, neighlechen (v.), sense 1a, and compare The Passion of Jesus Christ (art. 1), line 85.↩back to note source

33–36 “Well thu seyst . . . than thin owe.” Compare the Wife of Bath’s Prologue (CT III[D]14–19), where she famously queries this response from Jesus about the Samaritan woman’s number of husbands.↩back to note source

39 iredynesse. “explanation.” MED, irednesse (n.), where an uncertain definition, “?A decision, an answer,” is given. Derived from OE gerædnes, the noun is attested only here.↩back to note source

57 ryhtleche. “rectify, make correct.” MED, right-lechen (v.), sense 1a.↩back to note source

69 sayde. The rhyme fails here, and the original word was perhaps bihete, “promised.” This line is the only unrhymed one in the poem. Lines 67–73 constitute the only stanza-group having an odd number of lines (seven), so perhaps half of an original couplet is missing.↩back to note source