1 Hwenne-so. “Whenever.” On this repeated adverbial phrase, see MED, so (adv.), sense 27d, and whanne-so (conj.).↩back to note source

3 sieth. “comes upon, proceeds to.” See MED, sien (v.(1)), sense 1b. The primary sense of this verb, derived from OE ge)sigan, is “descend, fall down, decline.”↩back to note source

4 to wene wrieth. “turns to speculation.” Both wene and wrieth are open to numerous meanings. I follow the MED’s specific definitions for this passage. See MED, s.vv. wene (n.), sense 1a; and wrien (v.(2)), sense 5a.↩back to note source

ofo of Wisdom. “close-fitting cap,” as worn by a clerk or lawyer, from OE hufe. See MED, houve (n.), sense 1a, where this early spelling (ending in o rather than e) is listed as an error. “Wisdom” is here wholly synonymous with “Wit.” Elsewhere in Jesus 29, the phrase wit and wisdom is treated as a singular noun. See The Proverbs of Alfred (art. 24), line 133 (note).↩back to note source