Note 77 — 62 FAIR ANNIE
Reading edition
Vorige span, sts 14,15, for which Hoffmann reads voorgespan, meaning a fore-span. A span of horses is as absurd here as possible, but is adopted in the German version, and made to point a gibe at the king. It would seem that the Dutch voorspan, brooch or clasp, German spange (see Hexham's Dictionary, 1658), must have been for some time obsolete. In Richthofen's Altfriesisches Wörterbuch we find simply span, spon: "verstanden ist darunter ein goldener Schmuck den die friesischen Weiber vor der Brust trugen." Stanza 15 is interpreted accordingly.