Volume 3 / Book 18 — FOOTNOTES:

Brother Vincent, in a sermon which he made, and which had for its text, “Ecce ascendimus Hierosoleman,” gives three reasons for it:—“The first,” said he, “is to excuse the Christians; the second is for the confusion of the Saracens; and the third is for the conversion of the Jews. As to the first reason, we ought all to know that there is no Christian, however holy, who does not sin, and has not sinned, except Jesus and his mother, the glorious Virgin Mary; and God is not willing that Christians should sin in the land in which Jesus Christ, his son, suffered the passion for the sins of men; and would account it a great offence. But He is not thus offended by the Saracens; for they are dogs. It would displease the king if his children or his knights should make water in his chamber; but when a dog makes water there, he takes no account of it.”

See Catalogus Codicum MSS. Bibliothecæ Bernensis, &c. tom. i. p. 79.

“Chaque jour amène son pain, Tantôt plus, tantôt moins: le mal est que toujours (Et sans cela nos gains seraient assez honnêtes), Le mal est que dans l’an s’entremêlent des jours Qu’il faut chômer; on nous ruine en fêtes; L’une fait tort à l’autre; et monsieur le curé De quelque nouveau saint charge toujours son prôné.”

Every day brings its bread; sometimes more, sometimes less: the worst is that always (and without that our gains would be very tolerable), the evil is, that in the year so many days creep in in which we must be idle—we are ruined in festivals; one treads upon the heels of another; and master curate is always introducing some new saint into his sermon.—Trans.

“Swear me, Kate, like a lady, as thou art, A good mouth-filling oath!”

The queen’s anathema upon Joinville, is, in the original, something of this character.—Trans.

Bordeaux, at the time of the pilgrims’ departure, was one of the principal cities of the Gauls. It is situated at the mouth of the Garonne, in the Bay of Biscay, and is strongly associated with English history, as having been for a long time the residence of the Black Prince, and the birth-place of the unfortunate Richard II.—Trans.

“This heavy-headed revel, east and west, Makes us traduced, and taxed of other nations: They clepe us drunkards, and with swinish phrase Soil our addition,”