le colportage, * peddling, hawking

Page 31.

9. coureurs de poule, * chicken-hunters,' so called from their plundering peasants of their poultry.

14. Arras, the capital of Artois ; celebrated for its tapestries, which were called ' arras ' from its name.

Sedan. Sedan is still famous for its cloth. It first rose into note in the fifteenth century.

15. VerduxL Verdun, in Lorraine, is still famous for its confectioneiy.

confisant au miei, 'preserving in honey,' or 'making their confectionery with honey.' The dative is used to imply the seasoning in cookery. Eve § 157. Sugar was still very dear (see lines 22, 23), and ordinary persons could only afford confectionery made with the cheaper honey.

16. Orléans, one of the chief cities of Central France, on the Loire, famous for its siège by the English, 1428-9, and relief by Jeanne d'Arc.

17. gants de moufle, *mittens' — really, gloves with a division for the thumb, but none for the fingers.

19. setlers. The setter (Latin sextarius) was a measure of capacity, var3^ng with the locality. At Paris it was 12 bushels.

21. de Milan. Plate armour had now replaced the old chainarmour, and the best was manufactured at Milan.

les mauyaises armures, ' the inferior armour.' The German armourers never equalled the Milanese.

24. Montpellier, an important city of Southern France, near the Mediterranean. It had belonged to the King of Navarre, but was recovered by the kings of France in the fifteenth century.