Geoffrey Chaucer

“ But the title (probably not Chaucer's) is a bad one. See the Introduction. Cf. note to l. 73.
1. We must suppose Venus, i. e. the lady, to be the speaker. Hence the subject of the first Ballad is the worthiness of the lover of Venus, in another word, of Mars; indeed, in Julian Notary's edition, the poem is headed 'The Compleint of Venus for Mars.' But Mars is merely to be taken as a general type of true knighthood.
I have written the general subject of each Ballad at the head of each, merely for convenience. The subjects are:— (1) The Lover's worthiness; (2) Disquietude caused by Jealousy ”

“ We thus have three movements, expressive of Admiration, Passing Doubt, and Reassurance.
The lady here expresses, when in a pensive mood, the comfort she finds in the feeling that her lover is worthy; for every one praises his excellence. ”

“ The sense is—'so dearly is love purchased in (return for) what he gives; he often gives inordinately, but bestows more sorrow than pleasure.'
46. Nouncerteyn, uncertainty; as in Troilus, i. 337. A parallel formation to nounpower, impotence, which occurs in Chaucer's tr. of Boethius, bk. iii. pr. 5, l. 14.
49. In this third Ballad, Venus says she is glad to continue in her love, and contemns jealousy. She is thankful for her good fortune, and will never repent her choice.
50. Lace, snare, entanglement. Chaucer speaks of the lace of love, and the lace of Venus; Kn. ”