TR1. 435 Ĭn hým nĕ déynĕd spárĕ blóod rŏiál
TR1. 436 Thĕ fýr ŏf lóvĕ -- whérfrŏ Gód mĕ bléssĕ --
TR1. 437 Nĕ hím fŏrbár ĭn nó dĕgrée, fŏr ál
TR1. 438 Hĭs vértŭ ór hĭs éxcĕllént prŏwéssĕ,
TR1. 439 Bŭt héld hy̆m ás hĭs thrál lŏwe ín dĕstréssĕ,
TR1. 440 Ănd brénde hy̆m só ĭn sóundry̆ wíse ăy néwĕ,
TR1. 441 Thăt séxtĭ týme ă dáy hĕ lóste hĭs héwĕ.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): The fire of love—from which God protect me!—did not deign to spare the blood royal in him, nor spared him in any way, despite all his virtue and excellent prowess, but kept him like a humble slave in distress, and constantly burned him so in differing ways that he lost colour sixty times a day.
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 恋の炎は、彼に流れる王族の血など容赦せずに―ああ、やれやれ、これは何てことだ―、美徳や秀でた勇敢さも、少しも惜しく思わず、彼を苦悩に沈む身分の低い奴隷の身と思わせて、いつもさまざまな方法で身を焦がし、そのために彼は一日六十回も顔色を失ったのである。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 那灼热的火，上帝保佑，烧干了他滴滴王子之血，消尽了他全身的力量和勇气；他五体投地，抬不起头来，哪里还能作半点挣扎，一日之中他的脸色倒有六十次变得苍白。

Word Information

• Etymology: OE
• Addresser: Narrator
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): 1.40
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: frequency (times that Troilus lost his colour)
• Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: 1. (a) Cardinal number as adj.: sixty; ~ mile large, sixty miles distant; ~ peni, a customary rent; — ?error for sixte peni [s.v. sixt(e num.1.(c)]; ~ sithes; (s.v. sixtī,num.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 22): sexti: sixty
• Fisher (1989): N/A
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): sixty, sometimes a conventional expression of large number (s.v. sixty, num.)
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

sixty, a large number

Comments from the Editor

This stanza follows Fil.1.40, which conveys the idea that the passionate fire of love does not discriminate based on one’s royal lineage or status. This statement sets the context for the subsequent stanza, suggesting that even Troilus, who belongs to a royal bloodline, is not immune to the all-consuming flames of love.