Endnote 14
Part I, §16, l. 12.  & every minut 60 secoundes; i.e. every minute contains 60 seconds.  The sentence, in fact, merely comes to this.  `Every degree of the border contains four minutes (of time), and every minute (of time) contains sixty seconds (of time).'  This is consistent and intelligible.  Mr. Brae proposes to read `four seconds'; this would mean that `every degree of the border contains four minutes (of time), and every minute (of the border) contains four seconds (of time).  Both statements are true; but, in the latter case, Chaucer should have repeated the words `of the bordure'.  However this may be, the proposed emendation lacks authority, although the reprint of Speght changed `lx' into `fourtie', which comes near to `four'.  But the reprint of Speght is of no value at all.  See Mr. Brae's preface, p. 4, for the defence of his proposed emendation, which is entirely needless.