Again I entered my smithy to work and forge something from the noble material of time past.

This means that they are bound by law and custom to plough the fields of their masters, harvest the corn, gather it into barns, and thresh and winnow the grain; they must also mow and carry home the hay, cut and collect wood, and perform all manner of tasks of this kind.

Nothing in the world is as certain as death.

They [the English] amuse themselves sadly as in the custom of their country. [Fr., Ils s'amusaient tristement selon la contume de leur pays.]

Without him nothing was done, and through him everything was done, and the king trusted him more than any other.