J. MN. (Vol. ii., p. 153.) has propounded a dozen of most recondite and
puzzling archaisms, upon which I have to offer a few notes.
"_Rykelot_, a magpie?"--The popular and provincial names of animals
deserve more careful notice than they have received from glossarists. I
need scarcely observe how frequently personal names were derived from
those of birds. In the {170} Hundred Rolls we find a "Richard Rikelot"
in Huntingdonshire (vol. ii. p. 626.). I know not what has led to the
supposition that this name denotes the magpie. It may possibly be traced
to the same root as that of a cognate species, the _cornix frugivora;
Roeck_, Germ., according to Gesner; Friesic, _roek_; Ang.-S. _hroc_, the
rook: but I am at a loss to discover anything similar in old French to
explain the occurrence of the termination, which seems to be a popular
or familiar diminutive, a Gallicism, analogous to _partlot_.
"_Wrusum or Wursum._"--The latter is the correct reading. Trotter
Brockett includes the word amongst Northern Provincialisms.--"_Wursum_,
pus, particularly when foul." Jamieson is inclined to derive the word
_woursom_ or _worsum_, used in the same sense by Douglas, in his
translation of Virgil, and by other North Country writers, from Ang.-S.
_Wyr_, pus, and _sum_, as denoting quality.
"_Sabraz._"--This term has perplexed me much in preparing notes on the
portion of the _Promptorium_ I have now in hand. In the Harl. MS. 221.
is found "Sabrace, _sabracia_, Comm." The authority cited, the
_Commentarius Curialium_, is still unknown to me; and I have failed in
searching for the word _sabracia_, which is not found in Ducange, or
other glossaries of debased Latinity. Mr. Halliwell gives "_Sabras_,
salve, plaster;" but he cites no authority. It appears, however, rather
to signify a tonic or astringent solution than a salve. I have hitherto
found it only in the following passage (_Sloane MS_. 73., f. 211., late
xv. sec.) in a recipe for making "cheuerel lether of perchemyne." The
directions are, that it be "basked to and fro" in a hot solution of
"alome roche;--aftir take xelkis of eyren and breke hem smale in a
disch, as thou woldist make therof a caudel, and put these to thyn alome
water, and chaufe it; thanne take it doun fro the fier, and put it in
the cornetrey; thanne tak thi lether and basche it wel in this _sabras_,
to it be wel drunken up into the lether." A little flour is then to be
added, the mixture heated, and the "perchemyn well basked therein, and
th't that saberas be wel drunken up into the lether;" and if it enters
not well into the leather, "lay it abroad in a good long vessel that be
scheld, the fleschside upward, and poure thi _sabrace_ al abouen the
lether, and rubbe it wel yn." It is further recommended to "late the
lether ligge so still al a nyzt in his owen _sabras_."
"_I-menbred_, a girdle i-menbred." (Thus, in old French, "menbrer,
_membrer_," &c., Roquefort). Charpentier gives similar use of the Latin
word,--"Membrare, instruere, ornare, Gall. garnir;" citing a French
document, dated 1352: "Item, unam zonam de serico _Membratam_ de argento
et esmandis;" and another of 1366: "Duas zonas de serico, argento
stofatas et _Membratas_." The term was thus used also in England, as in
the inventory of valuables belonging to Edward I. in 1300 (_Liber
Garderobæ_, p. 347.):--"Una zona, cum cathenis argenti annell' cum targ'
et membris argenti." It might be supposed from this expression, that the
_membra_ were, strictly speaking, the transverse bars of metals, or
_cloux_, Fr., by which the girdle was divided into several compartments,
the intervening spaces being filled by chased ornaments of goldsmiths'
work, and occasionally by armorial scutcheons, "_targie_."
But enough for the present. I should esteem it a favour if your
correspondent would inform me where these curious terms are found, as
the context would greatly facilitate their elucidation.