1015 in vayres, in purity.
1020 dut = dunt (?) = dint (?), referring to sword-sports.
1022 sayn[t] Ione3 day. This is the 27th of December, and the last of the
feast. Sometimes the Christmas festivities were prolonged to New
Year's Day (Sir F. Madden).
1047 derne dede = secret deed. I would prefer to read derue dede =
great deed. Cf. lines 558, 564.
1053 I wot in worlde, etc. = I not (I know not) in worlde, etc.
1054 I nolde, bot if I hit negh my3t on nw3eres morne,
For alle þe londe in-wyth Logres, etc.
I would not [delay to set out], unless I might approach it on New
Year's morn, for all the lands within England, etc.
1074 in spenne = in space = in the interval = meanwhile. See line 1503.
1160 slentyng of arwes. Sir F. Madden reads sleutyng.
"Of drawyn swordis sclentyng to and fra,
The brycht mettale, and othir armouris seir,
Quharon the sonnys blenkis betis cleir,
Glitteris and schane, and vnder bemys brycht,
Castis ane new twynklyng or a lemand lycht."
(G. Douglas' Æneid, Vol. i, p. 421.)
1281 let lyk = appeared pleased.
1283 Þa3 I were burde bry3test, þe burde in mynde hade, etc.
The sense requires us to read:
Þa3 ho were burde bry3test, þe burne in mynde hade, etc.
i.e., Though she were lady fairest, the knight in mind had, etc.
1440 Long sythen [seuered] for þe sounder þat wi3t for-olde
Long since separated from the sounder or herd that fierce (one)
for-aged (grew very old).
"Now to speke of the boore, the fyrste year he is
A pygge of the sounder callyd, as haue I blys;
The secounde yere an hogge, and soo shall he be,
And an hoggestere, whan he is of yeres thre;
And when he is foure yere, a boor shall he be,
From the sounder of the swyne thenne departyth he;
A synguler is he soo, for alone he woll go."
(Book of St. Alban's, ed. 1496, sig. d., i.)
1476 totes = looks, toots.
Sho went up wightly by a walle syde.
To the toppe of a toure and tot ouer the water.--T.B. l. 862.
1623 A verb [? lalede = cried] seems wanting after lorde.
1702 fnasted, breathed.
These balfull bestes were, as the boke tellus,
Full flaumond of fyre with fnastyng of logh.--T.B. l. 168.
1710 a strothe rande = a rugged path. Cf. the phrases tene greue, l. 1707;
ro3e greue, l. 1898.
1719 Thenne wat3 hit lif vpon list, etc.
Should we not read:
Thenne wat3 hit list vpon lif, etc.
i.e., Then was there joy in life, etc.
1729 bi lag = be-lagh(?) = below (?).
1780 lyf = lef(?), beloved (one).
1869 Ho hat3 kyst þe kny3t so to3t.
She has kissed the knight so courteous.
Sir F. Madden explains to3t, promptly. To3t seems to be the same as
the Northumbrian taght in the following extract from the "Morte
Arthure":
"There come in at the fyrste course, before the kyng seluene,
Bare hevedys that ware bryghte, burnyste with sylver,
Alle with taghte mene and towne in togers fulle ryche."--(p. 15.)
The word towne (well-behaved) still exists in wan-ton, the
original meaning of which was ill-mannered, ill-bred.
1909 bray hounde3 = braþ hounde3, i.e. fierce hounds.
1995 He hat3 nere þat he so3t = He wat3 nere þat he so3t = He was near to
that which he sought.
2160 gedere3 þe rake = takes the path or way.
2167 Þe skwe3 of þe scowtes skayued hym þo3t.
The shadows of the hills appeared wild (desolate) to him. Sir F.
Madden reads skayned, of which he gives no explanation.
Skayued = skayfed, seems to be the N. Prov. English scafe, wild.
Scotch schaivie, wild, mad. O.N. skeifr. Sw. skef, awry, distorted.
2204 ronge = clattered.
2211 Drede dot3 me no lote =
No noise shall cause me to dread (fear).
2357 & þer-for þat tappe ta þe.
And therefore take thee that tap.
ta þe = take thee. Sir F. Madden reads taþe = taketh. See l. 413,
where to þe rhymes with sothe. We have no imperatives in th in
this poem.
2401 We schyn reuel, etc. Sir F. Madden reads wasch yn reuel.
But schyn = shall. See Glossary to "Alliterative Poems."
2474 on-coolde = on-colde = coldly = sorrowfully.
2489 in-sounde = soundly, well. Cf. in-blande = together;
in-lyche, alike; inmydde3, amidst.