16. #Hæhliche spilede#: Madden translates ‘nobly diverted themselves,’
with the usual meaning of OE. #spilian#, to play; and his interpretation
is supported by, ‘mid haueken ⁊ mid hunden[;] hired-plæie luuien,’ L
14480. Luhmann, p. 91, regards this place as the only instance of that
meaning in Layamon; he points out that everywhere else (as at 110/266)
spilien has, from expressions like ‘spilede mid worden,’ L 17269,
‘plaȝede mid worden,’ L 17335, developed the meaning, to discourse,
proper to OE. #spellian#. It seems unnecessary to make an exception
here; the explanation, held high counsel, gives a good sense, and one
more suitable for ‘hæhliche’ than the other.
17. #folc kinge#: comp. 96/47: variants are, ‘biforen þen folke kinge,’
L 9107; ‘þeos folkes ki{n}g,’ id. 4872; ‘leod king,’ id. 6797; ‘leode
king,’ id. 3691; ‘leodene king,’ id. 5394; ‘leodisc king,’ id. 2144. As
here, O avoids the archaic expression in each case except the last,
where it has, ‘on leodene king.’ Comp. OE. #folc-cyning#, #lēod-cyning#.