"Pieled priest! doost thou command me to be shut out?"
for "shaven priest." But _pilled_, in other cases as might be shown by
quotations, which for the sake of brevity I omit, means _pillaged_,
_robbed_, and also _peeled_, of which last sense the quotations above given
seem only to be a figurative application. The difficulties which arise from
these explanations are, first, if _bald_ be the true meaning, why must we,
with Todd, limit it to baldness, resulting from disease, or more especially
(as Grose will have it) from a disgraceful disease?
Secondly, if _peeled_ be taken as the equivalent to _pilled_, why is peeled
garlick a more perfect type of misery than any other peeled root or fruit?
Thirdly, if _pillage_ is an essential ingredient in the true meaning of the
term "pilled garlick," what has the stolen garlick to do with wretchedness?
And,
Lastly, how will any one, or all of these explanations together, tally with
the following passage from Skelton:--
"Wyll, Wyll, Wyll, Wyll, Wyll
He ruleth always styll.
Good reason and good skyll,
_They may garlyck pyll_,
Cary sackes to the myll,
Or pescoddes they may shyll,
Or elles go rost a stone?"
_Why come ye not to Courte?_ 103-109.
Without further elucidation of this pilling, the existing definitions are
pills which defy deglutition of