"Be thou there," quoth she, "till Esau
Appeased be, who rages now."
_Eðe-moðed_ (= _eðe-moded_) is literally easy-minded, humble, mild, and
hence soft-mooded, appeased. S.Sax. _edmod_, _eadmodied_, _edmodie_. See
Laȝ. ii. 554; Ancren Riwle, 246, 278. The insertion of _be_ is necessary to
the metre as well as to the sense.
1588-9
Esau married _in order_ to annoy us
When he allied (himself to kin of Canaan) and is so foolish.
1591-2
Wherefore he maketh him stubborn and strong,
For he is mixed amongst that kin.
1594
_Ne bode ic no lengere werldes lif_,
I could endure (abide) no longer world's life.
1605 _an soðe drem_, in true dream. 1606 _heuene bem_ = heaven-beam (?),
the sun (?). 1610 _Lened_ = leaned; but the MS. also sanctions _leued_ =
remained; _and [Jacob] wurð ut-suuen_, and Jacob became cast out of
(aroused from) _his sleep_. 1615 _i_ = _ic_, I. It is common to find _i_
before _sal_, instead of the fuller _ic_.
P. 47. l. 1620 _amongus_ = _amonges_ = amongst. 1621 _a-gen cumen_ =
_agen-cumen_, return. 1623 _for muniging_ = for _a_ memorial. 1624 _And get
on olige_ = and poured on oil; _olige_ = the O.E. _olie_, _elye_ = oil;
_anelye_, to anoint. 1636 A well well-covered under a stone. 1638 _abiden_
(= abode) is the pret. pl. of _abide_. 1641 _sulden samen_ = should
assemble.
1649
_Iacob wið hire wente ðat ston_,
Jacob for her removed that stone.
_wið_ in O.E. signifies in, for, against, etc.
1651-2
And he made known he was her aunt's son,
And kissed her after kins-wise (as a relative).
_mouies_ is properly a female relative; S.Sax. _mawe_, _moȝe_, _mowe_, and
must be distinguished from _mæi_, _mey_, _may_, etc., a male relative. "Þis
ȝet þuncheð me wurst þæt tu þe ane hauest ouergan þi feder ant ti moder,
_meies_ ba ant _mehen_." (St Marherete, p. 16.)
"Nu is afered of þe
þi _mei_ and þi _mowe_;
Alle heo wereð þe weden
þat er weren þin owe."—(O.E. Miscell. p. 178.)
We occasionally, as in this instance, meet with the word in a more limited
sense.
"Annd hire _meȝhe_ Elysabaeþ
Wass gladd inoh & bliþe
Off hire dere child Iohan,
And lefliȝ ȝho himm fedd."—(Orm. i. 109.)
"Has þou her," þai said, "ani man,
Sun or dogter, mik or _mau_
To þe langand, or hei or lau."—(Cursor Mundi, fol. 17.)
We even find a confusion between the two terms, as in l. 1761, p. 51, and
in the following passage:
"Loth went and til his _maues_ (sons-in-law) spak."
—(Cursor Mundi, fol. 17.)
P. 48. ll. 1655-6 Laban welcomed him (Isaac's son travelled from afar) in
friend's wise (friendly); _feren_ = S.Sax. _feorren_, afar, far, from a
distance. (See Ancren Riwle, p. 70, l. 3888.)
"The sonne, and monne, and many sterren
By easte aryseth swythe _ferren_."—(Shoreham, p. 137.)
1658 _and laban herte ranc_ = and Laban's heart was wrung (with pity)? for
_ranc_ read _wranc_ = _wrang_. 1666 _wað_ = _quað_, quoth, spoke. 1668 _wið
skil_, in reason, reasonably.
1671
_Luue wel michil it agte a-wold_
Love so great it ought prevail.
_agte awold_, have in power, prevail, avail. Cp. "Þerfore everyche Romayn
overcomeþ oþer is overcome wiþ flaterynge and wiþ faire wordes; and ȝif
wordes failleþ, ȝiftes schal hym _awelde_." (Trevisa's translation of
Higden's Polychronicum, vol. i. p. 253.) 1676 _tog_ = _toc_ = took.
1681
_long wune is her driuen_,
long custom is here held (practised).
P. 49. l. 1693 _londes kire_, custom of the land (country). 1700 _caldes_,
called them. Cf. _calde is_ in l. 1702. 1706 _ille bi-nam_, foully
ravished. 1712 _charen_, to depart, literally to turn. 1713 _ðelde_ an
error for _gelde_ = should requite.
1713-14
Unless Laban should reward better
His service, and withhold (retain) him yet.
1715 _serue he scriðed_ = he entreated _him_ to serve.
1719-26
Covenant is made of all sheep,
Jacob should take charge _of those_ of one colour,
And if of those, spotted _ones_ came,
Those should be taken for hire (wages).
Sheep or goat, speckled, streaked, or gray,
Are placed from Jacob far away;
Nevertheless those of one colour
Bore many unlike and dissimilar.
P. 50. l. 1723 _haswed_ = _haswe_, "livid, a sad colour mixed with blue."
It also signifies rugged, shaggy. 1726 _vn-like_ = unlike in colour. It may
be, however, an error for _on-like_ = alike; _likeles_, unlike, dissimilar
in form. 1729 _ðe sunder bles_, the diverse coloured ones. 1736 To be under
him longer is displeasing to him. 1740 _clipping time_, shearing time. See
Allit. Poems, A. 802. 1747 _for-olen_ = _for-holen_, secreted.