He wept, and said that "wild beasts
Have my son swallowed here."
His clothes rent, in hair (cloth) shrouded,
Long mourning and sorrow is him befallen.
1977 _haigre_.
"Þai sal be, als þe appocalips spekes,
In harde _hayres_ clende and in sekkes."
—(Hampole's P. of C., 4530.)
1980 _hertedin_, consoled; literally encouraged him (to hope that his son
was still alive). 1982 _herting_ = consolation. 1989 _skiuden_ for
_skinden_ = went. 1992 They made quickly a gainful covenant. 1995 _wol_ =
_wel_ = very.
1999, 2000
But he became then so naturally cold,
To do such deed had he no power.
2004 The author of the poem seems to have confounded Potiphar with
Poti-pherah, the priest of On. (See Gen. xli. 45.)
P. 58. l. 2011 _an heg_ for _and heg_ = and high. 2015 _One and stille_,
alone and secretly. 2019 Provided that he would with her wanton; _wile_
seems to be the same as _wigele_, to play, sport. May we not supply
_plaige_, play, before _wile_? 2020 But what she desired was displeasing to
him. 2024 But it was to him all alike displeasing. 2025 _tgeld_ = _tyeld_ =
tent. Cf. _tilt_ (of a cart). 2030 _god_ = _goð_ = goes.
2031-2
And saith Joseph would do to her,
What she might not prove (or bring) against him.
2031 _seið_, says.
2035-6
The blame is his, the right is hers,
May God almighty discern the truth.
_wite_, blame, still exists in _twit_; O.E. _at-wite_.
P. 59. l. 2043 _chartre_ for _cwartre_ = prison.
"Forr nass nohht Sannt Johan ȝët ta
Intill _cwarrterrne_ worrpenn."—(Orm. ii. 270.)
2044 _in hagt_, in sorrow. We might translate ll. 2042-4 as follows:—"The
gaoler did love him, and hath entrusted him the prison to live in care with
the prisoners." 2045 _on-sagen_ = _un-sagen_ = O.E. _mis-saw_, opprobrious
language. 2047 One that the king's cup presented (the butler). 2049-50
_onigt_ = _anigt_, by night; _o-frigt_ = _afrigt_, in fright, affrighted.
2054 Hard (troublesome) dreams would cause that (_i. e._ cause them to
mourn). 2057 _softe or strong_ = pleasant or unpleasant. 2058 The
interpretation will on (to) God belong. 2059 _win-tre_, a vine.
"Me thoght I sagh a _win-tre_,
A bogh þar was wit branches thre;
O þis tre apon ilk bogh,
Me thoght hang _winberis_ inogh."—(Cursor Mundi, fol. 26.)
2060 That had full grown boughs three; _waxen_ = full grown, explains
Shakespear's _man of wax_. 2061 First it bloomed, and afterwards bore. 2062
Of the berries ripe became I aware. 2073 Present my petition (intercede for
me) to Pharaoh; _herdne_ = _ernde_. Cf. O.E. _wordle_ = world.
"Bute heore almesdede
heore _ernde_ schal bere."
But their alms-deed
Shall intercede for them.
—(O.E. Miscell. p. 164.)
2075 _kinde lond_, native land. 2076 And here wrongfully held in bond;
_wrigteleslike_ = _wrigte-les-like_, fault-less-ly; _wrigte_ = _wrihhte_, a
fault, crime.
"For niss nohht Godess griþþ wiþþ þa
Þatt wiþþrenn Godd onnȝæness,
Acc helle-wawenn iss till þa
All affterr þeȝȝre _wrihhte_."—(Orm. i. 136.)
P. 60. l. 2077 _liðeð nu me_, listen now to me. 2078 _bread-lepes_ =
bread-baskets. Cf. O.E. _bar-lepe_, a basket for keeping barley in. See
Townley Myst., p. 329; Wicliffe, Exod. ii. 3. _Leep_, or baskett (lepp. K).
Sporta, calathus, corbis.—(Prompt. Parv.)
2085-6
It were preferable to me (I had rather) quoth Joseph,
Tell the meaning of pleasant dreams.
2086 _rechen_ = _recken_ = to tell, explain; _swep_ = force, stroke. Cf.
the use of _bond_, _wold_, ll. 2114, 2122. 2088 _ben do[n] on rode_, be put
on the cross (be crucified).
2089-90
And fowls shall tear away thy flesh,
That no wealth shall be able to save thee.
2094 _wið-uten erd_, in _a_ foreign land. 2105 On a bush full grown and
very beautiful (seasonable? well-seasoned, prime?). 2107 _welkede_ =
withered. _drugte numen_, seized with drought (dryness).
P. 61. l. 2114 Who could explain the meaning of these dreams. 2119 _ðo
hogt_. Is _hogt_ an error for _logt_ = _lagt_, taken, or for _sogt_ =
sought? 2122 _ðis dremes wold_ = this dream's meaning. _Wold_ signifies (1)
power, (2) force, (3) meaning. 2130 _nedful_ = grievous; the O.E. _ned_
often signifies grief, trouble. 2132 _rospen and raken_, rasp and rake,
diminish and scatter. The Swedish _raka_ signifies to clip, shave, shear.
2134 _laðes_, barns. (See note to l. 1919.) Chaucer uses the word in the
Reve's Tale. "Berne or _lathe_, Horreum."—(Prompt. Parv.) 2136 _hungri
gere_, famine years. 2146 _so to-bar_, so _falsely_ accused him. (See
_baren_ in l. 1912.) In the Castle of Love _to-beren_ = disagree;
_to-boren_, at enmity, l. 49.