79. _squyer_ = esquire, one who attended on a knight, and bore his lance
and shield. See Strutt, Sports and Pastimes, Introd. § 8. 'Esquires held
land by the service of the shield, and were bound by their fee to attend
the king, or their lords, in the war, or pay escuage.'--Strutt, Manners and
Customs, iii. 15. And see Ritson, Met. Romances, iii. 345.
As to the education and accomplishments of a squire, see note to Sir Topas,
B. 1927.
80. _lovyere_, lover. The _y_ in this word is not euphonic as in some
modern words; _lovyere_ (luv·yer) is formed from the verb _lovi-en_, A.S.
_lufian_, to love.
_bacheler_, a young aspirant to knighthood. There were bachelors in arms as
well as in arts. Cf. The Sowdone of Babylone, 1211. [10]
81. _lokkes_, locks (of hair). _crulle_ (krull'), curly, curled; cf. Mid.
Du. _krul_, a curl. In mod. E., the _r_ has shifted its place. In King
Alisaunder, ed. Weber, 4164, we find--'And his lokkes buth noght so
crolle.' _as they_, &c., as if they had been laid in an instrument for
curling them by pressure. Curling-tongs seem to be meant; or, possibly,
curling-papers. For _presse_, cf. l. 263.
82. _yeer_. In the older stages of the language, _year_, _goat_, _swine_,
&c., being neuter nouns, underwent no change in the nom. case of the plural
number. We have already had _hors_, pl., in l. 74.
_I gesse_, I should think. In M. E., _gesse_ signifies to judge, believe,
suppose, imagine. See Kn. Tale, l. 192 (A. 1050).