_wood_, mad, foolish, is frequently employed by Spenser; A. S. _w[=o]d_.
186. _swinken_, to toil; whence '_swinked_ hedger,' used by Milton (Comus,
l. 293). But _swinken_ is, properly, a strong verb; A. S. _swincan_, pt. t.
_swanc_, pp. _swuncen_. Hence _swink_, s., toil; l. 188.
187. _bit_, the 3rd pers. sing. pres. of _bidden_, to command. So also
_rit_, rideth, A. 974, 981; _fynt_, findeth, A. 4071; _rist_, riseth, A.
4193; _stant_, standeth, B. 618; _sit_, sitteth, D. 1657; _smit_, smiteth,
E. 122; _hit_, hideth, F. 512.
187, 188. _Austin_, St. Augustine. The reference is to St. Augustine [23]
of Hippo, after whom the Augustinian Canons were named. Their rule was
compiled from his writings. Thus we read that 'bothe monks and chanouns
forsaken the reules of Benet and Austyn'; Wyclif's Works, ed. Arnold, iii.
511. And again--'Seynt Austyn techith munkis _to labore with here hondis_,
and so doth seint Benet and seynt Bernard'; Wyclif's Works, ed. Matthew, p.
51. See Cutts, Scenes and Characters, &c.; ch. ii. and ch. iii.