1484. _took_, handed over, delivered; see note to P. Plowman, C. iv. 47.
And see l. 1594 below.
1496. _let_, leadeth, leads; note the various readings. Cf. 'Thet is the
peth of pouerte huerby _let_ the holy gost tho thet,' &c.; i. e. that is
the path of poverty whereby the Holy Ghost leads those that, &c.--Ayenbite
of Inwyt, p. 185; and so again in the same, p. 115, l. 9, and p. 51, l. 13.
In P. Plowman, B. iii. 157, the Rawlinson MS. has _let_ instead of
_ledeth_. [173]
1499. _crowne_; alluding to the priestly tonsure. See note to P. Plowman,
C. i. 86.
1506. For _bolt-upright_, see note to A. 4194. This line is defective in
the first foot; read--Hav' | hir in | his, &c. Tyrwhitt reads _Haven_, but
admits, in the notes, that the final _n_ came out of his own head.
1515. _the faire_, the fair at Bruges. On fairs, see the note to P.
Plowman, C. vii. 211.
1519. _chevisaunce_, a contract for borrowing money on his credit; see A.
282, and note to P. Plowman, B. v. 249. For the purpose of making such a
contract, a proportional sum had to be paid down in ready money; see note
to l. 1524.
1524. 'A certain (number of) franks; and some (franks) he took with him.'
The latter sum refers to the money he had to pay down in order to get the
_chevisance_ made. See note to Wyclif's Works, ed. Matthew, p. 528. And see
l. 1558.
1542. Here _sheeld_ is used as a plural, by analogy with _pund_, i. e.
pounds. A _sheeld_ was a French _écu_, or crown; see A. 278.
1557. _Lumbardes_, Lombards, the great money-lenders and bankers of the
middle ages. Cf. 'Lumbardes of Lukes, that lyuen by lone as Iewes,'
Lombards from Lucca, that live by lending, as Jews do; P. Plowman, C. v.
194. Owing to the accent, _Lumbard's_ is dissyllabic.
1558. _bond_ is misprinted _hond_ in Wright's edition; MS. Hl. has _bond_,
correctly, though the note in Bell says otherwise.
1592. _Marie_, by St. Mary; the familiar 'Marry!' as used by our
dramatists.
1595. _yvel thedom_, ill success. Cf. 'Now, sere, evyl thedom com to thi
snoute'; Coventry Mysteries, p. 139. This is printed by Halliwell in the
form--'Now, sere evyl Thedom, com to thi snoute,' i. e. 'now, sir Ill
Success, come to thy snout'; but _how_ a man can come to his own nose, we
are not told.
1599. _bele chere_, fair entertainment, hospitality. _Bele_ = mod. F.
_belle_.
1606. 'Score it upon my tally,' make a note of it. See A. 570, and note to
P. Plowman, C. v. 61.
1613. _to wedde_, as a pledge (common). Cf. A. 1218.
1621. _large_, liberal; hence E. _largesse_, liberality.