cannot. In l. 729, spraius, sprays, is better than sprainus, giving no meaning. In l. 816, anied means 'annoyed;' the sense of amed we are not told, whilst the alliteration is then lost. In l. 846, the M.E. word for 'to till' is, of course, to tulye, not to tulthe. In l. 875 comine peple means 'common people', but comme peple makes no sense. In l. 928, days are dimme, i.e. dim, rather than dunne or brown. In l. 1074, seye means seen, i.e. read over; sethe does not exist as a past participle, but means 'to boil.' In some cases the alliteration is a guide to the right reading, giving us, in l. 573, Miche for Swiche; in l. 929 and 947, siht for riht; and in l. 1017, burnus for turnus. In all four of these places, the MS. is quite right. Perhaps the most curious variation is in l. 347, where the MS. reading nol no gome procre (= will procure no man) appears as ne of no gome prince. And in l. 769 the reading of the former edition an y is explained in the glossary to mean 'an egg;' that is to say, "when the gods are loath to hear your prayers, the fact that they will not hatches[1] an egg for you." The reading in the MS. is any, i.e. annoyance, vexation; and the right sense is "breeds annoyance for you."
§ 21. A glossary is appended to Mr. Stevenson's edition, but it is not a very full one. The number of words explained in it is 63; and, for the reader's convenience, I here reprint it, with the references, as given.
Aldurfadur, an ancestor, 1050. Atlede, attempted to go, 15. Auht, increased, 936. Bakke, a bat, 723. Bliken, to make fair, 411. Boller, a drunkard, 675. Bourd, a jest, 469. Brigg, strife, 393. Cof, quickly, 452; Cofli, Cofliche, quikcly, 48, 64, 1076. Dreche, to drench, 1032. Dreie [drie in the text], to suffer, 857. Englayme, to cloy, 676. Ferk, to go, 300. Fon, foes, 339, 341. Fulsum, satisfied, 497. Galfull, lustful, 389. Gaynes us, it avails us, 181, 1028. Giour, a guide, 703. Grith, protection, 764. He, she, 654, 698. Here, to honour, 1046. Hery, to praise, 358. Hihten, to honour, adorn, 406, 408, 418. Hue, she, 656.
- ↑ The glossary to the former edition explains norcheth by paineth not. This is hardly fair; and even then, the sense comes out just the opposite of what it should do. Besides, norscheþ occurs again, in l. 309.
