Glosses to Spenser's "Shepheardes Calender" 559 wise, therefore, to begin by testing all the words in the sense given in the glosses for a probable Middle English origin. 10 The following belong to this class: *Accloieth (II), 11 *accoied (II), 12 alegg (III), als (VII), *assotte (III), 13 attempred to (IV),
- avail (I), aye (II), beere (XI), "belt (II), bett (VII), be vie (IV),
bidde her (IX), brace (IX), breeme (II & XII), buxome (IX), carven (IX), a caytive courage (X), chaplet (VIII), comete (XII), conteck (V & IX), corbe (II), couthe (I), deffly (IV), deigne (XII), *dell (III), dempt (VIII), *doome (VIII), eare (XII), elde (II), embellish (II & IV), *emprise (IX), enaunter (II, V & IX), enchased (VIII), *encheason (V & IX), engrained (II), *ever among (XII), ethe (IX), flouret (II & XI), *foeman (II), fon (II), forestall (V), *forlorne (IV), *for thy (III), galage (II & IX), gang (III & IX), *glee (II, V & XII), *grvge (VIII), guerdon (XI), han (V), 14 herie (II & XI), kene (II),
- kenne (IV & IX), *laye (IV), *leefe (IX), lorn (IX), lere (V),
liggen (V), lowted (VII), lythe (II), make (IV & VI), measured (IX), medled (IV & V), *meriment (IV), *mirke (IX), *miswent (VIII), neighbour towne (I), 15 nis (VI), nought seemeth (V), nould, (II), overwent (III), 16 peregall (VIII), *peeres (VI & XII) 10 N,E.D. was used to make the test; for the few letters that are not yet published, Stratmann's Dictionary, Skeat's glossary to Chaucer, his glossary to Piers Plowman, Macaulay's to Gower etc. were called into use. Of course, Spenser's spellings are sometimes at variance with the Middle English forms; but this has been ignored except in so far as it seemed to involve a difference of pronunciation. The Roman numerals refer to the gloss in which the word occurs. Comparison of text and gloss has shown that hi almost every case the gloss was probably correct. Exceptions will be noted. 11 Sometimes, as in this case, I have not been able to find the word in the exact sense indicated by "E. K."; but, if the difference seems accountable on tropical grounds, I have let the matter go. Rhyme-words are noted with an asterisk. 12 1 do not find the first meaning, "plucked down." 13 "E. K." commonly defines a participle by an infinitive. 14 Sometimes the form or inflection of a word suggests a particular dialect. The -ie of herie, for instance, Spenser must have picked up from some writer of Southern or more especially Kentish dialect, where the old termination remained from Old English weak verbs of the second class. Han, on the other hand, suggests Midland. 16 Seemingly this was, or at least came, into fairly common use in Eliza- bethan literature. See Herford, Ix.
18 See Overwend.
