Glosses to Spenser's "Shepheardes Calender" 561
- cragge (II & IX), *dight (IV), ecked (IX), *fayne (V), fay-
tours (V), gars (IV), glitterand (VII), *greete (IV & VIII)., 22 hale (VII), *heame (XI), 23 bent (II), *herse (XI), inly (IX), 24 kirke (V), 25 "latched (III), *levin (VII), 26 *loorde (VII), melling (VII), *meynt (VII & XI), mister (IX), narre (VII), *nye (V), 27
- poynte of worthy wite (VI), *quell (III), 28 sam (V), *shene
(XI), sike mister men (VII), sneb (II), 29 *steven (IX), stounds (V), *stoure (I), 29 *tene (XI), 30 tydes (X), 31 wae (IX), warke(V), weetelesse (VII), welkin (III & IX), wightly (IX), wite the witelesse (VIII), wonne (II & IX), wracke (II), 32 wyten (V), yode (V). All of the words listed up to this point undoubtedly existed in Middle English; and assuredly the old authors were for Spenser a very mine of verbal curiosities. Of the words that remain unless they were either miss-glossed by E. K. or over- looked by N. E. D. none can have had a Middle English origin. Of these, two or three seem to have come either from Middle Scots literature 33 or else Scots or North English dialects of Spenser's own day: May (XI) is a fairly certain example. Warre (IX) and welter (VII) may also occur in Middle English: it will be difficult to ascertain until either N. E. D. publishes the volume on W or until someone compiles a M. E. dictionary more dependable than Stratmann. 22 The sense in the gloss does not fit the text very well. N.E.D., as usual, accepts the gloss; and, as I have been able to find no literary or dialectical mean- ing that fits the text better, I give it at least provisional acceptance. 23 Characteristically Yorks., E. K. calls it "Northerly"; this suggests that he did not use "Northerly" in general to refer to Cambridge, as Long would have us suppose. 24 The meaning in the gloss fits the text only fairly well. 25 D.D. lists it in Derby, Lincoln and Devon as well as the North. 26 Characteristically Scotch dialect. 27 Midland as well as Northern. 28 Widely diffused over England. 29 Seemingly inaccurate glossing that may be due simply to carelessness. 30 Midland as well as Northern. 31 Widely diffused. The sense of "seasons" is probably merely tropical in any case. 32 Listed in Scot. Oxf . Brks. Dor. and Dev. 33 Jamieson's Dictionary and more especially the glossaries in Gregory Smith's Specimens, and in the standard editions of Douglas, Barbour and
Dunbar, have served as tests.
