Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

7. PERES THE PLOWMANS CREDE. 359161. Knottes ; see Glossary.165. Posternes inprytiyte. These private posterns ' are frequently alludedto in the reports of the Commissioners for the Dissolution of the Monasteriesin the Reign of Henry VIII. One of them, speaking of the abbeyof Langden, says, ' Wheras, immediately descendyng fro my horse, I sentBartlett, your sei-vant, with all my servantes to circumcept the abbay andsurely to kepe all bake-dorres atid startyng-hoilles, and I myself wentalone to the abbottes logeyng joyning upon the feldes and wode, evynlyke a cony-clapper full of starty7ig-hoilles.'— (MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv.fol. 127.) Another commissioner (MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 35),in a letter concerning the monks of the Charter-house in London, says,'These charter-howse monkes wolde be called solytary, but to thecloyster-dore ther be above xxiiij. keys in the handes of xxiiij. persons,and hit is lyke my letters, unprofytable tayles and tydinges and sumtymeperverse concell commythe and goythe by reason therof. Allso to thebuttrey-dore ther be xij. sundrye keyes in xij. [mens] hands, whereinsymythe to be small husbandrye.' Quoted from Mr. Wright's notes tothe ' Crede.'166. Euesed, bordered. This verb is formed from the A. S. efese, themodem English eaves, which (it ought to be remembered) is, strictly,a noun in the singular number.167. Entayled, canned, cut. This word occurs in Spenser, FaerieQueene, Bk. ii. c. 3, st. 27, and c. 6, st. 29.168. Toien, to spy; a tote-hyll is a hill to spy from, now shortened toTothill.169. 'The price of a carucate of land would not raise such anotherbuilding.' Warton's note, in History of English Poetry, vol. ii. p. 97,ed. 1840.172. Awaytede a woon, beheld a dwelling; ybuld, built.174. Crochetes, crockets (see Glossary). They were so named fromtheir resembling bunches or locks of hair, and we find the word used inthe latter sense in the Complaint of the Ploughman.'They kembe her crohettes with christalL'Political Poems, vol. i. p. 312.175. Ywrittenfull thicke, inscribed with many texts or names.176. Schapen scheldes, 'coats of arms of benefactors painted in theglass.' Warton's note; which see, for examples of them.177. Merhes of rnarchauntes, 'their symbols, cyphers, or badges, drawnor painted in the windows. . . . Mixed with the arms of their foundersand benefactors stand also the marks of tradesmen and merchants, whohad no arms, but used their marks ia a shield like Arms. Instances ofthis sort are very common.'—Warton's note, where he also says they