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

II, THOMAS OCCLEVE. 37605. Not but, only; nohbut is still common in the North. Severalpassages in our older authors shew that the partitions between bedchamberswere often of very slight make. Thus in the romance of SirTristram we read,'A borde he tok owayOf her bour.' —p. 114.On which Sir W. Scott remarks, ' The bed-chamber of the queen wasconstructed of wooden boards, or shingles, of which one could easily beremoved.' See also Havelok, ed. Skeat, 1. 2076.608. Dresse hem vpward, lit. make themselves ready (or direct themselves)upwards, i.e. rise from their beds.611, Also, as. Etymology tells us that as is simply a contraction of also.612. Me dresse, turn, or direct myself, return.615. In-fere, together.Assoile, resolve, answer.616. Tolde, counted.618. Prechours, the Preachers or Dominican Friars.Freres grey, the Franciscan Friars.Karmes, the Carmelites or White Friars. See note to Sect. I. p. 357-619. Of hem, from them, the friars.Taketh, take ye.620. Her berdes shaued he both smothe and dene, shaved their beardsneatly and cleanly. To shave or make the beard was a proverbial expression,signifying to cheat. Compare'Yet can a miller make a clerkes berd.'Chaucer, Reeves Tale, 176.Tyrwhitt says, ' Faire la barbe, Fr., is to shave, or trim the beard ;butChaucer translates the phrase literally . . . Boccace has the same metaphor,Decam. viii. 10. Speaking of some exorbitant cheats, he says,that they applied themselves " non a radere ma a scorticare hiomini ;"and a little lower, " si a soavemente la barbiera saputo menare il rasoio"621. Do, done.Dressen hem, direct themselves, i. e. go.Where as, where that.Or, ere.Pekked moode, pecked mud ;or, as we should now say, ate dirt.623. Here, having ended his story, Occleve proceeds to apply themoral to his own case. Having spent all his money, and unable to appearrich like John of Canace, he finds no man to care for him ;all hecan do is to appeal to King Henry V for payment of the annuity promisedhim.623. Sette, miswritten for set, the contracted form of setteth, 3rd pers.B b 2