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

406 NOTES.3. Too, two.In fere, in company, together ; i. e. together with her lover.'Forwe be fewebriddes her in fere' Chaucer, Cuckow and Nightingale, 273./ am the hiygbt ; here one of the two characters in the story issupposed suddenly to appear and declare himself.4. And I; this begins the authors reply only; the niaideji's replybegins with 1. 23.5. Do, done; cf. note to Sect. II. st. 621 ; p, 371.The ton, the one ; the ton and the tother are respectively corruptionsof that one and that other, the Avord that being originally used as theneuter of the definite article.Rede I can, counsel I know; as in stanza 23.6. Lusty, pleasant.Departe, part, separate, divide. The phrase ' till death us do part,'in the present Marriage Service was ' till death us depart ' in the SarumManual and in the reformed Prayer Book, until the last review. Theword depart occurs in this sense 'as late as 1578 in the Englishversion of the Bible ; but it was no longer used in that sense at theRestoration; and it was altered in 1661, in consequence of an objectionmade to it by the dissenters at the Savoy Conference.'—Humphrey onthe Book of Common Prayer, p. 261.Wheder, whither ; the Ball. MS. has whether.7. Take thought, be over-anxious; cf. Matt. vi. 25.8. Leue, remain; cf. note to Sect. III. (B), 1. 1174; p. 378.Soo a77i I ; i. e. I am ready myself.Aiioon, immediately, this instant; as in Shakespeare, I Henry IV,ii. 4. By and by had formerly a similar sense; see By a/id by in theGlossary.9. Of yo?ige, i. e. by young ; see stanza 10, 1. 55.II. Lawe ; here used for custom or rule.Dowte, fear.Tlian, then.Goo, gone ; cf. do, in stanza 5.12.7 thinke not nay, I admit (it is as you say ) ; cf. note to stanza 2.•3- -^7 A &c. ;if I were in danger, which God forbid.1 4. As I myght, as well as 1 could.15. Roue, roof; the Balliol MS. has roffe.18. In hele, in good health. Endure, remain.19. As is often used where we now generally say as for i?istance:iience as cutie is equivalent to ' as, for instance, you must cut.'To wood-ward, toward the wood ; the word toward is often thusseparated. Cf. 'to us-ward;' Eph. i. 19.Sbortely, quickly, soon.