[530]. The Issue Roll gives us an opposite characteristic in ‘Thomas Litilskill.’
[531]. ‘Christopher Greynhorne’ (W. 15) would represent the modern sense of this word.
[532]. There used to be an old proverb—
‘Whylst grasse doth growe oft sterves the seely steede.’
Vide Dyce’s notes to ‘All’s Well that Ends Well.’ (Shakespeare’s Works, vol. iii. p. 288.) One of the best illustrations of this word, however, is to be met with in Foxe’s Martyrology, where, describing the martyrdom of a young child not seven years old, he says: ‘The captain, perceiving the child invincible and himself vanquished, committed the silly soul, the blessed babe, the child uncherished, to the stinking prison.’ (Vol. i. p. 126, Edit. 1844.)
[533]. Thomas Selybarn (i.e. Silly-child) occurs in the York Guild. (W. 11.)
[534]. Joyce may belong either to the nickname or the baptismal class. ‘Richard le Joyce,’ J., ‘Joyce Faukes,’ H., ‘Joice Frankline,’ W. 9.
[535]. ‘William Gladchere’ (‘Gladcheer’) (F.F.) would be a pleasant sobriquet.
[536]. ‘Alicia Blissewenche’ occurs in the Hundred Rolls—a light-hearted ruddy-faced country girl of happy disposition and blithe expression. I doubt not he was a lucky swain who got her to go to the priest with him to sue wedlock. Cf. ‘Jeffery Joyemaiden’ in the same record.
[537]. The early ‘John Bellewether’ (H.) may be either a partial translation of this, or that which is more likely, a sobriquet taken from the custom of fastening a bell around the neck of the leading sheep, by which to conduct the rest. We still term such an one the ‘bell-wether.’