209. 'Or else it was the horse of the Greek named Sinon.' This very singular-looking construction is really common in Middle English; yet the scribe of the Harleian MS. actually writes 'the Grekissch hors Synon,' which makes Sinon the name of the horse; and this odd blunder is retained in the editions by Wright, Bell, and Morris. The best way of clearing up the difficulty is by noting similar examples; a few of which are here appended:—
'The kinges meting Pharao';
i. e. the dream of King Pharaoh; Book of the Duchesse, l. 282.
'The erles wif Alein';
i. e. the wife of earl Alein; Rob. of Gloucester, in Spec. of Eng., ed. Morris and Skeat, p. 11, l. 303.
'Themperours moder william,'
i. e. the mother of the Emperor named William; Will. of Palerne, l. 5437.
'Pieres pardon þe plowman';
i. e. the pardon of Piers the Plowman; P. Pl. B. xix. 182.
'In Piers berne þe plowman';