779. cors, curse. He was never cursed by those with whom he had dealings. This can only refer to the poor whom he never oppressed. The author quietly ignores the strong language of the churchmen whom he stripped of everything. This is precisely the tone adopted in the Robin Hood ballads.
782. nom, catch, take; a new form of the infinitive mood. It arose from the pt. t. cam, by analogy of comen from cam. See Mätzner, Alteng. Sprachproben, i. 261, l. 80.
785. fast aboute, busily employed. See l. 240.
786. to hyre the quest, to suborn the jury. See l. 801.
790. seet, should sit. The A.S. for sat is sæt, but for should sit (3rd pers. sing. of the pt. t. subj.) is sǣte. The latter became the M.E. seete; hence seet, by loss of the final e. It rimes with beheet (A.S. behēt).
806. spet, short for speedeth; cf. stant for standeth, &c.
834. of, in. So in Shakespeare, Jul. Cæsar, ii. 1. 157—'We shall find of him A shrewd contriver.'
840. the quest is oute, the verdict is (already) delivered.
852. the barre, the bar in front of the justice's seat; see ll. 860, 867.
864. 'It seemed a very long time to him.'