Cant. Tales, l. 16, 148, Bell's edit.
"To mowen such a knight done live or die."——Troil. and Cres. 2. 1594. That is, to be able to make such a knight live or die.
"And mought I hope to winne thy love,
Ne more his tonge could saye."
Sir Cauline, an old Ballad, l. 163.
"The thought they herd a woman wepe,
But her they mought not se."
Adam Bell, &c. part 3. l. 2. in Rel. of An. Poet.
"So mought thou now in these refined lays
Delight the dainty ears of higher powers.
And so mought they in their deep scanning skill,
Allow and grace our Collen's flowing quill."
Spenser, Hobbynall.
There seem to have been among our Saxon ancestors two verbs of nearly or exactly the same signification, may and might; and mowe and mought. There is some reason to think they were not synonimous; that may was used to express possibility, as I may go next week; and mowe to express power, as they mowen go, they are able to go. But it is not certain that such a distinction ever existed. The Germans use moegen, in the infinitive; mag, in the indic. pres. mæge, in the subj. pres. in the imperfect of the ind. mochte; and in the imp. of the subj. mæchte. The English use may and might solely in their writing; but mought is still pronounced in some parts of America.
Holpe or holp was not obsolete when the Bible was last translated, in the reign of king James; for it occurs in several places in that translation. It occurs frequently in old authors.