- Knable, [346]. To nibble.
L.
- Lane, [340], [357]. From the latter reference I gather that it = layer.
- Lapidaries, [295]. Early use.
- Learne a lewd man, [359]. Chaucer, to teach.
- Leaze (asses), [264]. Sense pretty evident, but I know not the word. Qy., same as lees, or leese, losings or leavings.
- Lewd, Lewdness, [19], [358], [359], (Chaucer) [8], etc. Sometimes ignorant; sometimes in a similar sense as lay, opposed to clerkly or learned; sometimes wicked or nefarious. Lewdness, in [8], seems to equal uselessness, or doing nothing for their living.
- Limitors, [88]. Chaucer, Begging friars, because their limits were appointed.
- Loose, lose. These spellings are used interchangeably in this work, but, I think, are spelled the more frequently as they now are. Cf. Than and Then. Naught and Nought.
M.
- Martinists. Those who followed Martin Mar-Prelate.
- Masse cake, [270]. As shown by Wier, the Roman Catholic wafer used in the celebration of the mass.
- Meane stuff, [499]. Not mean in our sense, but middle or midway, as explained in the line before. Sacrifices of frankincense are a mean between sacrifices of the mind and those of cattell. So mean sense, [60], is used for ordinary or middling sense.
- Meere, [A ii. v.]. Unmixed, therefore pure.
- Melancholie. See note, [p. 182].
- Mends, [373]. Our ’mends, or amends, or rather requital.
- Merchant, [B ii], [368]. Dealer or go-between, without reference to commodities or goods.
- Miser, [160] (bis). Latinate, a wretched one.
- Moralitie, [308]. The underlying meaning, as in the Moralities.
- Morrowmasse, [232]. See note.
N.
- Nall, a, [335]. An awl.
- Nameles finger, [273]. See note.
- Namelie. By name, and therefore especially.
- Naught and Nought. Either is spelled as itself or as the other.
- Neezing, [201]. Sneezing.
- Nephue, [557]. This use of nephew as grandson was then the rule, just as was the French neveu, and the Latin nepos. Cf. Minsheu, Cotgrave, Baret, etc. Grand-child is used by Cotgrave, but hardly appears to have been in use. Sh. uses grandam, etc., tolerably frequently, but grand-child only once, in Coriolanus, and grandson, etc., never.
- Netherstocke, [84]. Stocking.
O.
- Obeie, s., [380].
- Obscure, [380]. “Leone obscurior & turpis”, Wier; i.e., he appears specie angelica, but not white, but darker than a lion, and filthy.
- Occupy, [77]; ——ied, [415]. See note.
- Onely, [114]. A good example of the position then commonly given to the word in a sentence. He does not mean that this is the only work of God, but the work of God only.
- Orient, [297]. This word was then oddly used. An orient pearl was so called by the Romans because it was large, and large pearls generally came from the East. So here, easterly seems to be used as an equivalent for hot. The eastern regions being in his astronomy nearer the sun’s rising, they were hotter,—a false explanation of a true fact.
- Orizons, [41]. Orisons.
- Other. Frequently here, as contemporarily, used for others.
- Overtaken, [324]. Here, surprised. But in another passage it is deceived.
P.