Brethel, "and thy own wife brethel, and take thee a leman" (M[27],a), brethell in original: the E.E. text editors suggest [be] brethell, that is, "if thy own wife be adulterous." This, however, seems beside the mark of the context, as why should Mankind be counselled to take a whore because his wife is unchaste? May brethel not be a mis-script for A.S. betelle (Halliwell)=to deceive? The meaning is then clear enough and the reading sound. On the other hand, I fail to find any authority for Halliwell's suggestion betelle=deceive, mislead, in either Anglo-Saxon or M.E. dictionaries, and the r in the word brethel, perhaps precludes the adoption of betelle, r being a highly characteristic letter. An alternative suggestion is that brethel is meant for brechell, from breken, to break, to injure, to vex, harass, torment, or destroy. "Breken" has among its derivatives "brac," "brake," "brek," "breche," "briche," "bruche," "bruchel."
Brenning, "hot and brenning" (N[122],a), burning: also brent=burnt: see other volumes of this series.
Brest, "till his belly brest" (M[6],a), burst.
Briars, "all in briars" (JE[364],a), in trouble, misfortune, difficulty, doubt: see Anon. Plays, 2 Ser. (E.E.D.S.), 341,a.
Brim, "brim and hot" (R[241],d). Magnus glosses this "brimhot": but cf. brim=well-known, spoken of, public. "That thou dost hold me in disdain, Is brim abroad, and made a gibe to all that keep this plain." Warner, Albion's England (1586-1606).
Broklets (R[183],d), crumbs; of Scots brock.
Bront, "Titivilly would assay you a bront" (M[39],b), brunt, charge.
Brothern, "ye brothern" (M[4],b), an old plural: cf. childern still in dialect use.
Bum vay (R[211],d), by my faith: original spelling vei: cf. Fr. foi.
Bunting, "how think you by this bunting" (R[216],d), Mr. Magnus glosses this "swelling"; but is it not a term of endearment, perhaps with an eye on the diminutive form of bunt="a swelling part, an increasing cavity, the bagging of a fishing net or the like" (Ency. Dict.).