[170]. a, on.

[171]. ȝare, J ware: the same variation occurs ON 488, 860. ȝare is the better reading.

[181]. þinchest: a scribe’s mistake for þincheþ. snepe, foolish; apparently only here: now a Lincolnshire dialect word.

[184]. þar of: comp. ‘Þes meiden wes awundret swiðe of þes wordes,’ SJ 37/1; ‘þe sunne wundrieð of faire,’ OEH ii. 19/29. For of = at, see 121/132.

[186]. Comp. 159/154.

[187]. þat, to which: see 44/250, 257 note, 46/292 note.

[188]. to his dede, as accompaniment of his actions.

[194]. Let thy tongue have a holiday. spale: OE. spala, a substitute, spelian, to take the place of another, ME. spelien mostly means to use sparingly. A related word is spell, a neutral word with meaning like þroȝe l. 196, a stretch of time; so a spell of work, a spell of rest: in Somerset dialect it means relaxation, in Australia, cessation from labour.

[200]. riȝte soþe: comp. 156/140. spelle, long story; comp. 175/437.

[202]. nich ne nay, not I nor nay.