He bryng vus to his blysse! AMEN.
NOTES.
| Line 8 |
Ricchis turns, goes, The king ... Ricchis his reynys and the Renke metys: Girden to gedur with þere grete speires.—T.B. l. 1232. |
| 37 |
Þis kyng lay at Camylot vpon kryst-masse. Camalot, in Malory's "Morte Arthure," is said to be the same as Winchester. Ritson supposes it to be Caer-went, in Monmouthshire, and afterwards confounded with Caer-wynt, or Winchester. But popular tradition here seems the best guide, which assigned the site of Camalot to the ruins of a castle on a hill, near the church of South Cadbury, in Somersetshire (Sir F. Madden). |
| 65 |
Nowel nayted o-newe, neuened ful ofte. Christmas celebrated anew, mentioned full often. Sir F. Madden leaves the word nayted unexplained in his Glossary to "Syr Gawayne." |
| 124 | syluener = sylueren, i.e. silver dishes. |
| 139 | lyndes = lendes, loins. |
| 142 | in his muckel, in his greatness. |
| 184 | Wat3 euesed al umbe-torne—? was trimmed, all cut evenly around; umbe-torne may be an error for vmbe-corue = cut round. |
| 216 | in gracios werkes. Sir F. Madden reads gracons for gracios, and suggests Greek as the meaning of it. |
| 244-5 |
As al were slypped vpon slepe so slaked hor
lote3 in hy3e. As all were fallen asleep so ceased their words in haste (suddenly). Sir F. Madden reads slaked horlote3, instead of slaked hor lote3, which, according to his glossary, signifies drunken vagabonds. He evidently takes horlote3 to be another (and a very uncommon) form of harlote3 = harlots. But harlot, or vagabond, would be a very inappropriate term to apply to the noble Knights of the Round Table. Moreover, slaked never, I think, means drunken. The general sense of the verb slake is to let loose, lessen, cease. Cf. lines 411-2, where sloke, another form of slake, occurs with a similar meaning: — layt no fyrre; bot slokes. — seek no further, but stop (cease). Sir F. Madden suggests blows as the explanation of slokes. It is, however, a verb in the imperative mood. |
| 286 | Brayn. Mätzner suggests brayn-wod. |
| 296 |
barlay = par loi. This word is exceedingly common in the T.
Book (see l. 3391). I bid you now, barlay, with besines at all Þat ye set you most soverainly my suster to gete.—T.B. l. 2780. |
| 394 | siker. Sir F. Madden reads swer. |
| 440 | bluk. Sir F. Madden suggests blunk (horse). I am inclined to keep to the reading of the MS., and explain bluk as = bulk = trunk. Cf. the use of the word Blok in "Early English Alliterative Poems," p. 100, l. 272. |
| 558 | derue doel, etc. = great grief. Sir F. Madden reads derne, i.e. secret, instead of derue (= derf). Cf. line 564. |
| 577 |
knaged, fastened. The braunches were borly, sum of bright gold, With leuys full luffly, light of the same; With burions aboue bright to beholde; And fruit on yt fourmyt of fairest of shap, Of mony kynd that was knyt, knagged aboue.—T.B. l. 4973. |
| 629 |
& ay quere hit is endele3, etc. And everywhere it is endless, etc. Sir F. Madden reads emdele3, i.e. with equal sides. |
| 652 | for-be = for-bi = surpassing, beyond. |
| 681 | for Hadet read Halet = haled = exiled (?). See line 1049. |
| 806 | auinant = auenaunt, pleasantly. Sir F. Madden reads amnant. |
| 954 | of. Should we not read on (?). |
| 957 |
Þat oþer wyth a gorger wat3 gered ouer þe
swyre. The gorger or wimple is stated first to have appeared in Edward the First's reign, and an example is found on the monument of Aveline, Countess of Lancaster, who died in 1269. From the poem, however, it would seem that the gorger was confined to elderly ladies (Sir F. Madden) |
| 968 |
More lykker-wys on to lyk, Wat3 þat scho had on lode. A more pleasant one to like, Was that (one) she had under her control. |
| 988 | tayt = lively, and hence pleasant, agreeable. |
| 1015 | in vayres, in purity. |
| 1020 | dut = dunt (?) = dint (?), referring to sword-sports. |
| 1022 | sayn[t] Ione3 day. This is the 27th of December, and the last of the feast. Sometimes the Christmas festivities were prolonged to New Year's Day (Sir F. Madden). |
| 1047 | derne dede = secret deed. I would prefer to read derue dede = great deed. Cf. lines 558, 564. |
| 1053 | I wot in worlde, etc. = I not (I know not) in worlde, etc. |
| 1054 |
I nolde, bot if I hit negh my3t on nw3eres
morne, For alle þe londe in-wyth Logres, etc. I would not [delay to set out], unless I might approach it on New Year's morn, for all the lands within England, etc. |
| 1074 | in spenne = in space = in the interval = meanwhile. See line 1503. |
| 1160 |
slentyng of arwes. Sir F. Madden reads sleutyng. "Of drawyn swordis sclentyng to and fra, The brycht mettale, and othir armouris seir, Quharon the sonnys blenkis betis cleir, Glitteris and schane, and vnder bemys brycht, Castis ane new twynklyng or a lemand lycht." (G. Douglas' Æneid, Vol. i, p. 421.) |
| 1281 | let lyk = appeared pleased. |
| 1283 |
Þa3 I were burde bry3test, þe burde in
mynde hade, etc. The sense requires us to read: Þa3 ho were burde bry3test, þe burne in mynde hade, etc. i.e., Though she were lady fairest, the knight in mind had, etc. |
| 1440 |
Long sythen [seuered] for þe sounder þat
wi3t for-olde Long since separated from the sounder or herd that fierce (one) for-aged (grew very old). "Now to speke of the boore, the fyrste year he is A pygge of the sounder callyd, as haue I blys; The secounde yere an hogge, and soo shall he be, And an hoggestere, whan he is of yeres thre; And when he is foure yere, a boor shall he be, From the sounder of the swyne thenne departyth he; A synguler is he soo, for alone he woll go." (Book of St. Alban's, ed. 1496, sig. d., i.) |
| 1476 |
totes = looks, toots. Sho went up wightly by a walle syde. To the toppe of a toure and tot ouer the water.—T.B. l. 862. |
| 1623 | A verb [? lalede = cried] seems wanting after lorde. |
| 1702 |
fnasted, breathed. These balfull bestes were, as the boke tellus, Full flaumond of fyre with fnastyng of logh.—T.B. l. 168. |
| 1710 | a strothe rande = a rugged path. Cf. the phrases tene greue, l. 1707; ro3e greue, l. 1898. |
| 1729 | bi lag = be-lagh(?) = below (?). |
| 1719 |
Thenne wat3 hit lif vpon list, etc. Should we not read: Thenne wat3 hit list vpon lif, etc. i.e., Then was there joy in life, etc. |
| 1780 | lyf = lef(?), beloved (one). |
| 1869 |
Ho hat3 kyst þe kny3t so to3t. She has kissed the knight so courteous. Sir F. Madden explains to3t, promptly. To3t seems to be the same as the Northumbrian taght in the following extract from the "Morte Arthure": "There come in at the fyrste course, before the kyng seluene, Bare hevedys that ware bryghte, burnyste with sylver, Alle with taghte mene and towne in togers fulle ryche."—(p. 15.) The word towne (well-behaved) still exists in wan-ton, the original meaning of which was ill-mannered, ill-bred. |
| 1909 | bray hounde3 = braþ hounde3, i.e. fierce hounds. |
| 1995 | He hat3 nere þat he so3t = He wat3 nere þat he so3t = He was near to that which he sought. |
| 2160 | gedere3 þe rake = takes the path or way. |
| 2167 |
Þe skwe3 of þe scowtes skayued hym þo3t. The shadows of the hills appeared wild (desolate) to him. Sir F. Madden reads skayned, of which he gives no explanation. Skayued = skayfed, seems to be the N. Prov. English scafe, wild. Scotch schaivie, wild, mad. O.N. skeifr. Sw. skef, awry, distorted. |
| 2204 | ronge = clattered. |
| 2211 |
Drede dot3 me no lote = No noise shall cause me to dread (fear). |
| 2357 |
& þer-for þat tappe ta þe. And therefore take thee that tap. ta þe = take thee. Sir F. Madden reads taþe = taketh. See l. 413, where to þe rhymes with sothe. We have no imperatives in th in this poem. |
| 2401 | We schyn reuel, etc. Sir F. Madden reads wasch yn reuel. But schyn = shall. See Glossary to "Alliterative Poems." |
| 2474 | on-coolde = on-colde = coldly = sorrowfully. |
| 2489 | in-sounde = soundly, well. Cf. in-blande = together; in-lyche, alike; inmydde3, amidst. |