p. 34, l. [1159]. In the French Fierabras, l. 606 et seq., Oliver also assists the Saracen to put on his gear. This point is not mentioned in the Ashmolean version, see Introduction, p. xxviii.
p. 34, l. [1163]. worthed up, “became up, got up, mounted.” It is the past tense of the verb worthen, O.E. weorðan, “to become.” Another past tense of this verb is worth, l. 1204.
p. 34, l. [1164]. areest, or arest = “a rest, or support for the spear when [‹p116›] couched for the attack” (Morris). Originally = “stoppage, waiting, readiness.” Cf. Mätzner’s Wörterbuch, p. 107.
p. 34, l. [1167]. as fire of thonder, cf. dinte of thondir in l. 1207.
p. 34, l. [1168]. to-braste, “burst in pieces.” The prefix to-, answering to Germ. zer-, has the force of “in twain, asunder.”
p. 34, l. [1170]. threste, O.E. þr
stan, “premere, trudere.” The author probably pronounced thraste, which will improve the rhyme.
p. 34, ll. [1179]–80. upon the hede (blank in MS) the hede. This is evidently a mistake of the scribe; sore, l. 1180, too, which does not rhyme with crowne, is probably miswritten for sone. The rhyme as well as the context shows that the true reading is:
“Olyver him hitte again