He was hirde wittere and wal.
He was herdsman wise and experienced (skilful).
See Gloss. to Allit. Poems, s.v. wale.
[457]-8
Of merke, and kinde, and helde, & ble,
sundring and sameni[n]g tagte he.
He taught of (concerning) the character, breed, age, colour [of cattle], the keeping them asunder, and the matching them together. merke refers, perhaps, to the form, shape, etc., of the cattle, and kinde to their pedigree. [459] glew, music, still exists in glee, gleeman, etc., O.E. gleowinge = singing. gleu, to amuse by singing.
"Bi a piler was he þar sett
To gleu þaa gomes at þair mete."—(Cursor Mundi, fol. 40b.)
Cf. gleo, music.—(Laȝ. i. 298.) gleo-cræften = glee-crafts, arts of music.—(Ibid. i. 299.) gleo-dreme = glee-sound.—(Ibid. i. 77.) gleowen, gleowien, to chant, play.—(Ibid. ii. 382, 429.) [466] a sellic smið, a wonderful (rare) smith. [468] To sundren and mengen = to separate (the ore from the dross) and to mix (alloy).