The propriety of the use of the word awkward by Shakspeare, in the Second Part of Henry VI., Act III. Sc. 2., is thus rendered apparent:
"And twice by awkward wind from England's bank,
Drove back again," &c.,
i.e. untoward wind, or contrary: an epithet which editors, while they thought it required an apology, have been unable to explain rightly.
With regard to the word awk, I can only say that it is one of very unfrequent occurrence; I have met with it but once in the course of my own reading, so that I am unable to confirm my view as fully as I could wish; still, that one instance seems, as far as it goes, satisfactory enough: it occurs in Golding's translation of Ovid's Metam., London, 1567, fol. 177. p. 2.:
"She sprincled us with bitter jewce of uncouth herbes, and strake
The awk end of her charmed rod uppon our heads, and spake
Woordes to the former contrarie," &c.
The awk end here is, of course, the wrong end, that which was not towards them.
Perhaps some of the readers of "N. & Q." may have met with other instances of the usage of the word. It does not occur in Chaucer nor (I am pretty sure) in Gower.