(See the Three Treatises, published by Dr. Todd, Dublin, 1851. Text, pages xxv, xxvi and lxv; Note on Rehetours, p. clxxi-ii.)
It is certain that Monastery and Minster were originally one word in Latin; it is generally believed that Rhythm and Rhyme were one in Greek; and it is possible that Rehetour and Caterer had one prototype in Spanish: of this last pair only one survived; it is naturally that which, by being equal to the other in sense, excels it in harmony with the English tongue.
Convinced that the office assigned to the Rehetours in the lordly household could not have been filled by any such character as ascribed to the Rehâteur, Reheater, or Rehaiteur; convinced, moreover, that the Scottish Rehator, Rehatoure, and the English Rehetour must be either both restored to their common kindred, or else consigned to common oblivion, I chose the former alternative; and after a careful inquest held on these twin foundlings, together with Rehete, Reheting, two other departed strangers of the same age, I venture to pronounce the following verdict:—
1. A native of Spain, Regatero (see Stephen's Spanish Dictionary, 1726, and all that is said about Regaton in the Diccionario of the Academy, Madrid, 1737, folio), travelling in Great Britain, changed to Rehetour, Rehator, &c.
2. By trade a retailer of provisions, huckster, or purveyor, his character strongly partook of the nature of his commodities, so as to become tainted; this appears from the quotations in Jamieson's Etym. Dictionary, and is attested by the Spanish proverb, Ni compres de Regaton, ni te descuides en meson: Wycklyffe in all three passages expresses his apprehension of "harm." The French regrattier from gratter (to scratch, scrape), and Regatero, Regaton, from gato (a cat), whether they be, or be not, truly thus derived, bear equally marks of a contemptible impression.
3. In Wycklyffe's simile the Rehetours take care of the bodily, the ecclesiastics of the spiritual food, the Pope being the steward of the household. The Scottish Rehatour we find no longer as an ordinary plain dealer, but in a state of depravity, so as to be a mere byeword, even in the sense of blackguard, which word itself, if we believe Nares (see his Glossary) that it owes its existence to those menials of the court, cannot have been barely "a jocular name," but their disposition must have corresponded to their black exterior, otherwise the joke could not have remained a lasting stigma. I believe, however, the word blackguard, by inserting the l, merely simulates a vernacular origin, it being properly Beguards (see Boiste, Dictionnaire Universel), from Beghardus (see Mediæval Glossaries), once a German participle bekārt (now bekehrt), converted, applied to the Frater conversus, secular begging monks who, increasing in number and misdeeds, soon became universally notorious, and ultimately (mixed up with impostors who assumed their dress) would serve in any capacity rather than the honest and irreproachable.
4. If Caterer proceeded from the Spanish, it arrived thus—Recatero—Recaterer—Caterer; the c for g being either the natural result from the accent which the majority of speakers withdrew from the latter syllable of the word, or is accounted for by "Recatear lo mismo que regatear:" the derivation from re and cautus, as given by Covarrubias, likewise protects the c.
5. It is possible that the primitive root Kat or Gat, in the sense of hollow, hole, cavity, cave, &c., whence Gate, Cot, Cottage, Cattegat (Sinus Codanus), probably also Regatta, was the first element of both the Spanish and the English term; the spot or situation where the eatables were originally exposed for sale thus causing them first to be called cates (a plural noun like wages), then the singular cate, &c., the noun of agent having most probably preceded the verb cater, which has come last. A similar derivation is certain with regard to huckster, which, besides huckeback, joins the Swedish hökare, German Höker, &c., from the bending, crooked, or squatting position in some brook or crook or corner.
6. The verb Rehete is aptly derived by Jamieson from Rehaiter; both are extinct, yet their kindred heiter (formerly haiter), with its two verbs erheitern and aufheitern, are still in full vigour among the Germans, to whom they afford serenity of mind, mood, and weather. The French compound word for wishing, souhaiter, refers its verb haiter to the Swedish heta, German heissen, Anglo-Saxon hetan, as in Ulf het aræran cyrice, "ULF bid rear the church" (see Latham, Engl. Lang. 1850, p. 99.): now if also from the haiter of that compound we may suppose a derivative Rehaiter, or at least one of the kind to have served Chaucer in his participle Reheting, which has been the puzzle of his commentators in the following passage from Troilus (III. line 350.):
"And all the reheting of his sikes (sighs) sore,