O dethe whylum dysplesant to nature Where duellyst þow wylte
thou þin man forsake…
Last Lines:
…Cum & helpe the petuys man to ende In the lythe all here
ys non odere ffrende
Note: Added by later hand. adding at the end “At my ending quyt me my mede / & gyue me drynke for my good dede,” followed by four lines from the Confessio (VIII.2837-40), and then DIMEV 6077 immediately after that.
Editions:
Wilson, Kenneth George.
“Five Fugitive Pieces of Fifteenth-Century Secular Verse.”
Modern Language Notes
69 (1954): 18-22: 119.
Person, Henry Axel.
Cambridge Middle English Lyrics.
Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1953; rev. ed. 1962: 34.
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adawe: adverb Out of existence. Only in to do (also bring) (a person) adawe: to
put (a person) to death; to do away with, killOED
bee: noun (2) 1. A ring or torque of metal, usually meant for the arm or neck; but in one case at
least used of a finger-ring. Obs.OED
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beetle: noun1 1. a. An implement consisting of a heavy weight or ‘head,’ usually of
wood, with a handle or stock, used for driving wedges or pegs, ramming down paving
stones, or for crushing, bruising, beating, flattening, or smoothing, in various
industrial and domestic operations, and having various shapes according to the purpose
for which it is used; a mallOED
bemoan: verb 2. refl. To lament or bewail one’s lotOED
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bern: noun (1) 2. (a) Soldier; esp., a knight; ~ of armes, man-at-arms; breneid ~, a mailed warrior;
(b) a nobleman, a lord; — often equated with baroun baronMED
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breme: adjective and adverbObs. exc. poet. and dial. (brim) in sense A. 6. A. adj. I.
Celebrated, brilliant, clear, loud, distinctOED
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betony: nounprop. A plant (Stachys betonica) of the Labiate order, having spiked
purple flowers and ovate crenate leaves. In former days medicinal and magical virtues
were attributed to itOED
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belimp: verb (2.) To happen, occur, befall. Freq. with person as indirect object. (In Old English with
dative of person). Also with to.OED
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bemean: verbObs. 1. trans. To mean, signify, import; 2. Obs. rare.
intr. To mediate, intercedeOED
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belive: adverb and adjectiveWith speed, with haste, quickly, eagerlyOED
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besetten: verb, 6 (a) To allocate or employ (funds, property); spend, expend; (b) ~ time (night), to spend (one’s) time (night).MED
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bespit: verbtrans. To spit upon, cover or defile with spitting. Rarely intr. with
upon. (Cf. BESPETE v.)OED
bill: noun (1) A weapon of war mentioned in Old English poetry, a kind of broadsword, a falchionOED
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bin / binne: adverb and preposition Within, inside of; in, intoOED
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bird: noun (1c.) transf. A young man, youngster, child, sonOED
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biren: verb[OE ge)byrian, & cp. OI byrja. In ME this verb, a synonym of bihoōven, occurs
almost exclusively in the NM and the N, and only in the 3rd person.] 1b. With personal
subj.: (a) to be under obligation, be in duty bound (to do sth.), ought (to do)MED
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biwilen: verbTo trick or delude (sb.), as by witchcraft, cunning, or insincerity.MED
bolning: nounSwelling, state of being swollen; concr. a swelling, a tumourOED
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bolts-head: noun (2.) Chem. A globular flask with a long cylindrical neck, used in distillationOED
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bout: adverb and prepositionObs. or dial. A. adv.1 Outside, without; outOED
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britnen: verb3. (a) To tear or cut (sb.) to pieces; rend, slash; slay; ~ to dethe, ~ to
noȝt, kill; destroy (the soul); (b) to go to pieces, be annihilatedMED
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busk: noun (1a) =BUSH: A woods, grove; thicket, underbrush; bank and ~, hill and (wooded) dale; under
the ~, in (the shelter of) the woods; (b) rank growthMED
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busk: verb (1) Now rare (Sc., Irish English, and Eng. regional (north.) in
later use). I. To prepare, and related senses. 1. a. trans. (refl.). To
prepare or equip oneself; to make oneself ready.OED
Clent: noun Clent Hills, south of Birmingham, where Kenhelm was murdered
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con: verb (1a) To know. Obs. = CAN v.1 1 – 2 (pa. tense and pple. rarely cunde,
conde.)OED
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corse: noun†1. a. A living body; = CORPSE n. 1. Obs.OED
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derken: verb (5, 6) 5 (a) Of eyes: to become blurred or blind; also fig.; (b) of a person, the mind: to
grow confused or befuddled; 6 (a) To keep or lie still (as if in darkness or hiding);
linger apprehensively; (b) to lie in wait, lurkMED
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drechen: verb (1) To injure (sb.), wrong, kill; damage (sth.), destroy; oppress (people, a country);
afflict, torment, torture; ~ abrod, to scatter (an army) in defeat; (b) to disturb
(sb.), trouble, annoy; grieve (sb.), frighten; of care, disease, love, sin, etc.:
distress (sb.); (c) to lower (oneself), debase; (d) to delude (sb.), fool; (e) to
speculate, ?worry about somethingMED
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dree: verb2. a. To endure, undergo, suffer, bear (something burdensome, grievous, or
painful)OED
fallow: adjective11. Of a pale brownish or reddish yellow colour, as withered grass or leaves.
Obs. exc. of the coat of an animal; now chiefly in FALLOW-DEER
n.OED
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fele: adjective and adverb In predicative use: Much, many, numerous. Also in compar.: More in number, more
numerousOED
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fere: noun A companion, comrade, mate, partner; whether male or femaleOED
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fere: noun 3. An equal. a. Of a person: Peer; also in phrase, without (peer or) fereOED
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ferly: adjective and noun 3a. Strange, wonderful, wondrous, marvellousOED
fester: noun In early use = FISTULA n.; subsequently, a rankling sore, an ulcer. In mod. use:
‘A superficial suppuration resulting from irritation of the skin’ (Quain
Dict. Med. 1882)OED
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fold: noun 1.Obs. 1.a. The surface of the earth; the groundOED
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fond: verb [FAND | FOND]trans. To put to the proof, try, test (a person or thing); to make trial of
(one’s strength, skill); to taste (food, etc.); in early use with
gen.OED
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forcy: adjectiveObs. Chiefly north. Full of force, powerful, strongOED
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fraist: verbObs. 1. trans. To try, put to the proof, testOED
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friar: noun†1. = BROTHER n., in fig. applications; esp. in Old French phrase beu
frere ‘fair brother’. Obs.OED
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frith: noun (2) With uncertain meaning, denoting a wood of some kind, or wooded country collectively,
esp. in poet. phrases associated with fell, fieldOED
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gestening: noun Entertainment as a guest, lodging, hospitality. Also, a banquet, feast.OED
hayward: noun An officer of a manor, township, or parish, having charge of the fences and
enclosures, esp. to keep cattle from breaking through from the common into enclosed
fields; sometimes, the herdsman of the cattle feeding on the commonOED
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heild: verbSc. Obs. 1. trans. To cover; to shield, protect; to hideOED
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hen: noun (2) (a) A poor man; (b) a rascal; ?a niggard; (c) as personal nameMED
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hen, henne: adverb = HENCE adv. : of place, time, or inferenceMED
hery: verbtrans. To praise, glorify, exalt, honour, worshipOED
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hidels: noun (a) A secret place, hiding place; refuge; also, a hollow in a stalk of grain; (b)
in (on) ~, in secrecy, in private, secretly; putten into ~, to
conceal (sb.); (c) ~ place, hidden placeMED
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hiems: noun2Obs. Winter; esp. in poet. personificationOED
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hinder: adj.1 and noun.2 A. adj.1 1. Situated behind, at the back, or in the rear; posterior.
(Notwithstanding its comparative form, it does not differ in sense from hind, but
is more frequently used. Cf. YON adv., YONDER adv., adj., pron.,
and n.) hinder gate, postern gate. 2. Of time. a. Last past,
‘last’; as in this hinder day yesterday, this hinder night
last night, yesternight.OED
hōrien: verb (2)(a) To defile (sb. or sth.), defoul, pollute; (b) to be or become physically corrupted
or rancid; also fig. [quot.: c1390]; (c) ppl. horied, of a person:
defiled, corrupted; of an animal: ceremonially unclean.MED
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i-long: adjectiveadj., Situated behind, at the back, or in the rear; posterior. (Notwithstanding
its comparative form, it does not differ in sense from hind, but is more frequently
used)OED
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keach: verbtrans. To take up (water, etc.) with a shallow vessel; to scoop up, ladle out: =
CLEACH v. 3OED
menskful: adjective (and noun) Worshipful, honourable; gracious, beautiful. Of a building: statelyOED
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mind: noun1 I. Senses relating to memory.
1. The state of being remembered; remembrance, recollection. Chiefly in phrasesOED
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mum: noun(a) Mouth; maugre his ~, in spite of himself; ~ pin, a tooth; (b) mouth of a river,
only in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.45]; (c)?as surnameMED
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nēre: noun(a) A rawhide shoe or boot; (b) as a derogatory nickname for a ScotMED
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neven: noun(a) The kidney of a human being or animalOED
nithing: noun and adjectiveNow arch. and hist. 1. A coward, a villain; a person who breaks the law
or a code of honour; an outlaw. †2. A mean or niggardly person; a miser.
Obs.OED
palatine: adjective Originally: designating a county or other territory in England (and later other
countries) as having a ruler with royal privileges and judicial authority (within the
territory) which elsewhere belong to the sovereign alone (now hist.). Later: designating
a modern administrative area corresponding to thisOED
pease: verb (1a.) trans. To make peace between or reconcile (two or more persons); to reconcile
(one person) with anotherOED
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pine: noun (1.) Punishment; torment, torture, suffering or loss inflicted as punishment; persecution;
spec. a punishment suffered in hell or purgatory; = PAIN n.1 1, 2. Obs.
(Sc. in later use.)OED
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prest: noun (1.) A payment or wages in advance; money paid on account to enable a person to proceed
with an undertakingOED
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priven: verb To deprive (sb.) of (sth.), deny (sb. sth.); ppl. prived, bereaved, bereft of,
deprived of; without; (b) ~ of (from), to deprive (sb. of sth.), deny (sth. to sb.),
exclude (sb. from sth.); prived of (from), deprived of (sth.), bereft of; lacking,
without; ben of god priving, be a robber of goods; (c) to depose (sb.), dismiss; ~ of
(from), deprive (sb.) of (power, kingdom, etc.), remove or dismiss (sb.) from (office or
position); (d) to take (sth.) away; prevent (sth.), deny, oppose; weaken (the body); --
also without obj.MED
quhirl: nouna. lit. and fig. A (rapid) turn, revolution or rotatory motion, as of a
wheel; b. A swift or violent whirling motion, as of wind or waterDictionary of the Scots Language
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rax: verbintr. To stretch oneself, esp. on waking from sleep or as a preliminary to
further action; to rouse, stir oneself. Also: to yawn (obs.)OED
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recent: adjective Of the mind or its powers, esp. memory: Undiminished; not weakened by the passage of
time; in full vigourDictionary of the Scots Language
reusing: nounObs. Sorrow, penitence, repentance; an instance of this. Also: pity; mercyOED
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rice: noun1Now chiefly Brit. regional and Irish English (north.). 1.
collect. Twigs or small branches growing on trees or bushes; dense growth of
bushes; brushwood, thicket. Now Sc. (chiefly Orkney) and rareOED
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rifler: noun (1.) A robber, a plunderer, a looterOED
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rime: verb (1.)trans. To count, reckon, enumerate. Also occas. intr. Now only with up.
Formerly also: †to recount (obs.)OED
shamble: noun In Old English, a table or counter for exposing goods for sale, counting money, etc.
Obs.OED
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shavaldour: noun [Aberrant form of chevale macronr n., perh. influenced by a local var. or
surname in the north of England, which may also have produced AL schavaldor.] A
wanderer, vagabond; also, a gentleman robber near the Scottish border; ?also, a minstrel
or entertainer; (b) as surnameMED
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Sheer Thursday: noun The Thursday in Holy Week, Maundy ThursdayOED
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shill: adjective and adverb A. Sonorous, resonant, shrillOED
sicker: adjective and adverb Free from danger or harm; secure, safeOED
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simnel: noun (1.) A loaf or bun made of fine flour, usu. lighter than wastel; bread of this kind; ~
horn, ~ with the horn, ?a loaf of this bread made with pointed ends or corners; ferthing
~, a loaf of this bread worth one farthing; (b) ~ silver, ?money paid for transporting
bread of this kind; (c) in surnamesMED
souse: noun (1a) Various parts of a pig or other animal, esp. the feet and ears, prepared or preserved
for food by means of picklingOED
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spelen: verb (a) To save, hoard; save (sth.), refrain from using or consuming; ~ stounde, fail to
use (an opportunity); ~ wrecche men, save (sth.) for the poor; (b) to refrain from
inflicting injury or punishment (on sb.); spare (sb.) pain or suffering; save (sb. from
death or pain); also, give (sb.) respite or reprieve; ~ to, spare (sb. from sins); (c)
to relieve (a disagreeable situation)MED
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steek: verb (1c) ? To keep back (the truth). Obs.OED
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stern | starn: noun (2) Now only Sc. a. = STAR n.1OED
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stound: verbtrans. To stun as with a blow; to stupefy, benumb; to stupefy with astonishment,
bewilderOED
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sty: verb (1) intr. To ascend, mount up, rise or climb to a higher level. Said of persons and
thingsOED
tapet: noun (a.) A piece of figured cloth used as a hanging, table-cover, carpet, or the likeOED
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tent: noun (2.) Attention, heed, care; nearly always in the phrases give tent, to give heed, pay
attention (obs.), and take tent, to take heed, take care; with to, to pay
attention to, take heed toOED
thir: demonstrative adjective (1.) Qualifying a plural noun or singular nouns indicating something physically present or
near or something which has already been or is about to be mentioned: THESEDictionary of the Scots Language
traist: verbSc. and north. Obs. 1. trans. To make secure or safe, to
commit in trust; hence refl. to commit oneself with security or confidence, to trust, =
sense 2OED
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trendel: verbObs. 1. trans. To cause to roll or revolve; to roll: = TRUNDLE v.
1a.OED
way: noun (1) gen. A track prepared or available for travelling along; a road, street, lane, or
pathOED
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we: pronoun In indefinite usages, often in statements relating to the human condition generally:
(2a) we, one, people, everybody; also used conventionally in prayers, carols, etc.MED
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ween: verbObs. exc. arch. 1. trans. In regard to what is present or past: To
think, surmise, suppose, conceive, believe, consider. In Middle English often with
wellOED
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weir: noun 1. Warfare. a. A state or period of hostilities and combat existing between political
groups, esp. realms or nations; also, specif. the warlike activity appropriate to
knights, and also sometimes applied to the skills involved (see (3) below and cf. some
quots. in 2 (1)). b. Hostilities, strife, etc. between (groups of) individuals pursuing
private enmities.Dictionary of the Scots Language
wothe: noun and adjectiveObs. A. n. The condition of being exposed to or liable to injury or harm;
danger, peril; hurt or harm; a cause of harm or injuryOED
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wray: verb1Obs. 1. a. To accuse, denounce, or inform on (a person); to expose (one) by
revealing or divulging information, etc., to one’s harm, prejudice, or discredit;
to charge with a crime, offence, fault, etc.; = BEWRAY v. 2.OED
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wreche: noun (1) Retributive punishment; vengeance; = WREAK n. 1.OED