Versificator es of fowre letteris mak þou a werse Semper sic
facito Of fyfe wordys & no mo Si facio fersitam sex fete wel
f[…?]
Note: The ends of lines are faded and run into the spine.
Editions:
Warner, Sir George Frederic, and Julius P. Gilson, eds.
Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the old Royal and King’s
Collections.
4 vols. London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1921: 2.243.
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
breme: adjective and adverbObs. exc. poet. and dial. (brim) in sense A. 6. A. adj. I.
Celebrated, brilliant, clear, loud, distinctOED
close
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
close
belimp: verb (2.) To happen, occur, befall. Freq. with person as indirect object. (In Old English with
dative of person). Also with to.OED
close
bemean: verbObs. 1. trans. To mean, signify, import; 2. Obs. rare.
intr. To mediate, intercedeOED
close
belive: adverb and adjectiveWith speed, with haste, quickly, eagerlyOED
close
besetten: verb, 6 (a) To allocate or employ (funds, property); spend, expend; (b) ~ time (night), to spend (one’s) time (night).MED
close
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
close
bin / binne: adverb and preposition Within, inside of; in, intoOED
close
bird: noun (1c.) transf. A young man, youngster, child, sonOED
close
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
close
biwilen: verbTo trick or delude (sb.), as by witchcraft, cunning, or insincerity.MED
bolning: nounSwelling, state of being swollen; concr. a swelling, a tumourOED
close
bolts-head: noun (2.) Chem. A globular flask with a long cylindrical neck, used in distillationOED
close
bout: adverb and prepositionObs. or dial. A. adv.1 Outside, without; outOED
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
con: verb (1a) To know. Obs. = CAN v.1 1 – 2 (pa. tense and pple. rarely cunde,
conde.)OED
close
corse: noun†1. a. A living body; = CORPSE n. 1. Obs.OED
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
fele: adjective and adverb In predicative use: Much, many, numerous. Also in compar.: More in number, more
numerousOED
close
fere: noun A companion, comrade, mate, partner; whether male or femaleOED
close
fere: noun 3. An equal. a. Of a person: Peer; also in phrase, without (peer or) fereOED
close
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
close
fold: noun 1.Obs. 1.a. The surface of the earth; the groundOED
close
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
close
forcy: adjectiveObs. Chiefly north. Full of force, powerful, strongOED
close
fraist: verbObs. 1. trans. To try, put to the proof, testOED
close
friar: noun†1. = BROTHER n., in fig. applications; esp. in Old French phrase beu
frere ‘fair brother’. Obs.OED
close
frith: noun (2) With uncertain meaning, denoting a wood of some kind, or wooded country collectively,
esp. in poet. phrases associated with fell, fieldOED
close
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
close
heild: verbSc. Obs. 1. trans. To cover; to shield, protect; to hideOED
close
hen: noun (2) (a) A poor man; (b) a rascal; ?a niggard; (c) as personal nameMED
close
hen, henne: adverb = HENCE adv. : of place, time, or inferenceMED
hery: verbtrans. To praise, glorify, exalt, honour, worshipOED
close
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
close
hiems: noun2Obs. Winter; esp. in poet. personificationOED
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
mind: noun1 I. Senses relating to memory.
1. The state of being remembered; remembrance, recollection. Chiefly in phrasesOED
close
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
close
nēre: noun(a) A rawhide shoe or boot; (b) as a derogatory nickname for a ScotMED
close
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
close
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
close
prest: noun (1.) A payment or wages in advance; money paid on account to enable a person to proceed
with an undertakingOED
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
rifler: noun (1.) A robber, a plunderer, a looterOED
close
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
close
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
close
Sheer Thursday: noun The Thursday in Holy Week, Maundy ThursdayOED
close
shill: adjective and adverb A. Sonorous, resonant, shrillOED
sicker: adjective and adverb Free from danger or harm; secure, safeOED
close
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
close
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
close
steek: verb (1c) ? To keep back (the truth). Obs.OED
close
stern | starn: noun (2) Now only Sc. a. = STAR n.1OED
close
stound: verbtrans. To stun as with a blow; to stupefy, benumb; to stupefy with astonishment,
bewilderOED
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
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
close
wreche: noun (1) Retributive punishment; vengeance; = WREAK n. 1.OED