PREFACE. THE prevailing ardour for rescuing the Works of our old Poets and Dramatic Authors from the oblivion to which they were fast approaching, is creditable to the taste and liberality of the age; new editions of the old Drama, collectively, and of the separate Works of PEELE, GREENE, WEBSTER, MARLOWE, FORD, MASSINGER, and others have recently been published: the Works of CHAUCER and SPENSER have been repeatedly reprinted, but the Glossaries appended to them have been both meagre and unsatisfactory. Notwithstanding the numerous Commentaries on the Works of SHAKESPEARE, it is an undeniable fact that many of the peculiar phrases and local allusions abounding in his Works, have neither been properly defined or satisfactorily elucidated; this defect has arisen from the want of a competent knowledge of the dialect of the Midland Counties. Numerous words used by SHAKESPEARE being local, are not to be found in any cotemporary Author, and hence the Commentators, unacquainted with the Archaisms of the County of Stafford and other adjoining Counties, were puzzled viii to find among their philological researches the derivation and definition of those words, and therefore adopted many very fanciful and some very absurd ones. The words blood bolter'd may be adduced, among others, to prove the fact. The definition of WARBURTON, adopted by MALONE, has no analogy with the true meaning of the word bolter, which is purely local and in use at the present day. The Author of the present Work, without pretending to the critical acumen of his Predecessors, has, he flatters himself, elucidated the meaning of many words hitherto unexplained or improperly defined; but where he has taken the liberty of differing with persons whose names deservedly rank high as philologists, he trusts he has done so with. the deference which ought always to be paid to the superior talents and great authority of the Authors. A GLOSSARIAL AND ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY, &c. &c. A. A. THIS letter was formerly used as a prefix to many words now become obsolete, in some it is still retained by the vulgar; as, abear, ado, adays, acold, abed, aweary, adream, &c.: but aggrate, adread, addeem, and others are now wholly disused; ameliorate, amidst, abroach, abroad, &c. still retain their place in our vernacular tongue As present age and eke posterite I gin to be aweary of the sun. FERREX AND PORREX. He scorns to be addeem'd so worthless, base. DANIEL'S CIVIL WAR. ABACK (S. on bac), on back, backwards; also, to put behind, or retard. He shall aye find that the trew man Was put abacke, whereas the falshede Yfurthered was. CHAUCER'S COMPLAINT OF THE BLACK KNIGHT. B A noble heart ought not the sooner yield, MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATES. But when they came where thou thy skill didst shew, SPENSER'S PASTORALS. ABAND (F. abandonner), to abandon, of which word it is a contraction; to resign, quit, desert, forsake; and, according to its primary signification, to band or put in bondage. All pleasures quite and joys he did aband. The barons of this land MIRR. FOR MAG. For him trauvailed sore, and brought him out of band. ROB. GLOUCESTER'S CHRON. ABAST (B. bastardd), an illegitimate child or bas tard. Bast Ywain he was yhote, For he was bigeten abast, God it wote. TALE OF MERLIN. ABATE (S. beatan, F. abbatre), to deject, subdue, dispirit; in its more modern sense, it signifies to beat down, subtract. ABATYDE, lowered, cast down. See "Abate." Doun he felle deed to grounde, Gronynge faste, with grymly wounde; Alle the baners that Chrysten found They were abatyde. ROM. OF OCTAVIAN IMPERATOR. ABAWE (F. à bas), to abash, daunt, astonish, lower. My countenance is nicete And al abawed whereso I be. CHAUCER'S DREME. For soch another as I gesse Aforne ne was, ne more vermaile I was abawed for merviele. CHAUCER'S ROM. OF THE ROSE. ABAYE (F. abbor), at bay, environed by enemies. Gif he myghte come on cas When by hym so hound abaye. ROM. OF KYNGE ALISAUNDRE. ABEAR (S. abæran), to bear, to demean, as ap plied to courage or behaviour. Thus did the gentle knight himself abeare BJECT (L. abjectus), to be degraded to a low or mean condition; also, the person so degraded or brought to contempt. I deemed it better so to die, Than at my foeman's feet an abject lie. Rebellion MIRR. FOR MAG. Came like itself, in base and abject routs, K. HENRY IV. I was, at first, as other beasts that graze The trodden herb, of abject thoughts, and low. LAND, blinded, made blind. With seven walmes boiland, The walmes han th' abland. PAR. LOST. ROM. OF THE SEVEN SAGES.. |