Of halve than richedome, The wes inne KAIRLIUNE. Of seolvere and of golde, Of hehze iborene monnen, Of horsen, and of hafueken,3 And of riche iweden, Tha athan hirede weoren. And of alle than folke,+ • Good weeds, i. e. rich dresses. Of high born men that dwelt in the king's household. The word hirede, Sax. has three interpretations; a household-service-and a palace. 3 Hawks, Sax. The next article is "deer-hounds." 4"And of all the folk that dwelt on fold (i. e. on earth) "was this land's folk the handsomest (or noble) people told, "And also the women, handsome (winsome, vanlich) of hue, " and highest shrowded (most richly dressed) and best in"structed." (itoZene, peritus, Sax.) taughten, Lat. docens. A And hahlukest iscrudde, And alre best itozene. For heo hafdenon 'iquethen alle▾ By heore quike live That heo wolden of ane heowen Heore clathes hafben. Sum hafde whit, sum hafden reed, Sum hafde god grene æc, And alches cunnes fah-clath: Heom wes wunder anelath: And elche untutle, Heo talden unwurthe. For they had declared (iquethen, Sax.) all, by their lives, (quike leve, living lives) that they would of one hue their [intire] dress have. Some had white, some had red, some had good green also, and each kind of variable cloth, fah-clath, Sax.) They were wonderfully uniform (anelich, Sax.) It seems, from this passage, that Layamon thought it indecent to wear the different parts of dress of different colours. Wace, indeed, seems to express the same opinion. -The word untutle in this passage, and tuhtle, which occurs hereafter, may possibly be derived from tucht, tught, or tuckt, which, in several Gothic dialects, signifies discipline, education, and sometimes chastity, &c. See Ihre's Gloss. in voce Tuckt. The passage seems to mean, that the women were severe in their manners, and "told (i. e. held) as un"worthy those who were irregular in their conduct or "dress." Tha hafde anglene ard1 And this leodisce volc æc, Tha wifmen hehze iborene," On heore quides sothe, That man lauerd taken nolde, Inne thissere leode, Næver nænne cniht, (Neore he noht swa wel idiht) Bute he icostned weoren Thrie inne compe, And his oht scipen icudde ̧3 1 If this mean English earth, it is certainly a violent anachronism; and yet it seems to mean, " Then had the Eng"lish earth all that was best worth, and the very commonest "people (leodisce volc) also thought themselves of more "value than kings." "The women high-born, that dwelt in this land, had "declared all, on their word's truth, that [any] man for "their lord take they ne would among this people, never “none knight (ne were he nought so well idight) bụt "(unless) he proved (icostned) were thrice in camp, 3 And his fear escape could. ✦ And had tried himself. Baldeliche he mitte thenne zu, Nen him brude.1 For ther ilke tuhtle Cnihtes weoren ohte ;* Tha wifmen wel idone, Tha weoren i brutene Blissen inoze.4 Tha the king igeten 5 hafde And al his mon-weorede Tha buzan 7 out of burhze Theines swithen balde. Alle tha kinges, And heore here-thringes,8 Alle tha biscopes, And alle tha clarckes, Boldly he might then go, none him upbraided? For there all the knights were disciplined by the fear of disgrace? (ohte, Sax. timor.) 3 The women acted well, and were more prudent. Then were the Britons blessed enough? Eaten. • Multitude of attendants, Sax. Fled. Then fled out of the town the people very quickly. Their throngs of servants. Alle the eorles, And alle tha beornes, Alle tha theines, Alle the sweines, Feire iscrudde Helde geond felde. Summe heo gunnen 3 œruen ↳ Pleouweden under scelde. Summe heo driven balles, 'Fairly dressed. • Held [their way] over the fields; or, perhaps, covered the fields (helan, Sax.) geond is beyond. 3 Began. To discharge arrows. To run. 6 To shoot or throw darts. › Made, or played at, wither-games, Sax.: games of emulation, i. e. justed. * Some they on field played under shield; i. e. fought with swords. |