says Sir William Dugdale, "men came to be single readers (or lecturers) at fifteen or sixteen years standing in the house, and read double about seven years afterwards."-Orig. Jur. p. 209. E. Earine, derived from a Greek word, signifying the spring. Eaters, servants. Eggs on the spit, a proverbial expression for, I have business to attend to. Elder tree, the tree on which (by tradition) Judas hanged himself. Eltham thing, a famous puppet-show exhibited at Eltham. Enfant perdu, forlorn hope: a military phrase. Enghles, angle, hook, a bait hung down. Enginous, crafty, full of devices; somethnes witty, and in the sense of the modern word ingenious. Ens, a term of the schools, signifying a substance or existence. Entry, a term of the chase; the place where a deer has lately passed or entered into the cover. Envoy, the conclusion. Epitasis, the busy part of a comedy, according to the terms of the ancient critics. Euripus, a term for a particular mode of smoking; in what its peculiarity consisted it is not easy now to determine; the name appears to be derived from the narrow and rapid strait between the island of Euboea and the continent, proverbial for its frequent flux and reflux; hence it may perhaps mean a rapid inhaling and emitting of the smoke. Exampless, beyond all example. Exhale, to drag out. Exhibition, stipend, annual allowance. Explate, to unplait, to open, unfold. F. Fading, the burden of a popular licentious Irish song, which gave name to a dance of the same character. Fagioli, French beans. Fall, a ruff or band, turned back on the shoulders. Familiar, a spirit, or devil, who constantly accompanied the necromancer, and was his servant, slave, and adviser, during his life. Farce, stuff, fill out, make fat. Fayles," a very old table game, one of the numerous varieties of backgammon."-DOUCE. Feeders, servants. Feize, to drive. Fere, or phere, companion; bed-fere, bedfellow. Fermentation, one of the processes of alchemy. Fermets, the dung of deer. Fewterer, a dog-keeper. Fico, used in allusion to the poisoned figs of Italy and Spain. Fierce, rash, inconsiderate, violent. Figgum, the jugglers' trick of breathing flames, by means of lighted tow, called fid in some of the old diction aries. Fineness, an overstrained and factitious scrupulousness. Fittous, a fabricated tale. Flat-cap, a derisive term for citizens. Flawns, custards. Flies, familiar spirits. Flights, long and light-feathered arrows, which went level to the mark. Foist, a cut-purse. Foista, juggling tricks, frauds. Forespeak, to bewitch. Foreslow, to slacken or delay. Frail, a rush basket in which figs or raisins were packed. Frapler, a quarreller, a bully. Frayings, the pillings of a deer's horns: a stag is said to fray his head, when he rubs it against a tree to renew it, or to cause the outward coat of the new horns to fall off. Frippery, a place where old clothes are exposed for sale. G. Gazette, a small Venetian coin, worth about three farthings. Geance, jaunt or errand. Get-penny, a phrase among the players for a successful piece, which drew much money to the theatre. Giglot, a wanton girl. Ging, gang. Give law, a term of the chase; allow a fair start, before pursuing. Give words, deceive or impose. Gleek, a term in card playing, signifying three aces, kings, queens, or knaves. It is also the name of a game. Glibbery, slippery. Glicks, ogling or leering looks. Glidder, to glaze over with some tenacious lacquer. Gloriously, vain-gloriously. God's gift, an allusion to the name Dorothea, which has that meaning. Godfathers in law, jurymen. Gold-end-man, one who buys broken gold and silver, a goldsmith's appren tice. Hall, a hall, the usual exclamation at masques, &c. to make room for the dancers. Hangers, the fringed loops appended to the girdle in which the dagger or small-sword usually hung. Happy, used in "The Poetaster," in the sense of rich; it is a latinism. Harper, a coin of the value of ninepence, struck in Ireland. Harrot, herald. Hart of ten, a hart six years old, and with ten croches or branches on his horns. Havings, possessions. Hay! a term in fencing, signifying a hit; it is from the Italian hai, you have it. Hay in his horn, he carries, he is a petulant dangerous person. Hays, nets for catching rabbits. Hear so ill, are so ill spoken of; a mere latinism (tam male audiunt). Heifer, applied to a wife, my yoke-mate. Highmen, dice loaded for high throws. Hilled, thy wings o'er hilled with snow, covered over. ing to the ground, concealed the feed of the man who managed it and ap peared to ride on it. Hoiden, a wild romping girl: the word was formerly applied to both sex es. Hold, is frequently used in the sense of take; thus, when Cato ("Catiline, Act v. Scene 6) gives back the lette to Caesar, he says "Hold thee, drunk. ard," that is, take the letter. Hum, beer and spirits mixed together. Humor: what was usually called the manners in a play or poem, began in Jonson's time to be called the hu mors, the word was new: the use, or rather abuse, of it was excessive. It was applied on all occasions with as little judgment as wit.-GIFFORD. Humorous, applied to the air means moist, flaccid from humidity, flexible, &c. Hunt at force, to run the game down with dogs. Hunt change: hounds are said to hunt change when they take a fresh sce and follow another chase. Hobby horse, one of the actors in the morice dance; the foot-cloths reach- Kestril, a base degenerate hawx Lade me: 66 you lade me, sir;" you do not spare me. Laid, plotted, designed, well contrived. Lance-knights, or more properly lanzknechts, Flemish horse-soldiers. Lattice, the window of an ale-house, which was not in those days glazed, but latticed with cross strips of wood painted different colors, but usually red, hence "red lattice phrases." Laundering gold, washing it in aquaregia. Leer, empty. Leer-side, the left side. Left-handed cries, inauspicious or un- Leiger, a resident ambassador: he's Level coyl, riot or disturbance; taken Lewd, ignorant, unlearned. times mates or lovers. Mass, an abbreviation of the Italian Mastery, the magisterium; the great vation. Maund, to beg: "to maund on the pad, Mauther, a young girl, a maid; from Measure, a dance of a grave and digni- Meath, mead or metheglin. Mercurius Britannicus, the title of a Leystals, receptacles of filth: in mo-Middling gossip, a go-between. Lie in lavender, a cant term for lying in pawn. Lifting, stealing. Lightly, commonly. Like, please; dislike, displease. Loggets, a diminutive of log; sticks Love-lock, long locks cultivated by the Migniardise, affected delicacy of speech Mirror in hat, mirrors were worn by ster. Lullianist, a follower of Raymond Lul-Muckinder, a handkerchief. once. Not-heads, closely shorn or polled. 0. Oade, woad: a plant from which a blue dye is extracted. Obarni, a preparation of meath. Obsession, the besieging and tormenting of a spirit from without, on the body of a demoniac; used in opposition to possession, when the spirit was sup posed to be in the body. Odling, a word of uncertain meaning, used in conjunction with skeldering, a cant term for impudent begging. "Odling seems to mean sidling and shifting about in quest of proper objects for preying upon."- Gir Paggingtons or Packington's pound, Pan, the outer part, the extremities; Nativity pie, the puritanical term for a Parlous, perilous, dangerously; also Neophyte, youngster, novice. New disease, violent pains in the head shrewd. Parted well, endowed with good nat Passage, a game at dice. Patoun, a doubtful word, found only in of the patoun, may therefore be moulding of the tobacco, which was then always cut small into some fantastic or fashionable form, for the pipe."-GIFFORD. Patrico: among strolling beggars and gipsies, the patrico is the orator of the gang, the hedge-priest, &c. Pedant, a teacher of the languages. Pedari, the classical expression for those who never spoke in the senate, but only went over to the side for which they voted; hence they were said pedibus ire in sententiam. Pensil on your chin, one of the many fantastical forms in which beards were worn; this was probably a double-peaked beard, in the form of the swallow-tailed pencil or penselle worn by knights on their spears. Perpetuana: this seems to be that glossy kind of stuff now called everlasting, and anciently worn by serjeants and other city officers. Perspicil, optic glass. Persway, mitigate. Petronel, a kind of blunderbuss or carbine; a horse-soldier's weapon. Phere, see Fere. Philosopher's wheel, a very hopeful state of the alchemical process, but what it precisely was, is very uncertain. Picardil, a stiff upright collar fastened on to the coat. Piece, the double-sovereign; which went for two-and-twenty shillings. Pie powder court, a court held for the decision of differences arising during the fair. Pilchers, serjeants of the Counter: either from the glossy everlasting or leather coats which they usually wore. Pilches or pilchers are skins (from pellis) and in a more general sense, coverings of fur, woollen, &c. -GIFFORD. Perhaps also pilches from pilchards, a fish remarkably like the herring for giving a "glint" (light in the water) as they swim in shoals; and thence applied to the officers who wore shining coats. Pinnace, a go-between on infamous errands. Plaise-mouth, primness; affected prudery; contempt. Plants, of clay, feet of clay: from the Latin planta. Plover: I have neither plover, nor quail; cant terms for light women. Plumed-swan, one of the terms made use of in alchemy to express the different degrees of fermentation. Points, the fringed or tagged laces with which the breeches were fastened or trussed (as the expression was) to the doublet. Pokahontas, the daughter of an Indian chief of Virginia, celebrated by John Smith, a famous traveller, and by far the most enterprising of the first Virginian settlers. Poult-foot, lame or club-foot. Pomander chains, little balls of perfumed paste, worn in the pocket, or strung round the neck, as amulets, to prevent infection in times of the plague; they were also an article of luxury among people of rank or fashion, or who have aspired to be thought such. Pommado: the pommado is vaulting on a horse without the aid of stirrups, by resting one hand on the saddlebow. Popular, vulgar. Portague, a gold coin, worth about 31. 12s. Portcullis, a coin issued in the time of Elizabeth, stamped on one side with the portcullis. Possess, inform. Post and pair, a game at cards. Practice, confederacy, concerted fraud. Predominant, your; your foretop, the fashionable mode of dressing the hair. Present, immediate, important to our ends. Prevent, anticipate. Prickles, light open wicker baskets, in which flowers are brought to market. Primero, a game at cards. Print: O, you are a gallant in print now, brother. You are a perfect, complete, gallant. Private, my, my own interest or safety. Projection, the twelfth and last process in alchemy. Proper, peculiar to oneself. Provant, a provant rapier, a common rapier. Provide, to look to by anticipation: a latinism. Puckfist, a fungous excrescence of the mushroom kind; an insipid, insignif icant fellow. Pulpamenta, delicacies, nice-bits. Punk devise, an arrant whore. Purchase, a cant term for goods stolen. Purl, a wire whipt with cotton or silk, for puffing out fringe, lace, hair, &c.; in some places it seems to mean the fringe itself. Quail, a cant term for a loose woman. Quar, (an abbreviation of quarry,) a stone-pit. Queasy, nice, tender, delicate. Quested, a sporting term for a dog's opening, or giving his tongue, when he scents the birds. WHALLEY. Quiblins, little attempts to deceive us. Quodlin, a too soon ripe-headed boy. Quote, to notice, to write down. R. Raked up, smothered, hidden. Rash, to, to strike obliquely with violence, as a wild boar does with his tusk. Rocket or rouget, so named from the red color, is a fish of the gurnet kind. Ray, array, dress. Ready, to make, to dress one's self. Rebatu, a kind of ruff or collar band, which turned back and lay in plaits on the shoulders. Reformado, a broken or disbanded soldier. Regiment, government. Register, the iron plate or slider, which, on being pushed forward, increases the heat of the fire in small chimneys, by accelerating the current of air. Resiant, resident. Returns, ventures sent abroad. or fretful resentment. Ribibe, bawd, or mistress of a brothel. Ride: you rid that week, you were carted for a bawd. Rosaker, a preparation of arsenic. Round, gentleman of the, invalid or disbanded men, who, to procure themselves a livelihood, had taken up the trade of begging. Rouse, a mode of drinking, in which the full cup or other drinking vessel was to be emptied at a draught; a bumper toast. Rovers, arrows shot compass-wise or with a certain degree of elevation. Ruffle, flaunt, swagger. Sampsuchine, sweet marjoram. Sartoccios, covers, folds of paper; whence our cartouch or cartridge. Scotomy, Scotomia, a dizziness or swimming in the head. Scourse, deal for horses; swap, exchange the term horse-courser is still in use. Scroyles, scrophulous, scabby fellows. Seamrent, ragged. Seel, a term in falconry, when a hawk was first taken it was "blinded by a thread run through the eye-lids that she might see not, or very little, the better to make her endure the hood;" this was termed seeling. Seminary, a Romish priest, educated abroad. Serene, "a mildew, or that harmful dew of moist summer evenings, which occasions blights."- Cor GRAVE. Sericon, a term in alchemy for a red tincture. Serjeant, one of the officers belonging Shape, a suit by way of disguise. Shine or sheen, brightness, splendor. Shove-groat, a piece of money used for playing at the game of shovel-board. Sick Man's Salve, a devotional tract written by Thos. Becon, an old cal vinistical divine. Side-long, trailing. Simper the cocket: "cocket was a fine species of bread as distinguished from common bread; hence perhaps the name was given to an overstrained affectation of delicacy. Te simper at, or over, a thing, is to touch it as in scorn."-GIFFORD. Single-money, small money that requires no change. Single, weak, silly. Sir Ajax, see" Ajax." Skelder, a cant term for impudent begging. Skills not, it matters not, it is of no consequence. Slip, a false piece of money. Small voice, a feminine voice. Soil, to take; a stag is said to take soil when he takes to the water to escape the hounds. Sort, rank or degree in life, also a company; a sort of gallants, a com pany of gallants. Speak at volley (à·la volée, Fr.) heed- Spur-royal, a gold coin; in the 3rd Stale to, to make cheap or common. Statuminate, this word is pure Latin; Sticklers, sidesmen to fencers, or seconds in a duel. Stoccata, a term in fencing, meaning a thrust. Stork's bill, a gesture of contempt; to Streights, a labyrinth of narrow alleys Thewes, manners, accomplishments; warp (thrums), or coarse yarn, of Threaves, droves, heaps. U. Ulen Spiegle, the name of a celebrated Umber," There's amber in the umbre," Uncouth, strange, unknown, unproved. Undertaker, one who undertook by his Unkindly, unnaturally. Tick-tack, a kind of complicated back-Unrude, very rude: the particle un is song. Tire, to, to peck eagerly, feed on. Vallies, (valise, French,) portmanteau or cloak-bag. Vapor, a cant term for a mere hector, a bully. Varlet, a servant. Venue, a term in fencing, a thrust Tokens, copper coins, which were per-Vorloffe, furlough. Token's worth, a farthing's worth. Touch, the common kind of black mar- Tricking: to trick arms, was to draw Students of Bear's College, the dogs at Trig, neat, spruce, affected. the bear-gardens. Subtle, thin, fine. T. Tables, table-book, a pocket-book for making memoranda. Taint a staff, break a lance, but not in Take in, capture, subdue. Terra firma, the term by which the Tertias, (tertia Spanish,) is that portion of an army levied out of one particular district, or division of a country. Teston, or tester, a coin first struck in the reign of Henry 8th, worth at first 12d, but afterwards brought down to 6d W. Watch: "Observe him as his watch observes his clock," ("Sejanus,") an allusion to the pocket-watch, which was constantly regulated by the mo tion of the clock, at that time the more accurate machine of the two. GIFFORD. Waxen epitaph, an epitaph affixed to the hearse, or on the monument of the deceased, with wax. Wealthy witness, (a latinism; testis locuples) a full and sufficient evidence. Wedlock, wife. Welt, a hem or border of fur. Trowses, close drawers, over which the What is he for a vicar? ("Silent Wohose or slops were drawn. Truckman, interpreter. man,") Saxon phraseology, signify ing, What vicar is he? Trundling cheats, cant term for carts Wher, contraction of whether or coaches. Where, whereas. White money, silver money. trunk-Wind-sucker, a kind of kite. Trunk, a tube or pipe. Wing, a part of the dress extending Wise woman, a fortune-teller, a recov Witness, a godmother. Turned, diverted, changed. Two-penny ward, a ward in the Comp- Two-penny tearmouth, a term for an Twire, to leer affectedly, glance at ob- Woodcock, a cant term for a fool. Word, motto-"Let the word be," let Y. Yeoman-feuterer, a dog-keeper. |