England's Antiphon. George MacDonaldЧитать онлайн книгу.
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26
Pref is proof. Put in pref seems to stand for something more than being tested. Might it not mean proved to be a pearl of price?
27
A word acknowledged to be obscure. Mr. Morris suggests on the left hand, as unbelieved.
28
"Except that which his sole wit may judge."
29
"Be equal to thy possessions:" "fit thy desires to thy means."
30
"Ambition has uncertainty." We use the word ticklish still.
31
"Is mingled everywhere."
32
To relish, to like. "Desire no more than is fitting for thee."
33
For.
34
"Let thy spiritual and not thine animal nature guide thee."
35
"And I dare not falsely judge the reverse."
36
A poem so like this that it may have been written immediately after reading it, is attributed to Robert Henryson, the Scotch poet. It has the same refrain to every verse as Lydgate's.
37
"Mourning for mishaps that I had caught made me almost mad."
38
"Led me all one:" "brought me back to peace, unity, harmony." (?)
39
"That I read on (it)."
40
Of in the original, as in the title.
41
Does this mean by contemplation on it?
42
"I paid good attention to it."
43
"Greeted thee"—in the very affliction.
44
"For Christ's love let us do the same."
45
"Whatever grief or woe enslaves thee." But thrall is a blunder, for the word ought to have rhymed with make.
46
"The precious leader that shall judge us."
47
"When thou art in sorry plight, think of this."
48
"And death, beyond renewal, lay hold upon their life."
49
Sending, message: "whatever varying decree God sends thee."
50
"Receives his message;" "accepts his will."
51
Recently published by the Early English Text Society. S.L. IV.
52
"Child born of a bright lady." Bird, berd, brid, burd, means lady originally: thence comes our bride.
53
In Chalmers' English Poets, from which I quote, it is selly-worme; but I think this must be a mistake. Silly would here mean weak.
54
The first poem he wrote, a very fine one, The Shepheard's Calender, is so full of old and provincial words, that the educated people of his own time required a glossary to assist them in the reading of it.
55
Eyas is a young hawk, whose wings are not fully fledged.
56
"What less than that is fitting?"
57
For, even in Collier's edition, but certainly a blunder.
58
Was, in the editions; clearly wrong.
59
"Of the same mould and hand as we."
60
There was no contempt in the use of this word then.
61
Simple-hearted, therefore blessed; like the German selig.
62
A shell plentiful on the coast of Palestine, and worn by pilgrims to show that they had visited that country.
63
Evil was pronounced almost as a monosyllable, and was at last contracted to ill.
64
"Come to find a place." The transitive verb stow means to put in a place: here it is used intransitively.
65
The list of servants then kept in large houses, the number of such being far greater than it is now.
66
There has been some blundering in the transcription of the last two lines of this stanza. In the former of the two I have substituted doth for dost, evidently wrong. In the latter, the word cradle is doubtful. I suggest cradled, but am not satisfied with it. The meaning is, however, plain enough.