Project Gutenberg Etext of The Disguising at Hertford, by Lydgate Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!! Please take a look at the important information in this header. We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an electronic path open for the next readers. Please do not remove this. This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. Do not change or edit it without written permission. The words are carefully chosen to provide users with the information they need about what they can legally do with the texts. **Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** **Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** *These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and further information is included below. We need your donations. Presently, contributions are only being solicted from people in: Texas, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, and Vermont. As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. These donations should be made to: Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation PMB 113 1739 University Ave. Oxford, MS 38655 Title: The Disguising at Hertford Author: John Lydgate October, 2001 [Etext #2878] [Yes, we are about one year ahead of schedule] Edition: 10 Project Gutenberg Etext of The Disguising at Hertford, by Lydgate *******This file should be named dhert10.txt or dhert10.zip****** Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, dhert11.txt VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, dhert10a.txt Project Gutenberg Etexts are usually created from multiple editions, all of which are in the Public Domain in the United States, unless a copyright notice is included. Therefore, we usually do NOT keep any of these books in compliance with any particular paper edition. We are now trying to release all our books one year in advance of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. Please be encouraged to send us error messages even years after the official publication date. Please note: neither this list nor its contents are final till midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment and editing by those who wish to do so. Most people start at our sites at: http://gutenberg.net http://promo.net/pg Those of you who want to download any Etext before announcement can surf to them as follows, and just download by date; this is also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext01 or ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext01 Or /etext00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, as it appears in our Newsletters. Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 million dollars per hour this year as we release fifty new Etext files per month, or 500 more Etexts in 2000 for a total of 3000+ If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total should reach over 300 billion Etexts given away by year's end. The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext Files by December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000 = 1 Trillion] This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. At our revised rates of production, we will reach only one-third of that goal by the end of 2001, or about 3,333 Etexts unless we manage to get some real funding. Something is needed to create a future for Project Gutenberg for the next 100 years. We need your donations more than ever! Presently, contributions are only being solicted from people in: Texas, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, and Vermont. As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. All donations should be made to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and will be tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Mail to: Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation PMB 113 1739 University Avenue Oxford, MS 38655 [USA] We are working with the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation to build more stable support and ensure the future of Project Gutenberg. We need your donations more than ever! You can get up to date donation information at: http://www.gutenberg.net/donation.html *** You can always email directly to: Michael S. Hart hart@pobox.com forwards to hart@prairienet.org and archive.org if your mail bounces from archive.org, I will still see it, if it bounces from prairienet.org, better resend later on. . . . We would prefer to send you this information by email. Example command-line FTP session: ftp metalab.unc.edu login: anonymous password: your@login cd pub/docs/books/gutenberg cd etext90 through etext99 or etext00 through etext01, etc. dir [to see files] get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files] GET GUTINDEX.?? [to get a year's listing of books, e.g., GUTINDEX.99] GET GUTINDEX.ALL [to get a listing of ALL books] **The Legal Small Print** (Three Pages) ***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how you can distribute copies of this etext if you want to. *BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etexts, is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext under the Project's "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market any commercial products without permission. To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, [1] the Project (and any other party you may receive this etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that time to the person you received it from. If you received it on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement copy. If you received it electronically, such person may choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to receive it electronically. THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you may have other legal rights. INDEMNITY You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors, officers, members and agents harmless from all liability, cost and expense, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this etext, [2] alteration, modification, or addition to the etext, or [3] any Defect. DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this "Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, or: [1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, including any form resulting from conversion by word processing or hypertext software, but only so long as *EITHER*: [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and does *not* contain characters other than those intended by the author of the work, although tilde (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may be used to convey punctuation intended by the author, and additional characters may be used to indicate hypertext links; OR [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most word processors); OR [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC or other equivalent proprietary form). [2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this "Small Print!" statement. [3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the gross profits you derive calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to let us know your plans and to work out the details. WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, public domain etexts, and royalty free copyright licenses. If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: hart@pobox.com *END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.07.00*END* The Disguising at Hertford by John Lydgate c.1370 - 1449 a verse play written circa 1427. This version is made available with the permission of the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge, England, the owners of the unique original manuscript. For the purposes of this multi-platform electronic text, the medieval 'thorn' (a character representing 'th') has been changed to 'th'. It was impracticable to reproduce the original punctuation, which mainly consisted of the virgule or slash. Modern commas and full stops have been sparingly imposed. Superscript tildes and mid-script tildes have been removed. Mid-script dots have been changed to colons as they seem to indicate a deliberate suspension. The last four words of the initial rubric (Brys : slayne at Loviers) appear to have been added to the manuscript at a date slightly later than when it was first written. Section marks occur in the original without consistency; where these clearly indicate a new section, a blank line has been inserted to produce a similar effect. The endnotes include the original stage directions. Two lacunae in the manuscript have been supplied by reference to John Stow's late 16th- century manuscript copy of the text. The other endnotes are glosses of particular words in the text. The transcription of Lydgate's text has also been published in book form under the title 'Lydgate's Disguising at Hertford Castle', including a modern verse translation of the text, an editor's introduction and notes, and a study of the literary and historical background of the play and of its first performance, which took place at Hertford Castle as part of the royal Christmas festivities of, probably, 1427. It is hoped that this additional material will become available as a Project Gutenberg etext. Readers interested in the book may wish to have its publication details Lydgate's Disguising at Hertford Castle by Derek Forbes with Foreword by Glynne Wickham First published by Blot Publishing, Pulborough, 1998. Pp. xiv + 82, f'piece, and 4 plate ills. Decorated and laminated card cover. ISBN 1 900929 03 1. Retail price in 2000 six pounds GBP. Copies of the book are available from Blot Publishing, 8 Chanctonbury, Ashington, West Sussex, RH20 3QE, UK. Telephone: +44 (0)1903 893806 Email: ; Web site: . or from the Society for Theatre Research, c/o The Theatre Museum, 1E Tavistock Street, London WC2E 7PA, UK. Copies of the book were distributed by the Society for Theatre Research to its members worldwide in 1998, and can be consulted in the libraries of institutions which subscribe to the Society. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nowe folowethe here the maner of a bille by wey of supplicacon putte to the kyng holding his noble feest of Cristmasse in the Castel of Hertford as in a disguysing : of the Rude upplandisshe people compleyning on hir wyves with the boystous aunswere of hir wyves devysed by lydegate at the Request of the Countre Roullour Brys : slayne at Loviers Most noble prynce : With support of your grace, Ther beon entred : in to youre royal place And late coomen in to youre castell, Youre poure lieges, wheche lyke no thing weel. Nowe in the vigyle of this nuwe yeere Certayne sweynes, ful [froward of ther chere], Of entent comen, [fallen on ther kne], For to compleyne vn to yuoure magestee Vpon the mescheef of gret aduersytee, Vpon the trouble and the cruweltee [10] Which that they haue endured in theyre lyves By the felnesse of theyre fierce wyves, Which is a tourment verray importable, A bonde of sorowe, a knott vnremuwable. For whoo is bounde or locked in maryage, Yif he beo olde, he falleth in dotage, And yong folkes, of theyre lymes sklendre, Grene and lusty, and of brawne but tendre, Phylosophres callen in suche aage A Chylde to wyve, a woodnesse or a raage. [20] For they afferme ther is noon eorthly stryff May beo compared to wedding of a wyff, And who that euer stondethe in the cas He with his Rebecke may sing ful oft ellas, Lyke as theos hynes, here stonding oon by oon, He may with hem vpon the daunce goon. Leorne the traas, boothe at even and morowe Of Karycantowe in tourment and in sorowe.... Weyle the while ellas that he was borne. For Obbe, the Reeve, that goothe heere al to forne, [30] He pleynethe sore, his mariage is not meete, For his wyff, Beautryce Bittersweete, Cast vpon him an hougly cheer ful rowghe Whane he komethe home, ful wery frome the ploughe, With hungry stomake, deed and paale of cheere, In hope to fynde redy his dynier. Thanne sittethe Beautryce, bolling at the nale, As she that gyvethe of him no maner tale. For she alday with hir iowsy nolle, Hathe for the collyk pouped in the bolle [40] And for heed aache : with pepir and gynger Dronk dolled ale, to make hir throte cleer, And komethe hir hoome, whane hit drawethe to eve. And thanne Robyn, the cely poure Reeve, Fynde noone amendes of harome ne damage But leene growell, and soupethe cold potage, And of his wyf hathe noone other cheer But cokkrowortes vn to his souper. This is his servyce sitting at the borde, And cely Robyn, yif he speke a worde, [50] Beautryce of him doothe so lytel rekke That with hir distaff she hittethe him in the nekke, For a medecyne to chawf with his bloode. With suche a metyerde she hathe shape him an hoode. And Colyn Cobeller, folowing his felawe, Hathe hade his part of the same lawe, For by the fayth that the preost him gaf His wyff hathe taught him to pleyne at the staff. Hir quarter strooke were so large and rounde That on his rigge the towche was alwey founde. [60] Cecely Sourechere, his owen precyous spouse, Kowde him reheete whan he came to house. Yif he ought spake whanne he felt peyne, Ageyne oon worde alweys he hade tweyne. Sheo qwytt him euer, ther was no thing to seeche, Six for oon, of worde and strookes eeche. Ther was no meen bytweene hem for to goone. What euer he wan : clowting olde shoone The wykday, pleynely this is no tale, Sheo wolde on Sondayes drynk it at the nale. [70] His part was noon, he sayde not oonys nay. Hit is no game, but an hernest play For lack of wit a man his wyf to greeve. Theos housbondemen : who so wolde hem leeve, Koude yif they dourst telle : in Audyence, What folowethe ther of wyves to doone offence. Is noon so olde ne ryveld on hir face, Wit tong or staff but that she dare manase. Mabyle, God hir sauve and blesse, Koude yif hir list bere here of witnesse, [80] Wordes, strookes vnhappe, and harde grace, With sharp nayles kracching in the face. I mene thus, whane the distaff is brooke With theyre fistes wyves wol be wrooke. Blessed thoo men that cane in suche offence Meekly souffre, take al in pacyence Tendure suche wyfly purgatorye. Heven for theyre meede, to regne ther in glorye. God graunt al housbandes that beon in this place To wynne so heven for his hooly grace. [90] Nexst in ordre, this bochier stoute and bolde That killed hathe bulles and boores olde, This Berthilmew, for al his broode knyff, Yit durst he neuer with his sturdy wyff In no mater holde chaumpartye. And if he did, sheo wolde anoon defye His pompe, his pryde, with a sterne thought, And sodeynly setten him at nought. Thoughe his bely were rounded lyche an ooke She wolde not fail to gyf the first strooke. [100] For proude Pernelle lyche a Chaumpyon Wolde leve hir puddinges in a gret Cawdroun, Suffre hem boylle and taake of hem noon heede, But with hir skumour reeche him on the heued. Shee wolde paye him and make no delaye, Bid him goo pleye him a twenty deuel way. She was no cowarde founde at suche a neode, Hir fist ful offt made his cheekis bleed. What querell euer that he agenst hir sette, She cast hir not to dyen in his dette. [110] She made no taylle, but qwytt him by and by. His quarter sowde, she payde him feythfully. And his waages, wt al hir best entent, She made ther of noon assignement. Eeke Thome Tynker, with alle hees pannes olde And alle the wyres of Banebury that he solde, His styth, his hamour, his bagge portatyf, Bare vp his arme whane he faught with his wyff: He foonde for haste no better bokeller, Vpon his cheeke the distaff came so neer. [120] Hir name was cleped Tybot Tapister. To brawle and broyle she nad no maner fer, To thakke his pilche stoundemel nowe and thanne Thikker thane Thome koude clowten any panne. Nexst Colle Tyler, ful hevy of his cheer, Compleynethe on Phelyce his wyff the wafurer Al his bred with sugre nys not baake, Yit on his cheekis some tyme he hathe a caake So hoot and nuwe, or he can taken heede, That his heres glowe verray reede [130] For a medecyne whane the forst is colde, Makyng his teethe to ratle that beon oolde. This is the compleynt that theos dotardes oolde Make on theyre wyves that beon so stoute and bolde, Theos holy martirs preued ful pacyent, Lowly beseching, in al hir best entent, Vnto youre noble ryal magestee, To graunte hem fraunchyse and also liberte Sith they beothe fetird and bounden in maryage, A saufconduct to sauf him frome damage. [140] Eeke vnder support of youre hyeghe renoun Graunt hem also a proteccyoun. Conquest of wyves is rone thoroughe this lande, Cleyming of Right to haue the hyegher hande. But if you list, of youre Regallye, The olde testament for to modefye, And that yee list asselen theyre request That theos poure husbandes might lyf in rest, And that theyre wyves in theyre felle might Wol medle amonge mercy with theyre right. [150] For it came neuer of nature ne raysoun A lyonesse toppresse the lyoun, Ner a wolfesse for al hir thyraunye Ouer the wolf to haven the maystrye. Ther beon nowe wolfesses moo thane twoo or three The bookys recorde, wheeche tht yonder bee. Seothe to this mater of mercy and of grace, And or thees dotardes parte out of this place, Vpon theyre compleynt to shape remedye, Or they beo likly to stande in iupardye. [160] It is no game with wyves for to pleye, But for foolis, that gif no force to deye. Takethe heed of thaunswer of the wyves. Touching the substance of this hyeghe discorde, We six wyves : beon ful of oon acorde, Yif worde and chyding may vs not avaylle We wol darrein it in chaumpcloos by bataylle, Iupart oure right laate or ellys raathe. And for oure partye, the worthy Wyff of Bathe Cane shewe statutes moo than six of seven Howe wyves make hir housbandes wynne heven, [170] Maugre the feonde and al his vyolence. For theyre vertu of parfyte pacyence Partenethe not to wyves nowe adayes, Sauf on theyre housbandes for to make assayes. Ther pacyence was buryed long agoo, Gresyldes story recordethe pleinly soo. It longethe to vs to clappen as a mylle, No counseyle keepe, but the trouth oute telle. We beo not borne by hevenly influence Of oure nature to keepe vs in sylence. [180] For this is no doute, euery prudent wyff Hathe redy aunswere in al suche maner stryff, Thoughe theos dotardes, with theyre dokked berdes Which strowtethe out as they were made of herdes, Haue ageyn hus a gret quarell nowe sette. I trowe the bakoun was neuer of hem fette Awaye at Dounmowe in the Pryorye. They weene of vs to haue ay the maystrye. Ellas theos fooles let hem aunswere here to, Whoo cane hem wasshe, who can hem wring alsoo, [190] Wryng hem, yee wryng, so als god vs speed, Til that some tyme we make hir nases bleed, And sowe hir cloothes whane they beothe to rent, And clowte hir bakkes til some of vs beo shent. Loo yit theos fooles, god gyf hem sory chaunce, Wolde sette hir wyves vnder gouuernaunce, Make vs to hem for to lowte lowe: We knowe to weel the bent of Iackys bowe. Al that we clayme, we clayme it but of right. Yif they say nay let preve it out by ffight. [200] We wil vs grounde not vpon womanhede. Fy on hem, cowardes. When hit komethe to nede, We clayme maystrye by prescripcyoun, Be long tytle of successyoun Frome wyff to wyff, which we wol not leese. Men may weel gruchche, but they shal not cheese. Custume is vs for nature and vsaunce To set oure housbandes lyf in gret noysaunce. Humbelly byseching nowe at oon worde Vn to oure liege, and moost souerein lord, [210] Vs to defende of his regallye, And of his grace susteenen oure partye, Requering the statuyt of olde antiquytee That in youre tyme it may confermed bee. The complaynte of the lewed housbandes wt the cruwell aunswers of theyre wyves herde, the kyng yivethe ther vpon sentence and iugement. This noble Prynce, moost royal of estate, Having an eyeghe to this mortal debate, First aduerting of ful hyeghe prudence, Wil vnavysed gyve here no sentence With oute counseylle of haste to procede By sodeyne doome, for he takythe heede [220] To eyther partye as iuge indifferent, Seing the paryll of hasty iugement. Pourposithe him in this contynude stryffe To gif no sentence ther of diffynytyff Til ther beo made examynacyoun Of other partye, and inquysicyoun. He considerethe, and makethe Raysoun his guyde, As egal iuge enclyning to noo syde. Not with standing, he hathe compassyoun Of the poure housbandes trybulacyoun, [230] So afft arrested with theyre wyves rokkes Which of theyre distaves haue so many knokkes, Peysing also in his regallye The lawe tht wymmen allegge for theyre partye, Custume, Nature and eeke prescripcyoun, Statuyt vsed by confirmacyoun, Processe and daate of tyme oute of mynde, Recorde of Cronycles, witnesse of hir kuynde. Wher fore the Kyng wol al this nexst yeere That wyves fraunchyse : stonde hoole and entier, [240] And that no man withstonde it ne withdrawe, Til man may fynde some pcesse oute by lawe That they shoulde by nature in theyre lyves Haue souerayntee on theyre prudent wyves, A thing vnkouthe, which was neuer founde. Let men be ware ther fore, or they beo bounde. The bonde is hard, who soo that lookethe weel. Some man were leuer fetterd beon in steel. Raunsoun might help his peyne to aswaage, But whoo is wedded lyuethe euer in suage. [250] And I knowe neuer, nowher fer ner neer, Man that was gladde to bynde him prysonier, Thoughe that his prysoun, his castell, or his holde Wer depeynted with asure or with golde. Explicit. Glossary, Stage directions, Notes line 5 vigyle of this nuwe yeere = this new year's eve 6 froward of ther chere: lacuna made up from Stow 7 fallen on ther kne: lacuna made up from Stow 13 importable = unbearable 16 dotage = feeble-mindedness 20 woodnesse = madness 24 Rebecke = fiddle; ellas = alas! 25 stage direction - demonstrando vj Rusticos 27 traas = course 28 possible lacuna follows here? 37 bolling at the nale = quaffing at the ale-house 39 iowsy nolle = juicy noddle 40 pouped = gulped 42 dolled = mulled 44 cely = silly, i.e. simple, innocent 45 harome = harm 46 growell = gruel 48 cokkrowortes = stale brew-mash 53 to chawf with his bloode = to chafe his blood with 54 metyerde = meteyard or yardstick 55 stage direction - demonstrando pictaciarium 57 preost = priest 60 rigge = back 62 reheete = attack, scold 65 qwytt = requited; ther was no thing to seeche = it was plain to see 67 meen = middle way 68 wan = earned; clowting = mending 71 oonys = once 74 leeve = believe 77 ryveld = shrivelled 78 Wit = with; manase = menace 79 Mabyle = Mary 80 Koude yif hir list = could if it please her 84 wol be wrooke = will wreak revenge 85 thoo men = those men 87 Tendure = to endure 88 meede = reward 90 so = to? 91 stage direction - demonstrando Carnificem 95 holde chaumpartye = divide power, or resist 104 skumour = skimmer; reeche = strike; heued = head 111 qwytt him by and by = repaid him in due time 112 quarter sowde = surrender sued for 113 wt = with 115 stage direction - demonstrando the Tynker 117 styth = anvil 119 bokeller = buckler, shield 121 cleped = called 122 she nad no maner fer = she feared not 123 thakke his pilche = thwack his great-coat; stoundemel = sometimes 124 Thikker = more stoutly 126 wafurer = waferer, i.e. pastry-cook 129 or = ere 130 heres = ears 135 preued = proved 139 fetird = fettered 140 him = them 145 Regallye = regality 147 that yee list = if you please; asselen = authorize 150 medle = mingle 153 thyraunye = tyranny 156 tht = that; stage direction - distaves 157 Seothe = see 162 that gif no force = that are of no consequence 166 darrein = decide; chaumpcloos = tilting-field 167 Iupart = imperil; raathe = soon 169 of = or 171 Maugre the feonde = in spite of the devil 174 assayes = attempts, i.e. attacks 177 longethe = belongs; clappen = clatter or prattle 183 dokked = trimmed 184 herdes = coarse flax, 'hards' 186 fette = fetched 192 hir = our?] 193 rent = torn 194 shent = injured 197 lowte lowe = bow, make reverence 205 leese = lose 206 gruchche = grumble; cheese = choose 218 vnavysed = unadvised 220 doome = judgment 222 paryll = peril 223 Pourposithe him = He purposeth 231 rokkes = distaffs, also as rocking, set-backs 233 Peysing = weighing 234 tht = that 239 the Kyng wol = the king wills 242 pcesse = process 248 were leuer fetterd beon = were rather to be fettered 250 suage = s(er)vage, servitude End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The Disguising at Hertford, by Lydgate