ALBE, a contraction of albeit, although. Whereof conceiving shame and foul disgrace, SPENSER'S F. QUEEN. ALBIFICATION (a word compounded of the Latin album and facere), to whiten. Our fourneis eke of calcination, And of wateres albification. CHAUCER'S YEOMAN'S TALE. ALBRICIAS, a gratuity, a reward to one who brings good news; a Spanish custom, from whence the word is derived. Give me my albricias, sir, I bring you The rarest news. O. P. ADVENTURES OF FIVE HOURS. ALDER, the ancient genitive plural of the Saxon eal, all, and being prefixed to adjectives, signified the superlative degree; as, alder-lievest, best beloved; alder-first, first of all; alder-best, the very best, &c. Six and twenty baners of Englond alder-best. P. LANGTOFT'S CHRON. CHAUCER'S PRO. TO CANT. TALES. Mine alder-lievest lord and brother dere. CHAUCER'S TROI AND CRESS. ALE (S. eale). Festive meetings of the country people were formerly called ales; as, Whitsun ale, Midsummer ale, Bride ale, &c. denoting the time for such hilarious meetings. Next Midsummer ale I may serve for a fool and he for a Maid Marian. O. P. THE ANTIQUARY. 1 ALECIE, a word coined from ale; the state of being intoxicated with that liquor. But to arrest a man that hath no likenesse to a horse, is flat lunacie or alecie. O. P. LYLY'S MOTHER BOMBIE. ALEDE (S. aleadan), to rule or govern. Fifteen yere he gan him fede, Sir Robard the trewe; He taught him eche alede Of ich maner of glewe. SIR TRISTRAM. ALESTAKE, a stake or pole set up as a sign for an ale-house; it was sometimes called an alebush, from the circumstance of a bush being fastened to it, and hence is derived the proverb "good wine needs no bush," and the very common signs of the Bush Tavern, the Bull and Bush, &c. A garlond had he sette upon his hedde, As grete as it were for an alestake. CHAUCER'S PRO. TO SOMPNOUR'S TALE. Another brought her bedes Of jet or of cole, To offer to the ale pole. SKELTON'S POEMS. ALEW (F. hola), an interjection, now spelt holla and halloo; to make a noise, to call or shout to any person at a distance. Yet did she not lament with loud alew, As women wont. SPENSER'S F. QUEEN. ALFRIDARIA, a power which astrologers pretend that the planets possess over the life of a person. I'll find the cusp and alfridaria, And know what planet is in cazimi. D O. P. ALBUMAZAR. ALGATES (S. algeates). This word is used to express different meanings; as, always, nevertheless, wholly, notwithstanding, by all means. ALICANT, a species of wine imported from Alicant, in Spain, made chiefly from mulberries. You'll blood three pottles of Alicant by this light, if you follow 'em. ALIEN, to anoint. O. P. THE HONEST WHORE. And alien his brother with the blode, TALE OF AMIS AND AMILOUN. ALITE, an abbreviation of a little; a short time. He rested but alite, a sounde the Inglish him sendes. P. LANGTOFT'S CHRON. For leveth well and sooth is this, GOWER'S CON. AM. ALKINS, a contraction of all kinds of. She said she might have no solace, He was so prison'd in that place, ROM. OF THE SEVEN SAGES. Let them again the land of Arge be socht With alkin portage, DOUGLAS'S ENEID. ALL A MORT (F. a la mort), depressed, out of spirits, dejected, melancholy. Why, how now, sir Arthur?-All a mort, master Oliver. O. P. LONDON PRODIGAL. No, I am all a mort as if I had lain MASSINGER'S PAR. OF LOVE. Three days in my grave already. ALL AND SOME. These words frequently occur in Chaucer and Spenser, and signify altogether. We are betrayed, and y-nome Horse and harness, lords, all and some. ROM. OF RICHARD CŒUR DE LION. That hastily they would to him come, He wold abridgen her labour all and some. CHAUCER'S MERCHANT'S TALE. ALLECT (L. allecto), to draw to, to allure, to attract, to entice, or seduce. Women y farcid with fraud and deceipt, CHAUCER'S REMEDIE OF LOVE. ALLEGE (S. alecgan), to mitigate, soothe, or alleviate; answering to the modern word allay. The sight only and the savour Alegged much of my langour. CHAUCER's ROM. OF THE ROSE. Hart that is inly hurt is greatly eased With hope of thing that may allege the smart, SPENSER'S F. QUEEN. ALLER, the same as ALDER, which see. ALLERFIRSTE, first of all. Tho allerfirste he understode ROM. OF K. ALISAUNDRE. ALLEY (F. allée), a narrow passage, a walk in a garden. So long about the alleys is he gan Till he was coming again to this pery. CHAUCER'S MERCHANT'S TALE And all within were walkes and alleys wide With footing worn. SPENSER'S F. QUEEN.. ALL LOVES, a common adjuration, meaning for the love of God, of heaven, &c. and sometimes of all loves on earth. For al the loves on erthe, Hodge, let me see it. O. P. GAMMER GURTON'S NEEDLE. Conjuring his wife, of all loves, to prepare cheer. ALLOWE (F. allouer), to approve. This is in summe what I would have you wey O. P. FERREX AND PORREX. If your sweet sway allow obedience. KING LEAR. ALMAGISTE, the name of a work on astronomy written by Ptolemy. His Almagiste and bookes, grete and small. CHAUCER'S MILLER'S TALE. ALMAIN, leap; a vaulting leap made in dancing. In explanation of the following quotation, it is proper to observe, that the jester of the city of London practised a piece of buffoonery, at the city feasts, by leaping into a large custard made for the occasion, and thereby, as it is said, greatly added to the entertainment of the spectators. Skip with a rhyme of the table from new nothing, ALMAINY, Germany. B. JONSON'S DEVIL AN Ass |