246 RIVERSIDE LETTERS XXXI 



When as Joseph had told this tale, 

 Thei fel as thei had drunken dwale, 

 Grovelynge doun on erthe flat. 



Cursor Mundi. 

 M. S. Coll. Trin., Cantab. 



For I wel knowe be thy tale, 



That thou hast drunken of the dwale. 



Gower. 

 M. S., Soc. Ant. 



" The same book also gives Dwain as 

 an adj., meaning ' faint, sickly ' ; and as 

 a noun, meaning a ' swoon or fainting 

 fit ' : and Dwallowed as meaning 

 ' withered.' ' 



In Jameson's Dictionary of the Scottish 

 Language the following words are found 

 which also seem to have their origin from 



O 



Dwale. 



" Dualm, Dwalm, Dwaum, 5. i. A 

 swoon. 2. A sudden fit of sickness. 



" Dualmyng, Dwauming, s. i. A swoon. 

 2. Metaph : The fall of the evening. 



" To Dwaum, v.a. To fade : to decline 

 in health. " It is still said in this sense, 

 ' He dwaum'cl away.' ' (Jameson's Diction- 



