CHAPTER IV. 



Pi)ilologg. 



HERE is a ftrongly marked individuality in the fpelling 

 throughout all the treatifes in this work. If the 

 Hunting rhymes belong to Dam Julyans, their ortho- 

 graphy, like the profe portions, is that of the School- 

 mafter, who appears to have been a North-countryman, 

 many words leading to that conclufion. The formation of the plural 

 by adding the letters " is " or " ys " ftrikes the attention at once. Thus 

 the plural of bells is bellis ; egg, eggis ; vetch, fetchis ; fulmert, ful- 

 mertis ; hawk, hawkys ; herd, herdys ; person, personys, and so on. 

 The change of a ^ at the end of a word to an i is common, as onli, 

 fofteli, unthrefti ; and for if; algate ; awth for all the ; bowke ; chylder ; 

 clepit ; clees ; knaw ; ken ; yowre ; and many others are Northern. As 

 might be expefted, many Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman words now 

 obfolete are found, fuch as benymme, blynne, byzete, canell, clepit, 

 colver, dagon, gobbit, kawe, kydde, liggen, merde, nafethrils, nym,* 

 raton, and many others. 



The following vocabulary will fhow the chief words in which 

 peculiarity of fpelling or dialedl are noticeable : — 



alfe, half and, used for " if" am, are 



algate, always appillis, apples a(fone, as foon 



* In the flang of thieves to Jleal. is to nim at this day. 



