Faulkner, Peter. "Morris and Old French." JWMS 15.1 (Winter 2002): 43-50.This article provides a clear introduction to the Romances.
Jacobs, Joseph. Introduction to Old French Romances. Done into English by William Morris. London: George Allen & Co., 1896; 1914, pp. v-xi.
Morris, May. Introduction to Vol. XVII of The Collected Works of William Morris, edited by May Morris, Longmans, Green and Co., 1910-15, Vol. XVII, xli-ii.
Peterson, William S. A Bibliography of the Kelmscott Press. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1984; 1985, pp. 56-8.
Unsigned review, Nation, June 1896, 62, 88-89.This is a review of Old French Romances. Done into English by William Morris. With an Introduction by Joseph Jacobs, London: George Allen & Co., 1896, which contains all four Romances published in the three Kelmscott Press books.
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GLOSSARY
accord: agree admonished: informed, advised affiance: betroth afore: before aloft: up appeal: accuse apparel: prepare array: arrangement, show astonied: astonished a-twain: in two billet (of wood): thick piece but of: unless carle: man carline: woman servant carolling: singing chattels: possessions clipped: embraced coif: cap cousin germane: first cousin covenant: agreement, bet craven: coward, cowardly dole: complaint, trouble dight: dressed, prepared doubt: anxiety doubted: expected double banneret: high rank of knighthood drave: drove dudgeon: annoyance enjoin: impose on enow: enough esquire: squire fain: glad forsooth: truly garnishment: adornment, decoration gat: got gentle: well-born glaive: lance, spear guerdon: success, reward haunted: attended hanap: cup, basket, container hang shield on neck: take part in fight hawberk: plate-armour heavy: demanding hight: was named hostel: dwelling-place hot on : keen on in dudgeon: with hostility jewel: (metaphor) sexual organ joyance: rejoicing mail-coif: armour cap mails: pieces of armour mardoing: wrongdoing maugre: despite meseemeth: it seems to me mesel: sick mesney: household staff misdo, misdoing: misbehave, misbehaviour misease: unease, distress much: very natural part: sexual organ naysay: deny, denial needle of nature: natural feeling nighness: closeness nought toward: nothing going on nowise: in no way, not at all of a surety: definitely or ever: before out-taken: excluding pained him: concerned himself palfrey: light saddle-horse par amours: (of love) physically passage: journey Paske: Easter pearlet: small pearl pennies: coins Perse: Persian embroidery pledge: promise, agreement plenishing: filling up, furnishing privy: private, confidential plenishing: privity: close relationship privy, privily: private, in confidence privy council: advisors quean: woman quit: acquit, discharge, pardon recreant: evil-doer rede: advice right short: quickly Saracens: Muslims scathe: harm semblance: appearance sheared: cut though sojourned: stayed sols: coins, money soothfast: genuine stour: fight stove: provided for subtilly: skilfully sumpter horse: packhorse surcoat: coat over armour swain: young man take the cross: vow to go on crusade to boot: also tournay: tournament Tournais: Tours?? trenchant: sharp trow: believe Vair: fur of the squirrel wageling: a dependent, employee warrant: guarantee was fainer: would prefer wearing: possessing whenas: when wheras: because White Nuns: whole: in good health widowhood: condition of a widower willshe nil she: whether she will or not wise: way wot, wotted: know, knew wrack: wreckage, suffering wroth: angry
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