The Fire of Love

Personally I should have preferred to retain all the words which Misyn employs, in the hope that some would find their way back into our too much latinized English; but I feared to outweary the patience of the reader. The following is a list of those which I have altered in the text, with their nearest modern equivalents.

addling toearningaseth satisfactionbolnespuffs upchinchemiserfagiar, fagedflatterer, flatteredfliting reproof forthink repentfoydpledgegrochinggrumblinggroundlyfrom the rootinhiryinward or innerlatbehavelarge generousleman belovedloving, lufingpraisemenged, melledmingledugg abhorundirlowtovercome unnethscarcelysam togetherscritheglidesparples scattertitystsoonestwode, wodeness mad, madnesswell to wither

I have kept words which are of common occurrence in the Bible and Prayer Book, and those still in use in Scotland. There are, however, some words which remain in modern English but which have altered or restricted their meaning. Such are very apt to mislead the modern reader. I have, therefore, treated them freely, retaining them when in a modern sense or when their meaning is quite apparent, but changing them if the meaning is at all ambiguous. I append here a full list of these, to avoid the multiplication of footnotes.

Misyn often uses “withouten” for “without,” for the sake of rhythm, and in this I have followed him; nor have I taken upon myself to suppress his constant repetition of “truly,” “forsooth,” “doubtless,” “certain,” “sickerly.” Sometimes these translate the Latin vero, valde, certe, etc., but more often than not stand for an ordinary conjunction, such as enim, namque, autem. O.E.D. against a word in the footnote signifies that the actual word or phrase found in Misyn is quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Where the meaning is obscure I have altered:

againstto towardsavoid make voidbarelyutterlybeholdingcontemplating, or consideringbusilycontinuallychargecare, considercherishalluredeadly, deadlinessmortal, mortalitydrawn to cleave (L. adhaerere) emonge in the meantimehereforehencehonilyhoneyed, honey-sweetillevilkind nature, essencelastspersevereslikingdelight, pleasurelovelylovablelongs languisheslustpleasuremannermeasure mindmemorynamely especiallyplainlyentirely, altogether (L. penitus) rots, unable to rotcorrupts, incorruptiblesoftly little by little, slowlysoundlywith sweet sound, songfulstandscontinuesswellsinflatesshow declaretaken receivedtaught imbued thinkingmeditating, or meditationuseenjoy, exercisewantinglackingwhereforewhencewithholdhold to, retainworship honourwretchednesswickedness