Chapter 19

[Footnote 4: This is a point so material to the following argument, that, though it has never hitherto, I believe, been made a question, it ought not perhaps to be assumed without some proof. It may be said, that Chatterton was only the _transcriber_ of the Glossary as well as of the Poems. If to such an attention we were to answer, that Chatterton always declared himself the _author_ of the Glossaries, we should be told perhaps, that with equal truth he always declared Rowley to have been the author of the Poems. But (not to insist upon the very different weight, which the same testimony might be allowed to have in the two cases) it has happened luckily, that the Glossary to the Poem, entitled "_Englysh Metamorphosis_," [See p. 196.] was written down by Chatterton extemporally, without the assistance of any book, at the desire and in the presence of Mr. Barrett. Whoever will compare that Glossary with the others, will have no doubt of their being all from the same hand.]

[Footnote 5: Printed at London, MDCLXXI. The part, which Chatterton seems to have chiefly consulted, is that, which begins at Sign. U u u u, and is entitled "_Etymologicon vocum omnium antiquarum Anglicarum, quæ usque a Wilhelmo Victore invaluerunt, &c._"]

[Footnote 6: I will state shortly some of those words, which have been cited above, p. 313. as _either not ancient or not used in their ancient sense_, with their corresponding articles in Skinner.

ABESSIE; _Humility_. C.--Abessed;--_Humiliatus_. Sk.

ABORNE; _Burnished_, C.--Borne; _Burnish_. Sk. It was usual with Chatterton to prefix _a_ to words of all sorts, without any regard to custom or propriety. See in the Alphabetical Gloss. _Aboune, Abreave, Acome, Aderne, Adygne, Agrame, Agreme, Alest_, &c.

ABOUNDE. This word Chatterton has not interpreted, but the context shews that it is used in the sense of _good_. So that I suspect it was taken from the following article in Skinner. Abone,--a Fr. G. Abonnir; _Bonum_ facere.

ABREDYNGE: _Upbraiding_. C.--Abrede, exp. _Upbraid_. Sk.

ACROOL; _Faintly_. C.--Crool, exp. _Murmurare_. Sk. See the remark upon ABORNE.

ADENTE, ADENTED: _Fastened, annexed_. C.--Adent;--_Configere, Conjungere_. Sk.

ALUSTE has no interpretation: but it is used in the sense of _raise_. Perhaps it may have been derived from a mistaken reading of Alust, which is explained by Skinner to mean _Tollere_. See the remarks upon _Alyse_ and _Bestoiker_, p. 328, 329.

DERNE, DERNIE; _Woeful, lamentable, cruel_. C.--Derne; _Dirus, crudelis_. Sk.

DROORIE; _Modesty_. C.--Drury; _Modestia_. Sk.

FONS, FONNES; _Fancys, Devices_. C.--Fonnes; _Devises_. Sk.

KNOPPED; _Fastened, chained, congealed_. C.--Knopped; _Tied_. Sk.

LITHIE: _Humble_. C.--Lithy; _Humble_. Sk. But in truth I do not believe that there is any such word. Skinner probably found it in his edition of Chaucer's _Cuckow and Nightingale_, ver. 14. where the MSS. have LITHER (_wicked_), which is undoubtedly the right reading.]