Macbeth says, (act 4. pag. 144.) "Though you untye the windes, and let them fight Though bladed corne be lodg'd, and trees blown downe, Though pallaces and pyramids do slope Their heads to their foundations: though the treasure Euen till destruction sicken." "YESTY waves (says S. Johnson), that is foaming or frothy." A little matter however always makes the waves frothy. But Johnson knew what the YEAST of beer was; (which comes indeed from the same verb) and the epithet Yesty conveyed to him no stronger idea than that of fermentation. But YESTY here is the Anglo-Saxon yrtig, iestig, procellosus, stormy, enraged: which much better accords with Shakespear's high-charged description than the wretched allusion to fermenting beer. Pered, Per'd, Pert, or WEST, is the past participle of Peran, macerare, To Wet. he came to Saxondale GORSE, purposely lost himselfe and his forlorne hope."-Ibid. pag. 207. "The country adjoining being a dreary waste, many thousand acres together being entirely overrun with GORSE or furze." Ibid. pag. 331. note. "They are under rights of commons, and cannot be touched without distinct acts of parliament to permit the plough to produce grass and corn, instead of GORSE and ling." Arthur Young in a Letter to Cobbet's Political Register, person sin NORTH, i. e. Nyɲped, or Nýppo, the third gular of Nýppan, coarctare, constringere. NORD and NORR (as it is in the other European languages) is the past participle of the same verb. "Frosts that constrain the ground, and birth deny To flowers that in its womb expecting lie." Dryden: Astræa redux. In the Anglo-Saxon Nippo or Nýpp is also the name for a prison, or any place which narroweth or closely confines a person. SOUTH is the past tense and past participle of Seopan, coquere, To Seethe. "Peter fyshed for hys foode, and hys fellowe Andrewe, Some they sold and some they SOTH, and so they liued both." "Nero gouerned all the peoples that the violent wyne Nothus skorcyth and baketh the brennyng sandes by hys dry heate, that is to say, al the peoples in the SOUTHE." Boecius, fol. 230. pag. 1. col. 1. Dryden, whose practical knowledge of English was (beyond all others) exquisite and wonderful, says in his Don Sebastian, (act 2. sc. 2.) "Here the warm planet ripens and sublimes The well-baked beauties of the SOUTHERN climes." I need not notice to you that the French, SUD, and our English word SUDS, &c. is the same as Sod or Sodden. And now, I suppose, I may conclude the subject. ΕΠΕΑ ΠΤΕΡΟΕΝΤΑ, &c. CHAPTER V. THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. F. I STILL wish for an explanation of one word more; which, on account of its extreme importance, ought not to be omitted. What is TRUTH? You know, when Pilate had asked the same question, he went out, and would not stay for the answer*. And from that time to this, no answer has been given. And from that time to this, mankind have been wrangling and tearing each other to pieces for the TRUTH, without once considering the meaning of the word. See John 18. 38. "What is Truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer."-Bacon's Essays. + ["CANONICA, in philosophical history, an appellation given by Epicurus to his doctrine of logic. It was called Canonica, as consisting of a few canons or rules for directing the understanding in the pursuit and knowledge of truth. Epicurus's Canonica is represented as a very slight and insufficient logic by several of the ancients, who put a great value on his ethics and physics. Laertius even assures us that the Epicureans rejected logic as a superfluous science; and Plutarch complains that Epicurus made an unskilful and preposterous use of syllogisms. But these censures seem too severe. Epicurus was not averse to the study of logic, but even H. In the gospel of John, it is as you have stated. But in the gospel of Nichodemus (which, I doubt not, had originally its full share in the conversion of the world to christianity*) Pilate awaits the answer, and has it"Thou sayest that I am a kynge, and to that I was borne, and for to declare to the worlde that who soo be of TROUTH Wyll here my worde. Than sayd Pylate, What is TROUTH, By thy worde there is but lytell TROUTH in the worlde. Our Lorde sayd to Pylate, Understande TROUTH how that it is judged in erth of them that dwell therin."-Nychodemus Gospell, chap. 2. F. Well, What say you to it? gave better rules in this art than those philosophers who aimed at no glory but that of logics. He only seems to have rejected the dialects of the Stoics, as full of vain subtilties and deceits, and fitted rather for parade and disputation than real use. The stress of Epicurus's Canonica consists in his doctrine of the criteria of truth. All questions in philosophy are either concerning words or things: concerning things we seek their truth; concerning words, their signification things are either natural or moral; and the former are either perceived by sense or by the understanding. Hence, according to Epicurus, arise three criterions of truth, viz. sense, anticipation or prænotion, and passion. The great canon or principal of Epicurus's logic is, that the senses are never deceived; and therefore that every sensation or perception of an appearance is true." Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 4. pag. 119.] * Nicodemus was the Patron Apostle of our ancestors the Anglo-Saxons and their immediate descendants: his Gospel was their favourite authority: and it was translated for their use, both into Anglo-Saxon and into old English; which translations still remain, and the latter of them was one amongst the first books printed. By Wynkyn de Worde. Anno 1511. H. That the story is better told by John: for the answer was not worth the staying for. And yet there is something in it perhaps : for it declares that "TRUTH is judged in erth of them that dwell therin." However, this word will give us no trouble. Like the other words, TRUE is also a past participle of the verb TKANAN, Tɲeopan, confidere, To Think, To Believe firmly, To be thoroughly persuaded of, To Trow. "Marke it, Nuncle. Haue more then thou showest, Ride more then thou goest, Learne more then thou TROWEST." Lear, pag. 288. * This past participle was antiently written TREW which is the regular past tense of TROW. As the verbs To Blow, To Crow, To Grow, To Know, To Throw, give * ["Thou minde, of yeeres and of obliuion foe, Of what so is, guardaine and steward TREW." Godfrey of Bulloigne, Translated by R. C. pag. 21. "A bedroll long and TREW he reckoneth." Ibid. pag. 22. "Graunt that the heau'ns thereof giue evidence, And as yourselfe expound, so be it TREW." Ibid. pag. 85. "Leauing the charge of me, and of the state To brother, whom he bare a loue so TREW." Ibid. cant. 4. st. 40. Roberte Whytinton, poete laureate, in his translation of Tullye's Offyces, fyrst booke, writes TREWE. "In kepynge TREWE tutche and promesse in bargaynynge."] VOL. II. 2 D |