3248. _pere-ionette_, early-ripe pear. Tyrwhitt refers us to a F. _poire jeunette_, or an Ital. _pero giovanetto_, i. e. very young pear-tree; but I believe the explanation is as imaginary as are these terms, which I seek for in vain. I take it that he has been misled by a false etymology from F. _jeune_, Ital. _giovane_, young, whereas the reference is to the early-ripe pear called in O. F. _poire de hastivel_ (F. _hâtiveau_); see _hastivel_ in Godefroy. The corresponding E. term is _gennitings_, applied to apples, but applicable to pears also; and I take the etymology to be from F. _Jean_, John, because such apples and pears ripen about St. John's day (June 24), which is very early. Cotgrave has: '_Hastivel_, a soon-ripe apple, called the St. John's apple.' Littré, s. v. _poire_, has: 'La poire appellée à Paris _de messire Jean_ est celle qu'en Dauphiné et Languedoc l'on nomme _de coulis_.' Lacroix (Manners, &c. during the Middle Ages, p. 116) says that, in the thirteenth century, one of the best esteemed pears was the _hastiveau_, which was 'an early sort, and no doubt the golden pear now called St. Jean.' Finally, we learn from Piers Plowman, C. xiii. 221, that 'pere-Ionettes' were very sweet and very early ripe, and therefore very soon rotten; see my note to that line. The text, accordingly, compares this young and forward beauty to the _newe_ (i. e. fresh-leaved) early-ripe pear-tree; and there is much propriety in the simile. Of course, this explanation is somewhat of a guess; and perhaps I may add another possible etymology, viz. from _jaune_, yellow, with reference to the golden colour of the pear. Cf. _jaulnette_, in Cotgrave, as a name for St. John's wort, and the form _floure-jonettis_ in the King's Quair, st. 47. 3251. 'With silk tassels, and pearls (or pearl-shaped knobs or buttons) made of the metal called _latoun_.' Such is Tyrwhitt's simple explanation. In Riley's Memorials of London, p. 398, we find that a man was accused of having 'silvered 240 buttons of _latone_ ... for [100] purses.' The notes in Warton are doubly misleading, first confusing _latoun_ with _cheklatoun_ (which are unconnected words), and then quoting the expression 'perled cloth of gold,' which is another thing again. As to _latoun_, see note to C. 350, and cf. A. 699, B. 2067, &c. 3254. _popelote_, darling, poppet. Not connected with _papillon_, but with F. _poupée_ and E. _puppet_. Halliwell gives: '_Poplet_, a term of endearment, generally applied to a young girl: _poppet_ is still in common use.' Cotgrave has: '_Popelin_, masc. a little finicall darling.' Godefroy gives: '_poupelet_, m. petit poupon.' 3256. Wright says: 'The gold noble of this period was a very beautiful coin; specimens are engraved in Ruding's Annals of the Coinage. It was coined in the Tower of London [as here said], the place of the principal London mint.' It was worth 6s. 8d., and first coined about 1339. See C. 907, and note. 3258. 'Sitting on a barn.' Repeated in C. 397.