1793. _Iesu._ This word is written 'Ihu' in E. Hn. Cm.; and 'ihc' in Cp. Pt. Ln.; in both cases there is a stroke through the _h_. This is frequently printed _Ihesu_, but the retention of _h_ is unnecessary. It is not really an _h_ at all, but the Greek [Eta], meaning _long e_ ([=e]). So, also, in 'ihc,' the _c_ is not the Latin _c_, but the Gk. C, meaning [Sigma] or _s_; and _ihc_ are the first three letters of the word [Greek: IÊSOUS] = [Greek: iêsous] = iesus. _Iesu_, as well as _Iesus_, was used as a nominative, though really the genitive or vocative case. At a later period, _ihs_ (still with a stroke through the _h_) was written for _ihc_ as a contraction of _iesus_. By an odd error, a new meaning was invented for these letters, and common belief treated them as the initials of three Latin words, viz. Iesus Hominum Salvator. But as the stroke through the _h_ or mark of contraction still remained unaccounted for, it was turned into a cross! Hence the common symbol I.H.S. with the small cross in the upper part of the middle letter. The wrong interpretation is still the favourite one, all errors being long-lived. Another common contraction is _Xpc._, where _all_ the letters are Greek. The _x_ is _ch_ ([chi]), the _p_ is _r_ ([rho]), and _c_ is _s_, so that _Xpc_ = _chrs_, the contraction for _christus_ or Christ. This is less common in decoration, and no false interpretation has been found for it. 1794. _inwith_, within. This form occurs in E. Hn. Pt. Ln.; the rest have _within_. Again, in the Merchant's Tale (E. 1944), MSS. E. Hn. Cm. Hl. have the form _inwith_. It occurs in the legend of St. Katharine, ed. Morton, l. 172; in Sir Perceval (Thornton Romances), l. 611; in Alliterative Poems, ed. Morris, A. 970; and in Palladius on Husbandry, ed. Lodge, iii. 404. Dr. Morris says it was [180] (like _utwith_ = without) originally peculiar to the Northern dialect. See the Glossary, and the note to l. 2159 below (p. 202). 1805. _coomen_; so in E. Hn.; _comen_ in Pt. Cp. But it is the past tense = came. The spelling _comen_ for the _past_ tense plural is very common in Early English, and we even find _com_ in the singular. Thus, in l. 1807, the Petworth MS. has 'He come,' equivalent to 'coom,' the _o_ being long. But _herieth_ in l. 1808 is a _present_ tense. 1814. _nexte_, nighest, as in Kn. Ta. A. 1413. So also _hext_ = highest, as in the Old Eng. proverb--'When bale is hext, then bote is next,' i. e. 'when woe is highest, help is nighest.' _Next_ is for _neh-est_, and _hext_ is for _heh-est_. 1817. _newe Rachel_, second Rachel, as we should now say; referring to Matt. ii. 18. 1819. _dooth for to sterve_, causes to die. So also in l. 1823, _dide hem drawe_ = caused them to be drawn. 1822. Evidently a proverb; compare Boeth. bk. iv. pr. 1. 37-40 (vol. ii. p. 93); and note to P. Plowman, C. v. 140.