Now this _honteth_ is the dat. case of a substantive, viz. of the A. S. _huntað_ or _huntoð_. This substantive would easily be mistaken for a part of a verb, and, particularly, for the past participle of a verb; just as many people at this day are quite unable to distinguish between the true verbal substantive and the present participle in _-ing_. This mistake once established, the ending _-ed_ would be freely used after the verbs _go_ or _ride_. In D. 1778, we even find _go walked_, without a. The result is that the present phrase, hitherto so puzzling, is a mere variation of 'gon a blake-berying,' i. e. 'go a-gathering blackberries,' a humorous expression for 'wander wherever they please.' A not very [274] dissimilar expression occurs in the proverbial saying--'his wits are gone a-wool-gathering.' The Pardoner says, in effect, 'I promise them full absolution; however, when they die and are buried, it matters little to me in what direction their souls go.' 407. Tyrwhitt aptly adduces a parallel passage from the Romaunt of the Rose, l. 5763 (or l. 5129 in the French)-- 'For oft good predicacioun Cometh of evel entencioun.' 'Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife'; Phil. i. 15. 413. In Piers Plowman (B-text), v. 87, it is said of Envy that-- 'Eche a worde that he warpe · was of an addres tonge.' Cf. Rom. iii. 13; Ps. cxl. 3. 440. _for I teche_, because I teach, by my teaching. 441. _Wilful pouerte_ signifies voluntary poverty. This is well illustrated by the following lines concerning Christ in Piers Plowman, B. xx. 48, 49:-- 'Syth he that wroughte al the worlde · was _wilfullich_ nedy, Ne neuer non so nedy · ne pouerer deyde.' Several examples occur in Richardson's Dictionary in which _wilfully_ has the sense of _willingly_ or _voluntarily_. Thus--'If they _wylfully_ would renounce the sayd place and put them in his grace, he wolde vtterlye pardon theyr trespace'; Fabyan's Chronicle, c. 114. It even means _gladly_; thus in Wyclif's Bible, Acts xxi. 17, we find, 'britherin resseyuyden vs _wilfulli_.' Speaking of palmers, Speght says--'The _pilgrim_ travelled at his own charge, the _palmer_ professed wilful poverty.' The word _wilful_ still means _willing_ in Warwickshire; see Eng. Dialect Soc. Gloss. C. 6. 445. The context seems to imply that some of the apostles made baskets. So in Piers Plowman, B. xv. 285, we read of St. Paul-- 'Poule, after his prechyng · _panyers_ he made.'