_gipser_ was properly a pouch or budget used in hawking, &c., but commonly worn by the merchant, or with any secular attire.--(Way.) It answers to F. _gibecière_, a pouch; from O. F. _gibe_, a bunch (Scheler). In Riley's Memorials of London, p. 398, under the date 1376, there is a mention of 'purses called _gibesers_.' In the Bury Wills, p. 37, l. 16, under the date 1463, we find--'My best _gypcer_ with iij. bagges.' The A. S. name was _bigyrdel_, from its hanging _by the girdle_, as said in l. 358; it occurs in the A. S. version of Matt. x. 9; and in P. Plowman, B. viii. 87. 358. _Heng_ (or _Heeng_), the past tense of _hongen_ or _hangen_, to hang. _morne milk_ = morning-milk; as in A. 3236. 'As white as milke'; Ritson's Met. Romances, iii. 292. 359. _shirreve_, the _reve_ of a _shire_, governor of a county; our modern word _sheriff_. _countour_, O. Fr. _comptour_, an accountant, a person who audited accounts or received money in charge, &c.; ranked with pleaders in Riley's Memorials of London, p. 58. It occurs in Rob. of Gloucester, l. 11153. In the Book of the Duch. 435, it simply means 'accountant.' Perhaps it here means 'auditor.' 'Or stewards, _countours_, or pleadours'; Plowman's Tale, pt. iii. st. 13. 360. _vavasour_, or _vavaser_, originally a sub-vassal or tenant of a vassal or tenant of the king's, one who held his lands in fealty. '_Vavasor_, one that in dignities is next to a Baron'; Cowel. Strutt (Manners and Customs, iii. 14) explains that a _vavasour_ was 'a tenant by knight's service, who did not hold immediately of the king _in capite_, but of some mesne lord, which excluded him from the dignity of baron by tenure.' Tyrwhitt says 'it should be understood to mean the whole class of middling landholders.' See Lacroix, Military Life of Middle Ages, p. 9. Spelt _favasour_ in King Alisaunder, ed. Weber, l. 3827. A. F. _uauassur_; Laws of Will. I. c. 20. Lit. 'vassal of vassals'; Low Lat. _vassus vassorum_. THE HABERDASSHER AND OTHERS. 361. _Haberdassher._ Haberdashers were of two kinds: haberdashers of small wares--sellers of needles, tapes, buttons, &c.; and haberdashers of hats. The stuff called _hapertas_ is mentioned in the Liber Albus, p. 225. 362. _Webbe_, properly a male weaver; _webstere_ was the female weaver, but there appears to have been some confusion in the use of the suffixes _-e_ and _-stere_; see Piers Plowman, ed. Skeat, B. v. 215: 'mi _wyf_ was a _webbe_.' Hence the names _Webb_ and _Webster_. Cf. [36] A. S. _webba_, m., a weaver; _webbestere_, fem. _tapicer_, upholsterer; F. _tapis_, carpet.