5-6. 'They made a sow of great joists, which had a stout covering over it.' The _sow_ was essentially a roof on wheels. The occupants, under shelter of the roof, pushed up to the walls of the besieged place and tried to undermine them. For an illustration see Cutts, _Scenes and Characters of the Middle Ages_, Pt. VI, chap. vi, where other military engines of the time are described. 15. _Crabbis consale_: John Crab was the engineer of the garrison. He is no doubt the same as the John Crab who in 1332 brought Flemish ships round from Berwick to attack the English vessels at Dundee. There was an important Flemish colony at Berwick from early times. 36. _Schir Valter, the gude Steward_: Walter Steward, whose surname denotes his office as Steward of Scotland, was the father of Robert II, the first king of the Stuart line. 42. _Rude-evyn_: September 13, the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. 49. _thame... of the toune_, 'the defenders of the town'. 51. _or than_, 'or else'. 71 ff. _The engynour_: an English engineer captured by the garrison in the previous assault and forced into their service. 80. _scho_, 'she', some engine of war not previously referred to: apparently a mechanical sling. 123 ff. The boats were filled with men and hoisted up the masts, so as to overtop the walls and allow the besiegers to shoot at the garrison from above. The same engine that proved fatal to the sow was used to break up the boats. 146. _thar wardane with him had_, 'their warden <who> had with him'; cp. note to XIII _a_ 36. 158-61. A confused construction. The writer has in mind: (1) 'Of all the men he had there remained with him only one whom he had not left to relieve', &c.; and (2) 'There were no members of his company (except one) whom he had not left', &c. XI #Dialect#: South Midland. #Inflexions#: _u_ for inflexional _e_, as in _knowun_ _a_ 2, _seun_ _a_ 51, _aȝenus_ _a_ 29, _mannus_ _b_ 114 is found chiefly in West Midland. VERB: pres. ind. 2 sg. _madist_ _b_ 214. 3 sg. _groundiþ_ _a_ 4. 3 pl. _seyn_ _a_ 1, _techen_ _b_ 5. pres. p. _brennynge_ _b_ 67. strong pp. _knowun_ _a_ 2, _ȝouen_ _b_ 264, _take_ _b_ 271. PRONOUN 3 PERS.: pl. _þey_, _þei_, _a_ 3, _b_ 9; possessive usually _þer_ in _a_ 1, 23, &c.; but _her_ _a_ 52, and regularly _here_ in _b_ 25, 36, &c.; objective _hem_ _a_ 4, _b_ 3. #Sounds#: OE. _ā_ appears regularly as _o_, _oo_: _more_ _a_ 7, _Hooly_ _a_ 10, _toolde_ _a_ 65. OE. _y_ appears as _y_, _i_: _synne_ _a_ 61, _stiren_ _b_ 93. The form _þouþ_ (= _þouȝ_) _b_ 190 probably indicates sound-substitution; and in _ynowþȝ_ (= _ynouȝ_) _b_ 149 there is wavering between the two forms. * * * * * _a_ 12. _Wit Sunday_: the first element is OE. _hwīt_ 'white', not 'wit'.