"His wiif (Rebekah) þat lang had child forgane, Now sco bredes tua for ane, Tuinlinges þat hir thoght na gamen, Þat in hir womb oft faght samen. Swa hard wit-in hir wamb þai faght, Þat sco ne might rest dai ne naght; At pray to Godd ai was sco prest, To rede hir quat þat hir was best; Þat hir war best he wald hir rede. Hir liif was likest to þe ded (death). Strang weird was giuen to þam o were, Þat þai moght noght þair strif forbere Til þai had o þaim-seluen might To se quarfor þat þai suld fight. Fra biginning o þe werld O suilk a wer was never herd, Ne suilk a striif o childer tuin Þat lai þer moder wamb wit-in. Þair strut it was vn-stern stith, Wit wrathli wrestes aiþer writh. Bituix unborn a batel blind, Suilk an was ferli to find. He þat on þe right side lai Þe tother him wraisted oft awai; And he þat lay upon þe left, Þe tother oft his sted him reft." 1470 _and_ = _an_ = in; or else _figt_ must be an error for _fagt_ = fought; and _nigt_ = _nagt_. 1477 _Ghe_ is evidently an error for _ghet_ or _get_, yet. _liues_ = alive. Cf. _newes_, anew, etc. P. 43. l. 1484 _swete mel_, sweet meal (food), not sweet speech. "And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison."—(Gen. xxv. 28.) 1487 _seð a mete_, sod a meat. "sod pottage."—(Gen. xxv. 29.) 1493 _mattilike weri_ = _mattilike and weri_, overcome (faint) and weary. _Mattilike_ is connected with the O.E. _mat_, _mote_, faint, half dead. See Allit. Poems, p. 12, l. 386. 1494 _Iacob wurð war he was gredi_, Jacob became aware that he (Esau) was hungry. —(See Gloss. s.v. _Gredi_.) 1495-6 "Brother," quoth he, "sell me those privileges Which are said to be the first (eldest) son's." 1499 _bliðelike_, quickly; _blithelike_ has often this sense in O.E. writers. 1501 _wurði wune_, a worthy (high, great) privilege. 1503 _offrende sel_, offering time. 1504 _Was wune ben scrid semelike and wel_, Was wont to be clothed seemly and well. 1506 _dede his ending_, came to his end (died). 1507 _heg tide_, hey (high) days. 1510 _twinne del_, two-fold. 1511-12 And when the father were (should be) buried, to have two portions of hereditary property. _ereward_ = _erfeward_, is properly the guardian, keeper of the _erfe_ or inheritance, and hence the heir, so that instead of _ereward riche_ we ought to read _ereward-riche_, corresponding to the A.Sax. _yrfe-land_, hereditary land. The _-riche_ is the affix found in O.E. _heven-riche_, heaven kingdom; _kine-riche_, a kingdom; E. _bishoprick_. The _-ward_ (in _ereward_) = _warder_, keeper, is found in O.E. _gate-ward_, _dore-ward_ (door-keeper), _bat-ward_ (boat-keeper); _hey-ward_ (farm-yard keeper); _sti-ward_ (steward, the officer who originally had care of the highways or _sties_?).