BOLT, "sift and _bolt_" (R207,_d_), the legal sense is probably intended rather than redundancy for the rhyming's sake. Oppression means that matters must be gifted and discussed privately in order to improve their opportunities for rascality. "And having performed the exercises of their own houses called _boltes_, _mootes_, and putting of cases, they proceed to be admitted and become students, in some of these four houses or innes of court, where continuing by the space of seven yeares (or there-aboutes) they frequent readings, meetings, _boltinges_, and other learned exercises."--Stowe, _Survey of_ _London_, p. 59. "The judge, or jury, or parties, or the counsel, or attornies, propounding questions, beats and _bolts_ out the truth much better than when the witness delivers only a formal series."--Sir M. Hale (_d._ 1676).
BOOT, "he will be my _boot_" (M11,_a_), help, remedy, cure. "Ich haue _bote_ of mi-bale."--_William of_ _Palerne_ (_c._ 1300), 627. "God send every trewe man _boote_ of his bale."--Chaucer, _Cant. Tales_ (1383), 13,409.
BORD, "we did but _bord_" (WH298,_a_), jest: see other volumes of this series.
BORROW, (_a_) "I shall be your _borrow_" (M ), security, pledge, surety, protector. "Their _borrow_ is God Almighty."--Piers Plowman (1363), 37,_b_. (_b_) see St. George.
BOYS, "shall _boys_ ... of such high matters play" (R180,_d_). Mr. Magnus asks whether this reference to "boy-chorister-actors" may not "have some special reference to Edward VI.'S theological precocity."
BRAST, "the halter _brast_ asunder" (M27,_c_; also 28,_d_), burst. "But with that percing noise flew open quite, or _brast_."--Spenser, _Fairy Queen_ (1590), I. viii. 4.
BRAT, "a whole _brat_ to his back" (JP338,_d_), cloak, mantle. "Ne had they but a shete Which that they might wrappen hem in a-night, And a _bratt_ to walken in by day-light."--Chaucer, _Cant. Tales_ (1383), 16,347.
BREADIBUS, "_breadibus ... horsibus ... firibusque_" (M5,_b_), for bread, for horses, and for fires: a form, of dog-Latin which has always been, and still is, popular: see Misericordia.
BRETHEL, "and thy own wife _brethel_, and take thee a leman" (M27,_a_), _brethell_ in original: the E.E. text editors suggest [_be_] _brethell_, that is, "if thy own wife be adulterous." This, however, seems beside the mark of the context, as why should Mankind be counselled to take a whore because his wife is unchaste? May _brethel_ not be a mis-script for A.S. _betelle_ (Halliwell)=to deceive? The meaning is then clear enough and the reading sound. On the other hand, I fail to find any authority for Halliwell's suggestion _betelle_=deceive, mislead, in either Anglo-Saxon or M.E. dictionaries, and the _r_ in the word brethel, perhaps precludes the adoption of betelle, _r_ being a highly characteristic letter. An alternative suggestion is that brethel is meant for _brechell_, from _breken_, to break, to injure, to vex, harass, torment, or destroy. "Breken" has among its derivatives "brac," "brake," "brek," "breche," "briche," "bruche," "bruchel."