Now that we have reached the very witching hour (GMT), I cast caution to
the winds and appeal recklessly to your collective wisdom.
In the following passage in PRO State Papers 63/83/6, a letter from Grey
to Walsingham, Grey is speaking of his dealings with Tirlough Luineach
O'Neill. I am having trouble with the last word in the second line of the
quoted passage, which appears to be 'lnes' (or perhaps 'lues') with a
tilde above. My only reasonable thought so far is that this could be a
contraction of 'limines', a word that has some precedent in classical
usage for 'threshhold' or perhaps 'border' (the supplied letters, 'imi',
would be a likely cluster), here referring to the Pale.
Can anyone corroborate this type of usage, either in classical literature
or in medieval/renaissance latin texts (and best case, was this term ever
used in contemporary Irish/English Latin texts to refer to the Pale or the
'borders' more generally?)
OR
can you suggest a better alternative? (for example, some local piece of
Ulster geography that I have missed?)
I recognize that this second part is pretty risky without the manuscript
before you, but all suggestions, however zany, will be welcomed with open
arms.
Thanks,
Andrew
I make styll as fayre wether with Tyrlagh as I can: vppon the last trea=
tie of owre commissioners, hee camme ouer the blackwater too the lnes
& Mc Mahoundes countrie in sheowe too haue taken pledgies
of them for restitution of wronges & spoyles doonne by them, vppon
the pale, but the end sheowed that it was onely too assure those cunt=
ries the more vntoo hym, for not е the woorthe of a pennie that
restitution was made for all hys pledgies takyng, & for better prouff
of hys good meanyng in retourne hee tooke Clan de Boy in hys
waye, prayed the towne of Knockfergus, tooke buyinges of the
Chiefist of the cuntrie & enforced them by othe too beecoomme hys
men; еее this mee thynckes maye guyue no meane sheowe of hys
purpoze in the rest in case hee bee lett goe on; & aduertisments daylie
coomme too mee of a greate force of Scottes daylie expected too lande./
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Andrew Zurcher
Gonville & Caius College
Cambridge CB2 1TA
United Kingdom
tel: +44 1223 335 427
hast hast post hast for lyfe
|