Page:Studies in Lowland Scots - Colville - 1909.djvu/255

Rh left. The records of his Privy Council, sitting in Edinburgh, tell the story of how his masterful chancellors tried to carry out his wishes on the lines of a benevolent protection. In this connection the tariff of 1612 is of much social import. From its items I cull a number of French names of articles, which, if not in actual use, might probably be imported at the same time as the article.

Buist, a needle-case; sand-buist, sand-box, used instead of blotting-paper, as it is still in Germany. The mark Brandenburg was called the Sand-Büchse of the Holy Roman Empire; O.Fr. bostia, boiste, a box; Mod.Fr. boîte, boisseau (whence bushel).

Babeis or Puppettis, dolls; Ital. babbeo, a blockhead; and Fr. babiole, whence the baby clown on the head of the staff with which the Elizabethan stage fool excited laughter. There was deep contempt in Cromwell's "Take away that bauble (the mace)." Puppettis is the Fr. poupée, a doll. Children used to fashion a miniature stage of paper on which tiny figures were moved. Eyelets gave a peep of the play to the invitation, "A preen to see the puppie-show."

Chaffing dishes, braziers, warming-pans; Fr. chauffer, to warm by rubbing

Chandlers, chandeliers, candlesticks; chandelle, a candle.

Grogram, Fr. gros-grain, a coarse cloth.

Tripans, Fr. trépan, a surgical instruinent.

Trencher, wooden platters, a word in universal use; Fr. tranchoir.

Turcusses, turkes, twisters, pincers, tourniquets; Ital. torciare, to twist (Lat. torquere); O.Fr. torser, to pack up, gives the familiar turs, to pack up in a bundle, to carry off hastily.

Turse.—The Exchequer Accounts have numerous entries for tursing household and other stuff (cf. truss, trousseau, torch; lit. a twist). To tirr has long been in use in the sense of raising or disturbing, for example, the soil of field or garden.

An interesting Commentary on the Tariff of Custom Dues (1612) is preserved in the library of Glasgow University in the shape of a shrivelled leather pocket-book which accompanied