Page:Studies in Lowland Scots - Colville - 1909.djvu/260

236 whose Latin Grammar (1587) renders some of his vocabula in the vernacular—

Chesbol, the poppy, from the ball-like capsule or seed-case; Lat. capsa; Fr. caissé.

Tirlets=cancelli, from Fr. tirailler, to pull about. He "tirled at the pin," the equivalent of our knocker, is a phrase in an old ballad. The cancelli were the movable cross slits of wood that did duty for glass in the old-time windows. In the Accounts for the city of Glasgow, 1713, is the item—"For new glass windows to the session-house and tirlies" of the Hie Kirk or cathedral ("Glas. Records," 1691-1717).

During the seventeenth century there was increased intercourse between the two countries, but there was little bond of national sympathy. On the absorbing Church and constitutional questions no link of connection could be formed. The exiled Royalists, and the Continental wanderings of the Scot abroad, whether for military service or learning, made no great linguistic impression. The following may be given as a sample of borrowings as they appear in some books of the century:—

From Sir Thomas Hope's Diary (1633-45)—

Abillzeaments, modern habiliments; Fr. habillement, from habile, ready.

Essay (essai)—"It sall haif ane essay" (trial).

Travell (travailler)—"I sall travell to draw them to their tryall."

Valour (valeur)—"The valour of the tithes."

From a contemporary report by an Englishman on the Covenanters at Duns Law (1639)—

Bases. "The blue bonnets have blue woollen waistcoats, pair of bases of plaid and stockings of same, pair of pumps, mantle of plaid over left shoulder and under right arm, pocket before knapsack, pair of dirks on either side pocket. We