“The childe playes hym at the balle, That salle _owttraye_ zow alle.”
_The Awntyrs of Arthurs_, p. 110. (_Syr Gawayne, &c._)
where Sir F. Madden explains it “injure, destroy.”—In our text, “outraye” is equivalent to—vanquish, overcome; and so in the following passages;
“The cause why Demostenes so famously is brutid, Onely procedid for that he did _outray_ Eschines, whiche was not shamefully confutid But of that famous oratour, I say, Whiche passid all other; wherfore I may Among my recordes suffer hym namyd, For though he were _venquesshid_, yet was he not shamyd.”
Skelton’s _Garlande of Laurell_, v. 155. vol. i. 368.
(Richardson, in his valuable _Dictionary_, v. _Out-rage_, &c., says that, in the stanza just cited, _outray_ “is evidently—to exceed, to excel;” but the last line of the stanza, together with the present passage of _Phyllyp Sparowe_, and the annexed quotations from Lydgate, shew that he is mistaken.)
“Whom Hercules most strong and coragious, Sumtime _outraid_, and slewe hym with his hand.”
Lydgate’s _Fall of Prynces_, B. i. leaf xxvii. ed. Wayland.
“Al be that Cresus faught long in hys defence, He finally by Cyrus was _outrayed_, And depriued by knyghtly vyolence, Take in the felde,” &c.
“But it may fall, a dwerye [i. e. dwarf] in his right, To _outray_ a gyaunt for all his gret might.”
Page 54. v. 98. _Zenophontes_] i. e. Xenophon: see note on v. 70, preceding page.
v. 107. _thought_] See notes, p. 101. v. 10. p. 104. last line.
v. 117. _scole_] i. e. school, instruction.
_For to kepe his cut,_ _With, Phyllyp, kepe your cut!_]
Compare Gascoigne in a little poem entitled _The praise of Philip Sparrow_;
“As if you say but _fend cut_ phip, Lord how the peat will turne and skip.”
“Good brother Philip, I haue borne you long, I was content you should in fauour creepe, While craftily you seem’d your _cut to keepe_, As though that faire soft hand did you great wrong.”
_Astrophel and Stella_, p. 548. ed. 1613.
“A bonny bonny Bird I had A bird that was my Marroe: A bird whose pastime made me glad, And Phillip twas my Sparrow. A pretty Play-fere: Chirp it would, And hop, and fly to fist, _Keepe cut_, as ’twere a Vsurers Gold, And bill me when I list.”
and in _The New Academy_; “But look how she turnes and _keeps cut like my Sparrow_. She will be my back Sweet-heart still I see, and love me behind.” Act iv. sc. 1. p. 72. (_Five New Playes_, 1659).