SHERD and SHRED have been already explained. SHEER, as we now use it, means separated from every thing else. As when we say...." SHEER ignorance," i. e. ‚" i. e. separated from any the smallest mixture of information; or, separated from any other motive. So in the instance from Beaumont and Fletcher (who wrote it SHAER) it means, that the feather was so separated by the shot, as not to leave the smallest particle behind.

SHORE, as the sea-shore or shore of a river (which latter expression Dr. Johnson, without any reason, calls "a licentious use" of the word) is the place where the continuity of the land is interrupted or separated by the sea or the river. Observe, that SHORE is not any determined spot, it is of no size, shape, nor dimensions; but relates merely to the separation of land from land.

Shored, shor'd, SHORT (or, as Douglas has written it, SCHORIT) cut off; is opposed to LONG, which means extended: LONG being also the past participle of lengian, to extend, or to stretch out.

SHIRT and SKIRT (i. e. sciɲed) is the same participle, differently pronounced, written, and applied.

SHOWER (in Anglo-Saxon reyup and reup) means merely broken, divided, separated: (subaud. clouds). Junius and Skinner had some notion of the meaning of this word; Johnson none.

SCORE, when used for the number twenty, has been well and rationally accounted for, by supposing that our unlearned ancestors, to avoid the embarrassment of large numbers, when they had

made twice ten notches, cut off the piece or talley (taglié) containing them; and afterwards counted the SCORES or pieces cut off; and reckoned by the number of separated pieces, or by SCORES.

SCORE, for account or reckoning, is well explained, and in the same manner; from the time when divisions, marks, or notches, cut in pieces of stick or wood, were used instead of those Arabian figures we now employ. This antient manner of reckoning is humourously noted by Shakspear.

"Thou hast most traiterously corrupted the "youth of the realme, in erecting a grammer "schoole; and whereas before our forefathers had "no other bookes but the SCORE and the TALLY, "thou hast caused printing to be used,"

Second Part, Henry VI. pag. 141. SHARE, SHIRE, SCAR, one and the same past participle, mean separated, divided. SHARE, any separated part or portion. SHIRE, a separated part or portion of this realm. And though we now apply SCAR only to a cicatrix, or the remaining mark of a separation; it was formerly applied to any separated part.

In the instance I produced to you from Gower, he calls it...." a littel SKARE upon a banke that lets "in the streame." So you will find in Ray's North country words (pag. 52.) that what we now call port-sherds, or port-shards, are likewise called pot-SCARS or pot-SHREDS. You will find too, that where we now use SCAR, was formerly used SCORE, with the same meaning: as in Ray's Proverbs (pag. 19.)...." Slander leaves a SCORE behind it."

.....So the "cliffe of a rocke" (i. e. the cleaved part of it) as Ray informs us, is still called a "SCARRE." Douglas, we have seen, calls it...." ane SCHORE rolkis syde."

"And northward from her springs haps SCARDALE forth to find, "Which, like her mistress Peake, is naturally inclin'd "To thrust forth ragged CLEEVES, with which she scattered lies, "As busy nature here could not herself suffice,

"Of this oft-alt'ring earth the sundry shapes to show, "That from my entrance here doth rough and rougher grow, "Which of a lowly dale although the name it bear, "You, by the rocks, might think that it a mountain were, "From which it takes the name of SCARDALE."

Poly-olbion, song 26.

"As first without herself at sea to make her strong,

"And fence her farthest point from that rough Neptune's rage, "The isle of Walney lies; whose longitude doth swage

"His fury, when his waves on Furnesse seems to war, "Whose crooked back is arm'd with many a rugged SCAR << Against his boist'rous shocks."

Poly-olbion, song 27.

The SHARE-BORNE is so called, because it is placed where the body is separated or divided. So Douglas, booke 3, pag. 82, says

"Ane fair virginis body doune to hir SCHERE." PLOUGH-SHARE is a plough-sheerer, contracted to avoid the repetition ER, ER.

A pair of SHEERS, a pair of SHEERERS.

"Quhais woll or fleis was neuer clepit with SCHERE."

Douglas, booke 12, pag. 413.

The Italian scerre, sciarrare, and schiera; and the French a l'ecart, and dechirer, sufficiently speak

the same northern origin; and none other has been or can be found for them()."

BLUNT....as BLIND has been shewn to be blin-ed: SO BLUNT is blon-ed, the past participle of the Anglo-Saxon verb blınnan, to blin, to stop. Blon is the regular Anglo-Saxon past tense; to which by adding ED, we have blon-ed, blon'd, blont, or BLUNT: i. e. stopped in its decreasing progress towards a point or an edge.

FOE

Гон!

Upon a former occasion, you may

remember, I considered the adverb or FAUGH! interjection FIE! as the imperative of the verb Fian, to hate: and I have very lately shewn FIEND Fiand, to be the present participle of the same verb. Now that we have noticed the usual and regular change of the characteristic letter of the verbs, I suppose that you are at once aware that FOE, Fa, is the past tense, and therefore past participle, of the same verb Fian; and means (subaud. any one,) hated.

I think you must at the same time perceive, that the nauseating (interjection, as it is called) FOH! or FAUGH! is merely the same past participle(f).

(e) Scerre Menage derives from eligere.

Sciarrare from the French escarter.
Schiera from the Latin spira.

Ecart from ex parte.

And Dechirer from dilacerare.

(f) "un yevolto, in Greake, sygnyfyeth detestacyon, as we speake wyth one syllable in Englyshe, FYE." Detection of the Deuils Sophistrie, by Steuen Gardiner, bp. of Winchester, fol. 64, pag. 1.

"FOH! one may smel in such, a will most ranke,
"Foule disproportions, thoughts unnaturall."

Othello, pag. 324. FEN In the explanation of fenowed, vinewed or FAINTS whinid, the past participle of fynigean; I mentioned FEN and FAINT, as past participles of the same verb. But I forbore at that time to consider them more particularly, because no mention had then been made of the change of the characteristic letter.

FAN or FEN is the past tense, and therefore past participle, of rynigean; and means corrupted, spoiled, decayed, withered. In modern speech we apply FEN only to stagnated or corrupted water; but it was formerly applyed to any corrupted or decayed, or spoiled substance.

"Quhen that Nisis fallis unhappely

"Upoun the glouit blude, quhar as fast by
"The stirkis for the sacrifyce per case
"War newly brytnit, quhareof all the place
"And the grene gers bedewit was and wet:
"As this younghere hereon tredeand fute set,
"Ioly and blyith, wening him victour round,
"He slaid and stummerit on the sliddry ground,
"And fell at erd grufelingis amid the FEN,
"Or beistis blude of sacrifyce."

Douglas, booke 5, pag. 138.

FAINT is faned, fand, fant, or fened, fend, fent. The French participle fané, of the verb faner or fener is also from fynizean.

"La Rose est ainsi appellée pour ce qu' elle jette un grand flux d' odeur, ausi est ce pourquoy elle se fene est ce passe bientost.” Amyot. Morales de Plutarque. 3 liv. Des propos de table.