What is "weren"

Usage examples of "weren".

Nat fully quyke, ne fully dede they were, But by here cote-armures, and by hir gere, The heraudes knewe hem best, in special, As they that weren of the blood roial Of Thebes, and of sustren two yborn.

By that any dayly3t lemed vpon erthe He with his hatheles on hy3e horsses weren.

God for his manace hym so soore smoot With invisible wounde, ay incurable, That in hise guttes carf it so and boot That hise peynes weren importable.

And for that Nichanore and Thymothee Of Jewes weren venquysshed myghtily, Unto the Jewes swich an hate hadde he That he bad greithen his chaar ful hastily, And swoor, and seyde, ful despitously, Unto Jerusalem he wolde eft-soone, To wreken his ire on it ful cruelly.

Festes, instrumentz, caroles, daunces, Lust and array, and alle the circumstaunces Of love, whiche that I rekned, and rekne shal, By ordre weren peynted on the wal, And mo than I kan make of mencioun.

The coales right anon weren y-fet,* *fetched And this canon y-took a crosselet* *crucible Out of his bosom, and shew'd to the priest.

In his strong armes he stiffely him embraste,Who him gainstriuing, nought at all preuaild:For all his power was vtterly defaste,And furious fits at earst quite weren quaild:Oft he re'nforst, and oft his forces fayld,Yet yield he would not, nor his rancour slacke.

Of stree first ther was leyd ful many a lode, But how the fyr was maked upon highte, Ne eek the names that the trees highte, As, ook, firre, birch, aspe, alder, holm, popeler, Wylugh, elm, plane, assh, box, chasteyn, lynde, laurer, Mapul, thorn, bech, hasel, ew, whippeltre, How they weren fild shal nat be toold for me, Ne how the goddes ronnen up and doun Disherited of hir habitacioun, In whiche they woneden in reste and pees, Nymphes, Fawnes, and Amadrides.

Likewise that same third Fort, that is the SmellOf that third troupe was cruelly assayd:Whose hideous shapes were like to feends of hell,Some like to hounds, some like to Apes, dismayd,Some like to Puttockes, all in plumes arayd:All shap't according their conditions,For by those vgly formes weren pourtrayd,Foolish delights and fond abusions,Which do that sence besiege with light illusions.