What is "quoth"

Usage examples of "quoth".

Many maisters, quoth the Poddock to the Harrow, when every tind took her a knock.

This is hee, quoth she, which is his Counsellor, and perswadeth him to forsake me, and now being at the point of death he lieth prostrate on the ground covered with his bed, and hath seene all our doings, and hopeth to escape scot-free from my hands, but I will cause that hee will repente himselfe too late, nay rather forthwith, of his former intemperate language, and his present curiosity.

Quoth he, looking eagerly at her, 'O Noorna, what is it in thy speech affecteth me?

This is not couched as it ought to be, But soon I shall amenden it," quoth he.

Her thought it swell'd so sore about her heart That needes must some word from her astart And, since she durst not tell it unto man Down to a marish fast thereby she ran, Till she came there, her heart was all afire: And, as a bittern bumbles* in the mire, *makes a humming noise She laid her mouth unto the water down "Bewray me not, thou water, with thy soun'" Quoth she, "to thee I tell it, and no mo', Mine husband hath long ass's eares two!

When non wolde kepe hym with carp he co3ed ful hyyghe, Ande rimed hym ful richly, and ry3t hym to speke: "What, is this Arthures hous," quoth the hathel thenne, "That al the rous rennes of thur3 ryalmes so mony?

Phoebus," quoth he, "for all thy worthiness, For all thy beauty, and all thy gentleness, For all thy song, and all thy minstrelsy, *For all thy waiting, bleared is thine eye* *despite all thy watching, With one of little reputation, thou art befooled* Not worth to thee, as in comparison, The mountance* of a gnat, so may I thrive.

Now, Sir," quoth she, "for aught that may betide, I must have of the peares that I see, Or I must die, so sore longeth me To eaten of the smalle peares green.

But first," quoth he, "here at this ale-stake* *ale-house sign I will both drink, and biten on a cake.

I have," quoth he, "heard said, full yore* ago, *long There may no man have perfect blisses two, This is to say, on earth and eke in heaven.

Quoth that burde to the burne, "Blame 3e disserue, Yghif 3e luf not that lyf that yghe lye nexte, Bifore alle the wy3e3 in the worlde wounded in hert, Bot if 3e haf a lemman, a leuer, that yow lyke3 better, And folden fayth to that fre, festned so harde That yow lausen ne lyst--and that I leue nouthe.

And when the fox saw well that he was gone, "Alas," quoth he, "O Chanticleer, alas!

Quoth he, "that rumbleth up and down In Fame's House, full of tidings, Both of fair speech and of chidings, And of false and sooth compouned.

But the cunning fox Diabolus, fearing that the people, after this sight, should, on a sudden summons, open the gates to the captains, came down with all haste from the castle, and made them retire into the body of the town, who, when he had them there, made this lying and deceivable speech unto them: ‘Gentlemen,’ quoth he, ‘although you are my trusty and well-beloved friends, yet I cannot but a little chide you for your late uncircumspect action, in going out to gaze on that great and mighty force that but yesterday sat down before, and have now entrenched themselves in order to the maintaining of a siege against the famous town of Mansoul.

Whereupon, as Pyrrhus in the pear-tree continued talking in the same strange strain:—"Come down," quoth Nicostratus.