cleanse - to make clean, purify, free from dirt or filth
thrust - a lunge or stab made with a weapon
parry - the act of warding off or turning aside a blow or weapon by opposing one's own weapon or other means of defence.
manchild* - a male child
parlement = parliament (obs.); mad Parliament (Parliamentum insanum) - name given to the meeting of the barons at Oxford in 1258, which passed the 'Provisions of Oxford'; long Parliament - that which met on 3 Nov. 1640, commenced the Civil War, and brought about the death of Charles I; rump Parliament - the remnant of the long Parliament, in its later history.
lacklearning Parliament - that convened by Hen. IV at Coventry in 1404, from which all lawyers were excluded.
merciless or wonderful Parliament - that of 1388, which condemned the favourites of Richard II.
Saint Mary* - Virgin Mary
exchange - to give, relinquish, or lose (something) whilst receiving something else in return.
reverse - to turn in the opposite direction
harlot house* - a brothel
abetter* - one who abets; an instigator, supporter, or promoter
wrought - p. of work
continence - self-restraint; spec. Self-restraint in the matter of sexual appetite, displayed either by due moderation or (as more frequently taken) by entire abstinence.
vitelline - the yolk; coloured like the yolk of an egg
pretender - a claimant to a throne or the office of a ruler
vary - to quarrel or be at strife with, to contend against, another (obs.)
superfatted* - slang, of persons: overweight, fat
fiercely - furiously, impetuously, violently
anointer - one who anoints
hinge - the movable joint or mechanism by which a gate or door is hung upon the side-post, so as to be opened or shut by being turned upon it.
game - spec. Amorous sport or play, now esp. signifying sexual intercourse
deign - to think it worthy of oneself (to do something); to think fit, vouchsafe
transfusion - the action of pouring a liquid from one vessel into another; also fig. transference; transmission; translation.
orthodox* - the specific epithet of the Eastern Church, which recognizes the headship of the Patriarch of Constantinople.
heterotropic - characterized by or exhibiting heterotrophy; heterotroph - any organism which requires an external supply of energy contained in complex organic compounds to maintain its existence.
shyly - in a shy manner; with shyness
bawn - a fortified enclosure, enceinte, or circumvallation
richt - obs. or Sc. form of right
what though? - what does it matter? what then?
dash - to destroy, ruin, confound, bring to nothing, frustrate, spoil (a design, enterprise, hope, etc.): phr. to dash (any one's) hopes.
gar - to make, to cause, in various constructions
strait - with rigorous exactness; with strict correctness; exactly, precisely (obs.)
on the spot - at the place where one’s presence is needed; immediately
selfmade - made by oneself, one's own action or efforts; of one's own making
naturel = natural; natural selection - the operation of natural causes by which those individuals of a species that are best adapted to the environment tend to be preserved and to transmit their characters, while those less adapted die out, so that in the course of generations the degree of adaptation to the environment tends progressively to increase.
Charley - the name formerly given to a night-watchman; a fool, simpleton
sequent - that follows as a result or a logical conclusion
assent - mental acceptance or approval; The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871) - work by Charles Darwin.
fleur - an ornamental flower
ange - trouble, affliction, anguish
gardoun = guerdon - a reward, requital, or recompense
creedless - destitute of a creed (the faith of a community or an individual, esp. as expressed or capable of expression in a definite formula).
moe = mo - more
red devil - the drug secobarbital (Seconal); also, a tablet of this drug (coloured red)
the white of the eye - the white part of the eyeball, surrounding the coloured iris
condamn = condemn (v.)
quondam - that formerly was or existed
stammer - to falter or stumble in one's speech; to utter or say with a stammer