stalworthest

Middle English

Adjective

stalworthest

1. superlative degree of stalworth
   • 14th century, [manuscript of Guy of Warwick]; republished as Julius Zupitza, editor, The Romance of Guy of Warwick. The first or 14th-century Version. […], part I, London: […] N. Trübner & Co., […], 1883, “Guy, with 100 knights, Goes to Help the Greek Emperor”, page 167:

     Than̄ toke Guy an hundred knigħtes
     Of the stalworthest and best in fightes,
     That he migħt in Almaigne fynde,
     And most preised and best doyng⫞.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 14th–15th century, Hic Priamus. Rex. et Palamides pugnauerunt rꝭ; republished as Early English Text Society: Original Series, 1903, “Sarpedon is unhorsed by Neoptolomus; the Persian King helps him”, 11761–11768, page 347:

     But thanne come thedir sikerly
     The stalworthest man of Grece party,
     Neoptolamus was his name;
     Kyng Sarpedoun thoght he to lame:
     He ȝaff him certes suche a dynt
     That Sarpedoun his stiropes tynt,
     He made him bacwrad so stoupe
     That he fel ouer his hors croupe.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • early 15th century, [metrical paraphrase of the Old Testament], page 111; republished as Herbert Kalén, editor, A Middle English Metrical Paraphrase of the Old Testament, 1923:

     Qwylke þei well wyst was wyse and wyȝt
     and stalworthest in stede and stall,
     fforto be nere hym day and nyȝt
     for ferd of fare þat myȝt be fall.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 15th century, [manuscript of Havelok the Dane]; republished as Frederick Madden, editor, The ancient English Romance of Havelok the Dane, […], Printed for the Roxburghe Club, 1828:

     The rym is maked of Havelok,
     A stalworthi man in a flok;
     He was the stalworthest man at nede,
     That may riden on ani stede.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 15th century, [Chronicle of Robert of Brunne], volume IX; republished as “Chronik des Robert von Brunne (von anfang bis zu Christi geburt)”, in Richard Paul Wülker, A. Zetsche (section), editors, Anglia. Zeitschrift für Englische Philologie, 1886, page 146:

     The tyme that he was best in elde
     And stalworthest hymself to welde,
     A best com out of the Irysche se
     And destruyed al the contre.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 15th century, [Sir Peny], volume XXI; republished as “Sir Peny”, in Englische Studien, 1895, page 207:

     With owten owþer spere or schelde,
     Es he þe best in frith or felde,
     And stalworthest in stowre.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)