eard

t. & i. [A. S. eardian.] [EARD, 8.] Α. Trans.: Τo put in the earth; to inter; to put into a grave. "Naebody ever ken'd whare his uncle the prior earded him, or what he did wi' his gowd and silver."-Scott: Antiquary , ch. xxiv. *B. In trans.: To live, to dwell. "Ha ne mahen nawt somen earden in hevene."-Halt IMG:content-0701.png:[blocks in formation] "The covert of the thrice- eared field Saw stately Ceres to her pa ion yield." any definition of function whatever." ( Mar Müller : Science of Language (6th ed.), vol. ii., p. 280.)] An English title of nobility, the third in rank, being next below that of marquis, and next above that of viscount. It is the representative of the Norman title of count (q. v.), and originally the earls, like the counts, had jurisdiction over a certain district or shire, whence they were called also Shiremen. The title now is wholly unconnected with any terri- torial jurisdiction. The earl's coronet consists of a richly-chased circle of gold, having on the upper edge eight strawberry leaves, between each pair of which is a pearl on a spire rising above the leaves; the cap is similar to that of a duke. [DUKE.] "Thanes and kinsmen, Henceforth be earls , the first that ever Scotland For such an honor named." Shakesp.: Macbeth , v. 8. to arms and grants of armorial bearings. The office is now hereditary, being held by the Dukes of Nor- folk. *2. One who has the chief care of military solemn i- ties. "The marching troops through Athens take their way, The great earl - marshal orders their array." IMG:content-0702.png:[graphic] IMG:content-0703.png:[blocks in formation] "Earle on high stood unabashed Defoe." Pope : Dunciad , ii. 147. ëar'-lět, s . [Eng.ear; dim in. suff. let .] *1. Ord. Lang ., .: A little ear. 2. ( Pl .) Bot .: Peculiar indentations in the leaves of the Foliosæ hepatica. ( Thomé .) ear'-li-ne , s. [Eng. early ; -ne .] The quality or state of being early, forward, or in advance. "The goodne of the crop is a great gain, if the good. ne answer the earline of coming up." -Bacon . *earl-Ish, a . [Eng.earl; -ish . ] Like an earl. *earl-Ish-ne , s. [Eng. earlish; -ne ] The qualities or characteristics of an earl. represented by girlishne ; why not earl by earlishne ?" - Mortimer Collins: Two Plunges for a Pearl , vol. iii., p. 114. *ëar-lock, s . [Eng. ear , and lock . ] A lock or curl of hair worn on the cheek near to the ear by men of fashion in the early part of the seventeenth cent- ury; a love-lock. "These love-locks, or earlocks , in which too many of our nation have of late begun to glory." -Prynne: Unlove- line of Love- locks , p. 3. ear-ly, *ear-lich, *eer-11, *ere-liche, *er- liche, *eare-ly, *ere-ly, adv . & a. [A. S. árlice =early (adv.), from ér =sooner, and lic =like.] A. As adverb: "By the cause that they shulden rise, Early amorwe for to seen the sight." and panelings. The doorways of this style, in large buildings, are often divided in- Early English Architecture. to two, by a sin- West Front of Salisbury Cathedral. gle shaft or small pin, with a quatrefoil or other ornament. The win- dows are almost universally of long and narrow pro- portions, and are used singly, or in combinations of two, three, five, and seven; when thus combined, the space between them sometimes but little ex- ceeds the width of the mullions of the latter styles. Groined ceilings are very common in this style The pillars usually consist of small shafts arranged round a larger circular pier, but others of a differ- ent kind are sometimes found. The capitals con- sist of plain moldings, or are enriched with foliage and sculpture characteristic of the style. 2. Toward, in or near the beginning. " Early in 1661 took place a general election." - Macau- -Spectator , Oct., 1881, p. 1,338. lay: Hist. Eng ., ch. ii. IMG:content-0704.jpg:[blocks in formation] 1. Soon or in advance, as compared with some- thing else; as, an early crop. 2. Coming before or in advance of the usual time. "As an early spring we see." 3. First, toward, in or near the beginning. "But, as he lay in the morning light, his face for a mo- ment Seemed to a ume once more the forms of its earlier manhood." Long fellow: Evangeline, ii. 5. 4. In good time, not advanced in the day. "At these early hours shake off IMG:content-0705.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0706.png:[blocks in formation] II. Law : Something given by a buyer to a seller as a token or pledge to bind the bargain; a part or portion of goods delivered into the po e ion of the buyer at the time of the sale as a pledge or security for the complete fulfillment of the contract. "But if any part of the price is paid down, if it be but a penny, or any portion of the goods delivered by way of earnest, the property of the goods is absolutely bound by it; and the vendee may recover the goods by action, as well as the vendor may the price of them. And such regard does the law pay to earnest as an evidence of a contract, that, by the Statute of Frauds, 29 Car. II. c. 3, no contract for the sale of goods, to the value of £10 or more, shall be valid, unle the buyer actually receives part of the goods sold, by way of earnest on his part; or unle he gives part of the price to the vendor by way of earnest to bind the bargain, or in part of payment: or aule some note in writing of the bargain be made and signed by the party, or his agent, who is to be charged with the contract."- Black stone , Comment ., bk. ii., ch. 36. (1) Crabb thus discriminates between earnest and pledge : "In the proper sen so, the earnest is given as a token of our being in earnest in the promise we have made; the pledge signifies a se curity by which we are engaged to indemnify for a lo . The earnest has regard to the confidence inspired; the pledge has regard to the bond or tie produced: when a contract is only verbally formed, it is usual to give earnest ; whenever money is advanced, it is common to give a pledge . In the figurative application the terms bear the same analogy; a man of genius sometimes, though not always, gives an earnest in youth of his future greatne ; children are the dearest pledges of affection between parents." (Crabb: Eng. Synon .)