Note 30 — WORDS.
Reading edition
They follow the Saxon rule: “Verbs which in the Infinitive end in dan and tan,” (that is, in English, d and t; for an is only the Characteristic termination of the Saxon Infinitive;) “in the Preterit and Participle Preterit commonly for the sake of better sound throw away the final ed; as beot, afed, (both in the Preterit and Participle Preterit) for beoted, afeded; from beotan, afedan.” Hickes, Grammat. Saxon, cap. 9. So the same Verbs in English, beat, fed, instead of beated, feeded.