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Milton's Comus

Note 961 — INDEX TO THE NOTES.

Reading edition

trippings ... lighter toes ... court guise: words used to describe the graceful movements of the Lady and her brothers: comp. L’Alleg. 33: “trip it, as you go, On the light fantastic toe.” Trod (or trodden), past participle of tread: ‘to tread a measure’ is a common expression, meaning ‘to dance.’ ‘Court guise,’ i.e. courtly mien; guise is a doublet of wise = way, e.g. ‘in this wise,’ ‘likewise,’ ‘otherwise.’ In such pairs of words as guise and wise, guard and ward, guile and wile, the forms in gu have come into English through the French.

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