Chapter IV · Chapter 4

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

anew

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

how long something has existed

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

Having no one else present.

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

(Roman Catholic Church) Roman priest who became bishop of Milan

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

separated or at a distance in place or position or time

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

dwell

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

showing who or what does the action

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

dearly loved

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

past form of “fare” — proceed or get along

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

an association of people who share common beliefs or activities

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

one retired from society for religious reasons

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

evidencing the possession of inside information

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

go away from a place

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

in order that something should not happen

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

held dear

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

to a great degree or extent

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

at no time hereafter

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

many times at short intervals

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

a male human offspring

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

in the near future

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

coming after or following

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

from that time on

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

for that reason; as a result

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

an old word for “yours”

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

the cognitive condition of someone who understands

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being

From this reading Then Beltane sank upon his knees and caught the hermit's wasted hands and kissed them oft, saying:

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "Thus did we live together, thou and I, dear son, and I loved thee well, my Beltane: with each succeeding day I loved thee better, for as thine understanding grew, so grew my love for thee.

an old form of “were”, used with “thou”

From this reading Therefore, so soon as thou wert of an age, set in thy strength and able to thine own support, I tore myself from thy sweet fellowship and lived alone lest, having thee, I might come nigh to happiness."

during the time that

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Much hast thou suffered, O my father, but now am I come to thee again and, knowing all things, here will I bide and leave thee nevermore."

in the company of; together with

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again:

but in spite of that

From this reading HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN Thus spake the hermit Ambrose and, having made an end, sat thereafter with his head bowed upon his hands, while Beltane stood wide-eyed yet seeing not, and with lips apart yet dumb by reason of the wonder of it; therefore, in a while, the hermit spake again: