TR2.1702 Dĕiphébŭs gán thĭs léttrĕ fór t’ŏnfóldĕ
TR2.1703 Ĭn érnĕst gréet; sŏ díd Ĕléyne thĕ quéenĕ;
TR2.1704 Ănd rómy̆ng óutwărd, fáste ĭt gónne by̆hóldĕ,
TR2.1705 Dŏwnwárd ă stéire, ĭntó ăn hérbĕr gréenĕ.
TR2.1706 Thĭs ílkĕ thíng thĕy réddĕn hém bĭtwénĕ,
TR2.1707 Ănd lárgĕlý, thĕ móuntănce óf ăn hóurĕ,
TR2.1708 Thĕi gónne ŏn ít tŏ rédĕn ánd tŏ póurĕ.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Deiphebus began to unfold the letter in great earnest—as did Queen Helen—and strolling outside, down a staircase, into a leafy arbour, they studied it intently. They read this same thing between them and, for fully the space of an hour, they read and pored over it.
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): デイフェーブスはその手紙を大変深刻な面持ちで、開き始めた。女王ヘレネーも一緒にそうして、二人は外へふらりと出て、それを熱心に見て、階段を下り、緑の庭に入った。二人に間でその同じものを読み始め、一時間、たっぷり時間をかけてそれについてじっくり読んで考えた。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 戴费白斯很正经地打开那信，一面慢步出去，下着階沿，和海伦一同研读，来到攀着绿藤的亭中。他俩细读，整整花了一个钟头。

Word Information

• Etymology: OE
• Addresser: Narrator
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: seriousness or solemnity (ernest)
• Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: (Quoted) 4. (d) serious, solemn; of thought: deep, intense; of evidence, witness, security: firm, solid; ~ Thursdai, Maundy Thursday; (s.v. grēt, adj. & adv. & n.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 120): In ernest greet: very seriously
• Fisher (1989: 446): ernest gret: great earnestness 
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
• Donaldson (1975: 808): greet: great
• Baugh (1963: 125): in ernest greet: in great earnest

Possible Definitions

considerable in degree, intense; serious, solemn

Comments from the Editor

See my comment of ‘grene’ (adj., Tr2.1705).