"jewels" as "family jewels" (genitals) in 1450?

[Joel S. Berson]

Perhaps someone having Brandl can cf. page 414, and make public the
context of the privytes.

 From the OED's Bibliography:
Brandl, Alois.
Quellen des weltlichen Dramas in England vor Shakespeare (Pride of
life, Mankind, Nature; J. Heywood's Love, Wether, Merry play;
Respublica, King Darius; Misogonus; Horestes, Gismond of Salern;
Common conditions) 1898.

And separately, "Mankind" seems to be in LION.

At 3/2/2009 06:02 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>It certainly seems that way; but it might be a mistake to assume a general
>continuity of usage since the Middle Ages.
>
>Of the word, I mean.

You mean something as slangy, masculine, and clever as this metaphor
died out?  Hard to believe.  :-)

Joel


>JL
>
>On Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      "jewels" as "family jewels" (genitals) in 1450?
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Under "jewel, n.", sense "3. fig. Applied to a thing or person of
> > great worth, or highly prized; a 'treasure', 'gem'", the OED (1989)
> > has the following quotation:
> >
> > a1450 Mankind (Brandl) 426 {Ygh}e xall not choppe my Iewellys [---my
> > privyte (cf. 414)] and I may.
> >
> > Noting "my privyte", is this an early -- perhaps the earliest? -- use
> > of "jewels" to mean "male genitals"?
> >
> > (The OED does not have this sense under "jewel".)
> >
> > Joel
> >
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