Obs. or arch. Also 4–5 carke, kark(e. [a. AF. karke, kark, a northern F. form of carche, charche, bearing the same relation to karkier, carchier, charchier (see next), that charge does to chargier.
The pretended OE. *cearc, carc, care’ and its derivatives in Bosworth are baseless figments. There is no word of this form in Teutonic.]
† 1. (?) A load; a weight of 3 or 4 cwt. Obs.
a. 1300. [Riley, Lib. Alb. (1859), 223. De Scawinga, Qe toutz les avers des queux serra prys custume par karke, doit le karke poysera iiii centaines … kark du grein iii centaines.]
1473. Acta Audit., 31 (Jam.). Ii tun of wad, a cark of alum, a pok of madyr.
a. 1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 99. A karke of peper. A kark of gynger. Ibid., 99. The kark therof shal wey lij. C.
c. 1550. Sir J. Balfour, Practicks (1754), 87 (Jam.). For ane hundreth carkes of kelles at the entrie ij, at the furthcoming ii.
[1637. Cowell, Interpr., Carke seemeth to be a quantity of wooll whereof thirtie make a Sarpler, 27 H VI. cap. 2. [Some error—the word there is sackes.] Hence in Termes de la Ley, Blount, Phillips, Bailey, etc.]
† 2. Charge, burden of responsibility. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 20790 (Cott.). He wil noght tak þe cark [MS. F. charge] on him.
a. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 3952. This ich seuen saunfail, The cark hadde of the batayl.
c. 1400. Gamelyn, 760. I see that al the cark schal fallen on myn heed.
1580. Babington, Exp. Lord’s Prayer (1596), 148. Them that haue any great cark vpon their hands.
3. That which burdens the spirit, trouble; hence, a troubled state of mind, distress, anxiety; anxious solicitude, labor or toil. (In later use generally coupled with care.) arch.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 4. Fayre formez myȝt he fynde in for[þ]ering his speche & in þe contrare, kark & combraunce huge. Ibid., C. 265. He knew vche a cace [? care] and kark þat hym lymped.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 135. He quath … fiue thousand to þe hospitale, for þei were in karke.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. xv. 377. This seid cark and caring & attendaunce is miche more in a man for that he hath wijf & children.
1542. Boorde, Dyetary, v. (1870), 240. Euer in carcke & care, for his purse wyll euer be bare.
1567. Drant, Horace Epist., II. ii. H iii. Mongst so much toyle, and such a coyle, suche soking carke, and spyte.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 44. Downe did lay His heavie head, devoide of careful carke.
1626. Massinger, Rom. Actor, II. i. What then follows all your carke & caring?
1639. H. Ainsworth, Annot. Ps. x. 3. He woundeth himselfe with his greedy carke.
1841–6. Longf., Nuremberg, xxii. The swart mechanic comes to drown his cark and care.
† 4. Care, heed, pains. Obs.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 78. The gret carke that they had of her riches … and imoderate carke of her kynnefolke.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. Phil. iii. 1. I haue with muche carke and care oftentymes warned you.
1576. Woolton, Chr. Man., F iii b. The carke and care with Gods spirit … taketh that Justice may ouercome.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, I. xxiv. (1632), 61. The carke and care men tooke about good husbandry.
