1. Kix] Or kex is a dry stalk, properly of hemlock. Why this name (which Middleton has used in another play, see vol. ii. p. 4) is given to Sir Oliver, the reader will presently discover.

2. Dahanna] Old ed. in Dram. Pers., and more than once in the text, “Dahumma.”

3. virginals] See note, vol. iii. p. 112.

4. Yes? you are, &c.] Was not this speech originally verse, though the present state of the text will not admit of its being arranged as such?

5. board] Old ed. “bord”—perhaps a misprint.

6. I ha', &c.] Qy. “Ay, ha’,” &c.? but compare p. 27, l. 13.

7. bracks] i. e. breaks.

8. Hobson’s porters] Hobson was the celebrated Cambridge-carrier, on whose death, in Jan. 1630-1, Milton, while a student at that university, composed a copy of verses. There are three epitaphs on Hobson in Wit’s Recreations, p. 249, reprint 1817; and his will, dated Dec. 1630, is printed in the Coll. of Pieces appended to Peck’s Memoirs of Cromwell, p. 44. A tract, published in 1617, 4to, is called, from him, Hobson’s Horse-load of Letters, or a President for Epistles; and he is said (see The Spectator, No. 509,) to have given rise to the expression Hobson’s choice.

9. the Bell] Qy. “the Bull?”

“This memorable man [Hobson] stands drawn in fresco, at an inn, which he used in Bishopsgate-Street, with an hundred pound bag under his arm, with this inscription upon the said bag:

10. tester] i. e. sixpence: see note, vol. i. p. 258.

11. gear] i. e. matter.

12. What is’t you lack] See note, vol. i. p. 447.

13. marks] A mark was 13s. 4d.

14. wound] Qy. “sound?”

15. serve] Old ed. “serues.”

16. pick] i. e. peak—grow meagre.

17. Turn not, &c.] Corrupted text, I believe; the whole speech having been originally verse.

18. O turn, sir, turn There appears to be some grievous corruption here. Perhaps for “turn” we ought to read “Tim,”—of whom Yellowhammer proceeds to speak: the hopeful youth is certainly not present; he does not arrive from Cambridge till act iii. sc. 2.

19. What is’t you lack] See note, vol. i. p. 447.

20. rules] i. e. sports, games: compare in vol. ii. p. 124, “how go the squares?” and see Steevens’s note on the word “night-rule,” Shakespeare’s Mid.'s Night’s Dream, act iii. sc. 2, and Douce’s Illust. of Shak., vol. i. p. 192.

21. _wittol_] i. e. tame cuckold.

22. gaudy-shops] i. e. shops where they sell gauds, finery.

23. Gresham’s Burse] i. e. the Royal Exchange, built by Sir Thomas Gresham.

24. think’s] i.e. think these things is mine—an expression which, on account of the metre, cannot be altered.

25. where] i. e. whereas.

26. string] Old ed. “strings.”

27. meet] Old ed. “meets.”

28. and] i. e. if.

29. Put on] i. e. put on your hat.

30. God-den] A corruption of Good even.

31. Thus do I rid myself of fear, &c.] An imperfect couplet: compare vol. i. p. 424, vol. ii. p. 7, vol. iii. p. 52, &c.

32. will] Old ed. “willes”—but a rhyme is intended here.

33. gear] i. e. stuff.

34. progress] i. e. the travelling of the sovereign and court to different parts of the kingdom.

35. snaphance] “A spring-lock to a gun or pistol; a fire-lock, which term, as snaphance sometimes was, is since given to the gun itself.” Nares, Gloss. in v., where see more concerning the word. The metaphorical sense in which the lady uses it is sufficiently obvious.

36. mutton] See note, vol. iii. p. 102.

37. have] Old ed. “has.”

38. promoters] See note, p. 31.

39. passion] i. e. sorrow.

40. Touch. jun.] Old ed. “Lady.”

41. mark ... for thirteen shillings fourpence] A play on words: see note, p. 10.

42. I cannot do withal] i. e. I cannot help it: see Gifford’s note on Ben Jonson’s Works, vol. iii. p. 470, and my note on Webster’s Works, vol. iii. p. 215.

43. kersten] A corruption of Christian.

44. And that’s worth, &c.] Thus in old ed.;

45. Before Allwit’s house] If the reader, during the earlier part of this scene, should wonder why I have not placed it within the house, he will presently see the reason. Perhaps, indeed, as there was no painted moveable scenery when the play was written, the author might have meant the audience to suppose that the stage represented a chamber, until the entrance of the Promoters, when it was suddenly to be taken for a street. See notes, vol. ii. pp. 142, 147.

46. o’erthrows] Qy. “o’ergrows?”

47. Dahanna] Old ed. here “Dahumma:” see note, p. 4.

48. Promoters] “Be those which in popular and penall actions do deferre the names, or complaine of offenders, having part of the profit for their reward.” Cowell’s Interpreter, ed. 1637, in v.—But the Promoters in our play do more than inform,—they execute the law.

49. corps] A plural: compare vol. ii. p. 135, l. 6, and p. 162, (note 310).

50. golls] A cant term for hands,—fists, paws.

51. colon] i. e. hunger—properly, the largest of the intestines.

52. a foutra for] Equivalent to—a fig for: the expression is used by Pistol in Shakespeare’s Henry IV. P. Sec. act v. sc. 3.

53. Turnbull Street] A corruption of Turnmill Street, near Clerkenwell: repeatedly mentioned in our early dramas as the residence of dissolute persons of both sexes.

54. band] Not a misprint for hand.—Old ed. “Band.”

55. Queenhive] A corruption of Queenhithe.

56. Branford] Or Brainford—an old and corrupt form of Brentford.

57. trussing him] i. e. tying his points: see note, vol. iii. p. 319.

58. kursning-day] i. e. christening-day.

59. and] i. e. if.

60. come] Old ed. “comes.”

61. beholding] i. e. beholden—a form common in old writers.

62. Enter from the house, &c.] The direction in old ed. is, “Enter Midwife with the Child, and the Gossips to the Kursning.” That the christening did not take place at home appears from the opening of the second scene of the next act.

63. it] i. e. the precedence.

64. And] i.e. if.

65. Here’s no, &c.] See note, vol. i. p. 169.

66. receiv’d baffling] i. e. put up with insult: see note, vol. ii. p. 449.

67. A bed-chamber, &c.] Old ed. “A Bed thrust out vpon the Stage, Allwit’s wife in it, Enter all the Gossips.”

68. kursen] i.e. christened.

69. Amsterdam] See note, vol. i. p. 205.

70. Ey’d] Old ed. “Ey’s.”

71. spiny] i.e. slender.

72. 'postle-spoons] i. e. apostle-spoons,—the usual gift of sponsors at christenings—spoons of silver, sometimes gilt, the handle of each ending in the figure of an apostle.

73. Judas with the red beard] Judas Iscariot, according to the common notion, had red hair and beard, and was so represented in tapestries and pictures: see note, vol. i. p. 259.

74. come] Old ed. “comes.”

75. go] Old ed. “goes.”

76. and] i. e. if.

77. mar’l] i. e. marvel.

78. fitters] i. e. pieces,—small fragments.

79. Bucklersbury] When this play was written, was chiefly occupied by druggists; at whose shops, it appears, sweetmeats were to be purchased. “Go into Bucklersbury and fetch me two ounces of preserved melons.” Westward Ho,—Webster’s Works, vol. iii. p. 19.

80. and] i. e. if.

81. Lady Kix] Old ed. has merely “Lady:” but such is the prefix to all the speeches of Lady Kix throughout the play; and see p. 27, l. 13.

82. towards] i. e. in preparation.

83. cattle] i. e. the Welsh runts, of which we hear more afterwards.

84. fresh-woman] A term invented by Tim,—corresponding to freshman, one lately come to the university, and unacquainted with its customs.

85. lin] i. e. cease.

86. Dunces] i.e. the schoolmen,—properly the disciples of Duns Scotus: see Todd’s Johnson’s Dict. in v. Dunce.

87. beholding] See note, p. 40.

88. Pissing-conduit] A little conduit, which ran a small stream, near the Royal Exchange.