Thomas Nash.

FOOT- AND LINE NOTES

[k] Quite detached, on page 94 of the Rawl.  MS. (the text commences on page 96), are a few lines entitled “The Epilogue,” which are obviously part of the above, albeit more than usually imperfectly copied.  Why so placed does not appear, especially as several blank pages immediately follow the conclusion of the Bodleian copy.

Title, The Choosing of Valentines, Nashes Dildo.

2 yong, younge; their iollie roguerie, their brauery; iollie, Fr. joli, pretty, fine. Bravery, finery; Cf.  Holinshed’s Chron. of Eng., 55—­The ancient Britons painted their bodies “which they esteemed a great braverie.”

3 Rose earelie in the morne fore, Rose in the morning before; daie, daye.

4 soe trimme and gaie, soe fresh and gaye.

5 summer sheene, somers shene.

6 haidegaies on, high degree in.

7 alas at Easter, or, allso at Ester and.

8 Perambulate, preambulate.

9 to som, into some; abbordring, bordering.

10 taste the creame and cakes, tast the cakes and creame.

11 Or, To.

12 by Bachelrie of Maningtree, by the bachelours of magnanimity.  “Manningtree, in Essex, formerly enjoyed the privilege of fairs, by the tenure of exhibiting a certain number of stage plays yearly.  It appears also, from other intimations, that there were great festivities there, and much good eating, at Whitsun ales, and other times.”—­Nares.

13 Where to, the contrie franklins, Whether our Country Franklins.

14 Jhon and Jone com, John and Joane come.

15 Euen, Even; hallowes, Hallowes; Saint, Sainct.

16 doeth, doth; louers, lovers; those, omitted in Rawlinson.

17 ladies, Ladyes.

18 she, shee; valentine, valentyne.

19 woe, alass, out, alas.

20 an upper, another.

21 _-haft and crab-tree face_, with his crabbed face.

22 scar’d hir, scard her; the, that.

23 And now she was compel’d for Sanctuarie, And she, poore wench, compeld for Sanctuary.

24 unto, into; venery, Venery.

25 bouldlie,, bouldly; enquire, inquire.

26 hackneis, hackneyes.  Hackney, a person or thing let out for promiscuous use, e.g., a horse, a whore, a literary drudge. Cf.  “The hobby-horse is but a colt, and your love perhaps a hackney.”—­Love’s Labour Lost, iii., 1.

27 crau’d, craud.

29 Therwith out stept, With that, stept forth; three chinnd, three-chinde.  Foggie = fat, bloated, having hanging flesh. Cf.  “Some three chind foggie dame.”—­Dolarney, Primrose.