FOOTNOTES:
—squander'd abroad.; Scattered.
to eat of the habitation which your prophet, the Nazarite, conjured the devil into!; See 8th. c. St. Matthew, v. 30.
catch him once upon the hip,; Dr. Johnson says the expression is taken from the practice of wrestling.
—ripe wants of my friend,; Wants come to the height—wants that can have no longer delay.
—Is he yet possess'd; Id est, acquainted—informed.
—eanlings; Lambs just dropt.
—certain wands,; A wand in Shakespeare's time was the usual term for what we now call a switch.—MALONE.
—deed of kind,; Id est, of nature.
—the fulsome ewes; Lascivious—rank, obscene ewes.
—Fall; To let fall.
—and those were Jacob's.; See Genesis xxx. 37.
The devil can cite scripture for his purpose.; See St. Matthew iv. 6.
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!; Falsehood, which, as truth means honesty, is taken here for treachery and knavery, does not stand for falsehood in general, but for the dishonesty now operating.—JOHNSON.
—and my usances:; Usance in our author's time signified interest of money.
A breed of barren metal of his friend?; A breed, that is, interest money bred from the principal. The epithet barren implies that money is a barren thing, and cannot, like corn and cattle, multiply itself.
Dwell; Continue.
—fearful guard; A guard not to be trusted, but gives cause of fear.
I like not fair terms; Kind words—good language.