[P. 18, l. 22], commodities.]—goods, in which needy prodigals took either part or whole of the sum they wanted to borrow, and for which they gave a bond: these commodities (sometimes consisting of brown paper!) they were to turn into ready money. Our early writers have innumerable allusions to the custom.
[P. 18, l. 22], wit, whither wilt thou?]—A kind of proverbial expression, by no means unfrequent: see, for instance, Shakespeare’s As you like it, Act iv. sc. 1.
[P. 18, l. 26], tottered.]—tattered.
[P. 18, l. 30], M. Weild the mayor.]—See [note, p. 29].
[P. 19, l. 8], I put out some money to haue threefold gaine at my returne.]—See [note, p. 26].
[P. 19, l. 19], Bench-whistlers.]—perhaps, sottish idlers on ale-house benches; see Gifford’s note in B. Jonson’s Works, i. 103.
[P. 19, l. 19], ketlers and keistrels.]—The first of these terms I am unable to explain; but it occurs in Middleton’s Black Book, “So, drawing in amongst bunglers and ketlers under the plain frieze of simplicity, thou mayest finely couch the wrought velvet of knavery;” and in his Father Hubburd’s Tales, we find “like an old cunning bowler to fetch in a young ketling gamester:” see Middleton’s Works, v. 543, 589, ed. Dyce. Keistrels are hawks of a worthless and degenerate breed.
[P. 20, l. 3], pretends.]—intends.
[P. 20, l. 9], sort.]—set, band.
[P. 20, l. 24], Jigmonger.]—ballad maker.