438. hem, them, i. e. the fetters (understood); cf. l. 498.
441. borwe the, be surety for thee, go bail for thee.
444. do an other, act in another way, try another course. There is no authority for inserting thing after other.
445. Lodge says: 'and at the ende of the hall shall you see stand a couple of good pollaxes, one for you and another for me.'
449. 'If we must in any case absolve them of their sin.' Said jocosely; he was going to absolve them after a good chastisement.
451. St. Charity was the daughter of St. Sophia, who christened her three daughters Fides, Spes, and Caritas; see Butler's Lives of the Saints (Aug. 1). Cf. Percy Folio MS., i. 28; l. 26.
453. Lodge says: 'When I give you a wincke,' &c.
456. for the nones, for the occasion; see note to l. 206.
460. leste and meste, least and greatest.
461. halle, of the hall; A. S. healle, gen. case of heal, a hall. Here, and in l. 496, we may take halle-dore as a compound word, but halle is still a genitive form.