It may be added that Lodge entirely omits here all mention of abbot, prior, monk, or canon. Times had changed.
514. 'Pay a liberal allowance,' i. e. deal your blows bountifully.
515. so ever, &c., 'as sure as ever I hear mass.' Cf. l. 595.
520. telle largely, count fully.
523. the croune, i. e. the crown of each man's head; alluding to the tonsure. It means, do not spoil the tonsure on their crowns, but break their legs and arms.
531. cold reed, cold counsel, unprofitable counsel. So in Chaucer, Nonne Prestes Tale, B. 4446; see the note. So Shakespeare has 'colder tidings'; Rich. III, iv. 4. 536. Cf. l. 759 below.
532. 'It had been better for us.' Cf. l. 621.
533. This is ironical, and refers, as Mr. Jephson rightly says, to the laying on of hands, whereby Gamelyn made his victims deacons and priests after a new fashion of his own.
543. here love, love of them; here awe, awe of them. Here = A.S. hira, gen. pl. of hē, he. Hence here also means 'their,' as in l. 569.