[5] Sprung: become strained or cracked.
[6] Chartered: hired.
[7] Hurdle: a framework of twigs.
[8] Vested interest: a fixed estate; here, a deeply rooted evil or abuse.
[9] The Palaver: a nickname for Parliament.
[10] Kossuth, etc.: patriots and reformers.
[11] Balances: money deposited to one's credit.
[12] Ishmaelites: outcasts.
[13] Sold me: tricked or outwitted me.
[14] Ear-marked: marked with a private mark.