[NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.]
(Notes signed M. are from Dr. Mavor's edition of 1812, and those signed T.R. are from Hilman's Tusser Redivivus, 1710.)
[E1] "Er in aught be begun;" that is, before a beginning be made in anything, the verb being used impersonally.
[E2] The directions which are stated briefly in the Abstract will be found in the Month's Husbandry in the stanza bearing the same number.
[E3] "Pilcrowe," the mark of a new paragraph in printing (¶). A corruption of paragraph, through parcraft, pilcraft, to pilcrow. "Paragrapha, pylcraft in wrytynge."—Medulla Gramm. "Paragraphus, Anglice a pargrafte in wrytynge."—Ortus. "Paragraphe or Pillcrow, a full sentence, head or title."—Cotgrave. "A Pilkcrow, vide Paragraph."—Gouldman.
[E4] "Crosserowe." "Shee that knowes where Christes crosse stands, will neuer forget where great A dwells."—Tom Tell-Trothe's New Year's Gift (New Shakspere Soc. ed. Furnivall), p. 33. "The Christs-crosse-row or Horne-booke, wherein a child learnes it."—Cotgrave. The alphabet was called the Christ-cross-row, some say because a cross was prefixed to the alphabet in the old primers; but as probably from a superstitious custom of writing the alphabet in the form of a cross as a charm. This was even solemnly practised by the Bishop in the consecration of a church. See Picart's Relig. Ceremonies, vol. i. p. 131.—Nares.
[E5] "A medicine for the cowlaske." In Sloane MS. 1585, f. 152, will be found a recipe for the cure of diarrhœa, the components of which appear to be the yolk of a new-laid egg, honey, and fine salt.
[E6] In the edition of 1557, the first stanza of the Epistle reads somewhat differently; see p. [220].
[E7] "Time trieth the troth," in Latin "Veritas temporis filia," occurs in Tottel's Miscellany, 1557, repr. 1867, p. 221.—Hazlitt's English Proverbs.