[26] Or "Pancras parson," a term of contempt for the convenient clergymen of that day.
[27] The old copy reads, And give up breathing to cross their intent.
[28] What is the meaning of these initials must be left to the conjecture of the reader: perhaps waits playing, in reference to the attendant musicians.
[29] i.e., All but Kate, Strange, and Scudmore enter the church. Strange and Kate follow immediately, and leave Scudmore solus.
[30] [Referring to what Strange has said a little before, not to Scudmore's speech, which is spoken aside.]
[31] [Gossamers.]
[32] [Old copies and former edits., still given, which appears to be meaningless. The word substituted is not satisfactory, but it is the most likely one which has occurred to me, and the term is employed by our old playwrights rather more widely than at present.]
[33] Dosser is used for a basket generally, but as it means strictly a pannier for the back (from the Fr. dossier), it is here used very inappropriately with reference to the burden Mrs Wagtail carries before her. We have it in the modern sense of pannier in "The Merry Devil of Edmonton"—
"The milkmaids' cuts shall turn the wenches off,
And lay their dossers tumbling in the dust."
—[x. 224.]