P. [44].
Pappe with an hatchet has been much discussed. The sense, which is not unlike 'giving him his gruel,' is clear enough, and any number of explanations of the form occur.
Patch. Cf. Shylock's 'The patch is kindly.'
P. [45].
Huffe, Ruffe, and Snuffe.—Characters in Preston's Cambyses. It cannot be necessary to annotate each of the plays on words of which "grating" for "greeting" is the first, and which occur throughout.
P. [46].
Ale dagger, may refer to the custom of drinking with swords on the table.
P. [47].
Scaddle is unannotated by Mr. Maskell, and does not appear in other dictionaries, even in that of Professor Skeat. But that excellent scholar, with his usual kindness, has given me a note on it. It is the A.S. scadol from 'scathe,' and means 'mischievous,' with a secondary sense of 'thievish,' and a tertiary one of 'timid' or 'skulking.' It is here probably used in a combination of all these.
Dydoppers = 'didappers,' 'dabchicks.'