(White Devil, 4to, H.)
That the word in this sense was not general may be gathered from the fact that George Turberville, in his full description of the various methods of hunting the hare (Noble Art of Venerie, 1575), makes no use of it, but speaks constantly of the hare's form. Quat for squat (non-substantival) is still frequent in some of the dialects, and is the word specially used of a hare or other game when flattening itself on the earth to escape observation. In West Somersetshire it is used in connection with the verb to go—"The hare went quat" (Elworthy). This is the modern use most nearly approximating to that of the present passage.
Line 476. Watt, the old name for a hare; hence metaphorically used of a wily, cautious person (Halliwell).
Line 478. Hollowe in the hind doggs.—Turberville, describing the hunting of hares, writes,—"One of the huntesmen shall take charge to rate & beate on such doggs as bide plodding behinde; and the other shall make them seeke and cast about."
Line 518. Slidd, God's lid, a mean oath. See Merry Wives of Windsor, iii. 4, 24; Twelfth Night, iii. 4, 427; Every Man in his Humour, i. 1, 56.
Line 537. Patch.—A term of contempt, generally supposed to have been first applied to professional fools, by reason of their parti-coloured dress. See Tempest, iii. 2, 71; Comedy of Errors, iii. 1, 32, 36.
Line 556. Malaparte, forward, saucy. See Twelfth Night, iv. 1, 47, and 3 Henry VI. v. 5, 32.
Line 569. Scall scabbe.—A scall = a scab; scald = scabby. See Merry Wives of Windsor, iii. 1, 123; Twelfth Night, ii. 5, 82; Troilus and Cressida, ii. 1, 31.
Line 571. Groome.—In M. E. this word meant simply boy, youth; hence (at a later period) serving-lad. See Taming of the Shrew, iii. 2, 215, and Titus Andronicus, iv. 2, 164.
Line 573. Bange, beat. Cf. Othello, ii. 1, 21, and Julius Cæsar, iii. 3, 20.