p. 422 Harpsicals.  A common corruption of harpsicords on the analogy of virginals.  The two 4tos, 1687 and 1688, and the 1711 edition all read ‘harpsicals’. 1724 gives ‘Harpsicords’.

p. 435 Ebula.  The Ebelus was a jewel of great price bestowed upon Gonzales by Irdonozur.  He tells us that:  ’to say nothing of the colour (the Lunar whereof I made mention before, which notwithstanding is so incredibly beautiful, as a man should travel 1000 Leagues to behold it), the shape is somewhat flat of the breadth of a Pistolett, and twice the thickness.  The one side of this, which is somewhat more Orient of Colour than the other, being clapt to the bare skin of a man, in any part of his body, it taketh away from it all weight or ponderousness; whereas turning the other side it addeth force unto the attractive beams of the Earth, either in this world or that, and maketh the body to weigh half so much again as it did before.’

p. 446 Guzman of Salamanca.  A Guzman was a common term of abuse.  The first English translation (by James Mabbe) of Aleman’s famous romance is, indeed, entitled The Rogue, and it had as running title The Spanish Rogue.  There is a novel by George Fidge entitled The English Gusman; or, The History of that Unparalleled Thief James Hind (1652, 4to).  Salamanca had an unsavoury reputation owing to the fictions of Titus Gates. cf. The Rover (II), Act v:  ‘Guzman Medicines.’

p. 446 Signum Mallis.  This curious phrase, which is both distorted cant and canine, would appear to mean ‘your rogue’s phiz’.

p. 446 Friskin.  ’A gay lively person.’—­Halliwell.

p. 446 Jack of Lent.  A puppet set up to be thrown at; in modern parlance, ‘Aunt Sally’.  Hence a butt for all.

p. 451 Spitchcock’d.  To spitchcock is to split lengthwise, as an eel, and then broil.

p. 458 Stentraphon.  A megaphone.

p. 460 They fight at Barriers.  A comic combat between Harlequin and Scaramouch forms one of the traditional incidents (Lazzi), which occur repeatedly in the Italian and Franco-Italian farces. cf.  Dryden’s Epilogue spoken by Hart when The Silent Woman was played before the University of Oxford in 1673:—­

    Th’ Italian Merry-Andrews took their place,
    And quite debauch’d the Stage with lewd Grimace: 
    Instead of Wit and Humours, your Delight
    Was there to see two Hobby-horses fight,
    Stout Scaramoucha with Rush Lance rode in,
    And ran a Tilt at Centaure Arlequin.