.

+Prologue+

p. 223 _Prologue._ This prologue was first spoken to Shadwell's
comedy, _The True Widow_, produced at the Duke's Theatre, Dorset
Garden, 21 March, 1678, and it is printed with all copies of that
play. It was, no doubt, used on the present occasion by permission
of Dryden. It will be noticed that the Epilogue to _The Widow Ranter_
is the Prologue to _Abdelazar_.

p. 223 _Muss._ A scramble. cf. _Antony and Cleopatra_, iii, 13:--

... of late, when I cried 'Ho!'
Like boys unto a muss, Kings would start forth,
And cry 'Your will?'

+ACT I: Scene i+

p. 226 _a Cogue of Brandy._ 'Cogue' is a Kentish word. _Kent Glossary_
(1887), has 'cogue; a dram of brandy'; and Wright, _Eng. Dial. Dic._,
who gives 'cogue' as exclusively Kentish, assigns precisely the same
meaning. D'Urfey, however, _Pills to Purge Melancholy_ (1719), vi,
p. 351, has 'a cogue of good ale'.

p. 227 _Groom Porter's._ The Groom Porter was an officer of the Royal
Household. This post was abolished in the reign of George III. From
the sixteenth century he regulated all matters connected with card
playing, gambling, and dicing within the precincts of the court. He
even furnished cards and dice, and settled disputes concerning the
game.

p. 227 _high and low Flats and Bars._ i.e. Doctored dice. cf.
_Chamber's Cycl. Supp._ (1753), 'Barr Dice, a species of false dice
so formed that they will not easily lie on certain sides.' This cant
term is found as early as 1545. cf. Ascham's _Toxophilus_. Flats are
also cards. --(Grose, and J. H. Vaux, _Flash Dic._)

p. 231 _shier._ Schire = clear; pure. A Gaelic word. cf. Herd,
_Scotch Songs_ (2nd ed. 1776), 11, _Gloss._--'We call clear liquor
shire'.

p. 231 _paulter._ Mean; worthless. This rare form is perhaps found
only here. The _N.E.D._ does not give it. But we have 'paltering'
and 'palterly'.

p. 232 _Hoggerds._ A rare word, being obsolete for Hogherd. cf. De
Parc's _Francion_, iv, 3 (tr. 1655): 'Our Regent (who had in him no
more humanity than a Hoggard).'

p. 233 _trusting for old Oliver's Funeral broke._ The obsequies of
Oliver Cromwell, originally fixed for 9 November, 1658, owing to the
extraordinary magnificence of the preparations were not performed
until 23 November. For many days his waxen effigy, dressed in robes
of state, was exhibited at Somerset House. The expenses totalled
L60,000