1393. Gower, Confessio Amantis, v. ‘For to pinche, and for to
spare, Of worlds mucke to gette encres.’
1587. Turberville, Tragicall Tales [Nares]. Not one in all Ravenna
might compare With him for wealth, or match him for his muck.
1592. Nashe, Summer’s Last Will [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), viii.
29]. St. Francis a holy saint and never had any money. It is
madness to doat upon muck.
1603. Davies of Hereford, Microcosmos [Grosart (1878), i. c], 70.
Our mucke and Earthly Mammon’s continent.
1611. Davies, Scourge of Folly [Nares]. He married her for mucke,
she him for lust; The motives fowle, then fowlly live they must.
1624. Massinger, Bondman, i. 3. Do you prize your muck Above your
liberties.
1655. Massinger, Guardian, v. 4. Deliver such coin as you are
furnish’d with.... Dur. When we have thrown down our muck, what
follows? Sev. Liberty, with a safe convoy, To any place you choose.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed). Muck (S.) ... also a cant name
or money hoarded up.
1754. B. Martin, Eng. Dict., s.v. Muck ... pelf, which a miser
scrades.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.