6. Chimb: The rim of a barrel where the staves project beyond
the head.
7. With olde folk, save dotage, is no more: Dotage is all that is
left them; that is, they can only dwell fondly, dote, on the past.
8. Souter: cobbler; Scottice, “sutor;”’ from Latin, “suere,” to
sew.
9. “Ex sutore medicus” (a surgeon from a cobbler) and “ex
sutore nauclerus” (a seaman or pilot from a cobbler) were both
proverbial expressions in the Middle Ages.
10. Half past prime: half-way between prime and tierce; about
half-past seven in the morning.
11. Set his hove; like “set their caps;” as in the description of
the Manciple in the Prologue, who “set their aller cap”. “Hove”
or “houfe,” means “hood;” and the phrase signifies to be even
with, outwit.