]: borrowing the
tearme from our common Lawyers, with whome all such casuals as fall
to the Lord at the holding of his _Leetes_, as _Waifes_, _Strayes_, &
such like, are sayd to be
_Escheated
to the Lords vse_ and are called
_Cheates_.
Ben Jonson - The Devil's Association
=5. 6. 64 Prouinciall o' the Cheaters!= _Provincial_ is a term
borrowed from the church. See Gloss. Of the _cheaters_ Dekker gives
an interesting account in the _Bel-man of London_, _Non-dram. Wks._
3. 116 f.: 'Of all which _Lawes_, the _Highest_ in place, and the
_Highest_ in perdition is the _Cheating_ Law or the Art of winning
money by false dyce: Those that practise this studie call themselues
_Cheators_, / the dyce _Cheaters_, and the money which they purchase
[see note 3.4.31, 2.] _Cheates_ [see 1.7.4 and Gloss.
]: borrowing the
tearme from our common Lawyers, with whome all such casuals as fall
to the Lord at the holding of his _Leetes_, as _Waifes_, _Strayes_, &
such like, are sayd to be
_Escheated
to the Lords vse_ and are called
_Cheates_.
'
=5. 6. 64 Bawd-ledger.= Jonson speaks of a similar official in _Every
Man out_, _Wks._ 2. 132: 'He's a leiger at Horn's ordinary (cant name
for a bawdy-house) yonder.' See Gloss.
=5. 6. 68 to sindge your nayles off.= In the fool's song in _Twelfth
Night_ we have the exclamation to the devil: 'paire thy nayles dad'
(Furness's ed., p. 273). The editor quotes Malone: 'The Devil was
supposed from choice to keep his nails unpared, and therefore to pare
them was an affront. So, in Camden's _Remaines_, 1615: "I will follow
mine owne minde, and mine old trade; who shall let me?
