"Here's Master Bartholomew Cokes, of Harrow o' th' Hill, i' th'County of Middlesex, Esquire, takes forth his Licence to marry Mistress Grace Well-born, of the said Place and County: And when do's he take it forth? to day!"
This is an excerpt from the opening monologue of the play. Little-Wit is bewailing the cruel fortune that Cokes has the marriage license which he so desperately wants in order to marry his friend off to his mother-in-law. Time is running out for his plans to procure a proper husband for his mother-in-law, and this quotation emphasizes the high-pressure but low-stakes tone of the performance to come.
"Before Truth, if you have that fearful quality, John, to remember when you are sober, John, what you promise drunk, John; I shall take heed of you, John. For this once I am content to wink at you; where's your wife?"
Quarlous is a man of many affections. He does not seriously have an interest in Littlewit's wife, but he has no qualms about kissing her. A man of vice and merriment, he enjoys getting drunk and playing the fool. Quarlous is, ironically, a character who frequently speaks the truth despite his foolish behavior.
"Sir if you have a mind to mock him, mock him softly, and look t'other way: for if he apprehend you flout him once, he will fly at you presently. A terrible testy old Fellow, and his Name is Waspe too."
Littlewit has heard of Wasp and knows that he has a quick and fierce temper. He urges Quarlous not to engage Wasp in any sort of confrontation, trying to save his friend some real trouble. Wasp is just one example of a character whose name communicates something important about their personality: Wasp is, like the insect, small but dangerous (according to Littlewit). Other characters with implicative names include Littlewit, Overdo, Purecraft, and Winwife.
"One that stands upon his face, more than his faith, at all times."
In this quotation, Quarlous describes Zeal-of-the-Land Busy and suggests his hypocritical nature. Busy spends the entire fair decrying everyone's behavior as sinful, but he himself indulges in the pleasures of the fair with abandon. Here, Quarlous suggests that Busy is more concerned with his reputation (his "face") rather than his puritanical faith that he imposes on others.
"By the public eating of swine's flesh, to profess our hate and loathing of Judaism."
As mentioned, Busy is one of the most hypocritical characters in the play, evidenced by his happy indulgence in the fair while he simultaneously criticizes others for their debauched behavior. Here, Busy uses his hatred of Judaism as an excuse to indulge in the pork at the fair, saying that because Jews are forbidden from eating pork by their religion, his own indulgence is a way of elevating puritanical Christianity. Of course, other characters and audience members alike will understand that Busy is simply a hypocrite with his own interests and desires in mind.
"We hear with other men's ears; we see with other men's eyes."
Adam Overdo is a justice of the peace, a position that was, at the time, similar to law enforcement in London. Here, Overdo laments the fact that his judgements are made based on the investigations of other men. This revelation inspires him to go "under cover" at the fair, disguised as a fool, so he can implement a more hands-on approach to law enforcement. His plan goes awry when nobody recognizes him nor his authority, and his efficacy as a political figure is completely ignored.
"A very quick hand, sir."
As a barman at Ursla's bar, Mooncalf is poorly treated and generally disrespected by fair-goers and Ursla alike. However, his interactions with fair participants have made him a clever judge of behavior, so much so that this quotation – a joke that the audience is likely to understand – goes right over the head of Justice Overdo. When Overdo assumes that Edgworth is a writer because he has a "quick hand," Mooncalf responds with this remark, suggesting that Edgworth is actually a pickpocket. Of course, Overdo fails to perceive the implication.
"I see compassion may become a Justice, though it be a weakness."
After enduring a beating and numerous other literal and figurative assaults at the fair, Overdo has a revelation: his role as a justice (or someone who deals out judgments) might be improved if he developed a sense of compassion for others. Having long thought that compassion was a weakness, Overdo has a change of heart in which he recognizes the importance of compassion in society. Here, he suggests that a perceived "weakness" can actually be effective, useful, and just.
"The world is mad in error, but he is mad in truth."
Dame Purecraft occupies a unique role in English society: as a widow, she is the benefactor of her late husband's estate, and as such she becomes the object of affection for many male characters in the play who wish to increase their own fortune or status. Dame Purecraft falls in love with Trouble-All after his behavior near the stocks. Many write off Trouble-All as insane, and here Dame Purecraft suggests that Trouble-All's "madness" is somehow more genuine than the appearances of others – emphasizing, once again, the play's focus on hypocrisy and disguise.
"Sir, why do you not go on with the enormity?"
At the end of the play, it is Quarlous who becomes the closest thing to a voice of reason, explaining to Overdo the numerous ways he has been deceived and the various schemes at hand. Of course, Quarlous himself has taken part in his own scheming and deceit, even as he appears to possess some authority over the other fair-goers. His goading of Overdo in this quotation – referring to Overdo's declaration that he will find and extract the "enormity" of sin at the fair – playfully suggests that Overdo has not only failed at his task but has also become part of that "enormity" along the way.
