III. ii. 33. Skogan. Shakespeare probably took

the name from a jest book published in 1565, called Scogin’s Jests. This Scogin was the court fool of King Edward IV. It is possible, however, that the reference is to Chaucer’s friend, Henry Scogan, de¬ scribed by Ben Jonson in The Fortunate Isles as ‘a fine gentleman, and master of arts, of Henry the Fourth’s time.’