Margin

In all our ancient English books, the commentary is printed in the margin. Hence Shakespeare:

“His face’s own margent did quote such amazes.”

Love’s Labour’s Lost, ii. 1.

“I knew you must be edified by the margent.”—Hamlet, v. 2.

“She … could pick no meaning …

Writ in the glassy margents of such books.”

Shakespeare: Rape of Lucrece, stanza 15.

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.