[1093] "The earlier and the later should be known" means: it should be known thus — "Does this venerable one shift from one subject (vatthu) to another subject, or shift from one failure (vipatti) to another failure, or shift from one offense (āpatti) to another offense? Having denied, does he then admit? Having admitted, does he then deny? Does he evade one matter by means of another — or not?" It is in this way that the earlier and the later should be known.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.