18. Food for Midas. Midas prayed that everything he touched might turn to gold. His prayer being granted, he found himself without food, and prayed Bacchus to revoke the favor. 19. Counterfeit = portrait. 20. Leave itself unfurnish'd, that is, with a companion. 21. Continent = 23. In a prize for a prize. 24. Livings estates, possessions. = 25. Vantage to exclaim on you 26. None from me = none away from me. = 27. So if, provided that. 28. Intermission 29. If promise last common in Shakespeare. 30. Very true. 31. Him = himself. 32. Estate condition, state. 33. Shrewd evil. 34. Constant firm, steadfast. 35. Mere absolute, thorough. Lat. merus, pure, unmixed. = 36. Should appear = would appear. 37. Confound = ruin, destroy. 38. Impeach the freedom, etc. in the city. 1. Fond = = = = = = = pause, delay. = if promise hold; a play on words, often weak, so O. Fr. verai, from Lat. verax, true. 39. Magnificoes of greatest port = grandees of highest rank. 40. Envious plea = malicious plea. 41. Best-condition'd = best disposed. The superlative here is carried over also to unwearied. 42. Cheer countenance. 43. You and I. This mistake is not uncommon in Shakespeare and other writers of the time. foolish. To come as to come. warrant to cry out against you. = denies that strangers have equal rights SCENE III. This is the original sense of the word. 2. 3. Dull-eyed stupid, wanting in perception. 4. Kept dwelt. 5. Deny the course of law = refuse to let the law take its course. 1. Conceit = idea, conception. 2. Lover= friend. A common signification. 3. Customary bounty can enforce you: make you feel. 4. Husbandry and manage = stewardship and management. 5. Imposition task or duty imposed. 6. Padua was famous for the learned jurists of its university. = 66 7. Imagined speed = speed of thought or imagination. 8. Tranect: = the name of the place where "the common ferry" or ferry-boat set out for Venice. 9. Convenient = proper, suitable. 10. Reed voice = shrill, piping voice. 12. I could not do withal = I could not help it. crude, unskilful. = 14. Jacks a common term of contempt. = SCENE IV. 1. Fear you fear for you. another blunder of Launcelot's. 3. Scylla = a rocky cape on the west coast of southern Italy. Charybdis is a celebrated whirlpool on the opposite coast of Sicily. Hence the frequent saying, "He falls into Scylla who seeks to avoid Charybdis." 4. I shall be saved, etc. A reference, probably, to 1 Cor. vii. 14: "The unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband." 5. Enow enough. 6. Rasher = a thin slice of bacon. = = -- - A pleonasm not infrequent in Shakespeare. ordinary benevolence can SCENE V. -- 7. Are out have fallen out, quarrelled. 8. I know my duty. Launcelot plays on the double meaning of 'cover," namely, to lay the table, and to put on one's hat. 9. Quarrelling with occasion = using every opportunity to make perverse replies. 10. Discretion = discrimination. 11. A many. — This phrase is still used, though rarely, by poets. It is found in Tennyson's "Miller's Daughter," and Rolfe quotes from Gerald Massey: "We've known a many sorrows, Sweet; 12. Garnish'd: furnished, equipped. 13. Defy the matter = set the meaning at defiance. 14. How cheer'st thou : what spirits are you in? 15. Set you forth = describe you fully. = ACT IV.-SCENE I. 1. Uncapable. Shakespeare uses also incapable. With a considerable number of words, the English prefix un and the Latin prefix in were used indifferently; as, uncertain, incertain; ungrateful, ingrateful. 2. Qualify = modify, moderate. Though my soul BEN JONSON. 3. And that = and since. It is not unusual for the Elizabethan writers to use that in place of repeating a preceding conjunction. be guilty and that I think," etc. 4. Envy's reach reach of hatred or malice. Envy frequently had this meaning in Shakespeare's time. In Mark xv. 10 we read: "For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy." 5. Remorse= beth. pity, relenting a common meaning in the age of Eliza = = whereas. 6. Where 8. Moiety portion, share, as often in Shakespeare. According to its etymology, it strictly means a half. From Fr. moitié, half. 9. Charter. Shakespeare seems to have supposed that Venice held a charter from the German Emperor, which might be revoked for any flagrant act of injustice. = -- 10. A gaping pig= a pig's head as roasted for the table. 11. Passion= feeling. = 12. Lodg'd= fixed, abiding. = 13. Current = course. 17. With all brief and plain conveniency "with such brevity and directness as befits the administration of justice." — Wright. 18. Have judgment = receive sentence. 19. Parts offices, employments. 20. Upon my power by virtue of my prerogative. We still say, my authority." 21. Determine = decide. 22. Ilangman: = executioner. consider that you are arguing. on 23. Envy = malice. See note 4. = 24. Wit sense. 25. Inexecrable: "inexorable." 26. And for thy life, etc. = let justice be impeached for allowing thee to live. = = 27. Pythagoras. - A philosopher of the sixth century B.C., who taught the transmigration of souls. 28. Who, hang'd, etc. Another instance of the suspended nominative. 29. Fell fierce, cruel. A. S. fel, cruel. 30. Fleet 33. No impediment to let him lack no hindrance to his receiving. 34. Take your place, probably beside the duke. 35. Question trial. 39. Strain'd = constrained, forced. honesty. 40. Truth 41. A Daniel. See the "History of Susanna" in the Apocrypha, where "the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young youth, whose name was Daniel," to confound the two wicked judges. flit, take flight. = = that cannot be execrated enough. Another reading is hurtest, annoyest. within his power. 42. Hath full relation is fully applicable. 43. More elder. Double comparatives were frequently used by the Elizabethan writers. 44. Balance.—Though singular in form, it is used as a plural, as having two scales. 45. On your charge in amount, in the gross weight. 53. Which humbleness, etc. may induce me to commute into a fine. = speak well of me when I am dead. which humble supplication on your part 54. In use in trust. 55. Ten more, that is, to make up twelve jurymen, who were jestingly godfathers-in-law." called " = 56. Serves you not 57. Gratify recompense. 58. Cope requite, repay. 59. Withal with; here used as a preposition governing ducats. 60. More mercenary desirous for more pay than the satisfaction of doing good. 61. Of force of necessity. = 62. Attempt tempt. 63. 'Scuse = excuse. = = sage in Shakespeare. = is not at your disposal. 64. An if if; a pleonasm. 5. Out-night you = This shortened form occurs in only one other pas 1. Upon more advice upon further consideration. 2. Old swearing. — "Old" was an intensive epithet in common use. ACT V. SCENE I. 1. Troilus was a son of Priam, king of Troy. He loved Cressida, daughter of the Grecian soothsayer, Calchas. SCENE II. = 2. Thisbe was a beautiful Babylonian lady, with whom Pyramus was in love. They agreed to meet at the tomb of Ninus; but, on arriving there, Thisbe was frightened at the sight of a lioness that had just killed an ox. She fled, leaving her cloak behind. Pyramus, finding the cloak stained with blood, believed that a wild beast had killed her, and took his own life — an example which was followed by Thisbe. 3. Dido was Queen of Carthage. She loved Æneas, by whom she was deserted. The "willow in her hand" was the symbol of unhappy love. 4. Medea was the daughter of Eetes, king of Colchis. She assisted Jason in obtaining the Golden Fleece, and afterwards became his wife. She possessed magical powers, and in order to renew the youth of Aeson, the father of Jason, she boiled him in a caldron, into which she had cast “enchanted herbs." beat you in this game of "In such a night." - These were numerous in Italy, being found not only in churches, but along the roads. await. 7. Expect 8. Patines the plate used for the sacramental bread. It was sometimes made of gold. |