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. that which contains, container. 21. Continent = 22. I come by note = I come by written warrant. = 23. In a prize for a prize. 24. Livings estates, possessions. 25. Vantage to exclaim on you warrant to cry out against you. 26. None from me = none away from me. 27. So if, provided that. 28. Intermission = pause, delay. 29. If promise last common in Shakespeare. = if promise hold; a play on words, often weak, so O. Fr. verai, from Lat. verax, true. condition, state. = 35. Mere absolute, thorough. Lat. merus, pure, unmixed. 39. Magnificoes of greatest port = grandees of highest rank. 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. SCENE III. 1. Fond foolish. This is the original sense of the word. 5. Deny the course of law refuse to let the law take its course. 6. Commodity traffic, commercial relations. 7. Bated lowered, reduced. 3. Customary bounty can enforce you = ordinary benevolence can 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. 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. 1. Fear you == fear for you. SCENE V. 2. Agitation = cogitation- 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." 66 6. Rasher = a thin slice of bacon. 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 verse replies. 10. Discretion = discrimination. = using every opportunity to make per 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; We've wept a many tears." 13. Defy the matter = 14. How cheer'st thou set the meaning at defiance. what spirits are you in? 15. Set you forth = describe you fully. 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. = 3. And that: and since. It is not unusual for the Elizabethan writers to use that in place of repeating a preceding conjunction. "Though my soul be guilty and that I think," etc. - BEN JONSON. 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." 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. = "with such brevity and 17. With all brief and plain conveniency directness as befits the administration of justice.” — WRIGHT. 18. Have judgment = receive sentence. = 20. Upon my power by virtue of my prerogative. We still say, my authority." Von live. = that cannot be execrated enough. Another reading is 26. And for thy life, etc. = let justice be impeached for allowing thee to 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 flit, take flight. 31. Offend'st = hurtest, annoyest. 32. To fill up to fulfil. = 33. No impediment to let him lack: no hindrance to his receiving. 34. Take your place, probably beside the duke. 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. 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 at your expense. 46. Still her use = constantly her custom. 47. Speak me fair in death = speak well of me when I am dead. 48. With all my heart. - There is pathos in this jest. 49. A just pound an exact pound. 50. In the substance 51. Contrive plot. = in amount, in the gross weight. 52. Formerly as aforesaid. = 53. Which humbleness, etc. which humble supplication on your part may induce me to commute into a fine. 54. In use in trust. 55. Ten more, that is, to make up twelve jurymen, who were jestingly called "godfathers-in-law." 59. Withal: with; here used as a preposition governing ducats. 60. More mercenary doing good. 61. Of force = =3 of necessity. 62. Attempt = tempt. 63. 'Scuse = excuse. sage in Shakespeare. This shortened form occurs in only one other pas 64. An if if; a pleonasm. 1. Upon more advice = SCENE II. upon further consideration. 2. Old swearing. -"Old" was an intensive epithet in common use. 1. Troilus was a son of Priam, king of Troy. He loved Cressida, daughter of the Grecian soothsayer, Calchas. 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 Æetes, 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." 5. Out-night you = 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. 7. Expect 8. Patines await. the plate used for the sacramental bread. It was sometimes made of gold. |