The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [2409]
I.ii.195 (243,9) [I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty] I should wish to read, I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts. Therein I confess myself much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing.
I.ii.257 (246,1) [one out of suits with Fortune] This seems an allusion to cards, where he that has no more cards to play of any particular sort is out of suit.
I.ii.275 (247,3) [the Duke's condition] The word condition means character, temper, disposition. So Anthonio the merchant of Venice, is called by his friend the best conditioned man.
I.iii.33 (249,5) [you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase, I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly] That is, by this way of following the argument. Dear is used by Shakespeare in a double sense, for beloved, and for hurtful, hated, baleful. Both senses are authorised, and both drawn from etymology, but properly beloved is dear, and hateful is dere. Rosalind uses dearly in the good, and Celia in the bad sense.
I.iii.83 (251,6) [And thou wilt show more bright, and seem more virtuous] [W: shine] The plain meaning of the old and true reading is, that when she was seen alone, she would be more noted.
I.iii.98 (251,7) [Rosalind lacks then the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one][W: which teacheth me] Either reading may stand. The sense of the established text is not remote or obscure. Where would be the absurdity of saying, You know not the law which teaches you to do right.
I.iii.119 (252,9) [curtle-ax]—curtle-axe. or cutlace. a broad sword.
II.i.13 (254,3)
[Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head]
It was the current opinion in Shakespeare's time, that in the head of an old toad was to be found a stone, or pearl, to which great virtues were ascribed. This stone has been often sought, but nothing has been found more than accidental or perhaps morbid indurations of the skull.
II.i.18 (254,4) [I would not change it] Mr. Upton, not without probability, gives these words to the Duke, and makes Amiens begin, Happy is your grace.
II.i.67 (256,6) [to cope him] To encounter him; to engage with him.
II.iii.8 (257,8) [The bony priser] So Milton, Giants of mighty bone.
II.iii.37 (258,9) [diverted blood] Blood turned out of the course of nature.
II.iii.60 (259,1)
[promotion; And, having that, do choak their service up Even with the having]
Even with the promotion gained by service is service extinguished.
II.iv.33 (261,4) [If thou remember'st not the slightest folly] I am inclined to believe that from this passage Suckling took the hint of his song.
Honest lover, whosoever,
If in all thy love there ever
Were one wav'ring thought, thy flame
Were not even, still the same.
Know this
Thou lov'st amiss,
And to love true
Thou must begin again and love anew, &c. (rev. 1778, III,297,4)
II.iv.48 (262,5) [batlet] The instrument with which washers beat their coarse cloaths.
II.iv.51 (262,6) [two cods] For cods it would be more like sense to read peas, which having the shape of pearls, resembled the common presents of lovers.
II.iv.55 (262,7) [so is all nature in love, mortal in folly] This expression I do not well understand. In the middle counties, mortal, from mort, a great quantity, is used as a particle of amplification; as mortal tall, mortal little. Of this sense I believe Shakespeare takes advantage to produce one of his darling equivocations. Thus the meaning will be, so is all nature in love abounding in folly.
II.iv.87 (263,8) [And in my voice most welcome shall ye be] In my voice, as far as I have a voice or vote, as far as I have power to bid you welcome.
II.v.56 (265,2) [Duc ad me] For ducdame sir T. Hammer, very