"What we have we prize not to the worth Whiles we enjoy it; but being lost and lack'd, Why then we rack the value." (ACT IV. Sc. 1.) As the lacking of a thing would precede the sense of its value when lost, we prefer to abide by the words that have passed into a general axiom. "A rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that hath had leases.” GLOSSARY ANY SORT. Act I., Sc. 1. "Few of any sort, and none of name." Though the commentators make a difficulty here, the meaning is obvious. "Few of any condition, and none of name," i.e. of rank. Yet Stevens says, "sort is rank, distinction; though he inclines to Mason's explanation, that "sort means of any kind whatsoever." Warburton explains it, "there was none such of any quality above the common," and this is usually followed by the commentators. The word occurs again in the same sense a little further on. ARGUMENT. Act III., Sc. 1. Conversation. In Henry IV., Part I., the word occurs again in the same sense. "It would be argument for a week." BALDRICK. Act I., Sc. 1. BOARDED. Act II., Sc. 1. CANKER. Act I., Sc. 3. A belt. Accosted. "I had rather be a canker in a hedge Than a rose in his grace." The common dog-rose of the hedges is here meant; and Mr. Richardson, in his Dictionary, says, that in Devonshire it is still called the canker-rose. CARDUUS BENEDICTUS. Act III., Sc. 4. "Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus." The carduus benedictus, or blessed thistle, had wonderful medicinal powers attributed to it in Shakspere's time. Cogan, in hisHaven of Health,' 1595, says, it was lately revealed by the special providence of Almighty God." DAFF. Act V., Sc. 1. Put me aside. "Canst thou so daff me?" DEFEND. Act II., Sc. 1. Forbid. DIFFERENCE. Act I., Sc. 1. "Let him bear it for a difference." 66 Difference is a heraldic term, denoting a sign of distinction used by persons bearing the same coat of arms. EFTEST. Act IV., Sc. 1. Quickest. FAITH. Act I., Sc. 1. "He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat." His faith here is his confidence in a friend. FANCY. Act III., Sc. 2. The word is used, first, in the sense of love; in the second place, in the sense of the indulgence of a humour. FOINING. Act V., Sc. 1. Thrusting. FRAME. Act IV., Sc. 1. "Chid I for that at frugal Nature's frame?" The ordinance, the arrangement of Nature. Go IN THE SONG. Act I., Sc. 1. Join in the song. GOOD YEAR. Act I., Sc. 3. "What the good year, my lord! why are you thus out of measure sad?" The good year is an ironical expression for the bad year-the year of pestilence. Florio, in his Dictionary, translates the Italian, il mal anno, by good year. The phrase is used again in 'Lear,' Act V., Sc. 3. "The good yeares shall devour them," of which the editors made goujeers-morbus Gallicus -and expended much discussion thereupon. Tieck first pointed out the obvious meaning. INSENSED. Act I., Sc. 1. "Your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments." Guarded is ornamented, trimmed; from the guards used on apparel. IMPORTANT. Act II., Sc. 1. Importunate. IN GREAT MEASURE. Act 1., Sc. 1. Abundantly. IN YOUR BOOKS. Act I., Sc. 1. "I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books." He who is in your books-or as we say now, in your good books-is he whom you trust, whom you think well of, from the circumstance that a debtor, to get into his creditor's books, must have first acquired his confidence. None of the commentators have suggested this obvious explanation, though much has been written on the subject, and nearly all of them differ. "How Don John your brother insensed me to slander." Insensed is to instigate, to put the sense or thought into the mind of another. It is usually printed incensed, irritated; but Borachio had no enmity to Hero; he only wished to gain money. LIBERAL. Act IV., Sc. 1. "Most like a liberal villain." Licentiously free, as in 'Othello,' "Is he not a most profane and liberal counsellor?" MEET WITH YOU. Act I., Sc. 1. "But he'll be meet with you." Even with you. So in 'The Tempest.' "We must prepare to meet with Caliban." MISPRISING. Act III., Sc. 1. Undervaluing. MONTANTO. Act I., Sc. 1. "Is Signior Montanto returned?" A nickname, derived from the fencing-school, bestowed by OLD COIL. Act V., Scene 2. "Yonder's old coil at home." Old is not here used in the sense of ancient, but of extreme. we have "old utis." ONCE. Act I., Sc. 1. In Henry IV., Part 2, Act II., "'T is once, thou lovest." Once for all. In 'Coriolanus' we have "Once, if he do require our voices he ought to have them." RACK. Act IV., Sc. 1. "Why then we rack the value." Strain, stretch. In this sense we have rack-rent. RECHEAT. Act I., Sc. 1. A term used in hunting. It is the note by which the hounds are recalled. REECHY. Act III., Sc. 3. It is the same word as reeky, the ch and k being constantly interchanged. Begrimed, smoky. SAD. Act I., Sc. 3. Serious. SQUARER. Act I., Sc. 1. "Is there no young squarer now, that will make a voyage with him to the devil?" To square is to dispute, to quarrel. In 'A Midsummer Night's "And now they never meet in grove, or green, For "trow ye?" "does anybody know?" So in 'Merry Wives of Windsor," "Who's there, trow?" WITS. Act I., Sc. 1. 66 'Four of his five wits went halting off." Johnson says "the wits seem to have been reckoned five, Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee." Shak And in the present passage uses it in the sense of intellec tual powers, UNDERGOES. Act V., Sc. 2. Passes under. |