messenger (old messager, O. Fr. messagier), passenger (old passager, O. Fr. passagier). 58. Parmaceti, spermaceti, a fatty matter obtained chiefly from the head of a certain species of whale. From Gr. and Lat. sperma (seed), and Gr. ketos (sea-monster). 60. Saltpetre, nitre; which, in the native state, is usually found oozing from rocks, walls, &c. Lat. sal petræ (salt of rock or stone). 60-1. Cf. Milton, Paradise Lost, vi. 509 and following. 79. Ransom, redeem. The noun 'ransom' is a French modification of Lat. redemptionem (re-d-emptionem, a buying back). 80. Mortimer. Sir Edmund Mortimer was the second son of the Earl of March and Philippa, daughter and heiress of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, third son of Edward III. He was brother-in-law to Hotspur, who had married his sister Elizabeth. Shakspeare calls her Kate (1 King Hen. IV., ii. 3, and iii. 1). 83. Great magician. See 1 King Hen. IV., iii. 1.-Glendower. Owen Glendower, proclaiming himself the descendant of the native princes, roused Wales to revolt from Henry IV., in 1400. It required several campaigns of patient and persistent soldiering to break his power. 84. Whose daughter &c. She married the Sir Edmund Mortimer mentioned above (80), who had been taken prisoner by her father; not the Earl of March, who was Sir Edmund's nephew. Shakspeare may have been helped to this confusion by the identity of their names. 87. Indent, compound, bargain; lit. to notch like the teeth (Lat. dentes) of a saw. When an indenture (contract of apprenticeship) was drawn, the copies for the contracting parties were inscribed on the same piece of parchment, and then separated by a tooth-like cutting, so that they should correspond when compared. 'if;' it is also often written 'and.' 136. Unthankful (cf. 137, ingrate). Cf. lines 160 and following. 146. The next of blood. This was not Sir Edmund Mortimer, Hotspur's brother-in-law, but the other Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March, his nephew (see 84, note). As he was only six years old at Richard II.'s deposition, he was easily passed over; the principle of hereditary descent being in those days of little avail to a child. 151-2. Did return-deposed-murdered. In 1399. 159. Wished &c. Cf. line 89. Observe the absence of 'to' before 'starve.' 168. Predicament, the fact or the matter of predication, that is, of affirming or stating; hence, situation or condition (in which certain statements may be made or inferences drawn); orig. a logical term. Lat. prædicamentum, from præ-dicăre (to proclaim, declare). 178. Shook: we should say 'shaken.' But in the time of Elizabeth, and much later, the p.part. often took the form of the past tense. 183. Disdained, disdainful. From O. Fr. desdaigner, Lat. dedignari (to think unworthy), from de (down, away, in negative sense), and dignari (to consider dignus or worthy). 187. Cousin is often used in the dra matists vaguely, as here (and below) in addressing relations. It is the same as 'kinsman' in 234. 189. To, in accordance with, suitably to: a meaning easily connected with the primary sense, 'in the direction of.' 194. He whoever attempts to o'erwalk &c. (192). 196. So, provided that, Cf. 206. 'Cross' is subjunctive. 201. Methinks, meseems, it thinks (= seems, appears) to me. The subj. to 'methinks' is the whole statement, 'it were an easy leap to pluck,' &c. 210. Attend. We now add 'to,' although 'to' is already there; 'attend' is lit. to stretch to or in the direction of: from Lat. ad (by assimilation at, to), and tendo (stretch). 240. Pismires, emmets, ants. 247. Ravenspurgh, or Ravenspur, in 'Boling. Evermore thanks, the 253. Gentle Harry Percy. Cf. King 'Boling. I thank thee, gentle Percy.' 254. Cozeners, deceivers, cajolers; with a play upon cousin' (253). As if 'those that pretend close friendship, and then deceive one's hopes.' 257. Stay, wait: we now say 'stay for." A DOUBLE ROBBERY PLANNED. (From The First Part of King Henry IV., Act I., Scene ii.) Enter THE PRINCE OF WALES, SIR JOHN FALSTAFF (an old fat man,' a 'round man,' a 'huge hill of flesh,' infinitely humorous), and POINS. Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill! There are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses. I have vizards for you all, you have horses for yourselves; Gadshill lies to-night in Rochester; I have bespoke supper to-morrow night in Eastcheap; we may do it as secure as sleep. If you will go, I will stuff your purses full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home and be hanged. Fal. Hear ye, Yedward; if I tarry at home and go not, I'll hang you for going. Poins. You will, chops? Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one? P. Hen. Who, I rob? I a thief? Not I, by my faith. Fal. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the blood royal, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings. P. Hen. Well, then, once in my days, I'll be a mad-cap. Fal. Why, that's well said. P. Hen. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home. Fal. I'll be a traitor then, when thou art king. P. Hen. I care not. Poins. Sir John, I prithee, leave the prince and me alone ; I will lay him down such reasons for this adventure, that he shall go. Fal. Well, may'st thou have the spirit of persuasion and he the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest may move and what he hears may be believed, that the true prince may, for recreation sake, prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewell; you shall find me in Eastcheap. P. Hen. Farewell, thou latter spring! Farewell, Allhallown summer! [Exit FALSTAFF. Poins. Now, my good sweet honey lord, ride with us tomorrow. I have a jest to execute that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill shall rob those men that we have already waylaid; yourself and I will not be there; and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head from my shoulders. P. Hen. But how shall we part with them in setting forth? Poins. Why, we will set forth before or after them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleasure to fail and then will they adventure upon the exploit themselves which they shall have no sooner achieved but we'll set upon them. P. Hen. Ay, but 'tis like that they will know us, by our horses, by our habits, and by every other appointment, to be ourselves. Poins. Tut! our horses they shall not see, I'll tie them in the wood; our vizards we will change after we leave them; and, sirrah, I have cases of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments. P. Hen. But I doubt they will be too hard for us. Poins. Well, for two of them, I know them to be as truebred cowards as ever turned back; and for the third, if he fight longer than he sees reason, I'll forswear arms. The virtue of this jest will be the incomprehensible lies that this same fat rogue will tell us when we meet at supper: how thirty, at least, he fought with; what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and in the reproof of this lies the jest. P. Hen. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all things necessary, and meet me to-night in Eastcheap; there I'll sup. Farewell. Poins. Farewell, my lord. [Exeunt. NOTES. O'clock, of (the) clock. At Gadshill, in Kent, about three miles from Rochester, on the London road. Vizards, visors: lit. the opening in the helmet for seeing through; hence the whole mask or face-covering. French visière, from Lat. visum (to see). Gadshill lies, &c. This is one of the company. Eastcheap, a street in London, in which was the famous Boar's Head Tavern. Yedward, for Edward. Cf. 'yale' (ale), "yarbs' (herbs), &c. For recreation sake. The poss. inflection is dropt. This often happens when either the noun in the poss A DOUBLE ROBBERY EXECUTED: FALSTAFF AFOOT. (From The First Part of King Henry IV., Act II., Scene ii.) SCENE.-The Highway, near Gadshill. Enter PRINCE HENRY and POINS; BARDOLPH and PETO at some distance. Poins. Come, shelter, shelter; I have removed Falstaff's horse, and he frets like a gummed velvet. P. Hen. Stand close. Enter FALSTAFF. Fal. Poins! Poins, and be hanged! Poins! [They retire. P. Hen. (coming forward). Peace, ye fat-kidneyed rascal! what a brawling dost thou keep! Fal. Where's Poins, Hal? P. Hen. He is walked up to the top of the hill; I'll go seek him. [Retires. Fal. I am accursed to rob in that thief's company: the rascal hath removed my horse, and tied him I know not where. If I travel but four foot by the squire further afoot, I shall break my wind. Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I scape hanging for killing that rogue. I have forsworn his company hourly any time this two-andtwenty year, and yet I am bewitched with the rogue's company. If the rascal have not given me medicines to make me love him, I'll be hanged; it could not be else; I have drunk medicines.-Poins !-Hal!—A plague upon you both! -Bardolph!-Peto !-I'll starve, ere I'll rob a foot further. An't were not as good a deed as drink, to turn true man, and leave these rogues, I am the veriest varlet that ever chewed with a tooth. Eight yards of uneven ground is threescore and ten miles afoot with me; and the stony-hearted villains know it well enough: A plague upon 't, when thieves cannot be true one to another! [They whistle.] Whew!—A plague light upon you all! Give me my horse, you rogues; give me my horse, and be hanged! P. Hen. (coming forward). Peace, ye fat paunch! lie down; lay thine ear close to the ground, and list if thou can hear the tread of travellers. Fal. Have you any levers to lift me up again, being down? 'Sblood, I'll not bear mine own flesh so far afoot again, for all the coin in thy father's exchequer. What a plague mean ye to colt me thus ? P. Hen. Thou liest; thou art not colted, thou art uncolted. Fal. I prithee, good prince Hal, help me to my horse, good king's son. P. Hen. Out, ye rogue! shall I be your ostler? Fal. Go, hang thyself in thine own heir-apparent garters! If I be ta'en, I'll peach for this. An I have not ballads made on you all, and sung to filthy tunes, let a cup of sack be my poison: when a jest is so forward, and afoot too! I hate it. |