QUOTES FROM THE BARD

Think us no churls, nor measure our good minds by this rude place we live in

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 3.6
SPEAKER: Belarius
CONTEXT:
BELARIUS
Prithee, fair youth,
Think us no churls, nor measure our good minds
By this rude place we live in. Well encounter’d!
‘Tis almost night: you shall have better cheer
Ere you depart: and thanks to stay and eat it.
Boys, bid him welcome.
GUIDERIUS
Were you a woman, youth,
I should woo hard but be your groom. In honesty,
I bid for you as I’d buy.
ARVIRAGUS
I’ll make’t my comfort
He is a man; I’ll love him as my brother:
And such a welcome as I’d give to him
After long absence, such is yours: most welcome!
Be sprightly, for you fall ‘mongst friends.

DUTCH:
Acht ons geen lomperds; schat ons zacht gemoed
Niet naar de woeste woning


MORE:
Churl=Peasant, rude and ill-bred fellow
To measure=To judge
Sprightly=Lively, in good spirits
Compleat:
Churl=Een plompe boer; een vrek
Churlish=Woest, boersch, onbeschoft
To measure a thing by one’s own profit=Een zaak schatten naar het voordeel dat men ‘er van trekt
To measure other peoples corn by one’s own bushel=Een ander by zich zelven afmeeten
Sprightly=Wakker, levendig, vol moeds, vol vuurs

Topics: civility, order/society, appearance, value, judgment, poverty and wealth

Defect of judgment is oft the cause of fear

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 4.2
SPEAKER: Belarius
CONTEXT:
BELARIUS
I cannot tell. Long is it since I saw him,
But time hath nothing blurred those lines of favour
Which then he wore. The snatches in his voice
And burst of speaking were as his. I am absolute
’Twas very Cloten.
ARVIRAGUS
In this place we left them.
I wish my brother make good time with him,
You say he is so fell
BELARIUS
Being scarce made up,
I mean to man, he had not apprehension
Of roaring terrors; for defect of judgment
Is oft the cause of fear.
GUIDERIUS
This Cloten was a fool, an empty purse;
There was no money in ’t. Not Hercules
Could have knocked out his brains, for he had none.
Yet I not doing this, the fool had borne
My head as I do his.

DUTCH:
Nauw’lijks opgegroeid,
Ik meen, tot man, ontbrak hem elk begrip
Van iets gevaarlijks ; en gebrek aan oordeel
Wekt vaak vermetelheid. Daar is uw broeder.

MORE:
Scarce made up=Not fully developed, still and immature youth; or not ‘all there’
Lines of favour=Lines on the countenance
Snatches=Catches, seizures followed by a ‘burst of speaking’. (Irish ‘ganch’ meaning stammer)
Absolute=Positive, have no doubt
Roaring=Loud-tongued
Compleat:
Snatch=Een ruk, hap, beet
A snatch and away=Een mond vol en weg ‘er mee
To do a thing by girds and snatches=Ies met horten en stooten doen; met menigvuldige tusschenpoosingen verrigten
Absolute=Volslagen, volstrekt, volkomen, onafhangklyk, onverbonden
To roar=Uitbrullen

Burgersdijk notes:
Gebrek aan oordeel wekt vaak vermetelheid. Het oorspronkelijke is hier blijkbaar bedorven, de folio heeft: for defect of judgment is oft the cause of fear; Shakespeare moet ongeveer het tegendeel gezegd hebben, want de doldriestheid van Cloten wordt uit zijn gebrek aan oordeel verklaard.
Hanmer las daarom: is oft the arre of fear, en dienovereenkomstig is hier vertaald. Doch ook Theobald’s verbetering is zeer opmerkelijk: for the effect of judgment is oft the cause of fear; „want des oordeels werking is oorzaak vaak van vrees” ; de zin van beide verbeteringen is nagenoeg gelijk; de tegenstelling tusschen gevolg of werking en oorzaak pleit er misschien voor, dat Theobald de uitdrukking des dichters getroffen heeft.

Topics: language, memory, judgment, intellect, age/experience

Boldness be my friend: arm me, audacity, from head to foot!

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 1.6
SPEAKER: Iachimo
CONTEXT:
IMOGEN
Thanks, good sir:
You’re kindly welcome.
IACHIMO
All of her that is out of door most rich!
If she be furnish’d with a mind so rare,
She is alone the Arabian bird, and I
Have lost the wager. Boldness be my friend!
Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!
Or, like the Parthian, I shall flying fight;
Rather directly fly.
IMOGEN
‘He is one of the noblest note, to whose
kindnesses I am most infinitely tied. Reflect upon
him accordingly, as you value your trust—
Leonatus.’
So far I read aloud:
But even the very middle of my heart
Is warm’d by the rest, and takes it thankfully.
You are as welcome, worthy sir, as I
Have words to bid you, and shall find it so
In all that I can do.

DUTCH:
O, driestheid, wees mijn vriend,
En wapen, stoutheid, mij van top tot teen!
Of als de Parth, moet ik al vluchtend vechten,
Neen, vluchten en niets meer.

MORE:
Proverb: As rare as the Phoenix

Arabian bird=Phoenix (never is there more than one Phoenix in the world at one time)
Out of door=External, outward appearance
Value your trust=Value the charge entrusted to you. (Some editors have this as ‘truest’, making this the close of the letter.)
Reflect upon=Consider him
Compleat:
Boldness=Stoutheyd, koenheyd, vrymoedigheyd, onvertsaagheyd
Audacity=Stoutheyd
It would be well for every one to reflect upon himself=’t Zou wel zyn dat een yder zich zelven aanmerkte; ‘t was goed dat elk op zich zelven lette
To lay a wager=Wedden, een wedspel aan gaan
Wager of law=Aanbieding van te beedigen, dat men zynen eyscher niets schuldig is

Burgersdijk notes:
Uw getrouwsten Leonatus. Hier is de gissing van Mason gevolgd, die, éene letter e bijvoegende, leest your truest Leonatus. Imogeen loopt den brief haastig door en deelt dan aan Jachimo, die inmiddels bij zichzelf gesproken heeft, beleefd het slot, dat op hem betrekking heeft, mede. Wil men de lezing der folio-uitgave behouden: as you value your trust, dan moet men dit, veel minder eenvoudig, als eene soort van bezwering opvatten: „zoo waar gij uwe bezworen trouw in eere houdt” en aannemen, dat Imogeen uit het midden van den brief eenige woorden hardop leest, dan de lezing ten einde brengt en alleen de onderteekening weder uitspreekt.

Topics: appearance, intellect, value, trust, judgment, proverbs and idioms

Shall I be charged no further than this present?
Must all determine here?

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 3.3
SPEAKER: Coriolanus
CONTEXT:
AEDILE
List to your tribunes. Audience: peace, I say!
CORIOLANUS
First, hear me speak.
BOTH TRIBUNES
Well, say. Peace, ho!
CORIOLANUS
Shall I be charged no further than this present?
Must all determine here?
SICINIUS
I do demand,
If you submit you to the people’s voices,
Allow their officers and are content
To suffer lawful censure for such faults
As shall be proved upon you?
CORIOLANUS
I am content.
MENENIUS
Lo, citizens, he says he is content:
The warlike service he has done, consider; think
Upon the wounds his body bears, which show
Like graves i’ the holy churchyard.
CORIOLANUS
Scratches with briers,
Scars to move laughter only.

DUTCH:
Word ik niet verder aangeklaagd dan thans?
Wordt alles hier beslist?

MORE:
List=Listen, pay attention to
Briers=Thorns
Compleat:
Brier or briar=Doornstruik

Topics: persuasion, communication, judgment

Shall remain! Hear you this Triton of the minnows? mark you his absolute ‘shall’?

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 3.1
SPEAKER: Coriolanus
CONTEXT:
SICINIUS
It is a mind
That shall remain a poison where it is,
Not poison any further.
CORIOLANUS
Shall remain!
Hear you this Triton of the minnows? mark you
His absolute ‘shall’?
COMINIUS
’Twas from the canon.

DUTCH:
„Blijven moet!” —
Hoort gij dien katvisch-Triton? merkt gij daar
‘t Gebiedend,,moet”?

MORE:
Proverb: A Triton among the minnows

Canon=Rule, law
Absolute=Positive, certain, decided, not doubtful
Compleat:
Canonical=Regelmaatig
Triton=De trompetter van Neptunus; (weather-cock)=Een weerhaan, windwyzer

Burgersdijk notes:
Dien kat visch-Triton. Triton is een mindere zeegod, die dus alleen over de kleine vischjes gebied voert.

Topics: proverbs and idioms, language, intellect, authority, judgment, law/legal

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