QUOTES FROM THE BARD

Why, courage then! What cannot be avoided
‘Twere childish weakness to lament or fear.

PLAY: King Henry VI Part 3
ACT/SCENE: 5.4
SPEAKER: Queen Margaret
CONTEXT:
QUEEN MARGARET
(…) And what is Edward but ruthless sea?
What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit?
And Richard but a ragged fatal rock?
All these the enemies to our poor barque.
Say you can swim; alas, ’tis but a while!
Tread on the sand; why, there you quickly sink:
Bestride the rock; the tide will wash you off,
Or else you famish; that’s a threefold death.
This speak I, lords, to let you understand,
If case some one of you would fly from us,
That there’s no hoped-for mercy with the brothers
More than with ruthless waves, with sands and rocks.
Why, courage then! What cannot be avoided
‘Twere childish weakness to lament or fear.

DUTCH:
Dus, moed! Om dat te jamm’ren, dat te duchten,
Wat onvermijd’lijk is, waar’ kindervrees.


MORE:

Quicksand=Moving sand, not a solid footing
Ragged=Rough, jagged
Fatal=Deadly
Barque=Ship (bark)
If case=In the event, if it should happen that

Compleat:
Quick sands=Zanden in zee, droogten
Fatal=Noodlottig, noodschikkelyk, verderflyk, doodelyk
Bark=Scheepje

Topics: deceit, adversity, stability

It is his policy to haste thus fast, to find us unprovided.

PLAY: King Henry VI Part 3
ACT/SCENE: 5.4
SPEAKER: Oxford
CONTEXT:
OXFORD
I thought no less: it is his policy
To haste thus fast, to find us unprovided.
SOMERSET
But he’s deceived; we are in readiness.
QUEEN MARGARET
This cheers my heart, to see your forwardness.
OXFORD
Here pitch our battle; hence we will not budge.

DUTCH:
Ik dacht wel, dat hij snel te werk zou gaan;
Hij hoopt ons nog onvoorbereid te vinden.

MORE:

Policy=Strategem
Unprovided=Unprepared
Forwardness=Readiness
Budge=Stir, move

Compleat:
Policy (conduct, address, cunning way)=Staatkunde, beleid, behendigheid
Budge=Schudden, omroeren, beweegen
Forward=Voorbaarig, rypostig, voorlyk; Greetig; (ready or well inclined) Gereed, genegen

Topics: haste, preparation

His currish riddles sort not with this place

PLAY: King Henry VI Part 3
ACT/SCENE: 5.5
SPEAKER: Prince Edward
CONTEXT:
KING EDWARD IV
Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak.
What! Can so young a thorn begin to prick?
Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make
For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
And all the trouble thou hast turn’d me to?
PRINCE EDWARD
Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York!
Suppose that I am now my father’s mouth;
Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou,
Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee,
Which traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
QUEEN MARGARET
Ah, that thy father had been so resolved!
GLOUCESTER
That you might still have worn the petticoat,
And ne’er have stol’n the breech from Lancaster.
PRINCE EDWARD
Let Aesop fable in a winter’s night;
His currish riddles sort not with this place.

DUTCH:
Aesopus moge in winternachten faab’len;
Hier passen zulke hondsche raadsels niet.

MORE:

Gallant=Person of rank
Prick=Incite
Satisfaction=Amends
Turned me to=Caused me
Suppose=Consider, remember
Breech=Trousers
Currish=Malicious

Compleat:
Gallant=Salet jonker
To prick=Prikken, steeken, prikkelen
Satisfaction= (amends) Vergoeding, voldoening
Suppose=Vermoeden, denken, onderstellen
Currish=Hondsch, kwaadaardig

Burgersdijk notes:
V. 5. 25. Aesopus moge in winternachten faab’len. De Prins vergelijkt Richard met den mismaakten
fabeldichter Aesopus.

Topics: remedy, truth, respect, status, order/society, marriage

Twitting me with perjury

PLAY: King Henry VI Part 3
ACT/SCENE: 5.5
SPEAKER: Clarence
CONTEXT:
CLARENCE
Untutor’d lad, thou art too malapert.
PRINCE EDWARD
I know my duty; you are all undutiful:
Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George,
And thou misshapen Dick, I tell ye all
I am your better, traitors as ye are:
And thou usurp’st my father’s right and mine.
KING EDWARD IV
Take that, thou likeness of this railer here.
GLOUCESTER
Sprawl’st thou? Take that, to end thy agony.
CLARENCE
And there’s for twitting me with perjury.

DUTCH:
En dit, wijl gij van eedbreuk mij beticht!

MORE:

Malapert=Impudent
Undutiful= Not performing duties
Railer=Person who rants, scolds
Sprawl=Writhing (still alive)
Twit=To reproach, accuse

Compleat:
To twit in the teeth=Verwyten
Twitting=Verwyting, verwytende
Malapert=Moedwillig, stout, baldaadig
Undutiful=Ongehoorzaam, ondienstwillig
To rail=Schelden
To twit in the teeth=Verwyten
Twitting=Verwyting, verwytende

Topics: order/society, blame, duty, truth

Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind.

PLAY: King Henry VI Part 3
ACT/SCENE: 5.6
SPEAKER: Gloucester
CONTEXT:
GLOUCESTER
Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind;
The thief doth fear each bush an officer.
KING HENRY VI
The bird that hath been limed in a bush,
With trembling wings misdoubteth every bush;
And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird,
Have now the fatal object in my eye
Where my poor young was limed, was caught and kill’d.

DUTCH:
Argwaan waart in het schuldig hart steeds om;
De dief vermoedt in elke ruigte een rakker.

MORE:

Proverb: Birds once snared (limed) fear all bushes
Proverb: The escaped mouse ever feels the taste of the bait

Birdlime=Sticky substance put on trees to catch small birds
To lime=To smear with birdlime, seek to catch
Misdoubt=To suspect, be apprehensive about; have dounts as to
Hapless=Unfortunate

Compleat:
Bird-lime=Vogellym
Misdoubt=’t Onrecht twyffelen

Topics: proverbs and idioms, suspicion, guilt

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