QUOTES FROM THE BARD

Good hearts, devise something: any extremity rather than a mischief

PLAY: The Merry Wives of Windsor
ACT/SCENE:
SPEAKER: Falstaff
CONTEXT:
MISTRESS PAGE
If you go out in your own semblance, you die, Sir
John. Unless you go out disguised.
MISTRESS FORD
How might we disguise him?
MISTRESS PAGE
Alas the day, I know not! There is no woman’s gown
big enough for him otherwise he might put on a hat,
a muffler and a kerchief, and so escape.
FALSTAFF
Good hearts, devise something: any extremity rather
than a mischief.

DUTCH:
Lieve vrouwtjens, bedenkt toch iets; het onmoog’lijkste
nog eer dan een ongeluk.


MORE:
Own semblance=Looking like yourself
Extremity=Extreme measure
Mischief=Disaster
Compleat:
Semblance=Gelykenis, schyn
Extremity=het Uyterste, ‘t uyterste eynd, de uyterste nood, uytendigheyd
Mischief=Onheyl, quaad, ongeluk, ramp, verderf, heylloosheyd

Topics: appearance|deceit|secrecy

He hath an abstract for the remembrance of such places

PLAY: The Merry Wives of Windsor
ACT/SCENE:
SPEAKER: Mistress Ford
CONTEXT:
MISTRESS FORD
There they always use to discharge their
birding-pieces. Creep into the kiln-hole.
FALSTAFF
Where is it?
MISTRESS FORD
He will seek there, on my word. Neither press,
coffer, chest, trunk, well, vault, but he hath an
abstract for the remembrance of such places, and
goes to them by his note: there is no hiding you in the
house.
FALSTAFF
I’ll go out then.

DUTCH:
Daar zal hij ook zoeken, op mijn woord; geen kast of
koffer, geen kist of spinde, geen kelder of put, of hij
heeft een kort overzicht van al die plaatsen, en hij doorzoekt
die op het lijstjen af; er is geen mogelijkheid om
u in huis te verbergen.

MORE:
Discharge=(Guns) To clear the chimney
Birding-pieces=Guns
Kiln-hole=Entrance to the oven
Press=Cupboard
Abstract=Inventory
Compleat:
To discharge=Onstlaan, lossen
Birding-piece=Vogel-roer
Kiln=Oven
Abstract=Uyttreksel, aftreksel, verkortsel

Topics: secrecy

My master … hath threatened to put me into everlasting liberty if I tell you of it

PLAY: The Merry Wives of Windsor
ACT/SCENE:
SPEAKER: Robin
CONTEXT:
ROBIN
Ay, I’ll be sworn. My master knows not of your
being here and hath threatened to put me into
everlasting liberty if I tell you of it; for he
swears he’ll turn me away.
MISTRESS PAGE
Thou’rt a good boy: this secrecy of thine shall be
a tailor to thee and shall make thee a new doublet
and hose. I’ll go hide me.
MISTRESS FORD
Do so. Go tell thy master I am alone.

DUTCH:
Ja, daar wil ik op zweren; mijn meester weet volstrekt
niet, dat gij hier zijt. Hij heeft mij met eeuwigdurende
vrijheid gedreigd, als ik er u iets van verklap; want hij
zwoer, dat hij mij dan zou wegjagen.

MORE:
Everlasting liberty=Release (dismiss)
Turn me away=Dismiss
Tailor=A suit

Topics: secrecy|order and society|work

O, let me live, and all the secrets of our camp I’ll show, their force, their purposes

PLAY: All’s Well that Ends Well
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Parolles
CONTEXT:
FIRST SOLDIER
The general is content to spare thee yet;
And, hoodwinked as thou art, will lead thee on
To gather from thee: haply thou mayst inform
Something to save thy life.
PAROLLES
O, let me live!
And all the secrets of our camp I’ll show,
Their force, their purposes; nay, I’ll speak that
Which you will wonder at.
FIRST SOLDIER
But wilt thou faithfully?
PAROLLES
If I do not, damn me.
FIRST SOLDIER
Acordo linta.
Come on; thou art granted space.

DUTCH:
O, laat mij leven ;
En ik vertel u elk geheim van ‘t kamp,
De sterkte en plannen ; ja, ik deel u mee,
Wat u verbazen zal.

MORE:
Lead thee on=Deceive you more
Gather=Collect information
Haply=Perhaps
Space=Reprieve
Compleat:
Gather=Inzamelen
Haply=Misschien
Space=ruymte; tyd

Topics: secrecy, betrayal

When you have spoken it, ’tis dead, and I am the grave of it

PLAY: All’s Well that Ends Well
ACT/SCENE: 4.3
SPEAKER: Second Lord
CONTEXT:
FIRST LORD
He has much worthy blame laid upon him for shaking
off so good a wife and so sweet a lady.
SECOND LORD
Especially he hath incurred the everlasting
displeasure of the king, who had even tuned his
bounty to sing happiness to him. I will tell you a
thing, but you shall let it dwell darkly with you.
FIRST LORD
When you have spoken it, ’tis dead, and I am the
grave of it.

DUTCH:
Als gij het uitgesproken hebt, is het dood, en ik ben
het graf er van.

MORE:
Dwell darkly=it will go no further
Bounty=Hearty disposition to do one good, active benevolence
Compleat:
Dwell=Woonen, verblyven
Bounty=Goedertierenheid, mildheid
Tune=Stellen
Darkly=Duisterlyk

Topics: secrecy, trust

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