QUOTES FROM THE BARD

I do condemn mine ears that have so long attended thee

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 1.6
SPEAKER: Imogen
CONTEXT:
IMOGEN
Away! I do condemn mine ears that have
So long attended thee. If thou wert honourable,
Thou wouldst have told this tale for virtue, not
For such an end thou seek’st,—as base as strange.
Thou wrong’st a gentleman, who is as far
From thy report as thou from honour, and
Solicit’st here a lady that disdains
Thee and the devil alike. What ho, Pisanio!
The king my father shall be made acquainted
Of thy assault: if he shall think it fit,
A saucy stranger in his court to mart
As in a Romish stew and to expound
His beastly mind to us, he hath a court
He little cares for and a daughter who
He not respects at all. What, ho, Pisanio!
IACHIMO
O happy Leonatus! I may say
The credit that thy lady hath of thee
Deserves thy trust, and thy most perfect goodness
Her assured credit. Blessed live you long!
A lady to the worthiest sir that ever
Country call’d his! and you his mistress, only
For the most worthiest fit! Give me your pardon.
I have spoke this, to know if your affiance
Were deeply rooted; and shall make your lord,
That which he is, new o’er: and he is one
The truest manner’d; such a holy witch
That he enchants societies into him;
Half all men’s hearts are his.
IMOGEN
You make amends.

DUTCH:
Van hier! — Mijn oor is schuldig, dat zoo lang
Geluisterd heeft! — Waart gij een man van eer,
Dan hadt ge uit lust tot deugd mij dit gemeld,
Niet met een doel, zoo snood en ongehoord.


MORE:
Saucy=Impudent
To mart=Do business
Stew=Brothel
Credit=Good opinion
Assured credit=Loyalty
Affiance=Faith
Societies=Groups
Compleat:
Saucy=Stout, onbeschaamd, baldaadig
Mart=Jaarmarkt
Stew, stew-house=Hoerhuys
Credit=Geloof, achting, aanzien, goede naam
Affiance=Vertrouwen, hoop
Society=Gezelschap, gemeenschap, gezelligheyd, genootschap, maatschap

Topics: anger, virtue, honour, plans/intentions, trust

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

A man is well holp up that trusts to you!

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Antipholus of Ephesus
CONTEXT:
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
A man is well holp up that trusts to you!
I promisèd your presence and the chain,
But neither chain nor goldsmith came to me.
Belike you thought our love would last too long
If it were chained together, and therefore came not.
ANGELO
Saving your merry humour, here’s the note
How much your chain weighs to the utmost carat,
The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion,
Which doth amount to three-odd ducats more
Than I stand debted to this gentleman.
I pray you, see him presently discharged,
For he is bound to sea, and stays but for it.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
I am not furnished with the present money.
Besides, I have some business in the town.
Good signior, take the stranger to my house,
And with you take the chain, and bid my wife
Disburse the sum on the receipt thereof.
Perchance I will be there as soon as you.

DUTCH:
Nu, die op u vertrouwt, is wel bediend!
Ik zeide ginds uw komst toe en den ketting,
Maar noch de keten, noch de goudsmid kwam.

MORE:
Holp=Helped
Belike=Perhaps
Saving=With due regard to
Note=Receipt
Discharged=Satisfied, his debt paid
Chargeful fashion=Expensive
I am not furnished=I do not have
Present=At the moment, now
Compleat:
Holpen=Geholpen; Holp op=Opgeholpen
Saving=Behouding, zaaligmaakig, bewaaring, redding, bespaaring
To discharge=Onstlaan, lossen, quytschelden
Chargeable=Lastig, kostelyk
Furnished=Verzorgd, voorzien, gestoffeerd

Topics: debt/obligation, value, trust

I am not furnished with the present money
Besides, I have some business in the town.

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Antipholus of Ephesus
CONTEXT:
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
A man is well holp up that trusts to you!
I promisèd your presence and the chain,
But neither chain nor goldsmith came to me.
Belike you thought our love would last too long
If it were chained together, and therefore came not.
ANGELO
Saving your merry humour, here’s the note
How much your chain weighs to the utmost carat,
The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion,
Which doth amount to three-odd ducats more
Than I stand debted to this gentleman.
I pray you, see him presently discharged,
For he is bound to sea, and stays but for it.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
I am not furnished with the present money.
Besides, I have some business in the town.
Good signior, take the stranger to my house,
And with you take the chain, and bid my wife
Disburse the sum on the receipt thereof.
Perchance I will be there as soon as you.

DUTCH:
Ik heb op ‘t oogenblik het geld niet bij mij,
En heb ook in de stad nog iets te doen.

MORE:
Holp=Helped
Belike=Perhaps
Saving=With due regard to
Note=Receipt
Discharged=Satisfied, his debt paid
Chargeful fashion=Expensive
I am not furnished=I do not have
Present=At the moment, now
Compleat:
Holpen=Geholpen; Holp op=Opgeholpen
Saving=Behouding, zaaligmaakig, bewaaring, redding, bespaaring
To discharge=Onstlaan, lossen, quytschelden
Chargeable=Lastig, kostelyk
Furnished=Verzorgd, voorzien, gestoffeerd

Topics: debt/obligation, value, trust

Come, to the forge with it then; shape it: I would not have things cool

PLAY: The Merry Wives of Windsor
ACT/SCENE:
SPEAKER: Mistress Page
CONTEXT:
MISTRESS PAGE
Yes, by all means; if it be but to scrape the
figures out of your husband’s brains. If they can
find in their hearts the poor unvirtuous fat knight
shall be any further afflicted, we two will still be
the ministers.
MISTRESS FORD
I’ll warrant they’ll have him publicly shamed: and
methinks there would be no period to the jest,
should he not be publicly shamed.
MISTRESS PAGE
Come, to the forge with it then; shape it: I would
not have things cool.

DUTCH:
Kom, dan naar de smidse, en aan ‘t smeden; ik wil
het ijzer niet koud laten worden.

MORE:
Scrape=Erase
Figures=Suspicions
Period=End
Compleat:
To scrape=Schaapen, schrabben
Figure=Voorbeeldsel, afbeeldsel
To bring to a period=Tot een eyde brengen

Topics: suspicion|envy|trust|plans/intentions|haste

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