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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

Categories: appearance, civility, Cymbeline, judgment, value|

A worthy fellow, albeit he comes on angry purpose now

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 2.3
SPEAKER: Cymbeline
CONTEXT:
MESSENGER
So like you, sir, ambassadors from Rome;
The one is Caius Lucius.
CYMBELINE
A worthy fellow,
Albeit he comes on angry purpose now;
But that’s no fault of his: we must receive him
According to the honour of his sender;
And towards himself, his goodness forespent on us,
We must extend our notice. Our dear son,
When you have given good morning to your mistress,
Attend the queen and us; we shall have need
To employ you towards this Roman. Come, our queen.

DUTCH:
t Is een waardig man,
Al is ook toorn het doel van zijne komst;
Want zijn schuld is dit niet

MORE:
Goodness forespent=Good offices done/shown previously
Extend=Grant, give
Notice=Attention, regard
Compleat:
Extend=Uitstrekken
Notice=Acht nemen

Topics: value, status, blame, anger, merit

Categories: anger, blame, Cymbeline, merit, value|

So your brace of unprizable estimations, the one is but frail and the other casual

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 1.4
SPEAKER: Iachimo
CONTEXT:
IACHIMO
Either your unparagoned mistress is dead, or she’s
outprized by a trifle.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
You are mistaken: the one may be sold, or given, if
there were wealth enough for the purchase, or merit
for the gift: the other is not a thing for sale,
and only the gift of the gods.
IACHIMO
Which the gods have given you?
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
Which, by their graces, I will keep.
IACHIMO
You may wear her in title yours: but, you know,
strange fowl light upon neighbouring ponds. Your
ring may be stolen too: so your brace of unprizable
estimations; the one is but frail and the other
casual; a cunning thief, or a that way accomplished
courtier, would hazard the winning both of first and
last.

DUTCH:
Ook uw ring kan u gestolen worden;
en zoo is van uwe twee onwaardeerbare schatten de een
slechts zwak, de ander verliesbaar; een geslepen dief of
een in dit opzicht uitgeleerd hoveling kunnen het wagen
u zoowel den een’ als den anderen te ontfutselen.

MORE:
In title=As in title to an estate
So=In such a manner, thus
Unprizable=Invaluable, inestimable
Casual=Accidental, by chance
Frail=Weak, in a physical as well as moral sense
Hazard=To venture, to risk, take a bet on
Compleat:
Title=Recht, eisch
He has no good title to it=Hy heeft geen goed recht daar toe
Title=Papieren, geschriften om zyn recht to bewyzen
Hazard=Waagen, aventuuren, in de waagschaal stellen
Casual=Gevallig, toevallig
Frail=Bros

Topics: loyalty, betrayal, value, risk

Categories: Cymbeline, loyalty, risk, value|

Would I had put my estate and my neighbour’s on the approbation of what I have spoke!

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 1.4
SPEAKER: Iachimo
CONTEXT:
IACHIMO
I dare thereupon pawn the moiety of my estate to
your ring; which, in my opinion, o’ervalues it
something: but I make my wager rather against your
confidence than her reputation: and, to bar your
offence herein too, I durst attempt it against any
lady in the world.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
You are a great deal abused in too bold a
persuasion; and I doubt not you sustain what you’re
worthy of by your attempt.
IACHIMO
What’s that?
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
A repulse: though your attempt, as you call it,
deserve more; a punishment too.
PHILARIO
Gentlemen, enough of this: it came in too suddenly;
let it die as it was born, and, I pray you, be
better acquainted.
IACHIMO
Would I had put my estate and my neighbour’s on the
approbation of what I have spoke!

DUTCH:
Ik wilde, dat ik om mijn geheel vermogen, en om dat
van mijn buurman er bij, gewed had, dat ik waar kan
maken, wat ik gezegd heb.

MORE:
Moeity=Half share
Something=To some extent, somewhat
Bar your offence=Not to offend you
Abused=Deceived
Persuasion=Opinion
Sustain=Obtain
Worthy of=Deserve
Put on=Wagered
Compleat:
Moeity=De helft
To abuse=Misbruiken, mishandelen, kwaalyk bejegenen, beledigen, verongelyken, schelden
Persuasion=Overreeding, overtuiging, overstemming, aanraading, wysmaaking
Worthy=Waardig, eerwaardig, voortreffelyk, uytmuntend, deftig

Topics: value, risk, resolution, evidence

Categories: Cymbeline, evidence, resolution, value|

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

Categories: appearance, Cymbeline, judgment, trust, value|

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