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QUOTES FROM THE BARD

But most it is presumption in us when the help of heaven we count the act of men

PLAY: All’s Well that Ends Well
ACT/SCENE: 2.1
SPEAKER: Helen
CONTEXT:
KING
I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind maid;
Thy pains not used must by thyself be paid:
Proffers not took reap thanks for their reward.
HELEN
Inspirèd merit so by breath is barr’d:
It is not so with Him that all things knows
As ’tis with us that square our guess by shows;
But most it is presumption in us when
The help of heaven we count the act of men.
Dear sir, to my endeavours give consent;
Of heaven, not me, make an experiment.
I am not an impostor that proclaim
Myself against the level of mine aim;
But know I think and think I know most sure
My art is not past power nor you past cure.
KING
Are thou so confident? within what space
Hopest thou my cure?

DUTCH:
Zoo stremt eens menschen adem ‘s hemels zegen!
O! ‘t is niet zoo bij Hem, die ‘t al doorschouwt,
Als bij den mensch, die op den schijn vertrouwt;
En wat de hulp des hemels heeft gedaan,
Ziet onze trots voor menschenwerk meest aan.

MORE:
Hear=Listen to
Pains=Efforts
Proffers=Offers
Took=Accepted
Inspirèd=Divine
Breath=Mortal words (as opposed to divinely inspired)
Square=Form
Guess=Surmise, conjecture
Shows=Outward appearance
Compleat:
To hear=Hooren, verhooren, toehooren
To take pains=Moeite doen, arbeid aanwenden
Proffer=Aanbieding
Inspired=Aangeblaazen [door den Geest]To square=Passen
Guess=Gissen, raamen, raaden
Show=Vertooning

Topics: hope/optimism, promise, work, money, authority, merit

Categories: All's Well That Ends Well, authority, hope/optimism, money, work|

Service is no heritage

PLAY: All’s Well that Ends Well
ACT/SCENE: 1.3
SPEAKER: Lavatch
CONTEXT:
COUNTESS
Wilt thou needs be a beggar?
CLOWN
I do beg your good will in this case.
COUNTESS
In what case?
CLOWN
In Isbel’s case and mine own. Service is no
heritage: and I think I shall never have the
blessing of God till I have issue o’ my body; for
they say barnes are blessings.
COUNTESS
Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry.
CLOWN
My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on
by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil
drives.

DUTCH:
In Bella’s en mijn eigen zaak. Dienst is geen erfdeel, en ik geloof, dat ik Gods zegen nimmer bezitten zal, voor ik telgen mijns lichaams rijk ben; want het zeggen is, kinderen zijn een zegen .

MORE:
Proverb: Service is no inheritance

Barnes (bairns)=Children
Service=Place and office of a servant
Compleat:
Service=Dienstbaarheid
Service is no inheritance=Den dienst is geen erfgoed
Barn (or bearn)=Een kind

Topics: work, order/society, poverty and wealth, value, proverbs and idioms

Categories: All's Well That Ends Well, poverty and wealth, proverbs and idioms, value, work|

Who does i’ th’ wars more than his captain can becomes his captain’s captain

PLAY: Antony and Cleopatra
ACT/SCENE: 3.1
SPEAKER: Ventidius
CONTEXT:
VENTIDIUS
O Silius, Silius,
I have done enough. A lower place, note well,
May make too great an act. For learn this, Silius:
Better to leave undone than by our deed
Acquire too high a fame when him we serve’s away.
Caesar and Antony have ever won
More in their officer than person. Sossius,
One of my place in Syria, his lieutenant,
For quick accumulation of renown,
Which he achieved by th’ minute, lost his favour.
Who does i’ th’ wars more than his captain can
Becomes his captain’s captain; and ambition,
The soldier’s virtue, rather makes choice of loss
Than gain which darkens him.
I could do more to do Antonius good,
But ’twould offend him, and in his offence
Should my performance perish.

DUTCH:
Wie meer
In de’ oorlog uitricht, dan zijn veldheer kan,
Wordt veldheer van zijn veldheer; en de deugd
Des krijgsmans, eerzucht, kiest veeleer verlies,
Dan winst, die hèm verduistert.

MORE:
Lower place=Subordinate status
Place=Rank
By the minute=Minute by minute
Darkens=Causes to fall out of favour
Perish=Come to nothing, be destroyed
Compleat:
Place=Plaats
Darken=Verduysteren, verdonkeren, donker maaken
To perish=Vergaan, sneuvelen, verlooren gaan

Topics: work, ambition, authority

Categories: Antony and Cleopatra, authority, work|

Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home: is this a holiday?

PLAY: Julius Caesar
ACT/SCENE: 1.1
SPEAKER: Flavius
CONTEXT:
FLAVIUS
Hence! Home, you idle creatures get you home!
Is this a holiday? What, know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day without the sign
Of your profession?—Speak, what trade art thou?
CARPENTER
Why, sir, a carpenter.
MURELLUS
Where is thy leather apron and thy rule?
What dost thou with thy best apparel on?
—You, sir, what trade are you?
COBBLER
Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as
you would say, a cobbler.
MURELLUS
But what trade art thou? Answer me directly.
COBBLER
A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe
conscience, which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad
soles.
MURELLUS
What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty knave, what trade?

DUTCH:
Van hier, naar huis! gij, luie vlegels, voort!
Is dit een vrije dag?

MORE:
Mechanical=Labourer, working class
Thou=Use of thou signified familiarity or, as here, contempt
Rule=Punning on (1) ruler and (2) conduct
Cobbler=Punning on (1) shoemender and (2) bungler
Soles=Punning on (1) shoe soles and (2) souls
Compleat:
To cobble=Flikken, lappen, brodden; schoenlappen
Cobbler=(Cobler) Een schoenlapper, schoenflikker, broddelaar
Rule=Regel, lijn; bestieren, regeren

Burgersdijk notes:
Dat gij, als handwerkslieden, enz. Zulke bepalingen bestonden inderdaad, zoowel in Engeland als in
Duitschland .

Topics: status, order/society, work

Categories: Julius Caesar, status, work|

I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you.

PLAY: Julius Caesar
ACT/SCENE: 1.1
SPEAKER: Cobbler
CONTEXT:
COBBLER
A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe
conscience, which is indeed, sir, a mender of bad
soles.
MURELLUS
What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty knave, what trade?
COBBLER
Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me. Yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you.
MURELLUS
What mean’st thou by that? “Mend” me, thou saucy fellow?

DUTCH:
Neen, ik bid u, leg er geen knoop op; want wezenlijk,
als er een steek aan u los is, kan ik u opknappen.

MORE:
Cobbler=Punning on (1) shoemender and (2) bungler
Soles=Punning on (1) shoe soles and (2) souls
“Out” double meaning: first out to mean angry, second out at heel (now down at heel); see also double meaning in a “mender of bad soles”.
Compleat:
To cobble=Flikken, lappen, brodden; schoenlappen
Cobbler=(Cobler) Een schoenlapper, schoenflikker, broddelaar
To be out=Missen, uythebben

Burgersdijk notes:
Het verbeteren van den slechten wandel der menschen. Het Engelsch heeft: a mender of bad soles. De woordspeling met soles en souls is in het Engelsch veel natuurlijker, en wat hier gegeven wordt, is veel te deftig, maar het is moeilijk lets beters te vinden; misschien zou kunnen dienen: Zonder mij ging de wereld op sloffen,” of wel: op sokken”.