QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: All’s Well that Ends Well
ACT/SCENE: 4.3
SPEAKER: Parolles
CONTEXT:
FIRST LORD
He hath out-villained villany so far, that the
rarity redeems him.
BERTRAM
A pox on him, he’s a cat still.
FIRST SOLDIER
His qualities being at this poor price, I need not
to ask you if gold will corrupt him to revolt.
PAROLLES
Sir, for a quart d’ecu he will sell the fee-simple
of his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the
entail from all remainders, and a perpetual
succession for it perpetually.
FIRST SOLDIER
What’s his brother, the other Captain Dumain?
SECOND LORD
Why does he ask him of me?
FIRST SOLDIER
What’s he?
PAROLLES
E’en a crow o’ the same nest; not altogether so
great as the first in goodness, but greater a great
deal in evil: he excels his brother for a coward,
yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is:
in a retreat he outruns any lackey; marry, in coming
on he has the cramp.

DUTCH:
Geheel en al een kraai uit hetzelfde nest; niet volkomen
zoo groot als de andere in het goede, maar een good
deel slechter in bet booze.

MORE:
Proverb: A bird (egg) of the same nest

To stand seised in fee simple=A feudal term that meant to have both possession and title of property, a form of freehold ownership. (Absolute and perpetual ownership.) Shakespeare sometimes used the phrase to mean absoluteness.
Entail=Succession
Remainders=Possible future heirs (residual property rights)
Lackey=Footman (who would run in front of the master’s coach)
Come on=Advance
Compleat:
Seised=Beslagen, aangetast, gevat
Fee-simple=Een onbepaald leen ons en onze erfgenaamen voor altoos toehehoorende
Entail=By erfenisse vast gemaakt
Lackey (lacquey)=Een voetjongen, volgdienaar, lakkey

Topics: good and bad, law/legal, proverbs and idioms