QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 4.2
SPEAKER: Belarius
CONTEXT:
GUIDERIUS
Why, worthy father, what have we to lose
But that he swore to take, our lives? The law
Protects not us. Then why should we be tender
To let an arrogant piece of flesh threat us,
Play judge and executioner all himself,
For we do fear the law? What company
Discover you abroad?
BELARIUS
No single soul
Can we set eye on, but in all safe reason
He must have some attendants. Though his humour
Was nothing but mutation—ay, and that
From one bad thing to worse—not frenzy,
Not absolute madness could so far have raved
To bring him here alone. Although perhaps
It may be heard at court that such as we
Cave here, hunt here, are outlaws, and in time
May make some stronger head, the which he
hearing—
As it is like him—might break out and swear
He’d fetch us in, yet is ’t not probable
To come alone, either he so undertaking
Or they so suffering. Then on good ground we fear,
If we do fear this body hath a tail
More perilous than the head.
ARVIRAGUS
Let ordinance
Come as the gods foresay it: howsoe’er,
My brother hath done well.

DUTCH:
k Vrees met grond,
Dat deze romp nog wel een nasleep heeft,
Gevaarlijker dan ‘t hoofd.

MORE:
Proverb: To go from bad to worse

For (we do fear)=Because
Humour=Disposition
Mutation=Change (as an effect of inconsistency)
Stronger head=Gather strength
Fetch us in=Capture us
Tender=Delicate, in a physical and moral sense: easily impressed
Compleat:
Humour (or disposition of the mind)=Humeur, gemoeds gesteldheid
Mutation=Verandering, verwisseling
To draw to a head=Zich tot dragt zetten, de verhaaalde zaaken in een trekken
Tender=Teder, week, murw

Topics: proverbs and idioms, still in use, law/legal, life, flaw/fault