QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: Troilus and Cressida
ACT/SCENE: 5.3
SPEAKER: Troilus
CONTEXT:
PANDARUS
A whoreson tisick, a whoreson rascally tisick so
troubles me, and the foolish fortune of this girl;
and what one thing, what another, that I shall
leave you one o’ these days: and I have a rheum
in mine eyes too, and such an ache in my bones
that, unless a man were cursed, I cannot tell what
to think on’t. What says she there?
TROILUS
Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart:
The effect doth operate another way.
Go, wind, to wind, there turn and change together.
My love with words and errors still she feeds;
But edifies another with her deeds.

DUTCH:
Slechts woorden, woorden, uit het harte niets.

MORE:
Proverb: Words are but wind

Tisick=Complaint, cough, perhaps from consumption (also phthisic or hectic)
Rheum=Discharge
Matter=Substance, meaning
Effect=Performance, outcome
Errors=Untruths
Edify=Strengthen, support
Compleat:
Tisick=Longziekte, teering
Rheum or rhume=Een zinking op de oogen
Matter=Stoffe, zaak, oorzaak
Effect=Uitkomst, uitwerking, gewrocht
Error=Fout, misslag, dwaaling, dooling
Edify=Stichten, opbouwen

Topics: proverbs and idioms, language, achievement