All's Well That Ends Well (33 page)

22
bairns
children

25
go
puns on the sense of “have sex”

26
your worship
title of mock respect

27
holy
i.e. sanctioned by marriage (puns on “holey,” i.e. vaginal)

29
world
mankind, i.e. secular people

32
repent
regret marrying/atone for sex out of wedlock

35
for … sake
to keep my wife company (with suggestion of sexual activity)

37
shallow
lacking in judgment

37
in
of

38
do
with sexual connotations

39
ears
plows/has sex with/impregnates

39
land
i.e. wife

39
spares my team
takes the load off my sexual organs

39
gives me leave
allows/enables

39
in
harvest/bring in

40
crop
i.e. of children

40
cuckold
man with an unfaithful wife

40
drudge
slave/menial worker

40
comforts
pleasures (sexually)

41
cherisher
nourisher/sustainer (in procreative sense)

43
ergo
“therefore” (Latin)

44
what they are
i.e. cuckolds

45
Charbon the Puritan
meat-eating puritan (from French
chair bonne:
“good flesh,” eaten on fast-days)

46
Poysam the Papist
fish-eating Catholic (from French
poisson:
“fish,” eaten on fast-days)

46
howsome'er
howsoever/although

47
both one
alike (in being cuckolds)

47
jowl
dash, knock

49
ever
always

49
calumnious
slanderous

52
next
nearest/most direct

56
kind
nature, i.e. to be a cuckold (which sounds like “cuckoo”) is natural

57
anon
at another time

62
fair face
i.e. of Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world, whose abduction by Paris caused the Trojan war

62
she
perhaps Hecuba, wife of
Priam

63
sackèd
plundered

63
Troy
ancient city of West Turkey, besieged for ten years during the Trojan war

64
Fond
foolishly

65
King Priam
King of Troy, killed during the conflict

68
sentence
maxim, wise saying

69
Among
along with

72
corrupt the song
presumably Lavatch has inverted the words of a well-known song; it may have originally read “Among nine good if one be bad, / There's yet nine good in ten”

75
purifying
cleansing, improving

75
serve the world
i.e. by consistently providing one good woman in ten

76
tithe-woman
tenth woman (i.e. one in ten); the tithe was the tenth of one's farm produce able to be claimed by the parson

77
An
if

78
but … earthquake
i.e. rarely

78
blazing star
comet

79
mend … well
improve the odds

79
draw
pull

80
one
i.e. a good woman

82
That
to think that

83
honesty
truth/virtue

84
wear … heart
i.e. conform by hiding pride beneath an outward appearance of obedience, just as Puritans wore the prescribed Anglican surplice over the more extreme Calvinist black gown

85
forsooth
in truth

89
bequeathed
left (by will)/entrusted

90
advantage
financial interest/additional personal benefits

90
make title
lay claim

93
late
recently

96
stranger sense
other person's or stranger's hearing

96
matter
subject, theme

98
estates
stations in life

99
no
i.e. unworthy of being a

99
only where qualities
except where ranks

100
Dian
Diana, Roman goddess of chastity, the moon, and hunting

100
suffer
allow

101
surprised
to be captured/attacked

102
touch
feeling/expression/note

104
withal
with

104
sithence
since

104
loss
harm

105
something
somewhat

106
discharged
performed

107
likelihoods
indications

109
misdoubt
disbelieve

109
Stall
confine, lodge, hide

113
these
difficulties/pangs of love

115
blood
passion

116
show
appearance/display

116
seal
sign/confirmation

117
impressed
imprinted, stamped

119
or
or rather/but

120
observe
see through/note

125
Methought
it seemed to me

126
start
flinch

128
enwombèd mine
carried in my womb

129
Adoption
i.e. (love for) adopted children

129
strives
competes

129
nature
i.e. (love for) one's own children

129
choice … seeds
we choose to graft a cutting from another plant onto our stock, and thus make it into our own

131
mother's groan
i.e. in labor

133
curd
curdle

135
distempered
distressed/unseasonal, inclement

136
iris
Greek goddess of the rainbow

136
rounds
encircles

138
not
i.e. not your daughter-in-law

143
note
mark of distinction

143
parents
ancestors

145
vassal
subject/servant

149
So
provided that

150
both our mothers
mother of us both

151
no … than
as much as

152
can't no other
can it be no other way

155
shield
ensure/forbid

157
catched
caught

157
fondness
foolishness/affection

158
loveliness
many editors emend to “loneliness” (solitary melancholy)

159
head
source

159
sense
perception

159
gross
obvious

160
Invention
(your) devising of excuse

161
Against
in the face of

166
kind
natural way (i.e. by weeping)

168
That … suspected
for fear that truth will be regarded with suspicion/to ensure that truth will not be guessed at

169
clew
ball (of thread)

170
forswear't
deny it (under oath)

170
howe'er
in any case

170
charge
command

171
avail
benefit

178
Go not about
don't be roundabout (in answering)

178
bond
i.e. maternal bond

179
takes note
recognizes

181
appeached
informed against (you)

184
before
more than

186
friends
relatives

189
token
sign, evidence, indication (plays on the sense of “love token”)

189
presumptuous suit
unwarranted aim/expectant courtship

193
captious
capacious/eager to take in/deceptive

193
intenible
incapable of holding

194
still
continually

195
lack … still
yet do not run out of more to pour in and waste/do not run out of more to keep continuously pouring in and losing

196
Religious
ardent/worshipful

198
no more
nothing other (than to look on him)

199
encounter with
contest, fight

201
cites
confirms, acknowledges

204
herself
i.e. chastity

206
lend … lose
i.e. bestow affection where it is sure of no success

207
that
what

207
implies
involves, seeks

208
lives … dies
i.e. in loving Bertram, Helen is doomed to eternal disappointment

212
Wherefore?
Why?

213
grace
God's grace

214
prescriptions
ancient customs/instructions/doctor's prescriptions

216
manifest
evident

217
sovereignty
efficacy/healing

218
In … them
to reserve them for use with the greatest care

219
notes
instructions/doctor's prescriptions

219
faculties inclusive
comprehensive capabilities

220
in note
recognized to be

221
approved
tested, proven

222
desp'rate
despairing, hopeless

223
rendered lost
deemed incurable

227
conversation
processes, reflections

228
Haply
perhaps

230
tender
offer

232
a mind
the same opinion

233
credit
believe/trust

234
schools
universities, medical faculties

235
Embowelled
disemboweled, emptied

235
doctrine
learning, science

235
left off
abandoned

239
receipt
prescription/remedy

240
sanctified
blessed

242
try success
find out what happens

242
venture
risk

243
well-lost
i.e. lost for a good cause

244
such a
a specific

246
knowingly
i.e. securely with confidence

247
leave
permission

250
into
unto/upon

252
miss
lack

Act 2 Scene 1

2.1
Location: Paris

1
principles
i.e. advice

2
throw from you
forget

4
gift
i.e. of advice

7
well-entered
(becoming) experienced

10
owes
owns

13
higher italy
highranking Italians/northern Italy (Tuscany)

14
Those … monarchy
except those who merely inherit their places from what is left of the Holy Roman Empire/they that are cast down by having merely the remains of the Holy Roman Empire

16
woo
court, flirt with

16
wed
i.e. own, be bound to

17
questant
seeker, one on a quest

17
shrinks
recoils (plays on the sense of “loses his erection”)