All's Well That Ends Well (39 page)

147
a-foot
in terms of foot soldiers

148
live
i.e. live only for

150
so
as

153
muster-file
official list of soldiers

153
rotten and sound
(of those both) sick and healthy

154
poll
heads, i.e. soldiers

155
cassocks
soldier's cloaks/coats

159
condition
(military) character

164
well-weighing
heavy/persuasive

167
particular
individual points

168
inter'gatories
questions

170
botcher
mender (of clothes and shoes)

170
'prentice
apprentice

171
shrieve's fool
idiot girl in the sheriff's care

172
innocent
fool

173
him nay
no to him

175
his … falls
i.e. he is in danger of a sudden death

178
lousy
lice-infested/contemptible

184
o'th'band
of the military company

186
good sadness
all seriousness

194
advertisement
advice, warning

194
proper
respectable

196
ruttish
lustful

196
up
back

198
favour
permission

202
fry
young fish

203
both-sides
two-faced

204
drop
offer, pay with

205
scores
incurs a bill

206
Half … it
one is halfway there if the bargain is well-made, so set out your terms clearly (or “be even”) and succeed

207
after-debts
outstanding bills

207
it
i.e. payment

209
mell
mingle/have sex

210
For count
on account/so be sure

211
before
in advance

214
in's
on his

215
manifold linguist
speaker of many languages

216
armipotent
powerful in arms

220
fain
obliged

223
nature
my natural life

229
egg … cloister
i.e. trifling thing, even from a holy place

230
Nessus
centaur who tried to rape Hercules' wife

230
professes not
does not make a practice of

232
Hercules
Greek hero famed for feats of strength

234
swine-drunk
drunk as a pig (i.e. excessively drunk—and thus likely to wet his bed-clothes)

235
they
i.e. the servants who put him to bed

235
conditions
habits

243
led … tragedians
drums announced a performance by actors

244
belie
tell lies about

246
Mile-end
field outside the city of London where citizen militia were trained

247
doubling of files
simple military marching maneuver

254
cardecue
quart d'écu,
small French silver coin

254
fee-simple
absolute possession (legal term used of land or property)

255
cut … perpetually
prevent inheritance to all subsequent heirs forever

262
for
as

263
lackey
errand-running servant

264
coming on
advancing

267
captain … horse
cavalry commander

270
no more
have nothing more to do with

271
beguile the supposition
deceive the opinion

276
discovered
revealed

277
pestiferous
malicious, pestilent

278
held
regarded

286
you
you send

287
for
bound for

289
in
on

290
a very
an absolute

292
undone
ruined/undressed

295
but
only

297
impudent
shameless, immodest

299
great
big/noble

303
Who
he who

307
fooled
made a fool of/tricked

Act 4 Scene 4

4.4
Location: Florence

2
One … world
i.e. the French king

3
surety
guarantor

6
which gratitude
gratitude for which

7
Through
even through

7
Tartar
inhabitant of Central Asia, considered pitiless and savage

10
convenient convoy
suitable means of transport

11
breaking
disbanding

12
hies him
hastens

14
our welcome
i.e. we are expected

21
be
i.e. provide

21
dower
dowry

22
motive
agent/means

25
saucy trusting
lecherous acceptance

25
cozened
deluded

26
Defiles
blackens/pollutes

26
pitchy
dark (pitch is a tar-like substance)

27
loathes
i.e. Helen

27
for … away
i.e. in place of Diana

29
yet
further

31
death and honesty
i.e. a chaste death

32
Go with
i.e. result from

32
impositions
commands

33
Upon
at

34
Yet
for a while

35
But … word
through the power of word alone: either a metaphysical reference to the “word of God” or a meta-theatrical reference to the power of theater

38
revives
will reinvigorate

39
fine's
end's

40
renown
i.e. important thing

Act 4 Scene 5

4.5
Location: Rossillion

1
with
by

1
snipt-taffeta
in slashed silk, indicative of showiness

2
saffron
orange-red dye used to color ruffs and food

3
unbaked
uncooked/immature/impressionable

3
doughy
dough-like/malleable

4
Your
i.e. had it not been for Parolles, your

6
humble-bee
bumble-bee

10
dearest
direst/most precious

10
groans … mother
i.e. in labor

11
rooted
established/planted (Lafew develops this sense)

13
light on
come across

14
sweet marjoram
type of herb

15
herb of grace
rue, herb associated with repentance (suggests Helen's spiritual
grace
)

16
herbs
edible salad plants

16
nose-herbs
scented plants for smelling

17
Nebuchadnezzar
Babylonian king, forced from his kingdom and made to eat grass

18
grace
puns on “grass”

19
Whether
which of the two

20
fool
supposedly fools had big penises

20
service
employment/sexual service

23
cozen
cheat

23
service
duty, i.e. sex

25
bauble
fool's baton with a carved head on one end/penis

25
do
with sexual connotations

27
subscribe
vouch/answer

34
maine
mane, like that of a royal English lion/meinie, family, retinue

34
fisnomy
physiognomy, facial features

35
hotter in France
choleric, angry, warlike (to the French)/susceptible to the “French disease” (syphilis)

37
black prince
Edward the Black Prince of England, son of Edward III

39
Hold thee
be quiet

40
suggest
tempt

42
woodland
rustic, i.e. simple

43
fire
also “hellfire”

44
prince … world
another title for the devil

45
narrow gate
according to the Bible, the route to salvation (Matthew 7:13)

46
pomp
proud, showy people

47
many
majority

47
chill
faint-hearted/sensitive to cold (thus preferring the warmth of hellfire)

47
tender
fond of comfort

50
Go thy ways
be off

51
before
now, before I grow truly fed up with you

52
tricks
i.e. tampering with the horses' feed to save hay

53
jades' tricks
mischief caused by badly behaved horses

55
shrewd
cunning, mischievous

55
unhappy
unlucky/discontented/mischievous

56
gone
dead (i.e. her husband the count)

59
pace
restraint, obedient movement (horse-training term)

61
lady's
i.e. Helen's

62
moved
urged, persuaded

64
minority
youth, when they were minors

64
self-gracious remembrance
his own thoughtfulness, without prompting

65
propose
i.e. for marriage to Bertram

71
post
rapidly

72
numbered
was aged

73
him
i.e. a messenger

73
intelligence
information

78
with … admitted
how I might with propriety be allowed to be present (at the meeting of Bertram and the king)

80
but
only

80
your honourable privilege
the privilege due your honored self

81
charter
claim

83
patch of velvet
used to cover either battle scars or those resulting from syphilis treatment

85
knows
plays on
no

86
two … half
i.e. covered with thick velvet

86
worn bare
without a velvet patch/hairless (from syphilis)

88
liv'ry
badge

89
belike
probably

90
carbonadoed
slashed (like meat for cooking)/cut in the manner of incisions made for syphilis treatment

Act 5 Scene 1

5.1
Location: Marseilles

1
exceeding posting
exceptional haste

2
wear
wear out

5
bold
confident

5
my requital
the reward I shall give you

6
In happy time
fortunately met

6
Gentle Astringer
gentleman keeper of hawks

8
spend
exert

12
fall'n
less than/altered

14
sharp
urgent

14
occasions
needs

15
nice
overscrupulous

15
put
urge/compel

20
petition
request