NOTES The following contractions are employed in the notes: O. E.- Old English; 0. Fr. Old French; Gr. Greek; Lat. Latin; Of. -confer (compare); Abbott = Dr. Abbott's Shakespearean Grammar; Cl. P. S. Clarendon Press Series; and Co. S. Collins's Series. Notes without name appended are Prof. Meiklejohn's. ACT FIRST SCENE 1 Ought not 3. Mechanical = mechanics or artisans. walk. This is the only instance in Shakespeare where ought is not followed by to. After the verbs bid, see, make, hear, tell, and others, we have at present no to; because with these verbs the old infinitives in an remained longer in use. And Dr. Abbott points out that, in the Elizabethan period, there was much inconsistency in the use or omission of the to. 4. A laboring-day = a working day. The word laboring is not here an adjective or participle, but a gerund or verbal noun, like frying-pan, walking-stick, working-dress, riding-coat, etc. (= pan for frying, etc.). Without the sign. There was no such sumptuary law among the Romans. 173 = 10. In respect of in comparison with. 11. A cobbler = a botcher or bungler. 12. Directly = straightforwardly. Shakespeare in the same way uses roundly. 16. Naughty good for naught or nothing. = = 17. Knave, not in the bad modern sense, but: fellow. In O. E. (as in modern German, Knabe) it simply meant a boy. Sir John Mandeville calls Mahomet 'a poure knave.' 18. Beseech, a compound of seek. Another compound is forsake (= give up seeking), with the O. E. pronunciation of seek. Be not out. Cf. fall out. 19. If you be out (here used in the second of the two senses), that is, at heels. Cf. out at elbows. 25. Women's tradeswomen's. 26. Surgeon. The old form was chirurgeon, from Gr. cheir, the hand, and ergon, a work. 27. Recover, used in the two senses of recover and re-cover. 28. Neat's-leather =ox leather. Neat is the O. E. word for cattle, and is still found in Scotland in the form of nowt. Cf. neat's foot oil. 34. To see Cæsar. Cæsar had just returned from Spain, triumphant over the sons of Pompey in the battle of Munda, in the spring of 45 B.C. 37. Bonds. From bind come also band, bundle, woodbine, etc. 40. Pompey, son of Cneius Pompeius Strabo, born 106 B.C., and assassinated in 48. Co. S. 43. Infants. From Lat. in, not, and fari, to speak. From the same root come fable, fate (the thing spoken), fatal, fame, infamous (= not to be spoken of). = 46. But merely or only. 48. Tiber... her. Shakespeare makes the Tiber feminine; but the Romans made it masculine. that. That =80 = 49. Replication echo or reverberation. From Lat. replico, I fold or turn back. 52. Cull out = pick out as. 57. Intermit put aside. 58. Needs. An old genitive. (= elles), backwards, etc. Cf. straightways, else 61. Tiber Banks. So we have in the Fifth Act, 'Philippi fields'; and in other plays, 'Pisa walls,'' Cyprus wars,' ' music vows,' the 'region kites.' (See Abbott, sect. 22.) 62. Till the lowest stream. That is, till the stream at its lowest be increased by your tears until it touches the top of the banks. A hyperbole of the strongest kind. 64. Metal, another form of the word mettle; both from Gr. metallon, a mine. 66. Capitol. The temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus and citadel of Rome (Capitolium), to which a victorious general, entering the city in triumph, rode to return thanks to Jupiter. 67. Disrobe. A laurel crown, tied with a white fillet, had been placed upon the statues of Cæsar. 68. Ceremonies, that is, trophies and scarfs. Crowns had also been placed on Cæsar's statues. 70. Lupercal. One of the most ancient Roman festivals, celebrated annually in honor of Lupercus, the god of fertility. It was held on the 15th of February, near the Lupercal, at the foot of the Mons Aventinus, where Romulus and Remus were said to have been found with their nurse, the she-wolf. The Luperci, or priests, sacrificed goats and young dogs, and, cutting the skins into thongs, they ran with them through the city, touching and striking men and women. This act was a symbolic purification of the land, and the touching was a purification of men. 73. Vulgar, from Lat. vulgus, the common people. 76. Pitch, highest flight of a hawk. 78. Servile, such as befits slaves. (From Lat. servus, a slave.) SCENE 2 9. Elders = forefathers. 11. Sterile curse curse of sterility. Cæsar was now childless. 17. The press = the crowd. Cf. Chaucer: Fly from the presse, and dwell with soothfastnesse.' See also Mark ii. 4. 20. The Ides. The Roman method of reckoning the days of the month was very peculiar. The first of each month was called Kalends (Kalendar); the Nones (Nonal) on the 5th (but on the 7th in March, May, July, and October); and the Ides (Idus) eight days later than the Nones. From these three fixed points the Romans counted backwards. Thus the 30th of January was three days (taking in both the day counted from and the day counted to) before, or the third day before, the Kalends of February; and so on. The Ides of March, May, July, and October fell on the 15th day. 26. Sennet, a piece of martial music, or a set of notes played on a trumpet as a signal for a procession to move. 27. Order of the course, the manner in which the procession is marshalled, and the direction in which it is led. 30. Gamesome, inclined for frolic. = 31. Spirit, turn of mind. Quick lively. 36. As= that. Still in use by uneducated people throughout England. Shakespeare frequently uses it as a relative pronoun in this and other plays. Show of love, proofs of affection. ... 37. You bear a hand, you are too distant and unfriendly. The metaphor is borrowed from horsemanship. 41, 42. Vexèd I am with passions, etc. I have been troubled by conflicting emotions. 43. Conceptions . . to myself, thoughts or ideas which concern me only. Proper = peculiar. So we have in Shakespeare, 'their proper selves,'' my proper hand.' 44. Soil, tarnish, stain. - Behaviors. Shakespeare frequently uses the plural where the singular is generally employed. = 64. His, written carelessly for their. Cl. P. S. 73. Be not jealous on me be not suspicious of me. So we also find in Shakespeare, 'revenged on her death,' 'fond on her,' 'command upon me.' 74. Did use were accustomed. 75. To stale, make stale or common. Scandal, speak evil of. 79. Profess myself = show I profess friendly feeling for any one at a banquet. 80. Rout, a mixed assembly. - Hold = look upon me as. consider, or 87. General good, welfare of the public at large. 89. Indifferently impartially. = 90. Speed = prosper. Cf. God-speed, a phrase very common in Bunyan. 93. Outward favor = personal appearance. 97. I had as lief, I would prefer. Had is here an old subjunctive, like the German hätte; and lief (O. E. leof) is an old adjective, meaning dear. 103. Chafing with, that is, lashing the banks with violence, as if angry with them for restraining it. 106. Yonder, an old comparative of yon. (Cf. Ger. jen-er.) The d is intrusive, and serves as a cushion between the two liquids n and r. 111. Hearts of controversy, with hearts that opposed and fought against the violence of the stream. 112. Arrive, strive at, reach; Lat. adripare, to come to the bank (ripa). So Dr. Abbott (sect. 198) gives in Milton, |