King John & Henry VIII (71 page)

61
Right
clearly

61
New flight
i.e. toward King John

62
happy
fortunate

62
old right
i.e. loyalty to King John

5.5
Location: England, the French camp

5.5
train
retinue

1
loath
reluctant

2
welkin
sky

3
measure
travel (over)

4
faint retire
weak retreat

4
bravely
splendidly

4
came we off
we left the field of combat

5
needless
superfluous, unnecessary

7
tott’ring
waving/tattered (from the battle)

12
are … off
have once again withdrawn their allegiance

15
shrewd
harsh

19
stumbling
i.e. causing the men to stumble

21
quarter
watch

23
adventure
fortune/hazard

5.6
Location: England, not far from Swinstead Abbey

5.6
severally
separately

3
Of the part
on the side

8
perfect
accurate

9
upon all hazards
whatever the risks

14
come … of
am descended from (via one of my parents)

15
Unkind remembrance
! Unnatural memory! (Hubert addresses his own memory;
unkind
may play on the sense of “lacking proper kinship”)

17
accent
utterance/way of speaking

17
breaking
coming

18
scape
escape, elude

19
sans
compliment
without ceremony

19
abroad
at large, out there

21
find you out
find you

22
Brief
be brief

25
very wound
most painful part, worst

28
broke out
rushed out, left

30
to
for

30
sudden time
unexpected events, emergency

31
at leisure
later, without urgency

32
taste
act as taster (i.e. person who ate some of the king’s food to see whether it was poisoned)

34
bowels
intestines

35
Yet
still

35
peradventure
perhaps, by chance

38
Prince Henry
John’s son, the future Henry III, who ruled 1216–72

42
bear … power
endure more than we are able to

43
power
army

44
Passing
passing over

44
flats
sandbanks

45
Lincoln Washes
sandbanks in Lincolnshire

46
hardly
barely/with difficulty

47
Away before
lead on, go ahead

48
doubt
fear

48
or ere
before

5.7
Location: England, the garden of Swinstead Abbey

2
touched
tainted/endangered

2
corruptibly
in a manner causing decay

2
pure
clear, lucid

4
idle
nonsensical

9
fell
cruel/fierce

10
orchard
garden

11
rage
rave

14
vanity
absurdity

15
not feel themselves
be unaware/become unaware of physical pain

17
invisible
invisibly

19
legions
multitudes/armies

20
hold
stronghold (i.e. the mind)

21
Confound
destroy, defeat/confuse

22
cygnet
young swan, i.e. Prince Henry, the dying John’s youthful son

22
swan
the swan was thought to sing only once, just before it died

27
indigest
shapeless mass/confused situation

28
rude
undefined, rough, disordered

29
elbow-room
i.e. enough space

33
scribbled form
indistinctly drawn shape/hasty sketch

37
fare
food (plays on the sense of the verb—i.e. “to do”)

37
forsook
rejected, abandoned

39
maw
throat/stomach

41
north
north wind

44
cold comfort
comforting coolness/no comfort

44
strait
severe/stingy (“straight” in Folio)

45
ingrateful
ungrateful

46
virtue
power/remedy

52
motion
urge

53
spleen
eagerness

54
set
close (after death)

55
tackle
rigging and sails

56
shrouds
ship’s ropes (plays on the sense of “burial sheet”)

58
string
heartstring/rope

58
stay
support/anchor

60
clod
lump of earth

61
module
model, image

61
confounded
destroyed

62
preparing hitherward
on his way here/preparing to come here

63
heaven he
probably originally “God he,” altered because of 1606 Parliamentary “Act to restrain the Abuses of Players,” which sought to put an end to blasphemous language on the stage

65
upon
i.e. to gain (tactical)

65
remove
move, change the position of

67
flood
rushing water/tide

68
dead
deadly/grave

69
But
just

69
thus
i.e. dead

70
Even so
in the same way

71
stay
support

75
wait on
escort

76
still
always

77
right spheres
proper orbits

82
Straight
at once

88
respect
self-respect

89
presently
immediately

90
rather
sooner

91
sinewèd
strengthened

93
carriages
gun-carriages (i.e. supports for artillery)

95
disposing
management

97
meet
fitting

97
post
hasten

98
consummate
conclude

100
princes
nobles

101
wait upon
attend, serve in

105
happily
with good fortune

106
lineal state
i.e. rightfully inherited kingship

108
bequeath
give

110
like tender
same offer

111
rest
remain

111
spot
blot

114
but
ambiguous here since it can mean both “only” and “not merely”

114
needful woe
necessary mourning

115
beforehand
in credit, had more than enough (financial term)

118
But
except

120
three corners
i.e. all other parts

121
shock
repel with force

121
rue
grieve

122
rest
remain

3
Sad
serious, solemn

3
high
lofty/important

3
working
emotive, moving

3
state
stateliness, dignity

10
show
spectacle

11
pass
be approved, pass muster

11
still, and willing
attentive and well-inclined

12
shilling
the cost of some of the most expensive seats in the theater

13
two short hours
i.e. the length of the play

15
targets
shields

16
motley
parti- or multicolored

16
guarded
trimmed

16
long … yellow
a fool’s customary costume

17
deceived
disappointed

17
know
understand (that)

19
forfeiting … brains
abandoning our intelligence

20
opinion … intend
reputation we have for presenting truthfully what we intend to perform

22
understanding
comprehending (plays on the sense of audience members “standing under” the stage, in the yard)

24
happiest
most favored

25
sad
serious

27
As
as if

27
great
influential, of high rank

1.1
Location: the royal court, London

2
saw
saw one another

4
fresh
untired, eager

5
what … there
Norfolk refers to the meeting of Henry VIII and the French King François I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold

6
untimely ague
badly timed fever

7
Stayed
detained

10
’Twixt
between

10
Guînes and Ardres
towns near Calais in northern France

12
lighted
alighted, dismounted

13
as
as if

14
Which had they
i.e. had they grown together

14
throned ones
i.e. kings

14
weighed
balanced, equaled

20
pomp
splendor, ceremony

21
following
succeeding

21
Each … master
i.e. each day learned something from the one before it

22
master
teacher

23
its
i.e. its own

24
clinquant
glittering

25
Shone down
outshone

25
tomorrow
i.e. the next day

25
they
i.e. the English

26
India
i.e. seem as wealthy as the Indies (whose mines were thought to be sources of immeasurable riches)

27
Showed
appeared

28
cherubins
(statues of) angels

28
madams
high-ranking ladies

30
pride
magnificent finery, rich clothing, and accessories

30
that
so that

30
labour … painting
efforts caused them to flush, so that they looked as if they were wearing rouge

31
masque
courtly entertainment involving elaborate costume

32
cried
proclaimed

32
night
i.e. night’s entertainments

33
Made … beggar
i.e. seemed trivial and cheap in comparison

34
were … them
were deemed more or less splendid depending on which one was on view at the time

35
him … praise
the king on view always being the one praised

36
being … one
when both kings were present they appeared indistinguishable in their splendor

37
discerner
observer/one who perceives a difference

38
Durst
dared

38
censure
judgment (in favor of one rather than the other)