Volpone and Other Plays
Page 48
194. suspect: take note of.
202. beneficed: given a cleric’s living.
215. entice, debauch: almost synonyms in Jacobean times – hence Wasp calls them ‘fine terms’ because the distinction is slight.
226. retchless: heedless.
246. catchpoles: officers of the sheriff
248. governor: tutor.
263. read word: see 1, iv, 6.
273. bought me: made me his ward. Note.
276. disparagement: Note.
292. doubt yourself: to fear.
14. anatomy: skeleton.
29. thet-drink: medicine.
52. apocryphal: spurious, sham – the Puritans did not accept the Apocrypha.
52. publican: excommunicated person.
53Toby’s dogs: the dogs in the Punch-and-Judy show; probably the dog which accompanies Tobias in the Book of Tobit in the Apocrypha.
68. pricks him up: stimulates.
69. images: gingerbread cakes shaped like St Bartholomew.
69. legend: a collection of saints’ lives.
92. flasket: a long shallow basket.
103. thrust myself… upon the pikes: rush into martyrdom or danger;pikes = bayonets.
129. merchant: customer.
131. translated: transformed, disguised.
6. Oliver: earlier Davy.
15. quit you: God requite (i.e. reward) you.
16. multiply you: God increase your family
23 store: supply.
65. answer: justify, answer for.
68. advised: aware.
76. list: please (Folio reads ‘his list*. Herford-Simpson read ‘when him list’.)
95. discharged: freed from responsibility
104. the Word: the Bible.
21. Dorring the Dottrel: tricking the simpleton.
32. muss: scramble.
46. under-meal: afternoon meal.
59. pulled: plucked, tricked.
63. patent: a document conferring an office or job.
64. reversion: future possession, right of inheriting.
72. choke-pears: coarse cider-pears.
72. mum-chance: game played with dice, or cards.
77. carry: lead.
89. lie: lodge.
95. sweet bags: lavender bags.
96. wrought: embroidered.
102 found: detected.
3. affects: likes.
33. discourse: rationality
36. to making: to be trained.
37. toward: in store for
38. motion: suggestion.
42. tables: writing tablets.
56. tender: take care of.
57.equal: fair.
82. difference: distinguishing marks.
99 lime-twig: see m, v; (here): a thief.
105. wrestle: Note.
107.circling boy: a thief’s bully or decoy; see iv, iv.
2. lift: theft, trick.
4.Galloway Nag: a small, hardy Scots horse.
4.the staggers: a dizziness in horses.
11.I’ the zuds: in difficulty.
77 waimb: stomach.
112.commit: send to prison.
117.in some sort: to some extent.
125.exceeding: being presumptuous.
131.jacobus: gold sovereign issued at King James’s accession.
142. commit: see line 112, above; here pun on other sense, ’;fornicate’.
153. tuft taffeta: tufted or fancily woven taffeta.
166. flock-beds: beds filled with wool or cotton, not feathers.
169. pigeon-holes: the stocks.
178. man with the beard: jug with a face on it; toby-jug.
180. Clerk o’ the Market: official in charge of the Fair.
199. purlieus: suburbs, disreputable areas.
207. leaps: sexual acts.
208. covering: copulating.
12. What’s: for what reason is.
17. plover, quail: whores.
18. bird o’ the game: as above.
35. wires: stiffeners in ruffs.
36. tires, attire, dresses.
36. green gowns: play of words suggesting seduction on the grass; thus green was a colour associated with prostitutes.
47. top and top-gallant: in full sail.
48. fore -top: top of a mast.
72. in grease: fattened for the killing.
76. Cat-a-mountain: panther or leopard.
77. tawed: softened by beating (tanners’ term); here, beaten.
79. rid: i.e. in the cart, as a public punishment for being a whore.
80. night-tub: synonym for Jordan, chamber-pot.
82. waistcoat: a woman’s undergarment: as an outer garment usually a sign of a whore or ’watstcoateer’.
7. presently: at once.
19. take part of: partake of, share.
21. moiety: a half.
32. impertinently: to no purpose.
36. form: formulate, describe.
37. conceit: opinion, estimate.
45. runt: ignorant lout.
49. methegiin: Welsh mead.
69. discretion: successively used here in different senses – (1) judgement, opinion; (2) prudence; (3) separation.
71. valour: amount.
80. separated: reference to Separatists, or Nonconformists.
89. without: outside of.
90. contumelies: insults.
98. lists: strips (of doth).
105. a halting neutral: someone not of the elect
137 earns: grieves. Some editors read ‘yearns’, following Whalley (1736).
169. t’one: the one or the other.
2. sign: the ‘banner’ mentioned in line
5. Note.
2. invention: here puppet-play.
4. carwitchets: quibbles, puns.
11. get-penny: box-office draw.
13. home-bom projects: subjects of local and national origin.
16. mickle: great.
9. project: plan.
19. canting: pious Puritan jargon.
42. canters: Puritans.
50. party-coloured Brotherhood: Note.
61. silent minister: Note.
65. feoffee in trust: a trustee of freehold estate in land.
69. in time: probably at a suitable time.
75. make myself some saver: compensate for my loss (gambling jargon).
116. conscience: good sense, judgement.
124. reducing: bringing back.
2. master of the monuments: person in charge here.
4. fantastical: hair-brained.
10. interlude: short comic or farcical entertainment.
22. voluntary: Note.
29. fire: evidently the fire in Ursula’s booth.
55. tiring-house: dressing-room.
63. at other houses: Note.
65. the quality: the acting profession.
67. consumption: financial ruin.
72. players minors: boy-actors.
76. eat ’em all: Note.
87. habit of a scrivener: a gown with fur trimmings.
88. at large: in full.
93. perfect: i.e. word-perfect.
98. ostler: or possibly Ostler, alluding to an actor of that name.
99. printed book: Note.
113. modem: commonplace.
18. drawer: tapster.
6. toward: in prospect of, about to have.
15. troublesome: painstaking.
36. By: standing by, indicating.
39. private house: Note.
41. all-to-be-madam: always call me madam.
54. eider-oder: any.
86. hare o’ the tabor: performing hare which played the drum.
106. intend: attend to.
115. amorous Leander, etc.; Note.
126. Cole: name for a pander.
128. collier: an abusive term; colliers (sellers of charcoal) were reputed to cheat their customers.
147. the Swan: the inn of that name rather than the theatre
159. Hogrubber: swineh
erd.
172. fiddle-stick: Leander (see v, iii).
185. sack… sherry: Note.
185. the Coney: name of a room in the tavern.
190. at a dead lift: at a last extremity.
193. condition: on condition that.
200. hobby-horse, etc.; Note.
204. puff: quarrel, bully.
222. scab: scoundrel.
237. pink: stab.
251. hone and honero: from the Scots ochone, ochonarie: alas! (evidently a ballad-refrain).
275. tread: copulate with.
278. setting their match: fixing a time to meet.
289. Dunmow-bacon: Note.
290. Westfalian: celebrated kind of ham.
12. instruments: agents.
12. countenance: repute.
29. disputation: formal debate.
44. commit with:fight with.
46. calling: vocation.
55. hinnyeth: whinnies.
69. creaking: shrill way of speaking.
74. tire-women: dress-makers.
77. feather-makers: dealers in feathers.
78. perukes: wigs.
79. puffs: bunches of ribbons, leathers, or hair.
79. huffs: padded shoulders, etc.
84. bugle-maker: maker of glass beads.
84. confect-maker: maker of sweets or confectionery.
85. fashioner: tailor.
90. main argument: Note.
103. standing: employment, vocation.
111. carried it away: won.
discovers himself: reveals himself, drops his disguise.
11. cage: gaol.
18. stepped aside: gone astray.
49. be uncovered: remove your hats.
69. Bridget: a Jonsonian slip for ‘Grace’.
81. estimation: repute.
94. stake: archery-post.