King John & Henry VIII (70 page)

45
droop
look downcast

48
motion
movement

49
stirring
as active

49
the time
i.e. current events

50
outface
defy

50
brow
countenance

51
bragging
boastful/bullying

51
inferior eyes
i.e. the king’s subjects

52
borrow … from
model their actions on

55
god of war
i.e. the Roman god Mars

56
become
grace/come to

56
field
battlefield

60
forage
overrun (an area)/ pillage

62
nigh
near

64
happy
fortunate, opportune

67
inglorious
shameful

68
upon … land
standing on our own soil/because land is being paced by foreign soldiers

69
fair-play
honorable, lacking cunning

70
Insinuation
suggestions, attempts to gain favor

70
base
dishonorable, cowardly

72
cockered
pampered

72
silken
effeminate/luxurious/clothed in silk

72
wanton
spoiled child

72
brave
challenge

73
flesh
initiate (in warfare)/ plunge in (as one would a weapon into flesh)

74
colours
battle flags

74
idly
foolishly/frivolously

75
check
resistance

78
purpose
intention, plan

79
ordering
management

81
prouder
superior/more arrogant

5.2
Location: England, the French camp

3
precedent
original (copy)

4
fair
just/neatly written

4
order
agreement

6
took the sacrament
received communion (a way of confirming the sacredness of vows)

7
faiths
pledges

9
albeit
although

12
sore of time
wound of the present

13
contemned
despised, contemptible

14
canker
ulcer/corruption

16
metal
i.e. sword

18
rescue and defence
rescue of England from John/defense of England against the French

19
Cries out upon
appeals to/rejects

21
physic
cure

22
deal but
proceed in any way other than

23
confusèd
disastrous, disorderly

27
step after
march behind, support

27
stranger
foreigner

30
spot
place/blemish, moral stain

31
grace
honor, support

32
unacquainted
unfamiliar

33
remove
move, depart

34
Neptune
Roman god of the sea

34
clippeth
embrace

35
bear
carry

36
grapple
bind, attach

36
pagan … league
i.e. the English and French might unite against a common non-Christian enemy

39
spend … unneighbourly
waste it in such an unneighborly manner

40
temper
disposition

41
affections
emotions, loyalties

42
earthquake
i.e. tumult

44
compulsion
necessity (of opposing John)

44
brave respect
noble regard (for your country)

45
dew
i.e. tears

48
ordinary
commonplace, everyday

52
vaulty
arched roof

53
Figured
adorned

55
heave
bear

56
Commend
commit, entrust

56
those baby eyes
i.e. babies

59
blood
liveliness

62
nobles
may play on the sense of “gold coins”

63
knit
join

63
sinews
muscles, i.e. strength

64
Even … spake
i.e. in this heaven supports us/I see already that the promise of financial reward will secure your support (alternatively, some editors speculate that the reference is to a trumpet signaling Pandulph’s arrival)

64
angel
gold coin/heavenly being

65
apace
quickly

71
come in
become reconciled, returned

73
see
bishopric/seat of a bishop in his church

74
wind up
furl

76
fostered … hand
brought up by hand

78
show
appearance

79
back
go back

80
propertied
treated as an object

81
secondary at control
second in command, deputy

89
right
justice/a rightful claim

90
Acquainted me with
introduced me to, made me aware of

90
interest
valid claim

98
penny … borne
expense has Rome sustained

100
underprop
support

101
charge
expense

102
liable
subject

105
‘Vive le roi’
“Long live the king” (French; also a phrase in playing
cards
)

105
banked
besieged (within banks of fortifications)/ captured, confined/skirted around (“bank” may also be a card-playing term, perhaps meaning “to secure as a winning” or “a card player’s stake”)

107
match
game, contest (may play on the sense of “marriage,” given Lewis’s union with Blanche)

107
crown
royal crown/coin, i.e. bet at cards

108
set
series of games (won at cards)

113
ample
complete, great

114
drew
gathered

114
head
army

115
culled
selected

116
outlook
overcome/outstare

118
lusty
vigorous

119
According to
in accordance with

120
have audience
be heard

122
dealt for him
proceeded on his behalf

123
scope
extent

124
warrant
authority

124
limited
designated, permitted

125
wilful-opposite
stubbornly hostile

126
temporize
negotiate

131
reason
with good reason

132
apish
apelike, foolish

132
unmannerly
inappropriate, impolite (puns on “unmanly”—i.e. cowardly/not like a human)

133
harnessed
armored

133
masque
courtly entertainment involving dancing and elaborate costumes

133
unadvisèd
ill-considered

134
unheard
unheard of, extraordinary (plays on the literal sense as King John is not present, though he responds through the Bastard; some editors emend to “unhaired”—i.e. boyishly beardless)

136
whip
i.e. drive

136
pigmy
very small

139
take the hatch
leap over the lower half of the door, i.e. retreat hastily

141
litter
animal straw

141
planks
floors

142
pawns
goods pledged in exchange for a loan of money

143
hug
i.e. curl up

144
vaults
cellars/tombs

144
thrill
tremble

145
crow
cockerel, the French national symbol

150
eyrie
nest/brood

151
souse
swoop down on

152
revolts
rebels

153
Neroes
the Roman Emperor Nero was supposed to have torn open his mother’s womb after killing her

156
Amazons
race of warrior women

156
tripping
moving quickly and lightly

157
gauntlets
armored gloves

160
brave
challenge

160
turn thy face
i.e. retreat

161
outscold
outdo us in scolding/have more quarrelsome women than us

163
brabbler
brawler/quarrelsome fault-finder

166
attend
listen

172
ready braced
prepared, with the skin tightened

175
welkin
sky

177
halting
hesitating

178
sport
amusement

179
forehead
countenance

180
bare-ribbed
skeletal

180
office
duty, task

183
find
discover/suffer, experience

5.3
Location: England, the battlefield Alarums
battle calls

8
Swinstead
actually Swineshead, Lincolnshire

9
supply
reinforcements

11
Goodwin Sands
dangerous sandbanks off the coast of Kent

12
Richard
i.e. the Bastard

13
coldly
unenthusiastically

13
retire themselves
retreat

16
litter
bed for the transport of the sick or wounded

1
stored
well supplied

2
Up once again
i.e. onward, back to battle

3
miscarry
fail

4
misbegotten
wrongfully conceived

5
In … spite
despite everything

6
sore
grievously

7
revolts
rebels

11
Fly
flee

11
bought and sold
betrayed

12
Unthread
withdraw (like thread from a needle)

12
eye
needle’s eye

16
He
i.e. Lewis, the French dauphin

24
quantity
small amount

26
Resolveth
dissolves, melts

26
his figure
its shape

28
use
practice/benefit

30
hence
from now on/in the next world

32
forsworn
perjured

35
smokes
grows misty/moves like smoke

38
fine
penalty

38
rated
assessed/rebuked

39
fine
ending/penalty

42
respect
factor

45
lieu
exchange, payment

45
whereof
of which

46
rumour
tumult, noise

47
remnant
remainder

50
beshrew
curse

51
favour
appearance/face/benevolence

51
form
appearance/outcome

53
untread
retrace

54
bated
diminished

55
rankness
swelling, excess (plays on the sense of “vileness”)

56
bounds
limits, boundaries