King John & Henry VIII (73 page)

21
true condition
loyal disposition

22
grievance
distress

22
commissions
official authorization (to collect taxes)

23
flawed
cracked, damaged

26
putter-on
instigator

27
exactions
extortionate charges

28
soil
dishonorable stain

34
clothiers
cloth workers, who dealt with woollen fabric

35
longing
belonging, i.e. dependent on them for employment

35
put off
dismissed

36
spinsters
spinners of wool into thread for weaving into cloth

36
carders
those who prepared wool for spinning by combing out impurities and aligning the fibres

36
fullers
those who beat cloth to clean and thicken it

37
life
i.e. ways of making a living

39
Daring … th’teeth
pushing the situation to the extreme, challenging matters to the limit

40
danger
i.e. the potential for outright revolt

40
serves
has joined ranks

46
single part
individual role, i.e. only my share

46
aught
anything

47
front … me
merely march in the front rank along with others who keep the same pace

48
tell
count

53
you … acquaintance
you devise matters that are known to everyone, which are damaging to those who would rather not know of them but who are obliged to endure them nevertheless

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have note
be informed

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bear
carry

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is … th’load
i.e. is bowed down painfully by the burden

58
exclamation
outcry, reproach

60
In what kind
of what nature

62
venturous
adventurous, daring

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tempting of
testing

63
boldened Under
made bold by

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grief
grievance, complaint

66
substance
wealth

67
pretence
alleged reason/pretext

71
prayers
i.e. for the king

72
tractable
compliant

72
slave … will
i.e. now governed by wrath

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would
wish

75
primer baseness
greater manifestation of low, dishonorable behavior

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pleasure
wishes

80
single voice
(his) individual vote/unanimous vote (of the Privy Council)

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passed
ratified, approved by

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approbation
consent

82
Traduced
slandered, dishonored

83
faculties
capabilities/qualities

85
place
high office

85
brake
thicket

86
stint
restrain, withhold

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To cope
of encountering

88
censurers
critics

90
new trimmed
newly fitted out

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vainly longing
i.e. hoping in vain for the refurbished and seaworthy boat to sink and provide food

91
What … allowed
malicious or essentially foolish interpreters often refuse to believe in or give us credit for our best actions

93
what … act
our worst actions, which often appeal to baser people, are declared the best we ever did

96
In
for

96
motion
action/proposal

96
carped at
complained of

98
state-statues
images of statesmen

101
example
precedent

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issue
outcome

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Of
for

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rend … will
i.e. force the subjects to obey the changing will of the monarch rather than the law

106
trembling
fearful

107
lop
lopped-off branch

109
The … sap
i.e. the tree will die

110
questioned
challenged, resisted

116
grace
good will/mercy

116
commons
common people

117
Hardly conceive
think harshly

117
noised
rumored, reported

118
our
Wolsey uses the royal plural

118
revokement
repeal

119
anon
shortly

122
Is run in
has incurred, come into

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rare
splendid/exceptional

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To … bound
no one is more indebted to nature for such qualities

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out of
beyond

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disposed
applied, directed

130
vicious
wicked, immoral

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complete
accomplished, perfect

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ravished
entranced

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monstrous
unnatural

135
habits
clothing/behavior, practices

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gentleman in trust
trusted servant

140
practices
plots

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hear too much
i.e. for our own protection

143
careful
dutiful, full of care (for the king)

143
collected
picked up, gathered (as evidence)

148
issue
children

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carry
manage

149
sceptre
staff carried as a symbol of sovereignty

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menaced
threatened

154
conception
intention, plan

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Not … person
not being gratified in his wish regarding you (i.e. that the king should die childless)

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friends
i.e. Wolsey

159
Deliver
speak

161
How … fail?
On what did he base his claim to the throne in the event of my death without an heir?

162
To this point
on this subject

167
Chartreux
Carthusian, i.e. one of a strict monastic order from Chartreux near Grenoble in France

172
the Rose
the name of a manor house belonging to Buckingham

173
St Lawrence Poultney
a church on Candlewick Street in London

174
speech
talk, gossip, prevailing opinion

176
perfidious
treacherous

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To … danger
resulting in danger for the king

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presently
instantly

178
doubted
feared/suspected

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choice
chosen, appointed

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moment
importance

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demure confidence
grave assurance, solemn certainty

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o’th’commonalty
of the common people

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spleen
anger, malice

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nobler
i.e. as the immortal soul is more important than worldly rank

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on
go on

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but
only

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forged
formed, created (in)

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much … do
very likely to be carried out

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failed
died

210
rank
foul, corrupt, gross

214
Greenwich
a royal palace south of the River Thames

219
his
as his own (instead of the king’s)

220
committed
imprisoned

223
Richard
i.e. Richard III

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Salisbury
town in Wiltshire, southwest England

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suit
a formal request

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made … duty
i.e. by kneeling before Richard in feigned respect

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God mend all
may God put everything right

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stretched him
stood fully upright

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mounting
raising

236
evil used
badly treated

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outgo
surpass

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irresolute
shaky, undecided/not accomplished

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period
end, purpose

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attached
arrested

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present
immediate

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to th’height
in the highest degree

1
spells
magic charms

1
juggle
trick, deceive, conjure

2
mysteries
enigmatic behavior (i.e. the imitation of French courtly fashions)

5
let ’em be
even if they are

7
late
recent

8
fit … o’th’face
one or two grimaces, contrived facial expressions

8
shrewd
cunning, artful/sharp, clever

9
hold ’em
assume such facial expressions

11
Pepin or Clotharius
eighth- and sixth-century Kings of the Franks

11
keep state so
maintain such affected dignity (presumably those referred to are walking around with their noses in the air)

12
legs
i.e. ways of walking/bowing

12
take it
think, assume/affirm, swear

13
spavin
tumor on a horse’s leg caused by inflammation of cartilage

14
springhalt
stringhalt, a disease of a horse’s hind legs, causing spasmodic muscle contractions

15
Death
contracted form of the oath “by God’s death”

16
after … to’t
fashioned in such a pagan manner

17
worn out
exhausted (all the styles available in)

21
clapped
placed

27
Louvre
French royal palace in Paris

30
fool and feather
foolishness and elaborate dress (such as feathers worn on hats)

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honourable … ignorance
foolish trivia they consider worthy (
points
plays on the sense of “laces used for fastening clothing”)

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as
such as

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fights
i.e. duels

32
fireworks
fighting/whoring (perhaps also with associations of “elaborate pyrotechnic displays”)

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Abusing
dishonoring, mocking

34
Out … wisdom
using the so-called wisdom they have gained abroad

34
renouncing clean
they must now renounce totally

35
tall … breeches
i.e. French fashions, playing on notion of venereal disease

35
blistered
short and puffed/covered in blisters, symptomatic of venereal disease

36
types
marks, indications

36
travel
plays on sense of sexual travail, exertion

37
understand
comprehend/stand up properly (with sexual connotations)

37
honest
honorable/true

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pack
depart

38
playfellows
(sexual) partners

39
cum privilegio
“with immunity” (Latin; an abbreviated form of the phrase announcing the exclusive right of a printer to publish a book)

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oui
“yes” (French)

40
lag end
latter part, tail end (with phallic connotations)

40
lewdness
foolishness/wickedness/lechery

41
physic
medicine, specifically perhaps a cure for venereal disease

44
trim vanities
smart dandies/worthless fripperies/handsome playthings