King John & Henry VIII (74 page)

45
marry
by the Virgin Mary

46
whoresons
bastards, wretches (a coarse term of abuse)

47
speeding
successful/speedy

47
lay down
seduce/have sex with

48
fiddle
musical instrument/penis/mirth-maker, jester

48
fellow
equal

49
fiddle
play with/cheat

50
converting of ’em
i.e. reforming their behavior

52
play
performing music/sexual play

52
plainsong
simple melody, i.e. straightforward manner of wooing

53
hearing
i.e. audience (with a woman)

53
by’r lady
by Our Lady (the Virgin Mary)

54
Held
be considered

54
current
fashionable

56
colt’s tooth
youthful lust

56
cast
discarded

58
stump
remains of a
tooth
/penis

64
makes
gives

68
fruitful
generous

69
dews
i.e. favors, benevolence (puns on “dues” or taxes)

71
black
slanderous/sinful

71
other
otherwise

72
he’s wherewithal
he has the necessary means

73
Sparing
frugality, economy

74
way
way of life, i.e. as a cardinal

77
ones
i.e.
examples

77
stays
waits

78
along
i.e. come along

80
spoke to
asked

81
comptrollers
stewards, masters of ceremonies

82
your lordship’s
i.e. entirely at your disposal

1.4
Location: York Place (now Whitehall)—Wolsey’s residence

1.4
Hautboys
oboelike instruments

1.4
state
canopy

1.4
divers
various, several

4
bevy
company

5
abroad
out with her, from home

7
tardy
slow, late

9
Clapped
fixed

12
lay
secular/sexual

13
running banquet
hasty meal/rewarding sexual pursuit or sex itself

15
society
group

16
confessor
plays on the sense of “sexual partner”

19
easy penance
with sexual connotations

21
down
feather

23
Place you
you arrange the seating

25
cold
plays on the sense of “sexually unresponsive”

26
waking
awake, lively (with suggestion of sexual activity)

29
thank
I thank

30
wild
erratically, madly/recklessly, excitably/lustfully

32
mad
insane/uncontrollable, high-spirited

34
bite
biting was thought to be a common trait of madmen

35
twenty
i.e. twenty ladies

35
with a breath
in one breath, in a very short space of time

36
said
done

37
fairly
properly/favorably/fully

39
Pass away
leave

40
For
as for

40
cure
spiritual duty/remedy (for frowning)/ sexual remedy

41
Let me alone
leave it to me

47
bowl
i.e. full of wine

47
may
as may

50
beholding
beholden, indebted

50
cheer
entertain/encourage/cheer up

56
gamester
sporting, fun-loving person/gambler/one fond of sex

58
make my play
score (in cards/in love)

59
pledge it
drink to my toast

60
thing
plays on the sense of “penis”

62
anon
soon

62.1
chambers
small cannon

65
voice
i.e. noise

67
privileged
protected

69
strangers
foreigners

71
make
make their way

76
heaven of beauty
i.e. gathering of beautiful ladies

78
broken
disrupted

80
Masquers
costumed nobles taking part in a courtly entertainment involving dancing

80
habited
dressed

81
pleasures
wills, desires

83
fame
report, rumor

87
conduct
guidance, permission

89
revels
merriment/courtly entertainment

99
this place
i.e. the chair of state

100
but
only

106
it
i.e. the chair of state

111
fair
fine/virtuous/beautiful

112
You … unhappily
i.e. if you were not a rightfully minded clergyman, I should look unfavorably upon this gathering of beautiful women

115
pleasant
merry

117
Prithee
please (literally “I pray thee”)

118
An’t
if it

119
her highness’ women
i.e. lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine

120
dainty
delicately pretty

121
take you out
i.e. to dance

122
health
toast

124
banquet
separate course of sweetmeats after the main feast, served in a different room

125
I’th’privy chamber
i.e. in a private inner room

128
heated
hot, but in his reply Henry plays on the sense of “lustful, hot-blooded”

133
forsake
leave, give up

135
measure
slow stately dance

136
dream
focus on/conjecture

137
best in favour
best-looking/most popular with the ladies

137
knock it
strike up

2.1
Location: a street in Westminster, London

2.1
several
separate

3
hall
i.e. Westminster Hall

16
passed it
did the trial proceed

17
a little
brief

18
to his accusations
in response to the accusations brought against him

19
still
consistently

19
alleged
brought forward

20
law
i.e. case against him

22
examinations
testimonies, statements

22
proofs
evidence

23
divers
various, several

24
him brought
i.e. have brought to him

24.1
viva voce
“in person, in live speech” (Latin)

32
fain
gladly

37
pitied in him
i.e. prompted useless pity

37
forgotten
i.e. was ineffectual

40
knell
funeral bell, i.e. death sentence

41
sweat
sweated

42
choler
anger

42
ill
unfavorable/wicked/bitter

43
fell to
recovered

50
end
root, bottom

52
Kildare’s attainder
the accusation and disgrace of the Earl of Kildare; he was imprisoned on a number of charges and his role as Lord Deputy in Ireland was given to the
Earl of Surrey
, Buckingham’s son-in-law

53
deputy
governor

55
father
father-in-law

56
trick of state
political contrivance

57
envious
malicious

58
his
i.e. Surrey’s

59
requite
avenge, repay

60
generally
universally, by all

64
perniciously
deeply, desiring his death or ruin

67
mirror
image, model

67.1
Tipstaves
court officers, named after their badge of office, a metal-tipped staff

67.2
axe … him
signifying that the prisoner had been condemned to death

67.3
Halberds
i.e. halberdiers, carrying long-handled weapons topped with a combination of spearhead and axe blade

70
close
out of sight/quietly

73
lose
forget

74
judgement
sentence

76
sink
ruin/damn

79
premises
evidence (submitted in court)

80
more
better

82
look
beware, watch out

83
evils
wrongdoings, evil careers/hovels or privies

86
sue
plead

87
More … faults
i.e. much greater than the magnitude of offense I would dare to commit

90
only … dying
the only thing that is bitter to him, the only real death he experiences

92
divorce of steel
i.e. separation of body and soul by the axe

93
sacrifice
offering

101
take
make

101
envy
malice

105
Yet
still

105
forsake
leaves (my body)

107
tell
count

109
old time
perhaps a personification here

110
monument
tomb

112
charge
duty, role

113
undertakes
takes responsibility for

116
furniture
furnishings, equipment

119
state
rank

122
base
dishonorable, unworthy/low-born

123
truth
loyalty/honesty

123
seal
confirm, ratify

126
head
an army

126
Richard
i.e. Richard III

135
stroke
action/executioner’s blow

138
happier
more fortunate

142
end
purpose

143
from … certain
the words of a dying man were considered especially wise or prophetic

144
liberal of
generous with

145
loose
careless

147
rub
obstacle (bowling term)

149
But
except

156
authors
originators, causes

159
fall
happens

162
faith
reliability, trustworthiness

167
am confident
i.e. trust you

168
shall
i.e. shall
have it

168
late
recent

169
buzzing
rumor

171
held not
did not stand firm, did not last

173
straight
straight away

174
allay
subdue, silence

178
held for
it is thought

179
venture at it
risk acting on it

180
about him near
who are close to him

181
possessed … scruple
put a doubt into his mind (perhaps with connotations of demonic possession; the doubt is that Henry’s marriage is invalid because Katherine had originally been married to his older brother Arthur; marrying one’s brother’s widow is prohibited in Leviticus 20:21)