323 run flee (plays on sense of “melt”)
325 running i.e. speeding
326 cuckoo i.e. mindless repeater of words
330 blue-caps Scottish soldiers, who wore blue hats
332 you…mackerel i.e. for very little indeed—mackerel was a cheap fish even when fresh; perhaps land was being sold off to raise money for war or because of general economic anxiety about conflict
mackerel plays on the sense of “pimp/whore”)
334 like likely
hot plays on angry/lecherous
335 buffeting hold strife continues
maidenheads virginities
as…hundreds i.e. as cheaply as nails for boots, suggesting that in troubled times women will be raped or forced to sell themselves
338 trading commerce/prostitution/sex
341 spirit devil (though the word also has connotations of “courage”)
342 thrill tremble/go cold
344 chid scolded
347 stand for stand in for, play the part of
348 particulars details
349 Content I’m content, very well
351 state throne
joint-stool low stool made by a joiner (“I took you for a joint stool” was a way of mockingly apologizing for ignoring someone)
353 crown head
354 fire of grace effects of divine grace
355 moved affected emotionally, stirred
357 King Cambyses’ vein ranting style; Cambyses was the tyrant in Thomas Preston’s Life of Cambyses, King of Persia (1569)
360 Stand aside, nobility presumably those in the tavern are being asked to clear a space
362 Weep…vain Falstaff addresses Mistress Quickly, who is presumably weeping from merriment (puns on “quean,” i.e. harlot, whore)
363 O, the father i.e. in God’s name; or refers to Falstaff acting the part of the prince’s father
holds his countenance keeps a straight face, remains in character
364 convey take away/escort (to a seat
tristful sorrowful
365 stop fill up
366 rare marvelous
harlotry players knavish actors
368 pint-pot Falstaff addresses Mistress Quickly with a nickname for one who sells beer
369 tickle-brain potent liquor (here, one who sells it)
371 camomile daisy-like plant with medicinal qualities; it grows rapidly, proverbially more so when trodden on
375 trick habit, feature
foolish…lip way of hanging your lower lip, regarded as a sign of loose living foolish affected/idiotic/lecherous
376 warrant assure
377 pointed at i.e. gossiped about/mocked
378 sun puns on “son”
micher truant/loiterer/petty thief
382 pitch black tar-like substance
383 defile stain, corrupt; Falstaff paraphrases Ecclesiastes 13:1: “Whoso toucheth pitch shall be defiled”
385 passion sincere emotion, distress
388 an it like if it please
389 portly dignified/fat
corpulent solid, well-built/fat
390 noble carriage dignified bearing
392 threescore sixty
393 lewdly given wickedly, lasciviously inclined
395 peremptorily determinedly
397 naughty wicked
403 rabbit-sucker unweaned baby rabbit
poulter’s hare hare hanging up in a poulterer’s shop (which sold fowl and game)
404 set seated (on the mock throne)
405 Judge, my masters the tavern audience must decide who is the more kingly
409 tickle ye amuse you in the role of
411 ungracious without grace, blasphemous
414 tun large barrel especially for wine or beer/ton weight
converse associate
415 trunk container/body
humours diseases/fluids that determine the disposition: blood, bile, choler, phlegm
bolting-hutch large bin used for sifting grain
416 dropsies diseases which made the body swell with an accumulation of fluid
bombard a leather wine jug
417 cloak-bag large bag for carrying clothes
Manningtree Essex town with a well-known fair and cattle market
418 pudding stuffing/sausage
reverend worthy of respect
Vice comic character in medieval morality plays who tempted the youthful hero
grey gray-haired
Iniquity sinfulness/allegorical name for morality play character
419 father i.e. elderly
Vanity vain, proud, foolish, worthless character
in years i.e. advanced in years, aged
Wherein…good what is he good for
420 neat and cleanly refined and skillful
421 cunning knowledgeable, skillful
craft deceit
422 crafty skillful
428 the…know i.e. I recognize the man but not the description
432 saving your reverence begging your pardon/if you will excuse my language
433 whoremaster user of whores, i.e. a wicked man
435 host innkeeper, pub landlord
436 Pharaoh’s lean kine biblical reference to Pharaoh’s dream in which the seven lean
kine (cattle) devour the seven fat kine, foretelling famine to come (Genesis 41:1–31)
445 monstrous unnaturally large
watch group of citizens responsible for keeping order in the streets at night
449 The…fiddlestick i.e. here’s a fine commotion (proverbial)
454 thou…so another obscure line; probably either “you are basically true
essentially made) to your friends, even if some of your recent declarations seem to contradict this” or “you are fundamentally a deceptive playactor (made), despite seeming to be loyal”; some editors adopt a later reading, and substitute “mad” for “made”
456 deny your major reject your main premise
deny the refuse entrance to the
so so be it
457 become suit, befit
cart wagon used to transport the condemned man to the gallows
458 bringing up upbringing, breeding (which entitled him, as a knight, to death by beheading)/being brought before the authorities/being hanged
soon willingly/quickly
460 arras large tapestry wall hanging (hung so that there was space behind it to hide
walk up above go upstairs
461 true honest
462 date is out lease has expired, i.e. it’s too late for that
466 hue and cry the noise and shouting of citizens in pursuit of a felon
474 engage pledge
475 dinnertime i.e. midday
476 answer thee respond to your charges, account for himself to you
477 withal with
482 answerable held responsible
484 morrow morning
486 oily greasy/cunning, slippery
Paul’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, the tallest landmark in London at this time
495 2s 2d two shillings and two pence
497 ob abbreviation of “obolus,” i.e. halfpenny
498 But merely
499 intolerable deal excessive quantity
close hidden, safe
500 advantage a better opportunity
503 charge of foot command of an infantry company
504 twelvescore i.e. 240 yards
money i.e. that was stolen
505 advantage interest
betimes early
1 promises i.e. of support
sure secure, reliable
2 induction beginning
prosperous hope hope of prospering
9 Lancaster i.e. King Henry; Glendower deliberately refers to him by his former title (Duke of Lancaster)
15 front forehead, face
16 cressets torches (literally fires burning in iron ba
skets), hence meteors (signs of ill omen)
24 as fearing you because it feared you
29 eruptions outbreaks of disease/natural or meteorological disturbances
teeming fertile, breeding
30 colic severe stomach pains
32 womb bowels/stomach
enlargement release
33 beldam old woman, grandmother
34 moss-grown overgrown with moss, old
35 grandam grandmother
distemperature bodily disturbance
36 passion suffering, bodily affliction
38 crossings contradictions
42 clamorous noisy
frighted fields fields full of fear
43 marked me marked me out as
44 courses events
45 roll list
46 the living any person living
clipped in with surrounded by
47 chides beats, contends with
48 read to i.e. instructed, educated
50 trace follow
tedious time-consuming, lengthy, complex
art scholarship/magic, occult arts
51 hold me pace keep up with me
deep experiments profound, learned investigations
52 Welsh i.e. nonsense, gibberish
55 call summon, invoke (Hotspur shifts the sense to “call out to”)
vasty deep immense abyss
60 tell … devil proverbial
65 made head advanced
66 power army
Wye river on the Welsh-English border
68 Bootless unsuccessful, without gain (Hotspur plays on the literal sense)
70 agues violent fevers characterized by shaking
71 right just claim (to land)
72 threefold order ta’en three-way agreement
73 archdeacon not identified; chronicle sources suggest Archdeacon of Bangor
74 limits regions
75 Trent … hitherto the rivers Trent and Severn up to this point (presumably Mortimer indicates the map)
81 indentures tripartite contracts drawn up in triplicate
drawn drawn up
82 sealèd interchangeably each party has a copy signed and sealed by all
83 this … execute can be done tonight
87 appointed agreed by
Shrewsbury town on the Welsh-English border
88 father father-in-law
90 space period of time
93 in my conduct escorted by me
94 steal slip away
95 a … water i.e. many tears
97 moiety share, portion
Burton Derbyshire town of Burton-upon-Trent
99 comes … in twists sharply into my section; Hotspur objects that the river turns north from Burton and deprives him of the fertile lands of Lincolnshire and part of Nottinghamshire
101 cantle out corner or portion cut off
103 smug smooth
105 deep indent sharp angled section, indentation
106 bottom river valley
109 he it (the river Trent)
runs me runs
110 like advantage the same effect
111 Gelding depriving, cutting (land) off from
opposèd continent land on the opposite side
113 charge cost/gunpowder used in blasting
trench create a trench or channel
114 cape spur, projecting piece
122 Let … Welsh i.e. say it in Welsh (which I don’t understand) so that I won’t understand (and take offense)
125 being but young since I was young at the time
framed to composed for
126 ditty poem, ballad
lovely beautifully
127 gave … ornament adorned the English language with music and poetry/decorated the words with the music/improved the sound of the language with my Welsh accent
128 virtue accomplishment, skill
132 metre ballad-mongers sellers of predictably rhymed popular ballads
133 brazen brass
turned i.e. on a lathe (which made an unpleasant grating noise)
134 dry unoiled
axle-tree axle
136 Nothing … as nothing like as much as
mincing affectedly dainty
137 nag feeble old horse
141 in … bargain when it comes to bargaining
142 cavil on dispute insistently over
143 drawn drawn up
145 haste the writer hurry the writer of the indentures
withal at the same time
146 Break with speak to, inform
148 doteth on loves very dearly, is infatuated with
149 cross antagonize
150 choose help it
151 mouldwarp mole; according to Holinshed’s Chronicles the division of the map was arranged in accordance with a prophecy that imaged Henry IV as a mole and the others as dragon, lion, and wolf
152 dreamer visionary
Merlin wizard and prophet at the legendary court of King Arthur
154 clip-winged with its wings clipped, i.e. prevented from flying
griffin mythical beast, half lion, half eagle
moulten having moulted, lost its feathers
155 couching lying down (form of “couchant,” a heraldic term)
ramping rearing, standing on its hind legs (form of “rampant,” a heraldic term)
156 skimble-skamble incoherent, nonsensical
157 puts … faith makes me forget or disbelieve my religion
159 reck’ning up listing, recounting
several various
160 lackeys servants, followers
‘Hum’ noncommittal sound expressing agreement
‘Well, go to’ i.e. you don’t say, well I never
161 marked him took no notice of
162 railing complaining, scolding
164 cheese … windmill i.e. poor food in uncomfortable, noisy accommodation
165 cates delicacies
166 summer-house rich man’s country house
167 In faith truly
168 profited … concealments proficient in secret arts
171 India i.e. the West Indies
172 temper temperament, character
173 scope freedom of expression
174 do … humour antagonize him
176 tempted provoked
177 taste … reproof experiencing harm and rebuke
178 use it oft do it often
179 wilful-blame blameworthy for being obstinately self-willed
181 besides out of
182 must needs must
183 show is evidence of
blood spirit
184 dearest grace most valuable advantage
renders offers
185 present represent, demonstrate
186 want of government lack of self-control
187 opinion arrogance, conceit
188 haunting being associated with
189 Loseth causes him to lose
190 parts besides other qualities
191 Beguiling depriving
192 schooled instructed/admonished
be your speed bring you good fortune
194 spite vexation, regret
198 aunt Percy more confusion between the two Edmund Mortimers: Lady Percy (Hotspur’s wife) was in fact the sister of the Mortimer married to Glendower’s daughter and aunt of the younger man
199 in your conduct under your escort
200 desperate here recklessly determined on this point (her decision not to leave Mortimer)
peevish self-willed harlotry obstinate headstrong hussy
202 pretty Welsh i.e. her eloquent tears
203 swelling heavens i.e. her eyes filled with tears
204 too perfect only too accomplished, fluent
205 parley language, conversation (perhaps, picking up on soldier, with a sense of “military negotiation”)
207 feeling disputation moving, heartfelt discussion/conversation conducted through touch
208 truant ne
gligent student
210 highly penned elaborately composed
212 division ornamentation, variation (specifically, passage in which a series of short notes elaborates on a longer passage)
213 melt give way to your feelings, weep
214 this i.e. Welsh
215 wanton rushes luxuriant floor covering of reeds
218 crown give power to
219 heaviness drowsiness
222 heavenly-harnessed team horses that drew the sun god’s chariot
223 progress course/royal journey
225 book indentures, legal contracts
drawn drawn up
228 Hang … air i.e. they’re spirits
thousand leagues three thousand miles
229 straight straightaway
230 perfect in expert at, practiced at
lying down with sexual connotations (continued in lap)
233 devil understands Welsh i.e. because the supposed spirits have answered Glendower’s call and music is playing
234 humorous capricious, whimsical
236 humours moods, whims (thought to be generated by bodily fluids or “humors”)
238 brach bitch, female dog (called Lady)
Irish designed as insult here; may possibly suggest his bitch’s breed
239 broken beaten, grazed
241 still quiet, calm
242 Neither i.e. I won’t do that either
woman’s fault i.e. being silent (or sexually passive) is a woman’s trait; may play on “broken head” as “broken maidenhead” (lost virginity), perhaps with fault quibbling on its sense of “vagina/sinful sexual yielding”
248 sooth truth
250 comfit-maker’s confectioner’s; Hotspur makes fun of a genteel oath and offers several more
253 sarcenet surety flimsy assurance sarcenet fine silken cloth
254 Finsbury Finsbury Fields, popular place of recreation just outside the city of London
255 Swear me swear/swear for me
257 protest of pepper-gingerbread i.e. mild oaths pepper-gingerbread in which pepper was partly substituted for ginger, making the gingerbread less spicy and pungent
258 velvet-guards velvet trimmings on clothes, or those who wore them
Sunday-citizens those keeping their best clothes for Sunday
261 tailor tailors were supposed to be enthusiastic singers
be red-breast teacher teach singing to robins (small red-breasted birds)
266 this this time
but seal just put our seals on the documents
1 give us leave please leave us alone
6 doom judgment
blood family, offspring
7 scourge punishment of divine origin/punishing whip
8 passages course through, way of
9 only marked For solely designated to be
10 rod i.e. of punishment