11 mistreadings wrongful steps, sins
else how else
12 inordinate immoderate, disorderly
13 bare wretched, paltry/undisguised
lewd vulgar, low
attempts undertakings
14 rude society vulgar, uncivilized companionship
15 withal with
grafted united
17 hold their level think themselves equal to
19 Quit acquit myself of
clear honest
20 doubtless sure
23 reproof refutation, disproof
24 greatness the great, the high-ranking
25 pick-thanks flatterers and informers
news-mongers tellers of tales, gossips
26 things true genuine misdemeanors
27 faulty … irregular gone astray off the proper path
28 true submission honest admission
29 wonder express surprise
30 affections tastes, inclinations
hold a wing fly
32 rudely violently, in an uncivilized manner (according to an apocryphal tale, the prince was expelled from the King’s Privy Council for hitting the Lord Chief Justice)
33 supplied filled
34 alien stranger
36 time youth, life
38 forethink expect/prophesy
40 common-hackneyed cheapened by habitual exposure (from “hackney,” a horse for hire)
42 Opinion public opinion
43 Had … possession would have remained loyal to the holder of the crown (Richard II, deposed by Henry)
44 reputeless inglorious, shameful/anonymous, unacknowledged
45 mark significance
likelihood prospect of success
50 stole … heaven adopted a manner of heavenly graciousness
56 pontifical belonging to a bishop
57 state magnificence, kingship
58 Seldom infrequently seen
feast special occasion, celebration
59 solemnity ceremonious dignity
60 skipping frivolous
up and down i.e. aimlessly
61 rash bavin quickly burned up bavin brushwood or kindling soon ignited and burned
62 carded his state destroyed his dignity, kingly status (to “card” is either to mix or to comb impurities from wool)
63 carping chattering (Quarto has “capring,” so most editors print “capering”)
64 scorns foolishness, mockeries/contemptuous way of speaking
65 against his name to the detriment of his royal reputation
66 gibing mocking, taunting
stand the push expose himself to the proximity/mockery of
67 beardless vain comparative immature, worthless maker of mocking comparisons
69 Enfeoffed committed, bound (literally, to vow loyalty to a lord in return for land)
71 surfeited grew overindulged and sick
72 loathe … sweetness i.e. they got sick of the sight of him
75 cuckoo … June i.e. commonplace by midsummer, not noticed any longer
77 community familiarity
78 extraordinary gaze special notice
82 face i.e. presence
rendered such aspect with such an expression
83 cloudy sullen, gloomy
use to habitually
85 line category
87 vile participation associating with commoners and base, vulgar people
88 common widespread, public/cheap, vulgar
91 tenderness i.e. tears of affection
93 Be more myself act in a manner more befitting my position
94 For … world i.e. in every way
99 He … state He (Percy) has a more honorable claim to the crown
100 shadow of succession mere shadow of a proper heir
101 of having
colour like to semblance, pretext of
102 harness armor, i.e. armed men
103 Turns head directs his attention/leads his army
lion’s i.e. the king’s (the lion is a traditional symbol of royalty)
104 in … years older (historically Hotspur was actually twenty-three years older than the prince)
105 ancient long-established
106 bruising damaging, crushing
108 whose i.e. Hotspur’s
high illustrious, noble
109 hot incursions fierce attacks
110 chief … capital military fame and preeminence
113 Mars Roman god of war
swaddling clothes wrappings for babies (refers to Hotspur’s youth)
114 enterprises military undertakings
115 Discomfited defeated
ta’en him once captured him on one occasion
116 Enlargèd released
117 fill … up complete the num117a of opponents/add to the roar of opposition
121 Capitulate have formed a league, draw up agreements
up i.e. in arms
124 dearest most precious, loved/worst, most bitter
125 like likely
vassal base, servile
126 Base inclination taste for the inferior/acceding to base motives
start of spleen rush of anger
128 curtsy bow, show respect
133 redeem … head atone for my sins with Percy’s head/make Percy pay for all this
134 in … day at the end of some victorious battle
137 favours facial features/chivalric tokens worn to symbolize pledges or great feats
bloody mask face made unrecognizable because covered in blood/mass, covering of blood
138 scour cleanse, get rid of
139 lights arrives/dawns
142 unthought-of ignored, associated with no great expectations
143 helm helmet
148 factor agent, commercial broker
149 engross up accumulate, buy up
152 worship … time honor gained in his lifetime
153 reckoning account, bill
156 salve apply healing ointment to
157 intemperature intemperance, lack of restraint/diseased body, disordered health
160 parcel part
162 charge command (of troops)
sovereign supreme, royal (perhaps continuing the disease imagery with play on the sense of “healing”)
163 speed urgency
168 head military force
169 If … hand if all who have promised to join them do so
173 advertisement announcement, news
176 Bridgnorth small Shropshire town on the River Severn, south of Shrewsbury
178 Our business valuèd according to this reckoning
181 Advantage … fat opportunity (for rebellion) increases
1 fallen away vilely horribly shrunken
2 action engagement, battle (i.e. the robbery on Gad’s Hill)
bate decrease
4 apple-john type of apple said to be in best eating condition when shriveled
suddenly immediately
5 in some liking in the mood/in good physical condition
out of heart disheartened/out of condition
6 strength i.e. physical or spiritual
7 peppercorn i.e. small and shriveled
8 brewer’s horse i.e. old and worn out
10 fretful restless, anxious/frayed, worn
11 there is it i.e. exactly, that’s the situation
12 given inclined
14 bawdy-house brothel
16 compass measure, moderation/circumference (referring to his wide girth), belt
21 admiral flagship with a lantern to guide the rest of the fleet
poop stern or rear of a ship
22 nose i.e. because it is red from drinking
Knight … Lamp mock-chivalric title parodying heroic names in tales of romance
26 death’s-head skull (i.e. emblem of mortality, often carved into a stone set in a ring)
memento mori object used to symbolize death (Latin: “reminder of death”)
27 Dives
… purple refers to Christ’s parable of Dives, the rich man clothed in purple who goes to hell for allowing the pauper, Lazarus, to starve (Luke 16:19–31)
30 given over lost to virtue, committed to sin
34 ignis fatuus will-o’-the-wisp, marsh gas which gives off phosphorescent light and misleads night wanderers
ball of wildfire will-o’-the-wisp/ball of lightning/skin disease characterized by vivid eruptions
purchase value
35 bonfire-light Folio spells “Bone-fire-Light,” suggesting both etymology and original pronunciation
36 links torches
38 drunk me drunk (me is emphatic)
39 good cheap cheap
chandler’s candlemaker’s
40 salamander lizard-like creature supposed to live in fire
42 I … belly! proverbial retort (compares to modern “Get stuffed!”)
43 be heart-burned have indigestion/my heart would be literally on fire
44 Dame Partlet traditional name for a hen
49 tithe tenth part
51 was shaved had his beard cut/went bald through syphilis/had his head shaved to get rid of lice/was robbed; hair may play on “whore”
53 woman i.e. inadequate/deceitful/promiscuous
56 know am acquainted with/have sexual knowledge of
59 beguile cheat
60 to your back for you to wear
61 Dowlas coarse linen (from Doulas in Brittany)
62 bolters cloths used for sifting flour
63 holland fine linen (originally from Holland)
64 ell a measure of length (forty-five inches)
65 diet and by-drinkings meals and drinks in between meals
71 denier small coin worth one tenth of a penny
younker fashionable and gullible young man, easily duped
72 take mine ease relax
73 seal-ring engraved ring used for sealing documents with wax, frequently an heirloom
forty mark a substantial sum of money; a mark was worth two thirds of a pound
76 jack knave, rascal
sneak-cup sneaky person, knave/one who sneaks drinks from others’ cups
truncheon cudgel (symbol of his new military office)
78 Is … door? i.e. is that the situation door direction
79 two … fashion prisoners were shackled together and led in pairs to Newgate, the City prison
88 pick pockets plays on the sense of “plunder vaginas”
90 bonds deeds promising the bearer payment
99 stewed prune commonly available in brothels, hence “whore/pimp”
100 drawn fox hunted fox (drawn from cover and dependent on its cunning for safety)
101 Maid Marian a disreputable character in morris dances and May games, played by a boy in female clothing
deputy’s … ward wife of the deputy of the ward (an administrative district), i.e. a respectable woman
102 to compared to
nothing thing of no significance/vagina (“no thing”)
104 thing whore/vagina
on for
107 thy knighthood the respect usually due to one who is a knight
111 otter an aquatic mammal whose exact nature and type was a subject of debate
114 have place, categorize/have sex with
133 whelp cub, offspring
136 let … break the breaking of one’s belt (girdle) proverbially signified bad luck
142 embossed swollen/foaming at the mouth with exhaustion like a hunted animal
rascal rogue/young, inferior deer
144 memorandums bills, invoices
145 sugar-candy … long-winded sugar was used to improve stamina
146 injuries items whose loss you claim has caused you injury
147 stand to it insist, maintain your grievance
pocket up accept (plays on literal sense of “pocket”)
151 flesh … frailty Falstaff plays with the biblical saying “the flesh is frail” (Matthew 26:41 and elsewhere)
158 still always
160 answered accounted for
161 sweet beef plump, fresh, unsalted beef
good angel guardian angel
163 double labour i.e. first taking it, then returning it
166 exchequer royal treasury
167 with unwashed hands straightaway/without scruple
169 charge of foot command of an infantry company
172 unprovided ill-equipped (for villainous exploits)
173 they … virtuous i.e. by causing war, which provides opportunities for theft and profiteering
174 laud celebrate, praise
181 Temple hall the Inner Temple at one of the London Inns of Court (where young men studied law)
183 charge company, regiment
184 furniture equipment
187 Rare marvelous
Brave splendid
188 tavern … drum Falstaff wishes he might remain at the inn; a drum summoned soldiers to battle (possible pun on tavern/“taborin,” a type of drum)
2 fine overrefined
3 attribution honor, praise
4 As not a that no other
season’s stamp year’s design or mint (coinage term)
5 general current generally accepted (continues coining imagery)
6 defy reject, challenge
7 soothers flatterers
braver more honorable
9 task hold
approve me prove, test
11 breathes … ground lives
12 beard i.e. challenge, defy (literally, pull insultingly by the beard)
14 but only
19 jostling clashing, contentious
power army
20 government leadership
21 bears contain/reveal
I his mind this Folio reading makes sense, though it is cheeky for the messenger to answer back in this way; most modern editors emend to “not I, my lord.”
22 keep keep to
25 He … by his health was much feared for
26 would wish
state of time present situation
whole sound, healthy
28 better worth more important
31 catching hither contagious even here
32 He … sickness possibly an incomplete line, or one that expresses Hotspur’s hasty manner of speaking
33 by deputation through those acting on his behalf
34 drawn drawn together, assembled
meet fitting, appropriate
35 dear important
37 bold advertisement resolute advice/advice to be resolute
38 conjunction combined forces
on proceed
41 possessed informed
43 maim serious injury
46 more … it worse than it will actually prove to be
47 set hazard, stake
48 cast throw of the dice
main army/gambling stake
49 nice hazard delicate risk/precarious game of dice
doubtful uncertain
50 read discern
51 very bottom full extent
52 list limit
bound extent, boundary
55 reversion backup, something to be relied on (literally, future inheritance)
58 retirement something to fall back on/peace, seclusion
59 rendezvous retreat, refuge
60 big threateningly, menacingly
61 maidenhead beginning, first trial (literally, virginity)
63 hair nature
64 Brooks tolerates
66 loyalty i.e. to the king
mere absolute
68 apprehension thought, perception
69 fearful faction (rebel) alliances that generate fear/frightened groups (of rebel sympathizers)
70 question doubt, mistrust
71 off’ring challenging, aggressing
72 strict arbitrement close scrutiny, rigorous judgment
73 loop loophole, aperture
75 dra
ws opens
78 strain too far exaggerate
79 make this use find this advantage
80 opinion renown, prestige
81 dare boldness
83 make a head raise an army
86 Yet still
joints limbs
87 As … think i.e. as can possibly be wished
93 No harm i.e. that doesn’t matter
96 intended is about to leave
97 preparation equipped military force
100 daffed tossed carelessly
102 furnished equipped
103 estridges ostriches (presumably the men’s helmets are adorned with feathers)
104 Bated fluttered
105 golden coats sleeveless outer garments richly adorned with heraldic arms, worn over armor
images gilded statues/emblems
107 gorgeous brightly colored, magnificent
108 Wanton wild, frolicsome, carefree
109 beaver helmet (technically, the visor)
110 cuisses thigh armor
111 feathered Mercury Roman messenger of the gods, usually depicted with wings on cap and sandals
112 seat i.e. saddle
114 wind wheel about, turn
Pegasus winged horse in Greek mythology
115 witch bewitch
117 agues violent fevers thought to be bred or worsened by the early spring sun
118 trim finery, adornment (like animals garlanded for sacrifice)
119 maid … war Bellona, the Roman goddess of war
121 mailèd Mars Roman god of war, clad in armor
123 reprisal prize
131 Worcester English town on the River Severn
132 draw … days gather his forces for a fortnight
135 What … unto? What is the total num96a of the king’s troops?
139 powers of us forces we have
serve suffice for
140 muster roll call
141 Doomsday Judgment Day
142 out of free from
143 this one-half year six months; Douglas does not expect to die within this period
1 get thee before you go on ahead
3 Sutton Coldfield Warwickshire town twenty miles northwest of Coventry
5 Lay out pay for it yourself
6 makes brings the amount you owe me to (Falstaff responds to the sense of “creates”
angel a gold coin variously worth between 6s 8d and 10s
8 answer the coinage be responsible for the validity of the coins
11 soused gurnet type of pickled fish/drunkard
12 press power of conscription
I…pounds Falstaff has allowed those who can afford it to buy their way out of being soldiers
13 of for
14 good substantial, wealthy
15 yeoman’s sons the sons of freeholders of small landed estates
inquire me out ask for, seek
contracted engaged (to be married)