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Line 2166 - Commentary Note (CN)

Commentary notes (CN):

1. SMALL CAPS Indicate editions. Notes for each commentator are divided into three parts:

In the 1st two lines of a record, when the name of the source text (the siglum) is printed in SMALL CAPS, the comment comes from an EDITION; when it is in normal font, it is derived from a book, article, ms. record or other source. We occasionally use small caps for ms. sources and for works related to editions. See bibliographies for complete information (in process).

2. How comments are related to predecessors' comments. In the second line of a record, a label "without attribution" indicates that a prior writer made the same or a similar point; such similarities do not usually indicate plagiarism because many writers do not, as a practice, indicate the sources of their glosses. We provide the designation ("standard") to indicate a gloss in common use. We use ≈ for "equivalent to" and = for "exactly alike."

3. Original comment. When the second line is blank after the writer's siglum, we are signaling that we have not seen that writer's gloss prior to that date. We welcome correction on this point.

4. Words from the play under discussion (lemmata). In the third line or lines of a record, the lemmata after the TLN (Through Line Number] are from Q2. When the difference between Q2 and the authors' lemma(ta) is significant, we include the writer's lemma(ta). When the gloss is for a whole line or lines, only the line number(s) appear. Through Line Numbers are numbers straight through a play and include stage directions. Most modern editions still use the system of starting line numbers afresh for every scene and do not assign line numbers to stage directions.

5. Bibliographic information. In the third line of the record, where we record the gloss, we provide concise bibliographic information, expanded in the bibliographies, several of which are in process.

6. References to other lines or other works. For a writer's reference to a passage elsewhere in Ham. we provide, in brackets, Through Line Numbers (TLN) from the Norton F1 (used by permission); we call these xref, i.e., cross references. We call references to Shakespearean plays other than Ham. “parallels” (//) and indicate Riverside act, scene and line number as well as TLN. We call references to non-Shakespearean works “analogues.”

7. Further information: See the Introduction for explanations of other abbreviations. Click here for more information about browsing the entries and here for more information about the special symbols used in Hamletworks. Click the question mark icon above to remove this help message.

Notes for lines 2023-2950 ed. Frank N. Clary

For explanation of sigla, such as jen, see the editions bib.

2166 Why then belike he likes it not perdy.	3.2.294

1765 john1/john2

john1

2166 Why then belike] Johnson (ed. 1765): “Hamlet was going on to draw the consequence when the courtiers entered.”

1773 v1773

v1773 = john1

1774 capn

capn

2166 perdy] Capell (1774, 1:1: glossary, perdy): “(c. of e. 47, 16) a Word us’d as an Oath. Fre. pardé, a provincial Word, the same as—par Dieu.”

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773 +

2166 perdy] Steevens (ed. 1778): “Perdy is a corruption of par Dieu, and is not uncommon in the old plays. So, in The Play of the Four P’s, 1569: ‘In that, you Palmer, as deputie, May cleerly discharge him pardie.’ Steevens.“

1784 ays1

ays1 = v1778 minus Four P’s analogue

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

1790 mal

mal = v1785

1791- rann

rann: standard

2166 perdy] Rann (ed. 1791-): “par Dieu.”

1826 sing1

sing1: standard

2166 perdy] Singer (ed. 1821): “Perdy is a courruption of the French par Dieu.”

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1

1843 col1

col1 ≈ sing1 + magenta underlined

2166 perdy] Collier (ed. 1821): “‘Perdy is a common corruption of par Dieu. See Vol. iv. p. 484. This couplet is probably a quotation.”

1856 hud1 (1851-6)

hud1 = sing1 without attribution for perdy (2166)

1856b sing2

sing2 = sing1 + magenta underlined

2166 perdy] Singer (ed. 1856): “Perdy is a courruption of the Italian per Dio, or the French par Dieu.”

1857 dyce1

dyce1 ≈ coln

2165 For . . . Comedie] Dyce (ed. 1857): “A quotation perhaps.”

1857 fieb

fieb ≈ john

2166 belike] Fiebig (ed. 1857): “Belike, probably, perhaps; sometimes in a sense of irony.—Hamlet, says Johnston, was going to draw the consequence, when the courtiers entered..”

fieb = v1778 for perdy

1858 col3

col3 ≈ col1

2166 perdy] Collier (ed. 1858): “‘Perdy is a common, but rather antiquated corruption of par Dieu. See Vol. iii. p. 559. This couplet is probably a quotation, and it is so marked in the corr. fo. 1632.”

1864a glo

glo: capn glossary (Err. //)

2166 perdy] Clark and Wright (ed. 1864a [1865] 9: glossary, Perdy): “int. a euphemism for Par Diew. Err. [4.4.71 (1356)].”

1866 ktlyn

ktlyn: standard

2166 perdy] Keightley (ed. 1866, glossary): “a corruption of the French oath, par Dieu.”

1869 tsch

tsch

2166 perdy] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “Das Reimwort "perdy" scheint es nicht zu sein, was Hamlet hier supplirt, sondern likes; vielleicht will der Dichter brooks verstanden wissen.” [The rhyming word perdy does not seem to be what Hamlet supplies here, but likes. Perhaps the poet wants brooks to be understood.]

1869 Romdahl

Romdahl ≈ hal + magenta underlined

2166 perdy] Romdahl (1869, p. 34): <p.34> “(also written perde) is a corruption of par Dieu. It seems sometimes to mean, perchance2). It is still sometimes met with in poetry. Parde, a still occurring oath, </p.34><p.35> and pardy, a form used by Elizabethan writers, though not by Sh. who has only perdy, are easily recognizable modifications of the same expression. Compare e.g. [4.2.75 (2060)]. Err. [4.4.71 (1356)].”

[<p.34> “2) See Halliw. 2. 616.” </p.34>]

1872 hud2

hud2=hud1 for perdy (2166)

1872 cln1

cln1 ≈ glo without attribution

2166 perdy] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “corrupted from par Dieu, as in Err. [4.4.71 (1356)].”

1877 v1877

v1877: john

2166 belike] Furness (ed. 1877): “Johnson: Ham. was going on to draw the consequence, when the courtiers entered.”

v1877 = v1773, col, tsch

2166 perdy] Furness (ed. 1877): “Steevens: The corruption of par Dieu. Collier: This couplet is probably a quotation. Tschischwitz: The word that Ham. adds in this line is not ‘perdy,’ but probably ‘likes;’ perhaps brooks is the word intimated.”

1877 col4

col4 ≈ col3 minus col2

2166 perdy] Collier (ed. 1877): “‘Perdy is a common curruption of par Dieu: see Err. [4.4.71 (1356)], etc. This couplet, and others, are probably from early popular productions.”

1877 neil

neil: standard for perdy

1877 dyce3

dyce3 = dyce2

1881 hud3

hud3: standard

2166 perdy] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Perdy is \an old corruption of the French par Dieu.”

1883 wh2

wh2: standard

2166 perdy] White (ed. 1883): “perdy=parDieu. (Fr.)”

1889 Barnett

Barnett = wh2

1891 dtn

dtn: standard

2166 perdy] Deighton (ed. 1891): “F. par dieu, by God; probably another quotation in which Hamlet alters the latter part of the second verse.”

1904 ver

ver

2166 ] Verity (ed. 1904): “The dash in the punctuation [after belike] seems required to indicate that Hamlet breaks off at the entrance of the courtiers and ends in his assumed “antic” manner. perdy; F. par Dieu.”

1929 trav

trav: Brock

2166 perdy] Travers (ed. 1929): “French: “pardi”.—The couplet, as Clutton Brock pointed out, is a parody of two lines spoken by Hieronimo, at the close of sc. 1, act. 4, of the Spanish Tragedy, in grim reference to his play within the play: And if the world like not this tragedy. Hard is the hap of poor Hieronimo.

“Q1 in fact here gave ‘tragedy,’ blunting the point of the jest; the showing up of the crowned villain had made it end, in one sense, happily as comedies should do.”

1931 crg1

crg1: standard

2166 perdy] Craig (ed. 1931): “corruption of par dieu.”

1939 kit2

kit2: standard

2166 belike] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “probably.”

kit2

2166 perdy] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “An old-fashioned oath (par dieu), used colloquially for ‘assuredly.’ Perdy and comédy made a good rhyme in Elizabethan pronunciation.”

1958 mun

mun

2166 perdy] Munro (ed. 1958, glossary): “indubitably.”

1974 evns1

evns1: standard

2166 perdy] Evans (ed. 1974): “assuredly (French pardieu, ‘by God’).”

1984 chal

chal

2166 belike] Wilkes (ed. 1984): “in all likelihood.”

chal: standard

2166 perdy] Wilkes (ed. 1984): “Fr. Pardieu, ‘by God’, hence = indeed, assuredly, certainly.”

1987 oxf4

oxf4 ≈ kit2 (Kyd analogue)

2165-6 For if . . . perdy ] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “This couplet is a neat and pointed bit of parody. In Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, Hieronimo, having made all the arrangements for putting on his play-within-the-play, looks forward to its performance, saying as he does so: ‘And if the world like not this tragedy, / Hard is the hap of old Hieronimo’ (4.1.197-8).”

1997 evns2

evns2 = evns1

1998 OED

OED

2166 perdy] OED (Sept. 7, 1998): “pardie (pdi), perdie (pdi), int. or adv. arch. Forms: . (3 par deu), 4-6 parde, (5 pardee), 5- pardie, 7-9 pardi, (5 par dy, 6 pardye, 6, 9 pardy, 9 pardieu). . 4-6 perde, (5 per dieu), 6 per de, (per dee, perdee, perdye), 6- perdie (perdy). [a. OF. par dé (13th c.), mod. pardieu (also colloq. pardi), by God.] A form of oath: = `By God!’; hence as an asseveration: Verily, certainly, assuredly, indeed.

“c 1290 Becket 2046 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 165 Nai par deu, nout a fote. c 1386 CHAUCER Merch. Prol. 22 A good sire hoost I haue ywedded bee Thise monthes two and moore nat pardee [v.r. parde]. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) I. xv. (1859) 12 Parde, some wyght wyl haue vpon me routhe. c 1475 Rauf Coilear 168 The hous is myne, pardie. c 1540 J. HEYWOOD Four P.P. B iij b, In that ye palmer as debyte May clerely dyscharge him parde. 1630 WADSWORTH Pilgr. ii. 10, I pardi demanding..how they could take such an oath.., they answered. 1754 FIELDING Fathers III. ii, Pardie! Sir, your most humble servant. 1841 THACKERAY 2nd Fun. Napoleon iii. 66 Not their deeds of arms alone, pardi. 1842 TENNYSON Day Dream, Revival iv, `Pardy’, return’d the king, `but still My joints are somewhat stiff or so.’ [1843 LYTTON Last Bar. I. i, But, pardieu, he..knows all the Neviles by eye.]

“1375 BARBOUR Bruce v. 545 Bot how that euir it fell, perde, I trow he sall the varrar be. 1470-85 MALORY Arthur I. cxxxvi, Perdé a twelve-moneth will be soone gone. 1548 UDALL, etc. Erasm. Par.

John xix. 115 A place perdye detestable. c 1550 BALE K. Johan (Camden) 81 Symon of Swynsett my very name is per dee. 1602 SHAKS. Ham. III. ii. 305 For if the King like not the Comedie, Why then belike he likes it not perdie. 1748 THOMSON Cast. Indol. I. xxi, Not to move on, perdie, is all they can. 1858 KINGSLEY Red King 32 There’s Tyrrel as sour as I, perdie.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: ≈ fieb; Johnson

2166 belike] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “perhaps. Johnson prints ’belike-’ and comments, ’Hamlet was going on to draw the consequence, when the courtiers entered.”

ard3q2: standard

2166 perdie] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “by god (French pardieu).”

ard3q2: Kyd analogue

2166 Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “Hamlet may be alluding to a line in Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy (c. 1587) spoken by Hieronimo with reference to his own forthcoming play-within-the-play: ’And if the world like not this tragedy, / Hard is the hap of old Hieronimo’ (4.1.197-8). Actual revenge killings occur in the course of Hieronimo’s play: perhaps Hamlet changes ’tragedy’ to comedy because he has not reached this point yet.”