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.

1854 del2

del2

309 Cannon] Delius (ed. 1854): “cannon ist Collectiv, nicht die einzelnen Kanonen, sondern das Geschütz im Ganzen.” [Cannon ist a collective noun, not a single cannon but the artillery as a whole.]

1870 Abbott

Abbott

309 shall] Abbott (§ 315): “Shall. Shall . . . meaning ‘to owe’ is connected with ‘ought,’ ‘must,’ ‘it is destined.” . . . . Hence shall was used by the Elizabethan authors with all three persons to denote inevitable futurity without reference to ‘will’ (desire).”

See also n. 302, 359, 892 &c.

1875 N&Q

Furnivall

309 Furnivall (N&Q, 1875, p. 223): “In the second part of the New Shakespeare Society’s Transactions I quoted one passage from Stow to illustrate the drums and trumpets soundings, and cannons firing, on the king’s toasts. Here is another.:—‘(1606. Aug. 11.) The next day, being Monday, King Iames, Queene Anne, Prince Henry, with certaine other Brytaine princes and peeres, about ten a clocke in the fore noone, went a boord the King of Denmarkes greatest shippe, commonly called the Admirall, riding at anchor before Graues-end, which was a gallant shippe of a very hie and narrow building, the beakhead, the stearne, and her three galleries were fairly gilded, the mast and halfe decke adorned with arras, and other rich ornaments, wherein the said princes were very royally feasted; and as they sat at Banquet, greeting each other with kindness and pledges of continuing amity, and hearts desire of lasting health, the same was straight wayes knowne, by sound of Drumme, and Trumpet, and the Cannons lowdest voyce, beginning euer first in the Admyrall, seconded by the English block-houses, then followed the vice Admirall, and after her the other six Denmarke ships, ending alwaies at the smallest.’—1615, E. Howes, Contin. of Stowe’s Annales, p. 887, col. 1, 10-31. F. J. Furnivall.”

N&Q Editor responds

309 Editor (N&Q, 1875, p. 223): “[The custom of firing ‘chambers’ when healths were drunk was still in use in the middle of the last century.]”

1957 pen1b

pen1b

309 great Cannon to the cloudes] Harrison (ed. 1957): “These cannonadings were a Danish custom. When in 1606 the Danish King came to visit James I, he received King James on board his ship, and ’at every health there were from the ships of Denmark and the forts some three or four score great shot discharged; and of these thundering vollies there were between 40 and 50’ (Nichols’ Progresses of James I, ii, 92).”

1982 ard2

ard2:

309 the great . . . tell] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “They do so at [612]. Cf. the King’s similar directions at [3736-8]. Such celebrations were a Danish custom and, like the references to Wittenburg, they show Shakespeare taking some care with local colour. See [617 and CN].”

1992 fol2

fol2

309 tell] Mowat & Werstine (ed. 1992): “count out”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2 = fol2 without attribution +

309 tell] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “announce, count (or enumberate: see [436 CN]), i.e. artillery will be fired to mark the occasions. In [603-16] trumpets and kettledrums are specified as well as pieces or guns.”