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Line 3612, etc. - 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 2951-end ed. Hardin A. Aasand

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

3612+3 {Cour. I meane sir for this weapon, but in the imputation laide on}

3612+4 {him, by them in his meed, hee’s vnfellowed.} 3611+4

1754 blair

blair

3612+4 meed] Blair (ed. 1753, Glossary): “most frequently stands for reward; but it is sometimes used for merit; . . . See also Minshew.”

1765 john1

john1

3612+4 in his meed] Johnson (ed. 1765) : ”In his excellence.”

1773 v1773

v1773 = john1

3612+4 in his meed]

1774 capn

capn

3612+3-3612+4 Cour. I . . . vnfellowed] Capell (1774:1:1:148) : “The pointing of this speech in all copies, and their reading of “his “ for “this,” [3612+3] have made it absolute nonsense; and the speech it replies to is the same, without the change that is now made in it: with these changes, and the aid of punctuation besides, it is conceiv’d they are very good sense, and such as Shakespeare intended.“

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773

3612+4 in his meed]

1784 ays1

ays1 = v1778 w/o attribution

3612+4 in his meed]

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

3612+4 in his meed]

1787 ann

ann = v1785

3612+4 in his meed]

1790 mal

mal = v1785 +

3612+4 in his meed] Malone (ed. 1790) : “See Vol. VI. p. 366, n. 6. MALONE”

1791- rann

rann

3611 +3 but in the imputation] Rann (ed. 1791-) : “he is allowed, by all judges of this accomplishment, to be , unparalleled.”

1793 v1793

v1793 = mal

3612+4 in his meed] Malone (apud Steevens, ed. 1793) : “See Vol. X. p. 366, n. 2. MALONE”

1803 v1803

v1803 = mal(modifying volume and page for respective edition)

3612+4 in his meed]

1803 v1813

v1813 = v1803(modifying volume and page for respective edition)

3612+4 in his meed]

1815 Becket

Becket : john1 + magenta underlined

3612+4 in his meed] Becket (1815, p. 75): <p. 75> “‘Meed’ is not excellence . It signifies reward, recompense . We must read meet, and change the punctuation. ‘I mean, Sir, for his weapon; but in the imputation laid on him by them in his meet. He’s unfellow’d!’ ‘I merely speak of his exercise, of the weapon, Sir, only in regard of his aptness , his skilfulness in it. In short he’s unequalled.’ B” </p. 75>

1819 cald1

cald1

3611+3-3612+4 but in the imputation laide on him, by them in his meed] Caldecott (ed. 1819) : “There I here nothing to refer to, no antecedent, to ‘them.’ It must mean, ‘the qualities ascribed or assigned to him by the public voices .’ Meed seems to be the term, that imports ‘reward or recompense,’ used fantastically for that which challenges it ‘merit,’ and is,—’in this his particular faculty, or branch of science, he is excellent and matchless.’ ‘My meed hath got me fame.’” [3H6. 4.8. 38 (2640) K. Henr. and ib. [3H6 2.1.36 (689) Edw.]”

1821 v1821

v1821

3612+4 meed] Boswell (ed. 1821, 21:Glossary): “excellence.”

v1821 = v1813 +

3612+4 in his meed] Malone (apud Boswell, ed. 1821) : “See [3H6 4.8.38 (2640)Malone.”

[3H6. 4.8. ? (240)Henry VI. Part III. Act IV. Sc. III” MALONE]

1826 sing1

sing1≈v1821 without attribution

3612+4 in his meed] Singer (ed. 1826) : “Meed is merit. Vide [3H6. 4.8.38 (2640)].

1832 cald2

cald2 : cald1 (modified)

3611+3-3612+4 but in the imputation laide on him, by them in his meed] Caldecott (ed. 1832) : “There is here nothing to refer to, no antecedent, to ‘them.’ It must mean, ‘the qualities ascribed or assigned to him by the public voice . ‘Our imputation shall be oddly pois’d In this wild action.’ [Tro. 1.3.39 (807)] Nest. Meed, merces , i.e. “reward or recompence,’ seems here used fantastically for that which challenges it merendo, i.e. ‘merit,’ and is—’in this his particular faculty, or branch of science he is excellent and matchless.’ See [3H6. 2.1.?(0000)] & [Tim. 1.1.? (0000)] 2 Lord.”

1833 valpy

valpy ≈ standard

3612+4 in his meed] Valpy (ed. 1833): “Excellence.”

1843 col1

col1 : standard

3612+4 in his meed] Collier (ed. 1843) : “i.e. in his merit or excellence. See ‘meed’ used in a similar sense in Vol. v. pp. 251 and 317, and Vol. vi. p. 515.”

1854 del2

del2 : standard

3612+4 in his meed] Delius (ed. 1854) : “meed=Gabe, Begabung, ist der Waffenruhm des Laertes.—Das Folgende findet sich in Fol. und Qs.” [ “meed , which equals gift, talent, is Laertes’s renown for weapons. The following[referring to the subsequent lines] are found in the Fol and Qq.”]

1856 hud1 (1851-6)

hud1 = sing1 without attribution +

3612+4 in his meed] Hudson (ed. 1856) : “See [3H6. 2.1.36 (689) note 6.”

1856 sing2

sing2 ≈ sing1

3612+4 in his meed]

1857 elze1

elze1

3610+4 meed] Elze (ed. 1857, 255): <p. 255>"’Meed’, ein jetztg veraltetes Wort, ist so viel als ’merit, excellence’. Titus Andronicus V, 3; Henry VI, 3 P., II, 1; Timon of Athens 1,1; The Two Gentlemen of V. V,4. Nares s. Meed. Mommsen P.-S. 252." ["Meed is a now archaic word, so much as ’merit, excellence.’. . .}

1858 col3

col3 : standard

3610+4 meed] Collier (2nd ed. 1858: 6: Glossary): “merits, desets”

col3=col1

3612+4 in his meed]

1859 stau

stau : standard

3612+4 in his meed] Staunton (ed. 1859) : “merit, excellence.”

1860 Walker

Walker : cap ; contra knt1

3611-12 for this weapon] Walker (ed. 1860, II:221): <p. 221> “Knight has erroneously this; doubtless from one or more of the quartos. 135”

<n> 135”This is the reading of the quartos, except that of 1603 [Q1], which does not contain the passage. The folios have cut it down very considerably, but what they have left is clear and consistent. Some of the early editors have followed this curtailed text; their successors have generally followed the quartos, merely altering this to his. Mr. Knight has mixed the two recensions, and has made a sad mess of both.”</n>

1864-68 c&mc

c&mc

3612+3 imputation] Clarke (ed. 1864, Glossary): “For imputed excellence.”

c&mc

3612+4 meed] Clarke (ed. 1864, Glossary): “Reward.”

c&mc

3612+3 imputation] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1864-68, rpt. 1874-78): “‘The attributed merit,’ ‘the imputed excellence.’ See Note 95, Act I., [Tro.].”

c&mc

3612+4 meed] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1864-68, rpt. 1874-78): “‘Merit,’ ‘desert:’ ‘that which deserves meed or reward.’ See Note 57, Act I, [Tim.].”

1869 Romdahl

Romdahl

3610+4 meed] Romdahl (1869, p. 43): <p. 43>“still sometimes occurring in the sense of reward, is here used in the uncommon signification of merit, excellence. So also used in [3H6 2.1.36 (689); 4.8.38 (2640)].”

1869 tsch

tsch

3610+4 meed] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “meed=ags. mêd, merces, praemium; hier: in seinem Verdienste.” [meed=A.S. mêd, merces, praemium; here in his use.]

1872 del4

del4 ≈ del2

3612+4 in his meed] Delius (ed. 1854) : “meed=was Einem zukommt, Gebühr, ist der Waffenruhm des Laertes.—Das Folgende findet sich in Fol. und Qs.” [ “meed [is] was one receives, a gift,, which is Laertes’s renown for weapons. The following[referring to the subsequent lines] are found in the Fol and Qq.”]

1872 cln1

cln1 ≈ cald2 (Tro. //)

3612+3 imputation] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “repute, as in [Tro. 1.3.339 (807)]: ‘Our imputation shall be oddly poised In this wild action.’”

cln1 : standard

3612+4 meed] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “merit; generally, the reward of merit. Compare [3H6 4.8.38 (2640)]: ‘My meed hath got me fame.’”

1872 hud2

hud2 ≈ hud1 (minus 3H6 //)

3612+4 in his meed]

1877 v1877

v1877 : cald2 (only “There is nothing . . . voice.’”)

3612+4 by them

v1877 ≈ john1 ; ≈ cald2 (only “‘Reward, or recompense’ . . . this particular excellence’” ; minus Tro., 3H6 and Tim //)

3612+4 meed]

1881 hud2

hud2

3610+3 imputation] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Imputation, also, for reputation. So in [Tro. 1.3.39 (807)]: ‘Our imputation shall be oddly poised in this wild action.’

hud2

3610+4 meed, vnfellowed] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Unfellow’d is unequalled. Fellow for equal is very frequent. —Meed for merit; also a frequent usage. . . . All [imputation, unfellow’d, meed] used here, however, with euphuistic affectation.””

1885 macd

macd ≈ standard

3610+3 imputation]

macd

3612+3-3612+4 laide . . . vnfellowed] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Point thus: ‘laid on him by them, in his meed hee’s vnfellowed.’—’in his merit he is peerless.’”

1885 mull

mull ≈ standard

3610+3 imputation]

mull ≈ standard

3612+4 meed

1889 Barnett

Barnett

3612+3-3612+4 Barnett (1889, p. 63): <p. 63>“In the reputation given of him, his merit has no equal.” </p. 63>

1899 ard1

ard1 ≈ cln1 w/o attribution

3610+3 imputation]

ard1 ≈ cln1 w/o attribution

3612+4 meed]

1905 rltr

rltr : standard

3610+3 imputation]

rltr : standard

3612+4 meed]

1906 nlsn

nlsn

3612+4 meed] Neilson (ed. 1906, Glossary): “merit.”

nlsn: standard

3610+3 imputation] Neilson (ed. 1906, Glossary)

1931 crg1

crg1 ≈ standard

3612+3 imputation]

crg1 ≈ standard

3612+4 meed]

1934 cam3

cam3

3612+3-3612+4 laide . . . vnfellowed] Wilson (ed. 1934): “Mod. edd. punctuate (after Steevens) : ‘laid on him by them, he’s unfellowed in his meed,’ thus taking ‘in his meed’ with ‘unfellowed’ and explaining ‘without a peer in his particular excellence.’ But this leaves ‘by them’ in the air. With Q2 pointing, ‘by them in his meed’=‘by those in his pay, in his retinue,’ and all is clear.”

cam3 : standard

3612+3 imputation] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary)

cam3 : standard

3612+4 vnfellowed] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary)

cam3 : standard

3612+4 meed] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary): “wages, hire; ‘in his meed’=in his pay (v. note [see above]).”

1934 rid1

rid1

3612+1-3612+4 Ridley (ed. 1934): “Here again we can see the F reviser at work. He cuts as the brackets indicate [3610+1-+25]: but then he sees that Hamlet’s What’s his weapon is left hanging in the air: so he readds before his cut You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is at his weapon.”

1939 kit2

kit2 ≈ standard

3612+3 imputation] Kittredge (ed. 1939, Glossary):

kit2 ≈ standard

3612+4 meed] Kittredge (ed. 1939, Glossary):

kit2

3612+3 weapon] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “Affectedly used as a plural.”

kit2

3612+3 imputation] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “reputation.”

kit2

3612+4 them] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “i.e. his weapons.”

kit2

3612+4 meed] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “deserts, excellence.”

1938 parc

parc ≈ standard

3612+3 imputation]

parc ≈ standard

3612+4 meed]

1942 n&h

n&h ≈ standard

3612+4 meed]

1947 cln2

cln2 ≈ cln1 (minus Tro. //)

3612+3 imputation]

cln2 ≈ cam3 w/o attribution

3612+4 meed]

1951 alex

alex ≈ standard

3612+4 meed] Alexander (ed. 1951, Glossary)

1951 crg2

crg2=crg1

3612+3 imputation]

crg2=crg1

3612+4 meed]

1954 sis

sis≈ standard

3612+4 meed] Sisson (ed. 1954, Glossary):

1957 pel1

pel1: standard

3612+4 meed]

1970 pel2

pel1: standard

3612+4 meed]

1974 evns

evns1

3612+3-3612+4 laide . . . vnfellowed]

evns1

3612+4 meed]

1980 pen2

pen2

3612+3 for] Spencer (ed. 1980): “with.”

pen2

3612+4 by them] Spencer (ed. 1980): “by people in general. Some editors, following Q2’s punctuation, read ‘by them in his meed’ ((‘by those who are in his pay, his retainers’)), but this seems to indicate an irony that is beyond Osrick.”

pen2 ≈ standard

3612+3 imputation]

pen2 ≈ standard

3612+4 meed]

pen2 ≈ standard

3612+4 vnfellowed]

1982 ard2

ard2 ≈ standard

3612+3 imputation]

ard2 ≈ cam3

3612+3-3612+4 laide . . . vnfellowed] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “in his meed]] in his service ((meed, reward, pay)). So Dover Wilson in accord with Q2 punctuation and the plain sense. To take in his meed ((=merit)) with unfellowed, as usually done, is, after stress on excellence, tautological and leaves them unidentified.”

1984 chal

chal : kit2

3612+3 imputation]

chal : standard

3612+4 meed]

chal : standard

3612+4 vnfellowed]

1985 cam4

cam4

3612+3-3612+4 in . . . them] Edwards (ed. 1985): “in what people attribute to him.”

cam4 ≈ OED

3612+4 meed] Edwards (ed. 1985): “merit ((OED 3)).”

1987 oxf4

oxf4 ≈ standard

3612+3 imputation]

oxf4 ≈ standard

3612+3-3612+4 in . . . them] Hibbard (ed. 1987, Appendix A, p. 368): <p. 368>“them in his pay. Osric is probably thinking of Laertes’ fencing-masters.” </p. 368>

oxf4 ≈ standard

3612+4 vnfellowed]

1988 bev2

bev2: standard

3612+3-3612+4 in . . . them]

bev2: standard

3612+4 meed]

bev2: standard

3612+4 vnfellowed]

bev2 : pen2

3612+3 for]

1992 fol2

fol2≈ standard

3612+3-3612+4 in . . . them]

fol2≈ standard

3612+4 meed]

fol2≈ standard

3612+4 vnfellowed]

1993 dent

dent ≈ standard

3612+3-3612+4 in . . . them]

dent ≈ standard

3612+4 meed]

dent ≈ standard

3612+4 vnfellowed]

2008 OED

OED ≈ standard

3612+4 meed] OED 3. Merit, excellence, worth. Obs. a1387 J. TREVISA tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John’s Cambr.) V. 149 A man of grete meryt and mede. c1390 in F. J. Furnivall Minor Poems Vernon MS (1901) II. 494 [th]at is the Meedes of [th]e Masse. 1493 Festivall (1515) (de Worde) f. 47v, Fayth hath no mede ne meryte Where mannes wytte gyueth experyence. a1500 (a1400) WYCLIF Eng. Wks. (1880) 476 Si[th] it is greet meede to do almes for a tyme, it were myche more meede to contynue perpetual almes. 1509 A. BARCLAY tr. S. Brant Shyp of Folys f. lvv, It is mede, To gyue it to suche as haue necessyte. 1565 J. JEWEL Replie Hardinges Answeare 375 They say, It is a mater of special meede: and hable to Confounde Heresies. a1600 Floddan Field (1664) i. 2 Thou imp of Mars thy worthy meeds, Who can discourse with due honour. a1616 SHAKESPEARE Henry VI, Pt. 3 (1623) IV. x. 6 My meed hath got me fame. [etc.]