Line 768 - 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.
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Notes for lines 0-1017 ed. Bernice W. Kliman
| 768 A couch for luxury and damned incest. | 1.5.83 |
|---|
[I put the part that goes with 762 there and the part that goes with 767-8 there. At 710 I make his more general point. I also put this comment in the Ghost doc.
1773 v1773
v1773
768 luxury] Steevens (ed. 1773) defines luxury as “lewdness. So in [Lr. 4.6.17 (2563)]. ‘To’t luxury pell-mell, for’ &c. Again in The Revenger’s Tragedy, 1607, where the old duke, who is remarkable for his incontinence, is repeatedly called ‘—a parch’d and juiceless luxur.’ ”
1778 v1778
v1778 = v1773
768 luxury]
1785 v1785
v1785 = v1778 minus (parallel to Lr. and analogue to R.T.).
768 luxury] Reed (ed. 1785): “i.e. for lewdness.”
1787 ann
ann = v1785
768 luxury]
1790 mal
mal = v1778 minus R.T.
768 luxury]
mal Tro. 5.2.55 (3038) “How the devil luxury”
768 luxury] Malone (ed. 1790, 8:278 n.2): “Luxuria was the appropriate term used by the school divines, to express the sin of incontinence, which accordingly is called luxury, in all our English writers. In the Summae Theologiae Compendium of Tho. Aquinan, P. 2. 11, Quaest. CLIV, in de Luxuriae Partibus, which the author distributes under the heads of Simplex Fornicatio, Adulterius, Incestus, Stuprum, Raptus, &c. and Chaucer, in his Parson’s Tale, descanting on the seven deadly sins, treats of this under the title De Lururia. Hence in K. Lear, our author uses the word in this peculiar sense: ‘To’t Luxury pell-mell, for I want soldiers.”
1791- rann
rann = mal (subst.)
768 luxury] Rann (ed. 1791-): “lust, lewdness.”
1793 v1793
v1793 = mal
768 luxury]
v1793: "Collins" (probably a ficticious attribution)
768 luxury] Collins (apud Steevens, ed. 1793, 11:453): “Luxuria was the appropriate terms used by school divines, to express the sin of incontinence, which accordingly is called luxury, in all English writers. In the Summæ Theologiæ Compendium of Thomas Aquinas, P.2.II. Quæst. CLIV. is de Luxuriæ Partibus, which the author distributes under the heads of Simplex, Fornicatio, Adulterium, Incestus, Stuprum , Raptus, &c. and Chaucer, in his Parson’s Tale, decanting on the seven deadly sins, treats of this under the title De Luxuria. Hence, in [Lr. 4.6.117. (2563)], our author uses the word in this peculiar sense: ‘To’t Luxury, pell-mell, for I want soldiers.’ And Middleton, in his Game of Chess: ‘—in a room fill’d all with Aretine’s pictures, (More than the twelve labours of Luxury, ) Thou shalt not so much as the chaste pummel see Of Lucrece’s dagger.’ Collins.”
Ed. note: Perhaps the Collins who saw Capell’s notes through the press and who wrote an introduction condemning editors’ treatment of Capell. Steevens in revenge apparently fabricated salacious notes and assigned them to a Collins. Sherbo points out, however, that there was more than one Collins at the time.
1803 v1803
v1803 = v1793; with Malone ref. to 15: 436, 482
768 luxury]
1805 Seymour
Seymour: standard + Ado
768 luxury] Seymour (1805, 2:160): “‘Luxury’ is here lust; thus, in [Ado a.s.l. (1697)]: ‘She knows the heat of a luxurious bed.’”
1813 v1813
v1813 = v1803
768 luxury]
1816 Gifford
Gifford: Ben Jonson
768 luxury] Gifford (1816, 8:274):
1819 cald1
cald1 ≈ Steevens def. without attribution
768 luxury] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Lasciviousness. See [Tro. 5.2.? (3038)]. Thersit.”
1821 v1821
v1821 = v1813 with specific ref to Tro 5.2 as in cald1
768 luxury]
1832 cald2
cald2 = cald1
768 luxury]
[but he could not repent; what of that? Also, Algar goes into contortions to explain the meaning of the Ghost’s I find thee apt. I could help him out here. Hamlet does not have to kill the king to revenge the death. Revenge and murder are not synonymous.
1867 dyce2
dyce2 ≈ Steevens without attribution
768 luxury] Dyce (ed. 1867, Glossary): “Lasciviousness (its only sense in Shakespeare).”
1872 cln1
cln1: standard gloss + //s in magenta underlined
768 luxury] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “lust, lewdness. Compare [MM 5.1.506 (2900)]: ‘One all of luxury, an ass, a madman.’ Shakespeare never uses the word in its modern sense. Compare ‘luxurious’ in [Mac. 4.3.58 (1881)].”
1873 rug2
rug2 ≈ cln1 (minus MM) without attribution + ref to his note in Mac. 4.3.58.
768 luxury]
1878 rlf1
rlf1 ≈ dyceG without attribution
768 luxury] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “Lust; its only meaning in S.”
1885 mull
mull : standard
768 luxury] Mull (ed. 1885): “lust.”
1938 parc
parc
768 luxury] Parrott & Craig (ed. 1938): “lust.”
1939 kit2
kit2: dyce2 gloss without attribution
768 luxury] Kittredge (ed. 1939): "lasciviousness."
kit2: standard
768 damned] Kittredge (ed. 1939): "two syllables."
1947 cln2
cln2
768 luxury] Rylands (ed. 1947): "lust."
1957 pel1
pel1: standard
768 luxury] Farnham (ed. 1957): “lust.”
1970 pel2
pel2 = pel1
768 luxury] Farnham (ed. 1970): “lust”
1980 pen2
pen2: standard
768 luxury] Spencer (ed. 1980): “lechery.”
1982 ard2
ard2: standard
768 luxury] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “lust (the usual Elizabethan sense).”
1985 cam4
cam4
768 luxury] Edwards (ed. 1985): "lust."
1987 oxf4
oxf4: standard
768 luxury] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "lust, lechery (as it always is in Shakespeare), the deadly sin Luxuria of the Middle Ages."
1988 bev2
bev2: standard
768 luxury] Bevington (ed. 1988): “lechery.”
1992 fol2
fol2: standard
768 luxury] Mowat & Werstine (ed. 1992): “lust”
2001 Greenblatt
Greenblatt: standard
768 let not] Greenblatt (2001, p. 41) points out that most ghosts were expected to return close to the time of their deaths to ask for prayers to help shorten their time in purgatory.
2006 ard3q2
ard3q2: Tennenhouse
768 Thompson & Taylor (p. 39) cite Leonard Tennenhouse (1989, p. 96) who “argues that it is important for Hamlet to distinguish two separate acts of treason, the seizing of the Queen’s body and the seizing of political power, since it is only by separating them and by subordinating the former that the threat to the state can be diminished.”
Ed. note: But the ghost does not subordinate the one to the other: Hamlet is to cleanse the royal bed of rampant sexuality and incest.
2006 ard3q2
ard3q2: standard
768 luxury] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “lust, lechery (as always in Shakespeare)”
ard3q2; cam4; oxf4
768 damned] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “Some editors (including Edwards and Hibbard) suggest that this is pronounced damnèd, but the standard modern monosyllable is acceptable.”
ard3q2: xref
768 incest] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “See [341 CN]”
767 768 769