HW Home	Previous CN	View CN	View TNM	View TNI	Next CN

Line 2228-31 - 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.

2228-9 Ham. {It is} <’Tis> as easie as lying; gouerne these ventages \|with your {fin-}

2229-30 {gers, & the vmber} <finger and thumbe>, giue it breath with your \| mouth, & it wil discourse

2230-1 most {eloquent} <excellent> musique, \| looke you, these are the stops. 2230

1723- mtby2

mtby2: xref.

2228 gouerne] Thirlby (1723-): “Indeed he hath play’d on his prologue, like a child on the recorder, a sound, but not in government [MND 5.1.122-4 (1920-2)].”

1733- mtby3

mtby3

2230 eloquent] Thirlby (1733-): “I had wrote in the margin of R: Q[2] Eloquent gd fine dubio magis Shakesperianum v.v.30 [where the word excellent appears] D ut Q. Hoc ibi.”

1744 han1

han1

2228 ventages] Hanmer (ed. 1744: glossary, ventige): “(Vol. 6.384) a vent or passage for air. Fr. Ventouse.”

1745 han2

han2 = han1

1747-53 mtby4

mtby4

2229 the umber] Thirlby (1747-53): “fsql this thumb.”

1765 john1/john2

john1/john1

2228 ventages]: Johnson (ed. 1765): “The holes of a flute.”

1773 jen

jen: cap

2229 the vmber] Jennens (ed. 1773): “We should be glad to know what C[apell] understands by the umber.”

1773 v1773

v1773: Stowe analogue

2228-9 ventages . . . the vmber] Steevens (ed. 1773): “One of the quartos reads—with your fingers and the umber. This may probably be the ancient name for that piece of moveable brass at the end of a flute, which is either raised or depressed by the finger. The word umber is used by Stowe the chronicler, who, describing a single combat between two knights—says, ‘he brast up his umber three times.’ In this last sense I can give no probable guess at its meaning. Steevens.”

1774 capn

capn

2228 ventages] Capell (1774, 1:1: glossary, ventages): “(H. 75, 32.) Vents or Air-holes in a Flute or other wind Instrument.”

capn

2229 vmber] Capell (1774, 1:1: glossary, umbra): “(a.y.l.i. 21, 22. H. 76, 1,) an Earth us’d in Painting, of a yellow Colour: also,—the Stop of a Recorder or Hoboy; so call’d ab umbrando, shading or over-shading the lower Hole of that Instrument.”

capn

2230 discourse] Capell (1774, 1:1: glossary, discourse): “(H. 95, 8 & O. 94, 14.) Ratiocination, Animi Discursus.”

1778 v1778

v1778 ≈ 1773 minus “In this . . . its meaning.” + magenta underlined

2228-9 ventages . . . the vmber] Steevens (ed. 1778): “The first quarto reads —with your fingers and the umber. This may probably be the ancient name for that piece of moveable brass at the end of a flute, which is either raised or depressed by the finger. The word umber is used by Stowe the chronicler, who, describing a single combat between two knights—says, ‘he brast up his umber three times.’ Here, the umber means the visor of the helmet. So, in Spenser’s Faery Queene, b.3. c.1. st.42: ‘But the brave maid would not disarmed be, But only vented up her umbriere, And so did let her goodly visage to appere.’ Again, b. 4. c.4: ‘And therewith smote him on his umbriere.’ Again, in the second book of Lidgate on the Trojan War, 1513: ‘Thorough the umber into Troylus’ face.’ STEEVENS.”

v1778 ≈ v1773 +

2228-9 ventages . . . the vmber] Tollet (apud Steevens, ed. v1778): “If a recorder had a brass key like the German Flute, we are to follow the reading of the quarto; for then the thumb is not concerned in the government of the vengages or stops. If a recorder was like a tabourer’s pipe, which has no brass key, but has a stop for the thumb, we are to read—Govern these ventages with your finger and thumb. In Cotgrave’s Dictionary, ombre, ombraire, ombriere, and ombrelle, are all the Latin umbra, and signify a shadow, an umbrella, or any thing that shades or hides the face from the sun; and hence they have been applied ot any thing that hides or covers another; as for ecample, they may have been applied to the brass key that covers the German flute. So Spenser used umbriere for the visor of the helmet, as Rous’s history of the Kings of England uses umbrella in the same sense. TOLLET.”

1784 ays1

ays1=john1

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

1790 mWesley

mWesley:

2229 vmber] Wesley (ms. notes in v1785): “‘Umber’ was never the right word; for the fingers govern the brass key of a flute as much as they do the ‘ventages’ or holes; the key is then governed as much as the holes.”

1790 mal

mal = v1785 minus Spenser, Lidgate analogues for vmber (2229)

mal: 2H4 //

2231 stops] Malone (ed. 1790): “the sounds formed by occasionally stopping the holes, while the instrument is played upon. So, in the Prologue to 2H4 [Pro. 15-7 (18-20)], ‘Rumour is a pipe—And of so easy and so plain a stop,’ &c. Malone.”

1791- rann

rann ≈ capn

2228 ventages] Rann (ed. 1791-): “holes.”

rann

2229 & the vmber] Rann (ed. 1791-): and thumb] “and the umber—the brass key of a German flute. ‘Umber’d face.’ H5 [4.0.9 (1798)], Chorus.”

1793 v1793

v1793 = mal, v1785

1803 v1803

v1803=v1793

1813 v1813

v1813=v1803

1815 Becket

Becket

2229 the vmber] Becket (1815, 1: 55): thumb] “I would read thus—‘Govern these ventages and the umbo with your fingers, and give it breath with your mouth.’ Umbo (Lat.) a knob, a button. The piece of brass at the end of a flute might very well be called a button.”

1819 cald1

cald1

2229-30 giue . . . discourse] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Justly order these vents, or air-holes, and it will breathe or utter, &c.”

1822 Nares

Nares ≈ rann

2228 ventages] Nares (1822, glossary, ventage): “The holes or stops in a flute. [Hamlet line cited].”

Nares: contra [v1778 (Tollet)]

2229 vmber] Nares (1822, glossary, umber or umbriere): “Another signification has been falsely assigned to umber. Hamlet says, speaking of playing on the pipe, ‘govern these ventages with your finger and thumb;’ Act iii.2. but the old quarto reads, ‘with your fingers and the umber.’ Whence some have conjectured that umber was a name for the brass key or stop on the German flute; but no such name for it any where appears, and there is reason to suppose that the invention of such a key is more modern than the time of Shakespeare. We may, therefore, safely discard the umber of the quarto Hamlet.”

1826 sing1

sing1 ≈ Nares

2228 ventages] Singer (ed. 1826): “The ventages are the holes of the pipe.”

sing1: mal (2H4 //)

2231 stops] Singer (ed. 1826): “The stops means the mode of stopping those ventages to produce notes. Malone has made it the ‘sounds produced.’ Thus in 2H4 [Pro. 15-7 (18-20)]:—‘Rumour is a pipe—And of so easy and so plain a stop.’”

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1 for ventages (2228)

cald2: mnd //

2228 gouerne] Caldecott (ed. 1832): “And one would almost suppose the word, govern, to be here technical from the use made of it on this subject in MND [5.1.122-4 (1920-2)], Hip: ‘like a child on a recorder; a sound, but not in government.’”

1854 del2

del2: xref.

2231 stops] Delius (ed. 1854): “Ueber stops vgl. Anm. 23 dieser Scene.” [For stops see Note 23 of this Scene.]

1854 White

White: contra Becket

2228-30 gouerne. . . vmber] White (1854, p. 23): <p.23> “It is difficult to speak with patience or decorum of Mr. Becket. His work is stupidly run mad; and a just idea of it can only be obtained from extracts. Opening the first volume, we find the following:—‘Hamlet.— Govern these ventages with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most excellent music.’ ‘Ventages and thumb,’ I would read thus: ‘Govern these ventages and the umbo with your fingers,’ &c. Umbo, (Lat.,) a knob; a button. The piece of brass at the end of a flute might very well be called a button.’—Vol. I., pp. 54,55.” </p.23>

1856 hud1 (1851-6)

hud1 ≈ sing1 for ventages (2228) and stops (2231) minus 2H4 //

1856b sing2

sing2 = sing1

1857 fieb

fieb ≈ Nares

2228 ventages] Fiebig (ed. 1857): “Ventages are the holes of a flute.”

fieb ≈ v1778 (incl. Tollet); Cotgrave; Spenser and Rous analogues

2229-30 with . . . thumbe] Fiebig (ed. 1857): “The first quarto reads, as Steevens observes—with your fingers and the umber. This may probably be the ancient name for that piece of moveable brass at the end of a flute which is either raised or depressed by the finger. Elsewhere the umber means the visor of the helmet.—To this remark Tollet replies; If a recorder had a brass key like the German flute, we are to follow the reading of the quarto; for then the thumb is not concerned in the government of the ventages or stops. If a recorder was like a tabourer’s pipe, which has no brass key, but has a stop for the thumb, we are to read—‘Govern these ventages with your finger and thumb.’ In Cotgrave’s Dictionary, ombre, ombrair, ombriere, and ombrette, are all from the Latin umbra, and signify a shadow, an umbrella, or any thing that shades or hides the face from the sun; and hence they may have been applied to any thing that hides or covers another; as for example, they may have been applied to the brass key that covers the hole in the German flute. So, Spenser used umbriere for the visor of the helmet, as Rous’s History of the Kings of England uses umbrella in the same sense.”

fieb ≈ ma l(incl. 2H4 //)

2231 stops] Fiebig (ed. 1857): “Stops, see p. 109, 10). In the Prologue to 2H4 [Pro. 15-7 (18-20)], the poet says: ‘Rumour is a pipe—And of so easy and so plain a stop,’ etc.”

1864a glo

glo ≈ fieb

2228 ventages] Clark and Wright (ed. 1864a [1865] 9: glossary, Ventages): “sb. holes in a flute or flageolet. Ham. 3.2.”

1867 ktlyn

ktlyn

2229 fingers, & the vmber] Keightley (1867, p. 293): “‘Govern these ventages with your fingers and your thumb.’”

1868 c&mc

c&mc ≈ cald2 (mnd //)

2228 governe these ventages] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1868, rpt. 1878):“ ‘Govern’ is here used as a technicality of musical execution, meaning to place the fingers properly on the instrument (See Note 23, [5.1.123-4 (1921-2)]; and ‘ventages’ are the holes in the flute, which, being opened or closed by pressure of the fingers, form the different notes required.”

c&mc: standard + 2H4 //

2231 the stops] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1868, rpt. 1878): “Another name for the ‘ventages,’ or wind-holes of the instrument; which are ‘governed’ or stopped by appliance of the performer’s finger. See Note 4, Induction, 2H4 [Pro. 2 (4)].”

1869 tsch

tsch

2230 eloquent] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “eloquent ist offenbar die richtige Lesart, weil sich das Bild uns den Gedanken dreht, dass man H. zum S p r e c h e n bringen will, wie man eine Flöte veranlasst zu tönen. v. 385. yet cannot you make it speak. Ueberdies wiederholt sich excellent Z. 383 [2239].” [eloquent is evidently the correct reading because the image turns our thoughts to the idea that they want to make Hamlet speak as they make a flute sound. verse 385. yet cannot you make it speak. Furthermore, excellent is repeated in verse 383 [2239].]

1869 Romdahl

Romdahl ≈ glo

2228 ventages] Romdahl (1869, p. 35): “holes of the flute; not elsewhere occurring in Sh.”

1872 hud2

hud2 ≈ Hud1for ventages (2228)

hud2 ≈ Hud1

2231 stops] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Stops signifies the mode of stopping the ventages so as to make the notes.”

1872 cln1

cln1: standard

2228 ventages] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “the holes of the recorder.”

cln1: standard

2229 the vmber] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “The quarto of 1604, and that printed from it, read ‘the umber,’ a mere misprint corrected in the following quartos.”

1874 Corson

Corson

2230 eloquent] Corson (1874, p. 28): “I feel a certain seriousness—that’s hardly the word—about ‘eloquent’, not in keeping; whereas, in the use of ‘excellent’, there seems to be implied the idea, that the music that can be got out of the little instrument, is superior to what one would suspect. The word ‘excellent’ should be pronounced with a downward circumflex on ‘ex-’, imparting a patronizing tone.”

1877 v1877

v1877 = cald2

2228 gouerne] Furness (ed. 1877): “Caldecott: One would almost suppose this word to be here technical, from the use made of it one this subject in mnd. [5.1.123 (1921)].”

v1877 = john

2228 ventages] Furness (ed. 1877): Johnson: The holes of a flute.”

v1877 ≈ v1778, Tollet, Nares

2229 the vmber] Furness (ed. 1877): “Steevens attempts to justify the misprint of Q2 Q3 by supposing that the umber was ‘the ancient name for that piece of movable brass at the end of a flute which is either raised or depressed by the finger.’ In support, he adduces instances of the use of the words umber, and umbriere, which , however, mean the visor of a helmet. Tollet supports the reading on practical grounds: if a recorder had a brass key like the German flute, we are to follow Q2 Q3; for then the thumb could not govern the ventages; if, however, it had not a brass key, then the reading of the Ff must stand. Nares, in refutation, says that the brass key is more modern than the time of Sh.”

v1877 = Corson

2230 eloquent] Furness (ed. 1877): “Corson: I feel a certain seriousness—that’s hardly the word--about ‘eloquent,’ not in keeping; whereas, in the use of excellent there seems to be implied the idea that the music that can be got out of the little instrument is superior to what one would suspect. The word ‘excellent’ should be pronounced with a downward circumflex on ‘ex-,’ imparting a patronizing tone.”

v1877 = mal, sing

2231 stops] Furness (ed. 1877): “Malone: The sounds formed by stopping the holes. See line i7 of Introduction to 2H4. Singer: Rather the mode of stopping those ventages to produce notes.”

1878 rlf1

rlf1: standard

2228 ventages] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “Vents, holes.”

1881 hud3

hud3 = hud2 for ventages (2229) and stops (2231)

1882 elze

elze: City Gallant analogue

2229 fingers, & the vmber] Elze (ed. 1882): “Compare The City Gallant (Dodsley, ed. Hazlitt, XI, 270): Bub[ble]. Upon which finger will you wear your wedding-ring? Joyce. Upon no finger. Bub. Then I perceive you mean to wear it on your thumb.”

1889 Barnett

Barnett: Standard

2228 ventages] Barnett (1889, p. 49): “the holes.”

1890 irv2

irv2: standard

2228 ventages] Symons (in Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “the stops.”

irv2: contra v1778

2229 the vmber] Symons (in Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “Q.2, Q.3, have the umber instead of thumb, an evident misprint, which Steevens tried to justify by supposing umber to be an old name for a brass key at the end of the recorder. But in the first place it is by no means certain, or even likely, that the recorders of Shakespeare’s time had such a brass key; and if they had, we have no reason to suppose that umber (which is used in the Faerie Queene for ‘visor’) was the name for them.”

1891 dtn

dtn

2228 It is . . . lying] Deighton (ed. 1891): “with the innuendo that Guildenstern found no difficulty in that act.”

dtn

2228-9 gouerne . . . vmber] Deighton (ed. 1891): “finger and thumbe] apply your fingers and thumb to the stops to regulate the emission of sound.”

dtn: standard

2230 discourse] Deighton (ed. 1891): “utter, give expression to.”

1903 rlf3

rlf3=rlf1; ≈ Romdahl

2228 ventages] rolfe (ed.1903): “Vents, holes; used by S. nowhere else.”

1905 rltr

rltr: standard

2228 ventages] Chambers (ed. 1905): “air-holes.”

1906 nlsn

nlsn: standard

2228 ventages] Neilson (ed. 1906, glossary): “holes.”

1931 crg1

crg1: standard

2228 ventages] Craig (ed. 1931): “stops of the recorder.”

1934 Wilson

Wilson

2229 the vmber] Wilson (1934, rpt. 1963, 2:232-3): <2:232> “The imaginary contraction is seen in ‘the vmber’ which </2:232><2:233> appears at [3.2.359 (2229)] as a misprint of ‘thumbes.’1” </2:233>

<2:233><n.> “1Vide 2:323-4 and cf. ‘the most’ (misp. of ‘th’inmost’ [3.4.20 (2400)]) cited 1:118.” </2:233></n>

Wilson

2229 the vmber] Wilson (1934, rpt. 1963, 2:323-4): <2:323> “Hamlet is giving Guildenstern his music lesson, and the Q2 compositor obviously had a confused idea that ‘the umber’ which he fancied he saw in his copy was some part of the recorder upon which Hamlet was playing. Editors, of course, eclectic as usual, have ignored ‘the vmber’ as nonsense, but preferred the Q2 ‘fingers’ to the F1 ‘finger,’ since they realised that a recorder cannot be played with one finger. They have forgotten, however, that the instrument requires both thumbs as well, and so have furnished the modern text with the absurd ‘govern these ventages with your fingers and thumb’! It would be difficult to find a neater example of the dangers of conflation, and of the importance of beginning by facing the Q2 text and examining every letter and comma of it, however nonsensical in appearance, before turning to F1. For ‘the vmber’ is nothing but a misdivision-misprint of ‘thumbes,’ the final ‘s’ being taken for ‘r,’ as it is again at [5.2.43 (3545)] where ‘assis’ appears in Q2 as ‘as sir,’ a misreading not at all surprising with Elizabethan handwriting to which parallels may be found in other quartos. As for the ‘v,’ that was supplied by the compositor, who unlike a scribe </2:323><2:324> would be forbidden by custom to use ‘u’ initially.” </2:324>

Wilson

2230 eloquent musique] Wilson (1934, rpt. 1963, 1:58): <1:58> “It is clear . . . that the person, or one of the persons, responsible for the F1 text [“excellent”], when he came to the dialogue between Hamlet and Guildenstern concerning the recorders, had already the words ‘music’ and ‘excellent’ closely associated together in his head [3.2.368-9 (2238-9)], so that the association influenced his text nine lines before the two words actually occur in conjunction.” </1:58>

1934 rid

rid: standard

2228 ventages] Ridley (ed. 1934): “holes.”

rid: Wilson

2229 the vmber] Ridley (ed. 1934): “thumbs] Q2 the umber, F thumb; doubtless correct so far, but improved by Dover Wilson to the plural, which accounts for the r of umber.”

1934 cam3

cam3: xref.

2228 lying] Wilson (ed. 1934): “Referring to [3.2.248-9 (2219-20)].”

cam3: MSH

2229 fingers, & the vmber] Wilson (ed. 1934): fingers and thumbs] “Q2 ‘fingers, and the vmber,’ F1 ‘finger and thumbe,’ MSH. pp. 323-24. Most edd. read ‘fingers and thumb,’ but it takes two thumbs to play the recorder.”

1936 cam3b

cam3b: Plutarch; xref.

2228-42 gouerne . . . play vpon me] Wilson (ed. 1936): “Cf. North’s Plutarch, Life of Pericles (Tudor Translations, ii. 22): ‘For as it falleth out commonly unto people that enjoye so great an empire: many times misfortunes doe chaunce, that fill them full of sundrie passions, the which Pericles alone could finely steere and governe with two principall rudders, feare and hope. . . . Wherein he manifestly proved, that rethorike and eloquence (as Plato sayeth) is an arte which quickeneth mens spirites at her pleasure, and her chiefest skill is, to knowe howe to move passions and affection thoroughly, which are as stoppes and soundes of the soule, that would be played upon with a fine fingered hand of a conning master.’ Cf. add. Notes l. 68 above, and [2.2.562-3 (1602-3)].”

cam3b: Welch

2229 fingers, & the vmber] Wilson (ed. 1936): “It does not ‘take two thumbs to play a recorder’ as I asserted in my ‘ignorance and conceit’ (cf. MSH. ii. 296, 323-25). Several correspondents have written to point out the error, which I might have avoided had I known before of Ch. Welch’s fascinating Six Lectures on the Recorder (Oxford, 1911), v. especially Lect. iii, ‘Hamlet and the Recorder.’ The intrusive ‘r’ in Q2’s ‘the vmber,’ which led me astray, must now be attributed to misplaced ingenuity in the printing-house. I have corrected the text.”

1939 kit2

kit2

2228 as easy as lying] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “A proverbial phrase, conveying no personal suggestion, though Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are at liberty to put the coat on if it fits them. The word lying should not be emphasized.”

kit2: xref.

2228 ventages] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “wind-holes—the ‘stops’ mentioned in [3.2.360 (2231)].”

1942 n&h

n&h=rid

1958 mun

mun: Cowling

2229 fingers . . . vmber] Munro (ed. 1958): fingers and thumb, “The recorder had usually seven finger-holes and a hole for the thumb at the back (Cowling, 56). fingers and thumb is therefore correct.”

1974 evns1

evns1=n&h

1980 pen2

pen2

2228 ventages] Spencer (ed. 1980): “finger-holes.”

pen2

2231 stops] Spencer (ed. 1980): “Hamlet shows how the finger-holes can be covered with his fingers and thumb.”

1982 ard2

ard2: kit2 + magenta underlined

2228 as easy as lying] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “I accept from Kittredge, but cannot confirm, that this was proverbial and hence that lying is not to be emphasized. The casual allusion may be more effective than a direct accusation.”

ard2

2229 fingers and thumb] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “The correct reading is indicated by the nature of the recorder, which had seven holes for the fingers and one at the back for the thumb.”

1987 oxf4

oxf4: OED

2228 ventages] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “stops. Not found elsewhere in Shakespeare, the word may well be a Shakespearian coinage (OED ventage).”

1993 dent

dent: xref.

2228 ventages] Andrews (ed. 1993): “Vents, stops. Compare [3.2.248-51 (2219-22)]], where Hamlet commends Horatio for his ability to avoid being Fortune’s plaything.”

1997 evns2

evns2 = evns1

1998 OED

OED

2228 ventages] OED (Sept. 10, 1998): “ventage 2 (vntd). Also 7-9 ventige. [f. VENT sb.2 + -AGE.]1. One of the series of apertures or holes in the length of a wind instrument for controlling the notes; a finger-hole. In mod. use perh. originally from Shakespeare. 1602 SHAKS. Ham. [3.2.373 (2242-3)], Gouerne these ventages [fol. ventiges] with your fingers,..& it wil discourse most eloquent musique. 1776 BURNEY Hist. Music I. 264 It was found practicable to produce the same variety of tones with a single pipe, by means of ventiges or holes. 1794 BURNS Let. to G. Thomson 20 Nov., The stock has six or seven ventiges on the upper side, and one back-ventige, like the common flute. 1834 M. SCOTT Cruise Midge xxiii, An instrument made of some bright yellow hard wood,..the ventiges [1842 ventages] inlaid with gold. 1876 J. WEISS Wit, Hum. & Shaks. v. 171 It is enough for him to finger the ventages of a recorder and invite Guildenstern to play upon it.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: =ard2; Jenkins, Kittredge

2228 as . . . lying] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “’I accept from Kittredge, but cannot confirm that this was proverbial’ (Jenkins).”

ard3q2: MND //

2228 Govern] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “This is apparently a technical term: see ’He hath played on this prologue like a child on a recorder; a sound, but not in government’ (MND 5.1.122-3).”

ard3q2 ≈ pen2

2228 ventages] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “vents or holes.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: Capell

2229 fingers and thumb] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “Attempts to explain Q2’s reading are unconvincing. Capell prints Q2 but does not gloss.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: 824 xref

2231 Look you] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “Hamlet has used this expression earlier in F (1.5.131 [824]) and Q1 (5.101); Edwards notes at that point that it is ’a characteristic turn of Hamlet’s speech.’”

ard3q2 ≈ pen2

2231 stops] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “the same as ventages: the holes which the musician’s fingers must stop or block.”