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Line 2308 - 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.”

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

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

2308 The speech of vantage; farre you well my Leige,	3.3.33

1755 Johnson Dict.

Johnson Dict.

2308 vantage ] Johnson (1755): 1. “gain; profit.”

2. “superiority; state in which one had better means of action than another.”

3. “opportunity; convenience.”

1765 john1/john2

john1

2308 vantage] Johnson (ed. 1765): “By some opportunity of secret observation.”

1773 v1773

v1773 = john1

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773

1784 ays1

ays1=john1

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

1790 mal

mal = v1785

1791- rann

rann

2308 vantage] Rann (ed. 1791-): “from concealment; by stealth, or strategem.”

1793 v1793

v1793 = v1785 (misattrib. to warb)

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

1813 v1813

v1813=v1803

1819 cald1

cald1

2308 vantage] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “If conveying any thing distinctly; ‘that gives the means of availing itself of occurrences.’”

1821 v1821

v1821=v1813

1822 Nares

Nares: Oth. //; B&F analogue

2308 vantage] Nares (1822, glossary, vantage): “surplus, excess, addition. ‘Yes, a dozen, and as many to the vantage, as Would store the world they play’d for.’ Oth. [4.3.84 (3057)]‘—She’s fifteen, with the vantage, And if she be not ready now for marriage.’ B. & Fl. Pilgrim, I.1.”

1826 sing1

sing1: v1821 (incl. misattribution to WARB) + magenta underlined

2308 of vantage] Singer (ed. 1821): “Warburton explains of vantage, ‘by some opportunity of secret observation.’ I incline to think that ‘of vantage,’ in Shakspeare’s language, is for advantage, commodi causa.”

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1

1844 verp

verp: Bailey

2308 vantage] Verplanck (ed. 1844): “‘Vantage’ is used as it is defined by Bailey—‘That which is given or allowed over weight, or over measure.’”

1854 del2

del2

2308 of vantage] Delius (ed. 1854): “of vantage gehört zu o’erhear. Vantage = günstige Gelegenheit, sowohl örtlich als zeitlich, of vantage = zu rechter Zeit, an rechtem Platze.” [of vantage belongs to o’erhear. Vantage = favorable situation, in time as well as place, of vantage = at the right time, in the right place.]

1856 hud1 (1851-6)

hud1

2308 speech of vantage] Hudson (ed. 1851-6): “‘Speech of vantage’ probably means ‘speech having the advantage of a mother’s partiality.’ H.”

1856b sing2

sing2 = sing1

1857 fieb

fieb: warb

2308 vantage] Fiebig (ed. 1857): “I.e. it would be proper, that somebody else should attend to the speech, so that we might have an advantage of it, viz. some insight into the true nature of his plight. – To overhear means to hear one who does not mean to be heard.–Warburton explains the words of vantage: by some opportunity of secret observation.–Vantage, profit, opportunity, is an abbreviation of advantage.”

1864a glo

glo: TGV //

2308 vantage] Clark and Wright (ed. 1864a [1865] 9: glossary, Vantage): “sb. advantage. TGV [1.2.82 (385)], 4.1.29 (1574)].”

1866 ktlyn

ktlyn

2308 vantage] Keightley (ed. 1866, Gloss.): “opportunity.”

1868 c&mc

c&mc

2308 of vantage] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1868, rpt. 1878): “‘With the advantage of concealment,’ ‘having the advantage of being hidden;’ and it may also include the sense of ‘for the sake of the advantage,’ ‘for future benefit.’”

1869 tsch

tsch ≈ Nares (Oth. //)

2308 of vantage] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “wörtliche Uëbersetzung von advantage, überher, ausserdem noch. Daher heisst to the vantage zum Ueberfluss, wie Othello IV. s. 85. Yes, a dozen, and as many t o t h e v a n t a g e , as would serve the world they play’d for.” [literal translation of advantage, above, in addition. Therefore to the vantage means to an excess, as in Oth. [4.3.84 (3057)]: Yes, a dozen, and as many to the vantage as would serve the world they play’d for.]

1869 Romdahl

Romdahl ≈ ktlyn; + magenta underlined

2308 vantage] Romdahl (1869, p. 35): “for advantage, opportunity. Of vantage=occasionally. Compare below [5.2.390 (3886)]: Vantage-ground is still in use, and means, a state or place in which one has better means of action than another.”

1870 rug1

rug1

2308 of vantage] Moberly (ed. 1870): “By some opportunity of secret observation, such as the spaces between two doors where a spy was sometimes planted to listen to the conversation of two prisoners who thought themselves unobserved.”

1872 hud2

hud2

2308 speech of vantage] Hudson (ed. 1872): “Speech having an advantage in that nature makes the speakers partial to each other. This favours the conclusion that the Queen was not privy and consenting to the murder of Hamlet’s father. Both the King and Polonius have some distrust of her.”

1872 del4

del4=del2

1873 rug2

rug2=rug1

1877 v1877

v1877 = warb; = Abbott

2308 of vantage] Furness (ed. 1877): “Warburton: By some opportunity of secret observation. Abbott, § i65: ‘Of’ here retains its original meaning of from; hence the words are equivalent to ‘from the vantage-ground of concealment.’”

1877 dyce3

dyce3 = dyce2

1881 hud3

hud3=hud2

1885 macd

macd contra Schmidt

2308 of vantage] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Schmidt (Sh. Lex.) says of vantage means to boot. I do not think he is right. Perhaps Polonius means ‘from a position of advantage.’ Or perhaps ‘The speech of vantage’ is to be understood as implying that Hamlet, finding himself in a position of vantage, that is, alone with his mother, will probably utter himself with little restraint.”

1885 mull

mull ≈ macd

2308 of vantage] Mull (ed. 1885): “spoken freely.”

1889 Barnett

Barnett

2308 of vantage] Barnett (1889, p. 50): “from a commodious position, so as to give all my attention to the words spoken.”

1890 irv2

irv2

2308 of vantage] Symons (in Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “i.e. from a point of vantage.”

1891 dtn

dtn ≈ warb (incl. Abbott)

2308 of vantage] Deighton (ed. 1891): “‘from the vantage-ground of concealment’ (Abb. § 165).”

1899 ard1

ard1 ≈ irv2; ≈ hud1

2308 of vantage] Dowden (ed. 1899): “from a point or position of vantage. Many editors do not insert the comma before vantage. Hudson explains ‘speech of vantage,’ a speech having the advantage of such partiality as a mother bears to a son or a son to a mother.”

1904 ver

ver: Mac. //

2308 of vantage] Verity (ed. 1904): “from a favourable point (i.e. a “coign of vantage,” Mac. [1.6.7 (440)]) of = ‘off, from the side of’.”

1905 rltr

rltr = glo minus TGV //

2308 vantage] Chambers (ed. 1905): “advantage.”

1906 nlsn

nlsn ≈ ver minus Mac. //

2308 of vantage] Neilson (ed. 1906, glossary): “from a favorable position.”

1931 crg1

crg1=irv2

1934 rid1

rid1=nlsn + magenta underlined

2308 of vantage] Ridley (ed. 1934): “from a favourable position; (or perhaps simply) in addition.”

1934 cam3

cam3

2308 of vantage] Wilson (ed. 1934): “prob. = ‘in addition’ not ‘from a convenient place’; v.G.”

1934 cam3 Glossary

cam3: Mac., Oth. //s; OED; xref.

2308 of vantage] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary): “Meaning doubtful; Mac. [1.6.7 (440)] ‘coign of vantage’ suggests ‘from a convenient corner (i.e. behind the arras), but Onions cites Oth. [4.3.84-5 (3057-8)] ‘a dozen: and as many to th’ vantage, as would store the world,’ where ‘to the vantage’ = in addition, cf. N.E.D. [OED] ‘vantage’ sb. 2b.”

1942 n&h

n&h=nsln

1947 cln2

cln2 ≈ rid1

2308 of vantage] Rylands (ed. 1947): “either from a favourable point or in addition.”

1957 pel1

pel1 ≈ nlsn

2308 of vantage.] Farnham (ed. 1957): “of vantage from an advantageous position.”

1974 evns1

evns1 ≈ cln2

2308 vantage] Evans (ed. 1974): “from an advantageous position (?) or in addition (?).”

1980 pen2

pen2 ≈ evns1

2308 of vantage] Spencer (ed. 1980): “(perhaps ‘in addition’, or ‘from the vantage-ground of concealment’).”

1982 ard2

ard2: oed, Schmidt, Onions, ard1, Abbott; ≈ cam3 (Oth. Mac. //s)

2308 of vantage] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “in addition. Cf. Oth. [4.3.84 (3057-)] (‘as many to th’vantage’, i.e., as many more), and see OED vantage 2b, c. So Schmidt, Onions. Alternatively, but less probably, from a position of advantage (Dowden), ‘from the vantage-ground of concealment’ (Abbott 165); cf. Mac. 1.6.7 (440)], ‘coign of vantage’.”

1987 oxf4

oxf4: OED

2308 of vantage] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “besides, in addition. Compare Oth. [4.3.84-5 (3057-8)], ‘Yes, a dozen; and as many to th’ vantage as would store the world they played for’; and see OED vantage sb. 2b and c.”

1988 bev2

bev2 ≈ evns1

2308 of vantage] Bevington (ed. 1988): “from an advantageous place, or, in addition.”

1984 chal

chal ≈ ard2 (Abbott without attribution)

2308 of vantage] Wilkes (ed. 1984): “of vantage from a vantage-ground.”

1993 dent

dent

2308 farre] Andrews (ed. 1993): “Fare. But the Quarto spelling emphasizes that the original sense of this word was ’travel’. Polonius little suspects that he will be the one who embarks on a journey before the King goes to bed.”

1997 evns2

evns2 = evns1

1998 OED

OED

2308 vantage] OED (Sept. 10, 1998): “vantage (vntd, væn), sb. Also 4-7 vauntage, 6 vauntadge; 5-6 Sc. wantage, 7-8 ’vantage. [a. AF. vantage (1302), var. of OF. avantage ADVANTAGE sb. Cf. It. vantaggio, Sp. ventaja, Pg. vantagem.]1. a. Advantage, benefit, profit, gain. Now arch.

“a 1300 Cursor M. 8015 O tham thou sal haue gret vantage, Bath to the and to thi barnage. c 1380 WYCLIF Wks. (1880) 302 Not of leesyng of worldliche worship ne worldliche vauntage,..but of lesyng of vertues. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 508/1 Vauntage, (K., or avauntage), profectus, proventus. c 1470 HENRY Wallace IX. 915 This wantage was, the Scottis thaim dantyt swa, Nayn Inglisman durst fra his feris ga. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 172 b, Repute it for your singlar vauntage & wynnynge to be exercised & tossed in dyuerse temptacyons. 1555 HOOPER in Coverdale’s Lett. Mart. (1564) 141 Such fleshe as..had great vauntage by hys word, are become his very enemies. 1576 FLEMING Panopl. Epist. 72, I receyued two seuerall letters from you,..Out of which..I reaped double commoditie and vauntage. 1617 COLLINS Def. Bp. of Ely I. i. 72 What vantage haue you now of all that is said of Peters ship to countenance Rome? 1645 Arraignm. Persecution 23 Shall we that have received vantage by their rejection, thus recompence them with tyranny? [1846 LANDOR Exam. Shaks. Wks. II. 266 It would give..the neighbourhood much vantage, to see these two fellows good men.]”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: ≈ ard2; Oth, Mac //

2308 of vantage] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “This might mean ’in addition’ (to the mother), as in Oth 4.3.83-2, ’as many to the’ vantage as would store the world they played for’; or it might mean ’from an advantageous position’, as in Mac 1.6.7, ’coign of vantage.’”