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Line 2758 - 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.

2758 Though nothing sure, yet much vnhappily.	4.5.13

1747 warb

warb

2758 Though . . . vnhappily] Warburton (ed. 1847): “i.e. tho’ her meaning cannot be certainly collected, yet there is enough to put a mischievous interpretation to it.”

1755 Johnson Dict.

Johnson Dict.

2758 vnhappily ] Johnson (1755): “miserably; unfortunately; wretchedly; calamitously.”

1765 john1/john2

john1, john2 = warb

1773 jen

jen = warb

1773 v1773

v1773 = warb

1774 capn

capn

2758 vnhappily] Capell (1774, 1:1: glossary, hap, haply, & haply): “to hap, haply, & hapily. Chance, to chance, & by Chance:—perhaps, & to happen, are from the same Root—Hap; as are also,—happy, and it’s Derivatives.”

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773 +

2758 vnhappily] Steevens (ed. 1778): “That unhappy once signified mischievous, may be known from P. Holland’s translation of Pliny’s Nat. Hist. b.19 ch.7. ‘—the shrewd and unhappie soules which lie upon the lands, and eat up the seed new sowne.’ We still use unlucky in the same sense. Steevens.”

1784 ays1

ays1 = warb

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

1790 mal

mal = v1785 +

2758 Though . . . vnhappily] Malone (ed. 1790): “See Vol. II. p. 234, n. 2; Vol. III. p. 456, n. 6; and Vol. VII. p. 37, n. 2. ”Malone.”

1793 v1793

v1793 = mal

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

1819 cald1

cald1: Vulgaria Hormanni, Flemming analogue; H8, AWW //s

2758 Though . . . vnhappily] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Though there is nothing of a determinate character, yet there is much of the character both of misery and mischief, to make the hearers put a mischievous construction upon it. ‘All this day is unhappy. Totus hic dies dirus est.’ Vulgaria Hormanni, 4to. 1530, signat. E. iii. b.

“And in this sense the word is used by Abraham Flemming, in his Panoplie of Epistles: ‘Some report you to be proude and hautie harted, bycause you vouchsaft not to answere your clients: and partly spightfull in speache, bycause you answere unhappily. Cicero to Valerio.; 4to. 1576, p. 5. Partim te superbum esse dicunt, quod nihil respondeas: partim contumeliosum, quod male respondeas. Lib. I. 10.

“See H8 [2.1.88 (792)] K. Hen., and AWW [4.5.63 (2544)] Lafeu.”

1819 anon ann

anon ann = warb

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813 minus references introduced in mal

1822 Nares

Nares ≈ cald1 (AWW //) ; Tasso analogue

2758 vnhappily] Nares (1822, glossary, unhappy): “a. Often used for mischievous, as we now occasionally say unlucky; an unlucky boy, an unlucky trick, would formerly have been called unhappy. ‘A shrewd knave, and an unhappy. AWW [4.5.63 (2544)]. ‘Upon his neck light that unhappy blow, And cut the sinews and the throat in twain.’ Fair. Tasso, ix. 70.”

Nares ≈ cald1 (H8 //) ; Andromana analogue

2758 vnhappily] Nares (1822, glossary, unhappily): “adv. Waggishly, censoriously. ‘You are a churchman, or I’ll tell you, cardinal. I should judge now unhappily H8 [1.4.88 (792)] ‘Answer me not in words, but deeds; I know you always talk’d unhappily.’ Andromana, O. Pl. xi.49.”

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1; ≈ Nares (Andromana analogue) + magenta underlined

2758 Though . . .vnhappily] Caldecott (ed. 1832): “[before H8 //] And Andromana, Old Plays XI. 49: ‘I know you always talk’d unhappily.’ Nares’s Gloss . . . . [after AWW //] “and L.L.L. [5.2.12 (1899)]. Kath, and Err. 4.4.124 [1415]. Ant.””

1854 del2

del2

2758 Delius (ed. 1854): “nothing sure und much sind Beide Subject zu might be thought. Es liesse sich, sollte Einer meinen, bei Ophelia’s Reden, wenn auch nichts Gewisses, doch Vieles schlimm (unhappily = übelartig) muthmassen.” [nothing sure and much are both subjects of might be thought. One might suspect in Ophelia’s talk, although nothing certain, yet much that is bad (unhappily means bad).]

1856 hud1 (1851-6)

hud1: sing1 without attribution + Ado //

2758 vnhappily Hudson (ed. 1851-6): “Unhappily is here used in the sense of mischievously. See Ado [2.2.45-46 (742)], note 21. H.”

1857 fieb

fieb = v1778 for vnhappily

1864a glo

glo: standard

2758 vnhappily] Clark and Wright (ed. 1864a [1865] 9: glossary, Unhappy): “Unhappy] adj. mischievous. AWW [2.2.45-46 (742)].”

glo

2758 vnhappily] Clark and Wright (ed. 1864a [1865] 9: glossary, Unhappily): “adv. censoriously. H8 [1.4.88 (792)].”

1868 c&mc

c&mc ≈ glo (H8 //)

2758 vnhappily] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1868, rpt. 1878): “‘Mischievously.’ See Note 102, Act 1, H8 [[1.4.88 (792)].”

1869 tsch

tsch

2758 nothing] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “nothing ist Gegensatz zu folgendem much, so wie sure zu unhappily. Es möchte, wenn auch nichts Sicheres, doch Vieles in unheilvoller Weise gemuthmasst werden.” [nothing forms a contrast to the following much, just as sure to unhappily. Much might be conjectured in a harmful way, even if there is nothing certain.]

1870 rug1

rug1 ≈ glo minus Ado //

2758 much vnhappily] Moberly (ed. 1870): “Much that has a character of mischief.”

1872 hud2

hud2 ≈ hud1 minus Ado // + magenta underlined

2758 vnhappily Hudson (ed. 1872): “Unhappily is here used in the sense of mischievously; a frequent usage.”

1872 del4

del4 = del2

1873 rug2

rug2 = rug1

1877 v1877

v1877 ≈ warb, v1778)

2758 vnhappily] Furness (ed. 1877): “Warburton: Though her meaning cannot be certainly collected, yet there is enough to put a mischievous interpretation to it. Steevens: That this word once signified mischievous is seen in Holland’s Pliny’s Nat. Hist. b. xix, ch. vii: ‘—the shrewd and unhappie soules which lie upon the lands, and eat up the seed new sowne.’”

1881 hud3

hud3 ≈ hud2 minus “a frequent usage.”

1903 p&c

p&c

2758 much vnhappily] Porter & clarke (ed. 1903): “That is, that in herself and in her father’s sudden death she has suffered harm from the royal family.”

1931 crg1

crg1

2758 nothing] Craig (ed. 1931): “not at all.”

crg1

2758 much vnhappily] Craig (ed. 1931): “expressive of much unhappiness.”

1980 pen2

pen2 = crg1 for nothing

pen2

2758 much vnhappily] Spencer (ed. 1980): “very unskilfully.”

1987 oxf4

oxf4: OED

2758 vnhappily] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “The word seems to conflate two different senses: (1) mischievously, maliciously (OED 3) (2) unpleasantly near the truth (OED 4).”

1988 bev2

bev2 ≈ pen2

2758 much vnhappily] Bevington (ed. 1988): “very unskillfully, clumsily.”

1993 dent

dent

2758 sure] Andrews (ed. 1993): “Secure, certain.”

dent: xrefs.

2758 vnhappily] Andrews (ed. 1993): “Unaptly, incoherently. See [2.2.208-212, 384 (1247-53, 1432)].”

1998 OED

OED

2758 vnhappily] OED (Sept. 21, 1998): “4. Unpleasantly near the truth; shrewdly. Obs. “1577-82 BRETON Toyes Idle Head Wks. (Grosart) I. 33/2 The iust occasion why, God knowes: and I, perhappes, can gesse vnhappily. 1584 LYLY Campaspe V. iv, Alex. Think you not, Hephestion, that she wold faine be commaunded? Hep. I am no thought catcher, but I gesse vnhappily. 1602 SHAKS. Ham. IV. v. 13 Which..Indeed would make one thinke there would be thought, Though nothing sure, yet much vnhappily.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2

2758 unhappily] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “perhaps just ’awkwardly’ or, judging by Horatio’s response, ’maliciously’. The implication seems to be that Ophelia’s words may cause people from ill-breeding minds to question the circumstances of Polonius’ death and thereby cause trouble for the King and Queen.”