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Line 3221 - 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 2951-end ed. Hardin A. Aasand

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

3221 Other. Was he a gentleman? 3221	5.1.32

1678 Ray’s Proverbs

Ray’s

3221 gentleman] Ray’s Proverbs (1678; rpt. 1879, p. 194): <p. 194> ‘When Adam delv’d, and Eve span, Where was then the gentleman? Upstart a churl, and gathered good, And thence did spring our gentle blood.’ Le robbe fanno il primo sangue. Ital.” </p. 194>

1807 Douce

Douce : Ray’s Proverbs ; Legh (see n. 3217-8)

3221 gentleman] Douce (1807; rpt. 1839, 2:476-7) : <p. 476> “This is undoubtedly in ridicule of heraldry. Gerard Leigh, one of the oldest writers on that subject, speaks of ‘Jesus Christ, a gentleman of great linage, and king of the Jewes.’ And again, ‘For that it might be known that even anon after the creation of Adam, there was both gentlenes, and ungentlenes, you shall understand that the second man that was born was a gentleman, whose name was Abell. I say a gentleman both of vertue and of lignage, with whose sacrifice God was much pleased. His brother Cain was ungentle, for he offered God the worst of his fruites,’&c.—Accedence of armorie, 1591, 4to, ,</p. 476> <p. 477>“fo. 13.Another morsel of satire against the above science lurks in the very ancient proverbial saying, ‘When Adam delv’d and Eve span, Where was then the gentleman?’ which is found in almost every European language. It was the text on which the rebel priest John Balle preached his sermon during the insurrection of Wat Tyler. Although the first clown afterwards explains why Adam bore arms, by means of a punning allusion to his digging with arms, there is still a concealed piece of wit with respect to the spade. Adam’s spade is set down in some of the books of heraldry as the most ancient form of escutcheons: nor is it improbable that the lower part of this utensil suggested the well-known form of the old triangular shields; whilst from the spindle of Eve might have originated the lozenge-like escutcheon on which the arms of females are usually emblazoned.”</p. 477>

1819 cald1

cald1≈Douce (condensed)

3221 gentleman] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Undoubtedly, says Mr. Douce, a ridicule this of heraldry. He cites Gerard Leigh’s Accdence of Armourie, 4to. 1591, p. 13. ‘For that it might be known, that even anon after the creation of Adam, there was both gentlenes and ungentlenes , you shall understand, that the second man that was born was a gentleman , whose name was Abell;’ and elsewhere, ‘Jesus Christ, a gentleman of great lineage.’ IB. He adds the very ancient proverbial saying: ‘When Adam delv’d, and Eve span, Where was then the gentleman ?’ Illustr. II. 262”

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1 +

3221 gentleman] Caldecott (ed. 1832):”See Gerv. Markham’s Gentleman’s Academie in Hawking, Hunting, and Armourie 1595, republished from Juliana Barnes and cited by Dr. Farmer elsewhere. The first ch. of the B. of Armourie is the difference ‘twixt ‘Chorles and Gentlemen ;’ and it ends thus ‘From the offspring of gentlemanly Japhet came Abraham, Moyses, Aaron and the Prophes; and also the King of the right ine of Mary , of whom that only absolute Gentleman , Jesus, was borne---Gentleman , by his Mother, Mary, Princesse of coat armour.’ Mr. Hamper observes that in her Boke of St. Albans Dame Julianna says ‘Criste was a gentylman of his moder be halve, and bare Cotarmure of [a eturys.] ?”

1841 knt1 (nd)

knt1≈ cald2 (the Leigh and Book of St. Albans analogues)

3221 gentleman] Knight (ed. 1841) : “This is a ridicule of the heraldic writers. In Leigh’s ‘Accedence of Armourie,’ 1591, we have, ‘For that it might be known that even anon alter the creation of Adam thee was both gentleness and ungentleness, you shall understand that the second man that was born was a gentleman, whose name was Abel.’ The same style of writing prevails in older works, as in the ‘Book of St. Albans.’”

1853 Col

Col : see n.

3221ff Collier (1853, p. 430): <p. 430>“Two small portions of the Grave-diggers’ Scene are struck through with a pen: the first relates to Adam being a gentleman[3321-29]: and the second to the length of time the First Grave-digger had filled his office [3333-52], and the motive for sending Hamlet into England. If William Kemp played the part of the First Grave-digger, as has been conjectured (Chalmer’s ‘Apology,’ p. 457), we need not be surprised at any expedient to keep such a favourite before the audience; but when he was gone, some reduction of the dialgoue may have been held desirable, on acount of the great length of the play. However, it is more than doubtful whether Kemp belonged to the same company as Shakespere when Hamlet was produced. (See ‘Memoirs of the Actors in Shakespeare’s Plays,’ pp. 105. 115.)” <p. 431>

1877 v1877

v1877 : Douce (subst.)

3221ff

1899 ard1

ard1: Douce (via v1877)

3221 gentleman] Dowden (ed. 1899): “Adam’s spade, says Douce, is set down in some of the books of heraldry as the most ancient form of escutcheon.”

1939 kit2

kit2

3221 Kittredge (ed. 1939): “The Clown is startled to hear Adam styled a gentleman, for he is familiar with the old rhyme: ‘When Adam delved and Eve span, Where was then the gentleman?’ Cf. Dekker, The Wonderfull Yeare, 1603 (ed. Grosart, I, 77): ‘Though he haue no more Gentilitie in him than Adam had (that was but a gardner).’ See also John Heywood, The Spider and the Flie (1556), xliv, 27; Songs and Carols (ed. Thomas Wright, Warton Club), p.2; Lydgate, Minor Poems, ed. MacCracken, II, 823.”