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Line 3545 - 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).

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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.

3545 And many such like, {as sir} <Assis> of great charge, 3545	5.2.43

1765 john1

john1

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Johnson (ed. 1765) : “heavily loaded.”

1773 v1773

v1773 = john1+

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Johnson (apud Steevens, ed. 1773) : “ A quibble is intended between as the conditional particle, and ass the beast of burthen. That charg’d anciently signified loaded, may be proved from the following passage in The Widow’s Tears, by Chapman, 1612. ‘Thou must be the ass charg’d with crowns to make way.’

1773 jen

jen = john1

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773 +

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Steevens (ed. 1778) : “Shakespeare has so many quibbles of his own to answer for, that there are those who think it hard he should be charged with others which he never thought of.” STEEVENS”

1780 mals

mals = v1778 +

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Malone (1780, p. 363) : <p. 363> “To follow Steeven’s note 4.— Dr. Johnson’s idea is supported by two other passages of Shakspeare, from which it appears that asses were usually employed in the carriage of gold, a charge of no small weight: ‘We shall but bear them as the ass bears gold , To groan and sweat under the business.’ [JC 4.1.21-2(1876-7)]. Again, in [MM 3.1.26-7(1228-9) : ‘—Like an ass whose back with ingots bows, Thou bear’st thy heavy riches but a journey, Till death unloads thee.’ In further support of his observation, it should be remembered, that the letter s in the particle as is in the midland counties usually pronounced hard, as in the pronoun us. The first and second folio have: ‘And many such like assis of great charge.’ MALONE” </p. 363>

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1785 Mason

Mason

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Mason (1785, pp. 396) : “Hamlet says, in desciring the commission, ‘that it contained an earnest injunction to the King of England, to put the bearers to death:—as England was his faithful tributary; as love between them might flourish; as peace should still continue; and many such-like as’s of grat weight and earnestness.’

“As’s is merely a plural substantive formed from the conjunction as; nor does any quibble appear to have been intended. ‘So many such-like as’s of great charge,’ means ‘many such-like vehement injunctions,’ and nothing more.” </p. 396>

1790 mal

mal : v1785 ; mals (as modified)

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Malone (ed. 1790) : “Though the first and obvious meaning of these words certainly is, ‘many familiar adjurations, or monitory injunctions, of great weight and importance ,’ yet Dr. Johnson’s notion is supported by two other passages of Shakspeare, from which it appears that asses were usually employed in the carriage of gold, a charge of no small weight: ‘We shall but bear them as the ass bears gold , To groan and sweat under the business.’ [JC 4.1.21-2 (1876-7)]. Again, in [MM 3.1.26-7 (1228-9) : ‘—Like an ass whose back with ingots bows, Thou bear’st thy heavy riches but a journey, Till death unloads thee.’ In further support of his observation, it should be remembered, that the letter s in the particle as is in the midland counties usually pronounced hard, as in the pronoun us. The first and second folio have: ‘And many such like assis of great charge. Dr Johnson himself always pronounced the particle as hard, and so I have no doubt did Shakspeare. It is so pronounced in Warwickshire at this day. The first folio accordingly has — assis. MALONE”

1791- rann

rann

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Rann (ed. 1791-) : “such-like weighty injunctions”

1793 v1793

v1793 = mal

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1794 Whiter

Whiter ≈ v1793

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] WHITER (1794, p. 108) : <p. 108> “Asses heavily loaded.’ (Says Dr. Johnson) ‘A quibble is intended between as the conditional particle and ass the beast of burden.’ Mr. Malone seems inclined to Dr. Johnson’s opinion, and adds in support of it, that the letter s in the particle is usually pronounced hard in the midland counties as in the pronoun us. ‘Dr. Johnson himself’ (says Mr. Malone) ‘always pronounced the particle as hard, and so I have no doubt did Shakspeare. It is so pronounced in Warwickshire at this day.’—I do not think that a quibble was intended; though I am fully persuaded that the phrase ases of great charge, and even bearers in the preceeding line were introduced into the Poet’s mind by the similar sounds of the animal and the conditional particle. On this occasion even Dr. Johnson has confirmed his opinion by a quotation from Chapman’s Widow’s Tears, 1611; though it is somewhat difficult to conceive by what strange chance he could have stumbled on so persistent a passage. ‘Thou must be the ass charged with crowns to make way.’

“Our ancient Poets abound with allusions to this useful though despised animal; and the familiar idea annexed to it as a beast of burden appears to have been so strongly imprinted on their memories, that even the casual introduction of the word or of the sound will sometimes raise an association, by which they are induced to employ the ordinary terms expressive of that quality, as bear, charge, &c. on occasions that have not the smallest reference to the animal or its properties. I shall bring forward only a few passages in support of this observation; in one of which the reader will perceive that the legal sense of the equivocal word charge (to apprehend or to take up) has been the cause of a second </p. 108> <p. 109>association, which is connected with a differenent subject, and consequently with another train of words and ideas. ‘Menenius. I cannot say, your worships have deliver’d the matter well, when I find the ass in compound with the major part of your syllables: and though I must be content to bear with those that say you are reverend grave men; yet they lye deadly, that tell, you have good faces.’ (Cor. 2.1.62 (956-7)] ‘That such a crafty devil as his mother Should yield the world this ass! a woman, that Bears all down with her brain.’ [Cym. 2.1.57 (888-9)] ‘Face. Shall he not? Subtle. If he please. Surly. To be an Ass. Subtle. How, Sir! Mammon. This gent’man you must bear withal: I told you, he had no Faith.’ (Jonson’s Alchemist , Act II. S. iii. p. 218.) ‘Waspe. Sir, I would have you to understand, and these Gentlemen too, if they please—Win.Wife. With all our Hearts, Sir.’ ‘Waspe. That I have a charge, Gentlemen.’ ‘John. They do apprehend, Sir— Waspe. Pardon me, Sir, neither they nor you can apprehend me yet. (You are an Ass.) I have a Young Master, he is now upon his making and marring; the whole care of his well-doing, is now mine.’ (Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair, Act I. S.iv. p. 399.)” </p. 118>

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1805 Seymour

Seymour : Whiter? ; v1803

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Seymour (1805, 2:201) : <p. 201> “I have no doubt of the quibble, which Doctor Johnson remarks, being intended here. We had it before in [Cor. 2.1.62 (956-7)]; ‘the ass in compound with the major part of your syllables.’”

[Ed:I think it’s Steevens whom Seymour means here.]

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1819 cald1

cald1

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Caldecott (ed. 1819) : “Items of high import and weight.”

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813 + magenta underlined

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Malone (apud Boswell, ed. 1821) : “So, in The Return from Parnassus, in a dialogue beween Academicus and Echo: ‘Acad .—What is the reason that ‘I should not be as fortunate as he? Echo . Asse he.’ So also, in Lilly’s Mother Bombie: ‘Sti . But as for Regio,—Memp . As for Dromio,—Half . Asse for you all four.’ MALONE”

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Boswell (ed. 1821) : “Again, in the Chronicle History of King Lear, signat. L. ‘Second Watchman . Asse for example. First Watchman . I hope you do not call me Asse by craft, neighbour.’ BOSWELL”

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1843 col1

col1

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Collier (ed. 1843) : “Hamlet refers to the word as , which begins three previous lines. In the next line [3546], the folio uses ‘know’ for knowledge , which in the quartos is knowing .”

1854 del2

del2 : standard

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Delius (ed. 1854) : “Ein Wortspiel zwischen ass =Esel und der Conjunction as, beide hier im Plural, ist unverkennbar beabsichtigt; auch der Zusatz of great charge, von grossem Gewicht oder von grosser Last, deutet darauf hin.” [A wordplay between ass as ass[Esel] and the conjunction as , both here in the plural, is unmistakeably intended; even the addition of great charge , from the great weight or from great burden, reads thereupon.]

1857 elze1

elze1

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Elze (ed. 1857): "QB folgg. lesen: such like as sir, of great &c.; Fs; such like assis. An ein Wortspiel mit ’as’ und ’ass’ hat Shakespeare wohl kaum gedacht, wiewohl sich ein solches in Twelfth Night II, 3 findet: ’And your horse, now, would make him an ass. Maar. Ass I doubt not." [Q2ff read ’such like as sir, of great &c.’; Fs, ’such like assis.’ For a wordplay with ’as’ and ’ass’ Shakeaapeare has scarcely thought of, though one such is found in [TN 2.3.. . .]

1858 col3

col3 = col1

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1865 hal

hal = v1821 (erroneously attributing STEEVENS’s v1773 note to JOHNSON)

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1869 tsch

tsch

3545 as sir] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “such like as’s—Vergleiche eine änliche Substantivirung von ‘by’ [[2.2.296]].” [“such like as’s-—A comparison to the analogous substantiv[[izing]] of ‘by’ [[2.2.296(1333)]].

1872 del4

del4 = del2

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge]

1872 cln1

cln1 : ≈ v1821 (only JOHNSON) +

3545 as sir, charge] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “load, burden, weight. [cites JOHNSON from v1821] Compare [TN 2.3.184-5 (861)]: ‘Sir And. And your horse now would make him an ass. Mar. Ass, I doubt not.’ And [Rom. 5.2.18 (2838)]: ‘The letter was not nice, but full of charge.’”

1872 hud2

hud2

3545 as, great charge] Hudson (ed. 1872): ”It has been noted before, that as and that were used indifferently in the Poet’s time.—’Great charge’ is great importance; charged with great import.”

1877 v1877

v1877: (v1773 Johnson) ; mal (only it should be remembered . . . in Warwickshire at this day) : ≈ cln1 (only TN //, minus quotation)

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Clark & Wright (apud Furness, ed. 1877): “Compare [TN 2.3.184-5 (861)].”

1881 hud3

hud3 ≈ hud2

3545 And many such like as’s of great charge] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Of course ‘ases’ refers to the use of As three times in the preceding lines. In Shakespeare’s time as and that were often used interchangeable. So here; and, according to present usage, the second As and also the third should be That.—Great charge is charged with great import.”

1885 macd

macd : john1 ; mal +

3545 And many such like as sir of great charge] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “In Aberdeenshire the sound of the s varies with the intent of the word: ‘az he said’; ‘ass strong az a horse.’”

1885 mull

mull ≈ standard

3545 charge]

1899 ard1

ard1 ≈ v1877 w/o attribution (Johnson def. ; TN //) +magenta underlined

3545 And many such like as sir of great charge] Dowden (ed. 1899): “The quibble of as, ass is amusingly introduced in Chapman’s Gentleman Usher, near close of Act III.”

1906 nlsn

nlsn : standard

3545 charge] Neilson (ed. 1906, Glossary)

1931 crg1

crg1

3545 as sir] Craig (ed. 1931): “probably the ‘whereases’ of a formal document, with play on the word ass.”

crg1 ≈ standard

3545 charge]

1934 Wilson

Wilson

3545 as sir] Wilson (1934, 1:129-31): <p. 129> “Once again, what certainly happened in outer forme N [double correction by press corrector] may have occurred in other formes also. Take, for instance, 5.2.43 [3545] from the inner forme of sheet N, a forme we can prove to have been corrected, since it contains the variant ‘Vnice/Onixe’ [3732]. In F1 the line runs: ‘And many such like Assis of great charge,’ the word ‘assis’ being a quibble upon ‘asses’ and the plural of ‘as’ the conjunction. Now it seems that Shakespeare, as not infrequently happened, wrote the final </p. 129> <p. 130> ‘s’ of the word in such a way that it might be read ‘r’, for the line in Q2 appears: ‘And many such like, as sir of great charge.’ Yet the intrusive comma and the divided word tell us that more than mere misreading is here involved. Shakespeare’s ‘assis’ might have been misread ‘assir’ but could not possibly have been mistaken for ‘as sir’ because that would give ‘as’ a final ‘s’ which is, of course, of totally different formation from an initial or medial ‘s’ in the handwriting of that time. It follows, therefore, that the compositor first set up ‘afsir’, and that this was afterwards corrected by simple division and transposition of letters to ‘as fir’ and a comma inserted to make all well. But ‘such like, as sir’ is found in all six copies of the text, i.e. it occurs like ‘Onixe’ of sheet O in both a corrected and an uncorrected forme. We are thus forced to conclude that the correction was made on a different occasion from that to which the correction in the list of variants belongs.

“It is of course possible that in this case the two corrections belong to different processes; in other words, that the change from ‘afsir’ to ‘as fir’ was made in proof, and not while the sheets were actually being printed off, as ‘Vnice/Onixe’ must have been. This would agree with what we know of the compositor and what we may suspect about his relations with the press-corrector, who if he did not trust his man would be likely to scrutinise the proofs carefully and then check his work again during the printing. Assuming such a condiction of affairs, it would follow that we have to reckon not only with the eighteen certain corrections cited above and other possible corrections during the final printing of which variants do not happen to have </p. 130> <p. 131>survived, but also with corrections made in proof, of which in the nature of the case we can have no direct evidence,. Moreover, the compositor being an indifferent workman, the number of proof-corrections is likely to have been considerably greater than those made later.” </p. 131>

1934 cam3

cam3 ≈ cln1 w/o attribution

3545 as sir] Wilson (ed. 1934)

cam3

3545 as sir] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary, as’es): “as’es]] Plural of (a) as, the conditional particle, (b) ass.”

cam3 : standard

3545 charge] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary): “(sb.), (a) importance, (b) weight, load (cf. [1H4 2.1.50 (681) ‘great charge’).”

1939 kit2

kit2 ≈ standard (Mother Bombie & TN //)

3545 as sir]

kit2 ≈ standard (Mother Bombie & TN //)

3545 charge]

3545 charge] Kittredge (ed. 1939, Glossary):

1938 parc

parc ≈ cam3

3545 as sir] Parrott (ed. 1938): “(1) the particle as, cf. preceding lines, (2) asses.”

1947 cln2

cln2 ≈ standard

3545 as sir] Rylands (ed. 1947, Notes): As’es

1951 crg2

crg2=crg1

3545 as sir]

crg2=crg1

3545 charge]

1957 pel1

pel1 : standard

3545 as sir . . . charge

1970 pel2

pel2=pel1

3545 as sir . . . charge

1974 evns1

evns1 ≈ standard

3545 as sir . . . charge

1980 pen2

pen2 ≈ standard

3545 as sir . . . charge]

1982 ard2

ard2 ≈ standard

3545 as sir]

1984 chal

chal : standard

3545 as sir]

1984 chal

chal : parc

3545 charge]

1985 cam4

cam4 ≈ standard

3545 as sir . . . charge]

1987 oxf4

oxf4 ≈ standard

3545 as sir]

oxf4 ≈ standard

3545 charge]

1988 bev2

bev2: standard (crg1)

3545 as sir]

bev2: standard +

3545 charge] Bevington (ed. 1988): “((2)) burden ((appropriate to asses)).”

1992 fol2

fol2≈ standard

3545 as sir]

1993 dent

dent

3545 as sir]