INSANE ROOT. Act I., Sc. 3. "Or have we eaten on the insane root." In an old medical book, which Shakspere might have seen, henbane is called insana. KERNES. Act I., Sc. 2. "Of kernes and gallow-glasses is supplied." Phillips (New World of Words') says a kerne is "an Irish foot-soldier, lightly armed with a dagger; a vagabond." A gallowglass is described by Barnaby Rich as being a footsoldier, armed with a skull [skull-cap, helmet], a shirt of mail, and a gallow-glass axe; and he says also that the kernes were the dross of the country. In Henry V.' (Act III., Sc. 7.), we have, however, "you rode like a kerne of Ireland." LATCH. Act IV., Sc. 3. "Where hearing should not latch them." To latch is to fasten on, to hold them. "For 't is my limited service." Limited service is the service he was limited to, appointed to. MATED. Act V., Sc. 1. "My mind she has mated." Mated is to be amazed, astonished, daunted. METAPHYSICAL. Act I., Sc. 5. "Which fate and metaphysical aid doth secm." Metaphysical is here used in the sense of supernatural. MORTIFIED. Act V., Sc. 2. "Excite the mortified man." A mortified man is probably a hermit or ascetic. NOISE. Act IV., Sc. 1. "What noise is this?" Noise is the music of the hautboys. See 'Henry IV., Part II.' PADDOCK. Act I., Sc. 1. "Paddock calls." Paddock is a toad; Phillips says a great toad." This word in QUARRY. Act I., Sc. 2. "On his damned quarry smiling." Quarry is a term used in hawking for the bird that is flown at and killed, and also for the parts given to the hawk as a reward--his prey. QUELL. Act I., Sc. 7. "Of our great quell." Quell, from the Anglo-Saxon cwelian, to kill, to destroy, is here used for murder. Chaucer has used the verb in the Canon's Yeoman's Prologue;' "the fould fiend him quell." RONYON. Act I., Sc. 3. "The rump-fed ronyon cries." See As You Like It.' ROYNISH. SAGG. Act V., Sc. 3. "Shall never sagg with doubt, nor shake with fear." To sagg is to droop or sink down. Seeling is a term borrowed from falconry. To seel a hawk was to close up its eyes by passing a thread through the lids, in order to accustom it to endure the hood. SHARD. Act III., Sc. 2. "The shard-borne beetle, with his drowsy hums.” The shard is here the scaly wing-cases of the beetle. In "A dragon, Whose sherdes shynen as the sunne." In Cymbeline' it is used in the same sense as here. In 'Hamlet' we have the other meaning of the word, broken pottery "Shards, flints, and pebbles should be thrown on her." SLEAVE. Act II., Sc. 2. 66 'Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care." Sleave is unwrought, untwisted silk, now known as floss silk. "Thou idle, immaterial skein of sleave silk." WEIRD. Act I., Sc. 3. "The weird sisters, hand in hand." Weird is no doubt from the Anglo-Saxon, wyrd, fate, destiny, and probably from the same root as word; the word spoken is fate. In the original the word is spelt weyward and weyard "As the weyard women promis'd." In "weyward" the w is inserted probably to mark its pronunciation as two syllables. PERSONS REPRESENTED. CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, a noble Roman. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 4; sc. 5; sc. 6; sc. 8; sc. 9. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. TITUS LARTIUS, a general, against the Volces. Act III. sc. 1. COMINIUS, a general, against the Volces. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 6; sc. 9. Act II. sc. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 6. MENENIUS AGRIPPA, friend to Coriolanus. Act II. sc. 1. 1; sc. 2. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 6. SICINIUS VELUTUS, a Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; tribune of the people. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 3. JUNIUS BRUTUS, a tribune of the people. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; so. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1. Young MARCIUS, son to Coriolanus. Appears, Act V. sc. 3. A Roman Herald. Appears, Act II. sc. 1. TULLUS AUFIDIUS, general of the Volces. Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 8; sc. 10. Act IV. sc. 5; sc. 7. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. Lieutenant to Aufidius. Appears, Act IV. sc. 7. Conspirators with Aufidius. |