Merchant of Venice. - Repositories
Merchant of Venice. - Repositories
Merchant of Venice. - Repositories
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146 NOTES [ACT II.<br />
passage. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Gummere's is the simplest and clearest. He<br />
merely substitutes as for a, and reads thus : " Which doth <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
(i.e. itself) to swear upon (~ for swearing upon) as book (i.e.<br />
so veracious that one could use it as Bible, etc.)." Launcelot<br />
wonders if any other man have such a palm. Then, as Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Gummere adds, / shall have good fortune would be a<br />
sentence by itself.<br />
1. 157. simple. Used ironically; i.e. with just the opposite<br />
from its apparent meaning.<br />
1. 158. trifle <strong>of</strong> wives. Halliwell quotes from Saunder's<br />
book on palmistry: " Long and deep lines from the Mount<br />
<strong>of</strong> Venus [the ball <strong>of</strong> the thumb] towards the lirue <strong>of</strong> life,<br />
signifieth so many wives."<br />
1. 161. edge <strong>of</strong> a feather-bed. "A cant phrase to signify<br />
danger <strong>of</strong> marrying." (Warburton.)<br />
1. 163. wench. Woman. What phrase in this line occurred<br />
before in one <strong>of</strong> Antonio's speeches in I., i. ?<br />
1. 179. parts. Where in L, ii., did the word occur in the<br />
same sense as here ?<br />
1. 1^. liberal. Dr. Furness suggests "free and easy."<br />
1. 183. modesty. Moderation.<br />
1. 185. misc6nstrued. Note the accent, the proper one today,<br />
as it was in Shakespeare's time.<br />
1. 187. habit. Behavior.<br />
1. 190. hood my eyes, etc. Implying that at that time man<br />
wore their hats at meals.<br />
1. 193. sad ostent. Grave appearance.
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