Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Would I were in an ale house in London! I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety.

Boy

King Henry the Fifth       Act III, Scene ii,  Line 12

The scene is the British assault of Harfleur. I think the Brits win this one, and the boy speaking is a Brit, so he’s on the right side of the battle. He just doesn’t want to be in any battle.

Just imagine all the people, young and old, who are stuck in the middle of battles right now all over the world. I imagine most of them would prefer an ale house in London too.

The Brits on a whole, mankind on the whole, are a decent lot. I think if you took someone from Gaza, or a bombed out building in Eastern Ukraine, or from one of a couple dozen other places in the world, and magically transported them to a London ale house that the people in that ale house would take care of them.

I dunno, is that a crazy thought?

This is an ale that I had whilst traveling in January. It wasn't a London ale house, but the people there were generally nice. I suppose the Boy from today's scene would have been comfortable here. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

  

Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me:

Here will I sit before the walls of Rouen,

And will be partner of your weal or woe.

 

Duke of Bedford

King Henry the Sixth Part I       Act III, Scene ii,  Line 92

 

Okay, weal.  A red swollen mark left by a blow. That’s the MW modern meaning of weal.
Welfare, well being, prosperity, or state community or commonwealth. Those are the two archaic meanings, the former of which is what we are looking at today. The Duke is telling Talbot that he will be with him for better or for worse; in prosperity or in woe. Sounds like he’s going to marry the guy.

 

Well these two are clearly partners in weal or woe. 

Luckily, on this day it was all weal. 

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

O Corin, that thou know’st how I do love her!

 

Silvius

As You Like It                  Act II, Scene iv,  Line 22

 

Our friend Silvius is in love with Phebe. What’s to say about that?

Here's my Phebe. How could I not fall in love with her?

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

  

               No, that were pity:

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends

That purpose merriment. But fare ye well:

I have some business.

Bassanio

The Merchant of Venice          Act II, Scene ii,  Line 202

 

That purpose merriment; he has friends that purpose merriment.

First of all, have we ever seen purpose as a verb. I will make it my purpose. I have a purpose. But, I purpose? I dunno; sounds pretty Willish to me.

Second, to purpose merriment. They make it, or will make it, their purpose to have fun. That doesn’t sound all that bad, does it. 

Dracula here looks like he purposes merriment.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Dear master, I can go no further: O, I die for food! Here lie I down, and measure out my grave Farewell, kind master.

 

Adam

As You Like It             Act II, Scene vi, Line 1

There's not much to explain here. Orlando and the old man have been wandering in the forest, and the old man has about had it. Don’t worry; they’ll run into some people soon who will help them out and feed them.

Here's two old guys, and we've been wandering around backstage. But don't worry; the girls are about to take us out to feed us.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

This blue-eyed hag was hither brought with child,
And here was left by the sailors. Thou, my slave,
As thou report’s thyself, was then her servant;
And, for thou was't a spirit too delicate
To act her earthy and abhorr’d commands,
Refusing her grand hests, she did confine thee,
By help of her more potent ministers
And in her most unmitigated rage,
Into a cloven pine; within which rift
Imprison’d, thou dids’t painfully remain
A dozen years; within which space she died,
And left thee there; where thou first bent thy groans
As fast at mill-wheels strike. Then was this island--
Save for the son that she did litter here,
A freckled whelp hag-born-- not honour’d with
A human shape.

 

Prospero

The Tempest            Act I, Scene ii, Line 274

 

Hest is the only word in there I am completely unfamiliar with (and I’ve read this play many times). MW has it though: Command, Precept. It’s listed as archaic; so I’ll give you that.
Nonetheless, it is all in all a quite understandable passage. Wouldn’t you agree?

Just in case you didn’t know, this is Prospero talking to Ariel and recounting to him (her? them?) what Ariel had told Prospero at an earlier date. It’s the story of how when Prospero first came to the island, he found Ariel trapped inside a tree where the hag witch Sycorax had left him.

I’m not sure why I decided to type out the whole passage. Today’s Totally Random Line was Refusing her grand hests, she did confine thee. Now that’s in the middle of a long sentence that takes up a good deal of the passage, so I decided to just give you the whole thing.

And there you go.

And here you go with a pic of Prospero and Ariel having this conversation.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

By whom, Camillo?

Polixenes

The Winter’s Tale     Act I, Scene ii, Line 412

Only three words in Today's Line, so I'll return with just three: 

Yes, by whom?