Quarto
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
Enter two French men, a woman and two little Children, meet them another Citizens. | Enter two Frenchmen; a woman and two little children meet them, and other citizens | | E3 III.ii.1 | |
One. | FIRST FRENCHMAN | | | |
Wel met my masters: how now, whats the newes, | Well met, my masters. How now, what's the news, | | E3 III.ii.1 | |
And wherefore are ye laden thus with stuffe: | And wherefore are ye laden thus with stuff? | | E3 III.ii.2 | |
What is it quarter daie that you remoue, | What, is it quarter day that you remove, | quarter day[day marking a quarter of the year, when house tenancies would change] removal day | E3 III.ii.3 | |
And carrie bag and baggage too? | And carry bag and baggage too? | | E3 III.ii.4 | |
Two. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
Quarter day, I and quartering pay I feare: | Quarter day? Ay, and quartering day, I fear. | quartering (adj.)for cutting into quarters, dismembering | E3 III.ii.5 | |
Haue we not heard the newes that flies abroad? | Have ye not heard the news that flies abroad? | | E3 III.ii.6 | |
One. | FIRST FRENCHMAN | | | |
What newes? | What news? | | E3 III.ii.7 | |
Three. | SECOND CITIZEN | | | |
How the French Nauy is destroyd at Sea, | How the French navy is destroyed at sea, | | E3 III.ii.8 | |
And that the English Armie is arriued. | And that the English army is arrived. | | E3 III.ii.9 | |
One. | FIRST FRENCHMAN | | | |
What then? | What then? | | E3 III.ii.10 | |
Two. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
What then quoth you? why ist not time to flie, | What then, quoth you? Why, is't not time to fly, | quoth (v.)said | E3 III.ii.11 | |
When enuie and destruction is so nigh, | When envy and destruction is so nigh? | envy (n.)malice, ill-will, enmity | E3 III.ii.12 | |
One. | FIRST FRENCHMAN | | | |
Content thee man, they are farre enough from hence, | Content thee, man; they are far enough from hence, | content (v.)calm [down], settle, relax | E3 III.ii.13 | |
And will be met I warrant ye to their cost, | And will be met, I warrant ye, to their cost, | warrant (v.)assure, promise, guarantee, confirm | E3 III.ii.14 | |
Before they breake so far into the Realme. | Before they break so far into the realm. | | E3 III.ii.15 | |
Two. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
I so the Grashopper doth spend the time, | Ay, so the grasshopper doth spend the time | | E3 III.ii.16 | |
In mirthfull iollitie till Winter come, | In mirthful jollity till winter come, | | E3 III.ii.17 | |
And then too late he would redeeme his time, | And then too late he would redeem his time, | redeem (v.)[of time lost] get back, buy back, make amends for | E3 III.ii.18 | |
When frozen cold hath nipt his carelesse head: | When frozen cold hath nipped his careless head. | careless (adj.)negligent, improvident, neglectful | E3 III.ii.19 | |
He that no sooner will prouide a Cloake, | He that no sooner will provide a cloak | | E3 III.ii.20 | |
Then when he sees it doth begin to raigne, | Than when he sees it doth begin to rain | | E3 III.ii.21 | |
May peraduenture for his negilgence, | May, peradventure, for his negligence, | peradventure (adv.)perhaps, maybe, very likely | E3 III.ii.22 | |
Be throughly washed when he suspects it not, | Be throughly washed when he suspects it not. | throughly (adv.)thoroughly, fully, completely | E3 III.ii.23 | |
We that haue charge, and such a trayne as this, | We that have charge and such a train as this | train (n.)set of dependents, group of people | E3 III.ii.24 | |
Must looke in time, to looke for them and vs, | Must look in time to look for them and us, | look for (v.)be watchful for, look after | E3 III.ii.25 | |
Least when we would, we cannot be relieued. | Lest, when we would, we cannot be relieved. | | E3 III.ii.26 | |
One. | FIRST FRENCHMAN | | | |
Be like you then dispaire of ill successe, | Belike you then despair of ill success, | ill (adj.)bad, adverse, unfavourable | E3 III.ii.27 | |
| | success (n.)result, outcome, issue | | |
| | belike (adv.)probably, presumably, perhaps, so it seems | | |
And thinke your Country will be subiugate. | And think your country will be subjugate. | | E3 III.ii.28 | |
Three. | SECOND CITIZEN | | | |
We cannot tell, tis good to feare the worst. | We cannot tell; 'tis good to fear the worst. | | E3 III.ii.29 | |
One. | FIRST FRENCHMAN | | | |
Yet rather fight, then like vnnaturall sonnes, | Yet rather fight than, like unnatural sons, | | E3 III.ii.30 | |
For sake your louing parents in distresse. | Forsake your loving parents in distress. | | E3 III.ii.31 | |
Two. | FIRST CITIZEN | | | |
Tush they that haue already taken armes, | Tush, they that have already taken arms | | E3 III.ii.32 | |
Are manie fearefull millions in respect | Are many fearful millions, in respect | fearful (adj.)causing fear, awe-inspiring, terrifying, alarming | E3 III.ii.33 | |
Of that small handfull of our enimies: | Of that small handful of our enemies. | | E3 III.ii.34 | |
But tis a rightfull quarrell must preuaile, | But 'tis a rightful quarrel must prevail: | | E3 III.ii.35 | |
Edward is sonnne vnto our late kings sister, | Edward is son unto our late king's sister, | | E3 III.ii.36 | |
Where Iohn Valoys, is three degrees remoued. | Where John Valois is three degrees removed. | | E3 III.ii.37 | |
Wo. | WOMAN | | | |
Besides, there goes a Prophesie abroad, | Besides, there goes a prophecy abroad, | | E3 III.ii.38 | |
Published by one that was a Fryer once, | Published by one that was a friar once, | | E3 III.ii.39 | |
Whose Oracles haue many times prooued true, | Whose oracles have many times proved true; | | E3 III.ii.40 | |
And now he sayes the tyme will shortly come, | And now he says, the time will shortly come | | E3 III.ii.41 | |
When as a Lyon rowsed in the west, | Whenas a lion roused in the west | whenas, when as (conj.)when, at the time when | E3 III.ii.42 | |
Shall carie hence the fluerdeluce of France, | Shall carry hence the fleur-de-lis of France. | fleur-de-lis, flower-de-luce (n.)heraldic lily [royal symbol of France] | E3 III.ii.43 | |
These I can tell yee and such like surmises, | These, I can tell ye, and such like surmises | surmise (n.)idea, imagining, conjecture | E3 III.ii.44 | |
| | like (adj.)same, similar, alike, equal | | |
Strike many french men cold vnto the heart: | Strike many Frenchmen cold unto the heart. | | E3 III.ii.45 | |
Enter a French man. | Enter a Frenchman | | E3 III.ii.46 | |
| THIRD FRENCHMAN | | | |
Flie cuntry men and cytizens of France, | Fly, countrymen and citizens of France! | | E3 III.ii.46 | |
Sweete flowring peace the roote of happie life, | Sweet flow'ring peace, the root of happy life, | | E3 III.ii.47 | |
Is quite abandoned and expulst the lande, | Is quite abandoned and expulsed the land; | expulse (v.)expel, drive out, banish | E3 III.ii.48 | |
In sted of whome ransackt constraining warre, | Instead of whom, ransack-constraining war | ransack-constraining (adj.)that makes plundering unavoidable | E3 III.ii.49 | |
Syts like to Rauens vppon your houses topps, | Sits like to ravens upon your houses' tops; | like to / unto (conj./prep.)similar to, comparable with | E3 III.ii.50 | |
Slaughter and mischiefe walke within your streets. | Slaughter and mischief walk within your streets, | mischief (n.)wicked action, evil deed, harmful scheme | E3 III.ii.51 | |
And vnrestrained make hauock as they passe, | And unrestrained make havoc as they pass, | | E3 III.ii.52 | |
The forme whereof euen now my selfe beheld, | The form whereof even now myself beheld | | E3 III.ii.53 | |
Vpon this faire mountaine whence I came, | Upon this fair mountain whence I came. | | E3 III.ii.54 | |
For so far of as I directed mine eies, | For so far off as I direct'd mine eyes, | | E3 III.ii.55 | |
I might perceaue fiue Cities all on fire, | I might perceive five cities all on fire, | | E3 III.ii.56 | |
Corne fieldes and vineyards burning like an ouen, | Cornfields and vineyards burning like an oven; | | E3 III.ii.57 | |
And as the leaking vapour in the wind, | And as the leaking vapour in the wind | leaking (adj.)issuing forth, rising, surging | E3 III.ii.58 | |
| | vapour (n.)smoke | | |
I tourned but a side I like wise might disserne. | Turned but aside, I likewise might discern | | E3 III.ii.59 | |
The poore inhabitants escapt the flame, | The poor inhabitants, escaped the flame, | | E3 III.ii.60 | |
Fall numberles vpon the souldiers pikes, | Fall numberless upon the soldiers' pikes. | pike, pick (n.)weapon with a long handle ending in a spearhead | E3 III.ii.61 | |
Three waies these dredfull ministers of wrath, | Three ways these dreadful ministers of wrath | | E3 III.ii.62 | |
Do tread the measuers of their tragicke march, | Do tread the measures of their tragic march: | measure (n.)slow stately dance, graceful movement | E3 III.ii.63 | |
Vpon the right hand comes the conquering King, | Upon the right hand comes the conquering King, | | E3 III.ii.64 | |
Vpon the lefte is hot vnbridled sonne, | Upon the left his hot unbridled son, | | E3 III.ii.65 | |
And in the midst our nations glittering hoast, | And in the midst our nation's glittering host; | host (n.)army, armed multitude | E3 III.ii.66 | |
All which though distant yet conspire in one, | All which, though distant, yet conspire in one | | E3 III.ii.67 | |
To leaue a desolation where they come, | To leave a desolation where they come. | | E3 III.ii.68 | |
Flie therefore Citizens if you be wise, | Fly therefore, citizens, if you be wise, | | E3 III.ii.69 | |
Seeke out som habitation further of, | Seek out some habitation further off. | | E3 III.ii.70 | |
Here if you staie your wiues will be abused, | Here, if you stay, your wives will be abused, | | E3 III.ii.71 | |
Your treasure sharde before your weeping eies, | Your treasure shared before your weeping eyes. | | E3 III.ii.72 | |
Shelter you your selues for now the storme doth rise, | Shelter yourselves, for now the storm doth rise. | | E3 III.ii.73 | |
Away, away, me thinks I heare their drums, | Away, away! Methinks I hear their drums. – | methinks(t), methought(s) (v.)it seems / seemed to me | E3 III.ii.74 | |
Ah wreched France, I greatly feare thy fal, | Ah, wretched France, I greatly fear thy fall: | | E3 III.ii.75 | |
Thy glory shaketh like a tottering wall. | Thy glory shaketh like a tottering wall. | | E3 III.ii.76 | |
| Exeunt | | E3 III.ii.76 | |