In Love’s Labour’s Lost, the clown Costard violates Navarre’s statutes and is sentenced to “fast a Week with Bran and water” executed by Armado, a braggard from Spain. Armado’s page Moth reports to him that Costard is “broken in a shin” and they start a wonder of dialogue.
BROKEN SHIN
King of Navarre and his three lords disguise themselves
as Russians to entertain Princess of France and her three waiting
ladies. In this way the lords can avoid statutes set by the King himself. This
also relates to Costard’s “broken in a shin.”
To break shins is a Russian custom to punish those who
can but don’t pay their debts, as in The Seven Deadly Sinnes of
London (1606) by Thomas Dekker (1572–1632):
The Russians haue an excellent custome:
they beate them on the shinnes, that haue mony, and
will not pay their debts; if that law were well cudgeld from thence into
England, Barbar-Surgeons might in a few yeeres build vp a Hall for their
Compnay, larger then Powles, only with the cure of Bankrupt broken-shinnes.
Not paying one’s debts was a sin to be put
to jail in Shakespeare’s time. Costard has a broken shin insinuates his sin
is disclosed and punished. Shin to sin follows the same rule of enigma to egma.
Some editions assume broken in a shin means a physical wound, or disappointment
by a mistress as “broken shin” and “plantain leaf”
in Romeo and Juliet.
ENIGMA TO EGMA
Dialogue of Armado, Moth, and Costard is a crux. It
also shows how one-way anagram functions via various samples:
Some enigma .
. . No egma
Plantain, a plain
Plantain
a Goose, that’s flat
. . . Goose be fat . . . a fat Goose
enfranchise thee . . . one Francis
No line is crossed in above diagrams. Enigma
to egma (removing -ni- from enigma) is a process of taking out letters from a word to frame a
new word without changing the sequence of remaining letters. The same method
may apply to other related words in this dialogue, such as shin (sin, hin),
riddle (ride, rid, idle), lenvoy (levy, envy, enoy), salve (save, sale, ale,
ave), plantain (plant, plan, pant, lant, lain).
In As You Like It, Shakespeare made a nonce
word scrippage in “scrip and scrippage” to match “bag and baggage.” Bag, gage,
baggage, scrip, and page are all valid words, but scrippage not. It’s a
wordplay combining anagram and word chain.
Touchstone.
Come Shepherd, let us make an honourable
retreat, though not with bag and baggage, yet with scrip and scrippage.
Similar design appears in the dialogue of
widow Dido (The Tempest) and Nick
Bottom’s Ercles (A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
This type of anagram allows an involved person to get certain nature from the
source. Nick Bottom will get Hercules’ vanity or vein, and widow Dido will get
her dildo.
Transforming of enigma to egma itself is an enigma. Egma can be a perfect anagram of mage, a magician or one who has great wisdom in certain field. It would be the reason to extract -ni- from enigma but not other letters. Costard the clown is a mage of words.
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Similar method can apply to camel-weasel-whale in Hamlet. Each of the animals possesses exactly four letters in the name Hamlet. Prince Hamlet’s revenge would need camel’s endurance, weasel’s shrewdness, and whale’s richness.
Hamlet will gain these natures after meeting his mother. The word mother contains the missing letter t, h, m, that Hamlet needs to complete the spelling of the three animals.
[Enter
Page and Clown.]
Page.
A wonder,
Master, here’s a Costard broken in a shin.
Armado.
Some
enigma, some riddle, come, thy Lenvoy
begin.
Costard.
No
egma, no riddle, no lenvoy, no salve,
in thee male, sir. Or sir, Plantain, a plain Plantain:
no lenvoy, no lenvoy, no Salve, sir, but a Plantain.
Armado.
By virtue, thou enforce’st laughter, thy silly
thought, my spleen, the heaving of my lungs provokes me to ridiculous smiling: O,
pardon me, my stars, does the inconsiderate
take salve for lenvoy, and the word
lenvoy for a salve?
Page.
Do
the wise think them other, is not lenvoy
a salve?
Armado.
No
Page, it is an epilogue or
discourse to make plain,
Some
obscure precedence that has tofore been fain.
Now will I begin your moral, and do you follow
with my lenvoy.
The Fox, the Ape,
and the Humble-Bee,
Were
still at odds, being but three.
Until
the Goose came out of door,
Staying
the odds by adding four.
Page.
A good
Lenvoy ending in the Goose: would you desire
more?
Costard.
The
Boy has sold him a bargain, a Goose, that’s
flat,
Sir,
your penny-worth is good, and your Goose
be fat.
To
sell a bargain well is as cunning as fast and
loose:
Let
me see a fat Lenvoy, Ay, that’s a fat Goose.
Armado.
Come
hither, come hither.
How
did this argument begin?
Page.
By
saying that a Costard was broken in a shin.
Then
called you for the Lenvoy.
Costard.
True,
and I for a Plantain:
Thus
came your argument in:
Then
the Boy’s fat Lenvoy, the Goose that you bought,
And
he ended the market.
Armado.
But
tell me. How was there a Costard broken in a shin?
Page.
I will
tell you sensibly.
Costard.
Thou
hast no feeling of it, Moth,
I
will speak that Lenvoy.
I Costard
running out, that was safely within,
Fell
over the threshold, and broke my shin.
Armado.
We
will talk no more of this matter.
Costard.
Till
there be more matter in the shin.
Armado.
Sirrah
Costard, I will enfranchise thee.
Costard.
O,
marry me to one Francis, I smell some Lenvoy, some Goose in this.
Armado.
By
my sweet soul, I mean, setting thee at liberty. Enfreedoming thy person: thou wert
immured, restrained, captivated, bound.
Costard.
True,
true, and now you will be my purgation, and let me loose.
Armado.
I give
thee thy liberty, set thee from durance, and in lieu thereof, impose on thee nothing
but this: Bear this significant to the country Maid
Jaquenetta: there is remuneration, for the best ward of mine honors is rewarding
my dependants. Moth, follow.
Page.
Like
the sequel I.
Seigneur
Costard adieu.
[Exit.]
NOTES
*Enter Page and Clown: Page and Clown indicate Armado’s page Moth and the clown Costard. Costard clown and Moth page can spell Christopher Marlowe except letter I, which can be mended by shin in “a Costard broken in a shin.” Shin contains letter I and shapes I. Marlowe’s anagram is broken for missing I. The last line “sequel I” completes his name as a sequel.
Initials of Costard Moth match Christopher Marlowe; same
rule may apply to Fox, Ape, and
Humble-Bee in the Lenvoy.
Moth is a nocturnal insect; costard has the usage of
a person’s head, alluding to one’s thoughts. Costard Moth alludes that
Christopher Marlowe was active in the dark with dark thoughts.
Broken in a Shin
*A wonder, Master, here’s a Costard
broken in a shin: “A wonder of master of words. Here is a clown Costard who
can but will not do his duty (to make an enigmatic lenvoy).”
Broken shin is an old Russian custom of beating the shin when a
debtor can but will not pay his debt. Costard can, but will not do his duty.
The lenvoy Costard will not do is done later by Armado in “do you follow with
my lenvoy.”
Broken has the usage of resolved or deciphered
(a difficult brain-work). Shin to sin is supported in “Till there be more
matter in the shin.” This can apply to Marlowe who was broken in a sin of
blasphemy in 1593.
“A wonder, Master” can spell Mary Sidney, suggesting the identity of the master Armado. The missing letter I can be get same as Marlowe’s anagram in “Enter Page and Clown.” In this play, Armado is the guardian of Costard, and Mary Sidney the guardian of Christopher Marlowe.
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*Some enigma, some riddle, come, thy
Lenvoy begin: An enigmatic riddle is the debt (a broken shin) that Costard owes to Armado.
“Some enigma, some riddle” suggests transformation in two steps, first to map
three animals (Fox, Ape, and Humble Bee) to three roles (Longaville, Dumaine,
Berowne) in this play, then to three persons in the real world.
Lenvoy has the usage of a dedication, postscript,
conclusion of a composition, or to say farewell. Armado’s lenvoy is “an
epilogue or discourse.” The lenvoy here
could be a malapropism of renvoy; renvoy has the usage of an act of
dismissal or discharging. Lenvoy as dedication may refer to the dedication of Shake-speares
Sonnets, a “wonder” of brain-work with enigmas and riddles. In the 1623
folio, word lenvoy (printed as lenuoy) appears 14 times all in this play
and all being italicized.
*No egma, no riddle, no lenvoy, no
salve, in thee male: Egma is a nonce word. In this line only egma is
misspelt, a hint that “no egma” can be interpreted differently from no riddle,
no lenvoy, and no salve. “Without anagram enigma to egma, there will be no riddle, no epilogue (lenvoy), no resolution (salve) in the masculine
(male) role of Armado.”
Salve has the usage of relief,
remedy, healing ointment, or an obsolete form of sarve as serve. Salvē in Latin
means greeting, salutation, hail, or farewell. Salve can mean a relief of
enigmatic riddle via finding its solution.
Complying to the anagram of the stage direction related to Christopher Marlowe, this line can
apply to the life of Marlowe with idle from riddle, envy from
lenvoy, and sale from salve. Since egma is not a valid word, egma from
enigma should be treated as a fault, and “No egma” means no fault.
Marlowe considered himself had no fault; he
had no idle time when he was busy writing for Wilton
Circle, no envy to other poets who lived and wrote
freely, and no sale of his work for Shakespeare took
his work and fame.
Armado is a male surrogate of Mary Sidney in
the drama world. Some editions change “in thee male” to “in the mail”; male
can be an obsolete form of mail (a travelling bag), meal, or mole.
*Or sir, Plantain, a plain Plantain: Plantain has the usage
of a grass with broad flat leaves (a herb), or a tree with banana-like fruit.
The “sir” here may indicate the reader of this dialogue.
“Or” suggests that following the rule of enigma to
egma, plantain can be shorten to plant; plant has the usage of to equip,
establish, furnish, or fix. Costard’s a “plain Plantain” is a plain and simple furnishment
of words, such as enigma to egma, shin to sin, etc.
Plantain has various forms as plantein, plantin, or
plantan in Shakespeare’s time. It’s printed as plantan in the 1623 folio.
Plantan can be a perfect anagram of plan-tan, and plantain
can spell plan-tan; tan has the usage of to cover the skin with tawny
color as a disguise. Costard’s plain plantan or plantain is a plain and
complete plan to cover self.
*no lenvoy, no Salve, sir, but a Plantain: “Without
lenvoy, there is no remedy to mend the sin, sir; without anagrams, plantain is
just a herb for the wound of shins.” An enigmatic lenvoy is given later by
Armado and Moth to free Costard.
*By virtue: by means of, as a result of; virtue has
the usage of potency, energy, or a good useful quality.
*pardon me, my stars, does the inconsiderate take salve for lenvoy: Salve has the usage of relief or easement; lenvoy of dedication. Those who are inattentive in words will ease on the dedication (of Shake-speares Sonnets). The “inconsiderate” can spell Sonnets dedication. This line can spell Shake-speares Sonnets.
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Armado is Mary Sidney’s male surrogate in this play. Star has the usage of one’s fate or destiny. Armado’s “pardon me, my stars” can spell Mary Sidney, suggesting the identity of “me” as Mary Sidney’s fate.
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*and the word lenvoy for a salve?: The considerate will see “word lenvoy” as a hint, to treat lenvoy not its meaning but its spelling. Lenvoy can spell levy or envy following the rule of enigma to egma. Levy has the usage of to collect debt or enroll duty as a broken shin, a sin being relieved by levy. Salve can spell sale or save; sale corresponds to “sell a bargain well” and “sold him a bargain” in later lines. No line is crossed in following diagrams.
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*does the inconsiderate take salve for
lenvoy, and the word lenvoy for a salve?: “Those who are inattentive in
words will take easy on the dedication, and take the word lenvoy just a plain
word for a relief in reading.”
*Do the wise think them other, is not
lenvoy a salve?: Mage, a perfect anagram of egma, is an exceptional
wise person.
*No Page, it is an epilogue or discourse
to make plain Some obscure precedence: “No Page” has no comma in the script. Not just
an insignificant page, the lenvoy is an epilogue (dedication of Shake-speares
Sonnets), or discourse to make simple some vague seniority. Epilogue
has the usage of envoy or conclusion; discourse of a formal discussion, act of
reasoning, or exchanging ideas by speech; plain of simple or without elaboration;
precedence of seniority or superiority.
*Some obscure precedence that has tofore
been fain: Some vague seniority that has been rejoiced before. This may apply to the
dedication of Shake-speares Sonnets; it seals three seniority poets of Wilton Circle. Tofore
has the usage of before, in front of, or previous; fain of rejoiced or satisfied.
*moral: the inner meaning; a lesson of what to behave
or follow.
Fox, Ape, and Humble-Bee
*The Fox, the Ape, and the Humble-Bee: The Goose represents Costard in this play, which may extend
to the three animals to match three lords of Navarre. Fox alludes to a
wily artful man; Ape to a mimic; and Humble-Bee to a talkative
person. Animals to characters set up the first-level connection; characters to
persons in the real world the second-level. Comment of each lord by his lover
will show each lord’s unique feature that can match the corresponding animal.
Nature of Fox can fit to Fulke Greville; Ape to Abraham Fraunce; Humble-Bee to Ben Jonson. They match in initials, same as Clown and Moth in the stage direction. Last names of the poets are sealed in the dedication of Shake-speares Sonnets. Lenvoy has the usage
of dedication.
Fox
Longaville is
commented by Maria. He has a strong will and sharp wit. Fulke Greville was a soldier and poet. He is the only one can fit the line “Well
fitted in Arts, glorious in Arms.” The name Fulke maps to the head of Fauconbridge;
Greville to tail of Longaville. Fauconbridge has various forms as Faulconbridge,
Faulkonbridge, Faukonbridge, Falconbridge, or Falkonbridge.
Maria.
I know him, Madam, at a marriage feast,
Between L. Perigort and the
beauteous heir
Of Iaques Fauconbridge solemnized.
In Normandie saw I this Longaville,
A man of sovereign parts he is esteemed:
Well fitted in Arts,
glorious in Arms:
Nothing becomes him ill that he would
well.
The only soil of his fair virtues gloss,
If virtues gloss will stain with any soil,
Is a sharp wit
matched with too blunt a Will:
Whose edge hath power to cut whose will
still wills,
It should none spare that come within his power.
Dumaine is
commented by Katherine. Ape is a mimic. Of all the people that love virtue, a
mimic is the one who treats to love virtue as his virtue, not the spirit of
virtue. A mimic has the most power to do most harm, and least knowing ill by
the world. A mimic has wit to make an ill shape good, and has shape to win
grace although he has no wit to be graceful. Dumaine is a well accomplished
mimic to do all these.
Katherine.
The young Dumaine, a well accomplished youth,
Of all that Virtue love, for Virtue loved.
Most power to do most harm, least knowing
ill:
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,
And shape to win grace though he had no
wit.
I saw him at the Duke Alansoes
once,
And much too little of that good I saw,
Is my report to his great worthiness.
Abraham Fraunce can be treated as literary steward
of Wilton Circle, to collect works of Wilton poets (Duemaine as main-due). He is Peter
Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the Ape in Ben Jonson’s
epigram On Poet-Ape: “He takes up all, makes each man’s wit his own.”
The word Ape appears in this play three times all capitalized. One is Berowne’s description of Boyet (boy-yet, just a boy of Wilton House), who acts as a steward of Princess of France and her ladies.
Berowne.
This is the Ape of Form, Monsieur the
nice,
That when he plays at Tables, chides the
Dice
In honourable terms:
The other is in Holofernes’ comment on
Hound, Ape, and Horse. Each of them matches a certain feature of the three
lords, and three persons in the real world.
Holofernes.
And why in deed Naso, but for
smelling out the odoriferous flowers of fancy? the jerks of invention imitary
is nothing: So does the Hound his master, the Ape his keeper, the tired Horse his rider: But Damosella virgin,
Was this directed to you?
Jaquenetta.
Ay sir, from one monsieur
Berowne,
one of the strange Queen’s Lords.
“Ape his keeper” can spell Shakespeare. “Damosella virgin” and “Hound his master” can spell Mary Sidney. The three anagrams suggest that Mary Sidney was the master of Shakespeare and Wilton Circle. In the drama world she becomes a quean-at-tie, a wanton woman being restricted.
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Jaquenetta is a perfect anagram of quean-at-tie,
a wanton woman being restricted in the drama world. Armado makes Jaquenetta pregnant
alludes that their child is Shakespeare. Armado and Jaquenetta are Mary Sidney’s
surrogates in the drama world.
Holofernes’s Hound, Ape, and Horse reflect members of Wilton Circle in the Shakespeare venture supported by Mary Sidney. Hounds are named in The Taming of the Shrew by an unnamed lord, and in The Tempest by Prospero. Ben Jonson was patronized by the Herbert family; “monsieur Berowne” can spell Ben Jonson. He is the Humble Bee in Armado’s lenvoy.
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Humble-Bee
Berowne is commented by Rosaline. He has a fair tongue to give gracious words and voluble discourse. Humble-bee is a large bee that makes humming sound constantly, same as bumble-bee. Bumble has the usage of a humming noise or to blunder; humble of modest, compliant or to depreciate. Ben Jonson’s nature can fit Rosaline’s description. He was a productive author. Berowne and his counterpart Rosaline can spell Ben Jonson, same for “sweet and voluble is his discourse.”
Rosaline.
Another of these Students at that time,
Was there with him, as I have heard a
truth.
Berowne they call him, but a
merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour’s talk withal.
His eye begets occasion for his wit,
For every object that the one does catch,
The other turns to a mirth-moving jest.
Which his fair tongue
(conceits expositor)
Delivers in such apt
and gracious words,
That aged ears play truant at his tales,
And younger hearings are quite ravished.
So sweet and voluble is
his discourse.
Ferdinand the King of Navarre sets up an academy and
asks his three lords to subscribe their names. Mary Sidney set up Wilton
Circle, and subscribed three main members to the dedication of Shake-speares
Sonnets. Goose sounds like goods. The Goose added to the circle reflects
Christopher Marlowe, a fool being treated as literary goods by Wilton
Circle.
*Were still at odds, being but three: Still
has the usage of silently or quietly; at odds of conflict or in disagreement; being
of physical existence, life, or creature; “being but three” could mean life but three.
Fox, Ape, and Humble Bee are lives of three animals. They can match three
characters in the play, and further to three silent members of Wilton Circle.
Goose
*Until the Goose came out of door: Goose
has the usage of a fool. Costard is a fool in the play, implying that Costard
is the Goose, and Costard fits a goose’s nature. This lenvoy is triggered by
Costard has a broken shin, happened when he was running
out,
which matches “Goose came out of door.”
At the end of the play a show of Worthies is
performed by pedant Holofernes as Judas Maccabaeus, braggart Armado as Hector,
hedge-priest Nathanial as Alexander, fool Costard as Pompey, and boy Moth as
Hercules. They are rejected by lords except Costard. “Greater than
great, great, great, great Pompey: Pompey the huge.” Costard the
fool joins the three lords as Goose joins the three animals to match the
“adding four.”
Four Living Creatures
*Staying the odds by adding four: Odds has
the usage of strife, inequalities, disagreement, or balance of advantage. In
the play Costard sends wrong letters and causes a turmoil.
This lenvoy of four animals may come from Bible, Ezekiel’s
“four living creatures” to match Fox, Ape, Bee, and Goose, “they had the
likeness of a man.”
In the scripture, “a roll of a book” was sent from a
hand and eaten by the prophet Ezekiel, who will spread words of the roll.
Also out of the midst thereof came the
likeness of four living creatures. And this was their
appearance; they had the likeness of a man. . . . whither
the spirit was to go, they went;—KJV, Ezekiel 1:5, 12
And when I looked, behold, an hand was
sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; And
he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was
written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.—KJV,
Ezekiel 2:9–10
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat
that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto
the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.—KJV,
Ezekiel 3:1–2
Job of the Goose Marlowe here was to add “lamentations,
and mourning, and woe” to a book sent unto him, and to spread the book to “the
captivity . . . whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear” (KJV,
Ezekiel 3:11). Shake-speares Sonnets
may contain woe, mourning, and lamentations. Its dedication
seals the last names of three Wilton poets, Greville, Fraunce, and Jonson.
*A good Lenvoy ending in the Goose: would
you desire more: Moth reflects the Marlowe before his fake death, and
Costard after. Marlowe served Wilton Circle for the Herbert family who saved
him in 1593. “good Lenvoy”: a good ending of the goods (scripts)
provided by Marlowe.
*The Boy has sold him a bargain:
To sell someone a bargain is to make fool of him via his own words. What Moth
has sold to Armado is the Goose specified in the 1598
quarto, where Armado gives the first two lines as moral:
The Fox, the Ape, and the Humble-Bee,
Were still at odds being but three.
There’s the moral: Now the lenvoy.
And Moth adds the lenvoy:
Until the Goose came out of door,
And stayed the odds by adding four.
In the quarto Moth gives the line related to
Goose. In the 1623 folio all lines of the lenvoy are done by Armado. Moth’s
Goose alludes to the deal of Marlowe after his fake death. It was a good
bargain for Wilton Circle.
*a Goose, that’s flat: Flat
has the usage of lying down, deflated, or lifeless. Taking away letter -l- from
flat will get fat, which can match “Goose be fat” and “a fat Goose” in
following lines. A flat goose alludes to a fool who is being put down,
deflated, and lifeless.
*Sir, your penny-worth is good: The master’s penny-worth
pen alludes to a cheap labor of a poet’s penny pen for his master, is good. The
cheap labor of Marlowe produced good work.
*your Goose be fat: Fat has
the usage of rich, valuable, abundant, or indolent. Armado’s goose, the fool
Costard, is fat (indolent); Mary Sidney’s fool Marlowe was rich (fat) in
writing plays.
*fast and loose: name of a trick
that a seemingly tightly fast string can be loosed instantly, a cheating game
of slippery cunning result. Anagram is as cunning as fast and loose via
letters. Fast has the usage of firmly fixed, to abstain from food, or to
bind together; loose of wanton or lustful. Replacing l- in loose
to g- will get goose; taking away -s- from fast will get fat.
This trick matches “a fat Goose” in the next line. Fast and loose may apply to
a person who is being confined and freed, like Costard who will soon be freed
by Armado. It may apply to Marlowe who wished to be freed from Wilton Circle.
*a fat Lenvoy: a discourse full of riddles and enigmas,
referring to the dedication of Shake-speares Sonnets.
*I for a Plantain: Thus came your argument: Plantain is a kind of grass or banana-like fruit; plantain can spell plan-taint or plant-taint; taint has the usage of a defect or infection.
*the Goose that you bought: Goose sounds
like goods (wares or commodities). Marlowe was treated as a valuable goods (fat
goose) obtained by his master.
*And he ended the market: Marlowe ended
the odds (argument) of Wilton poets. Goose and market may be
inspired by the Italian proverb (since the 16th century) that three women and a
goose make a market.
This can be a mock at the three members of Wilton
Circle who wrote like women. End has the usage of to finish,
complete, or conclude. “he ended the market”: the Goose
Marlowe concluded the market of drama.
*How was there a Costard broken in a shin?: “How a thought
in one’s head causes a sin?” This line refers to source of Marlowe’s sin, his
blasphemy charge. Costard has the usage of one’s head, brain, or
thoughts.
*I will tell you sensibly: Story of
Marlowe’s sin will be told wisely. Sensible has the usage of judicious
or intelligent.
*I will speak that Lenvoy . . . I Costard
running out . . . broke my shin: “I, a fool, was running out from a safe state,
crossing the threshold, and being tortured.” Costard in the drama world
concludes the argument for Marlowe in the real world.
*I Costard running out, that was safely
within:
Costard’s running out is transferred to “Goose came out of door.”
*Fell over the threshold, and broke my
shin: Threshold
has the usage of the sill of a doorway, or the line crossed to enter a region;
break shin of to torture.
*talk no more of this matter: Armado
(Marlowe’s master) asks Costard (Marlowe) be silent on the issue of his shin
(sin).
*Till there be more matter in the shin: Costard
foresees or wishes there will be more issues related to his shin;
Marlowe wished to recover his freedom by revealing more issues of his sin.
Enfranchise
*I will enfranchise thee: This line
corresponds to “the Goose came out of door” as being freed. Enfranchise has the
usage of to free from confinement. Costard takes the word as en-Francis.
*marry me to one Francis: Enfranchise can spell both Francis and Frances. Francis follows the rule of enigma to egma, Frances not, for its last two lines are crossed in the diagram.
The name Francis appears often in the 1623
folio, but no Frances. Some editions change Francis to Frances, for it seems
odd that Costard would marry a male. Rumored that Marlowe was an atheist and homosexual.
*captivated: Captivate has the
usage of to capture or enthrall. Armado will free Costard, who is then
de-captivated, a word close to decapitated. This line describes the state of
Marlowe under the blasphemy charge to be decapitated. A fake death can free
him, but he must bear some “significant to the country Maid Jaquenetta”
for Armado.
*country Maid Jaquenetta: Jaquenetta is one of wanton surrogates of Mary Sidney in
the drama world, similar to Maria in Twelfth
Night, and Audrey in As You Like It.
*Like the sequel I: Sequel has
the usage of a follower, successor, or a subsequent remaining event. This
subsequent “I” can complete anagram of Christopher Marlowe in the stage direction and Mary Sidney in “a wonder, Master.”
1598 QUARTO
In the 1623 folio the lenvoy is done by
Armado himself. In the 1598 quarto it’s split to moral and lenvoy done by
Armado and his page Moth.
Armado.
No Page, it is an epilogue or discourse to
make plain,
Some obscure precedence that hath tofore
bin fain.
I will example it.
The Fox, the Ape, and the Humble-Bee,
Were still at odds being but three.
There’s the moral: Now the lenvoy.
Page.
I will add the lenuoy, say the
moral again.
Armado.
The Fox, the Ape, and the Humble-Bee,
Were still at odds, being but three.
Page.
Until the Goose came out of door,
And stayed the odds by adding four.
Now will I begin your moral, and do you
follow with
my lenvoy.
The Fox, the Ape, and the Humble-Bee,
Were still at odds, being but three.
Armado.
Until the Goose came out of door,
Staying the odds by adding four.
Page.
A good Lenuoy, ending in the Goose:
would you
desire more?
BROKEN SHIN IN ROMEO
AND JULIET
Romeo is oppressed and sad for he cannot win
favor of Rosalind who has sworn to live a chastity life. Romeo’s cousin
Benvolio suggests him to forget her by examining other beauties. Romeo rejects
that. He doesn’t believe Benvolio can teach him to forget. Benvolio considers
himself is “in debt” to Romeo, and wants to prove that Romeo can forget
Rosalind.
Romeo.
Show me a Mistress that is passing fair,
What does her beauty serve but as a note,
Where I may read who past that passing
fair.
Farewell, thou can’st not teach me to
forget.
Benvolio.
I’ll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.
[Exeunt. . . .]
Tut, man, one fire burns out another’s
burning,
One pain is lessened by another’s anguish:
Turn giddy, and be holp by backward
turning:
One desperate grief, cures with another’s
languish:
Take thou some new infection to the eye,
And the rank poison of the old will die.
Romeo.
Your Plantain
leaf is excellent for that.
Benvolio.
For what, I pray thee?
Romeo.
For your broken
shin.
Benvolio.
Why, Romeo, art thou mad?
Romeo.
Not mad, but bound more than a mad man is:
Shut up in prison, kept without my food,
Whipped and tormented.
*Your Plantain leaf is excellent for
that: Plantain leaf can salve one’s wound or broken shin, but Benvolio has
no physical wound. Plantain leaf sounds like plainting-leave, exiting
with grievance. Plaint has the usage of to complain or lament. Romeo
expects Benvolio will fail to persuade him and leave with lament.
*For your broken shin: Benvolio is in
debt to Romeo to let Romeo forget Rosalind, which Romeo does not believe.
Benvolio can pay that debt by admitting Romeo is right, but Benvolio will not
do that. Romeo forgets Rosalind right after Juliet appears.