Act II: French Scene 10
Of what kinde should this Cocke come of?: what sort of cocky young man is this
touch'd my veine at first: hit upon my condition/state of mind with your first comment
am I in- land bred: I was brought up in civilized society
answered: *answerèd
reason: likely making a pun on 'raisin' and cracking a joke by eating or offering a grape or raisin, as "reason" and "raisin" were pronounced identically.
gentlenesse: good breeding
force: prevail
command'ment: authority
gentlenesse: courtesy
upon command: as you wish
forbeare: abstain from
suffic'd: satisfied
waste: consume
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women, meerely Players: The Globe Theatre's sign purportedly depicted Titan Atlas carrying the world on his back and the theatre's motto was supposedly "Totus Mundus Agit Histrionem" which translates to "all the world acts the player". The phrase is apparently drawn from the Fragments of Petronius: "quod fere totus mundus exerceat histrionem" which translates to "Almost the whole world are players".
Mewling: crying feebly
bearded like the Pard: with facial hair like a leopard's whiskers
bubble Reputation: proverbial, "Honor (reputation) is a bubble"
Capon: chicken; a castrated cock bred for the table, often used to bribe a judge
sawes: sayings, proverbs
moderne instances: commonplace examples
Pantaloone: Pantalone, the ridiculous old merchant of the commedia dell'arte (see right hand
image)
pouch: purse
his youthfull hose well sav'd: The miserly Pantalone would not throw anything away and he has sav'd his youtfull hose (breeches, leggings) and wears them even though they are now a world to wide (large) because the old man's shankes (leg, calf) have shrunke. Also referring to his shankes and hose (penis) which have shrunke.
shanke: calf, leg
sans: without