Act II: French Scene 9
like: in the shape of
motley Fool: a professional jester; can mean dressed in the characteristic multicolored clothes of a court jester, but Jaques has detected this even though they have discarded his distinct costume since leaving the Court.
set termes: rhetorical eloquence, well-phrased
fortune: based on the proverbial phrase, "Fortune favors fools"
diall: pocket sun-dial, watch
poke: pouch, purse, wallet
lacke- lustre: dull, dreary
wags: goes
morall: moralize
Chanticleere: A traditional name for a cock, found in Chaucer's "Nun's Priest's Tale" and the name of the cock in the folk tale of Reynard the Fox.
sans: French for "without"
Motley's the onely weare: a fool's costume is the only one to wear
remainder bisket After a voyage: ship's bread left over after a voyage
places: subjects, topics
vents: utters, gives out
Invest: robe, clothe
receive my medicine: Jaques offers to perform the traditional function of a comic in purging a sick world of its folly.
Fie on thee: don't be silly
Counter: a small token or coin of little value; also, "to counter" as in to provide an opposing point of thought or opinion; Jaques ironically challenges the Duke to explain himself.
foule sin, in chiding sin: proverbial, "He finds fault with others and does worse himself"
Libertine: someone loose in religion; the "Libertines" were specifically a sect of heretics in Holland, "They maintained nothing is sinful but to those who think it sinful"
brutish sting: animal lust, carnal impulse
imbossed sores: swellings caused by pox, plague or other illness
headed evils: evils that have come to a head, but also alluding to the way boils or sores come to a head; can also mean Jaques' "head" (penis) has come to a head with "evils" (sores).
license of free foot: Jaques formerly had license (excessive liberty) and was free (unrestricted) of foot (action). He is also guilty of license (licentiousness, libertinism, looseness) with his free (sexually unrestrained) foot (penis, in particular "small penis" because a foot is only part of a yard)
disgorge: vomit
Why who cries out on pride: to "cry out" is to revile; who can speak out against pride that can target any particular person; this exclamation sets up the rest of Jaques philosophy: that pride is such a common sin that no one can truly blame another person without condemning their own prideful sins; he illustrates this point by saying that if Jaques were to make very general statements against sin and pride, no one could oppose him or take offense, because if they did they would out themselves as being the target of those accusations which had been made generally. However, if they aren't sinners themselves, his criticisms have no target.
taxe: accuse
private party: individual person
it: referring to "pride" or "sin"
wearie verie meanes do ebbe: the basic resources, exhausted, dry up
City woman beares The cost of Princes: a citizen's wife dresses like royalty
basest function: in the most humble employment
not on my cost: not paid for by me (and therefore none of my business)
mettle: spirit, nature
right: justice
free: innocent
taxing: criticism