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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

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