Page 390 - Hamlet: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

GLOSSARY 283

QUINTESSENCE, highly refined or RECORDER, the chief Elizabethan
concentrated essence. Lit. the wind instrument, 'ancestor of
'fifth essence' of medieval sci- the modern flageolet, con-
ence, supposed to be the ultimate structed with eight holes, and
substance of the universe, to generally made in sets, the lower-
extract which was the supreme toned instruments being fitted
object of alchemy; 2. 2. 312 with keys; their length varied
QUIT, lit. repay, give as good as from two to four feet, and their
one gets; 'quit in answer' = ex- tone was peculiarly sweet and
change simultaneous hits with solemn' (SA. Eng. ii. 31); 3. 2.
an opponent in fencing; 5. 2. 267 292
QUOTE, note, observe (cf. Rom. RECOVER THE WIND OF, get to
1. 4. 30-1 'What care I What windward of (so as to head off in
curious eye doth quote deformi- the opposite direction). Madden,
ties?'); 2. 1. 109 p. 32, quotes du Fouilloux, La
Venerie (1561) 'prendre le vent;
RACK (sb.), 'a mass of cloud driven c'est soy ranger du coste qui vient
before the wind in the upper air' le vent'; 3. 2. 34.9
(N.E.D.); 2. 2. 488 RECOVERY, (a) 'the process, based
RANK, gross, excessive; 2. I. 205 on a legal fiction, by which
'ranker'=higher; 4. 4. 22 entailed estate was commonly
RASH, impetuous, reckless; 5.1.255 transferred' (N.E.D.), (b) attain-
RASHLY, impulsively; 5. 2. 6 ment (v. N.E.D. 7)5 5. 1. 103,
RAVEL OUT, disentangle, make 104
clear (cf. Rich. II, 4. 1. 228-5 REDE, counsel, advice; 1. 3. 51
'must I ravel out My weaved- REECHY, filthy, foul; 3. 4. 184
up folly?'); 3.4. 186 REELS (sb.), revels (cf. A. & C.
RAW, crude, unskilled; 5. 2. 127 2. 7. 100 'Drink thou; increase
RAZED, slit, slashed; 3. 2. 277 the reels'); 1. 4. 9
REACH (sb.), compass, capacity; REGARD (sb.), (i) consideration;
1. 4. 56; 'of reach' or 'of great 2. 2. 79; 3. 1. 87; (ii) estima-
reach' = of power or range of tion; 4. 7. 74
comprehension (v. N.E.D. 7 c); REGION (sb. and adj.), the space of
2. 1. 61 the air; 2. 2. 491, 582
REBEL (vb.), lust. This sense, not RELATIVE, relevant; 2. 2. 608
recorded in N.E.D., is common RELISH (sb.), trace, suggestion;
in Shakespeare (cf. M.V. 3. 1. 3- 3- 9 2
33, and All's Well, G.); I. 3.44. RELISH OF (vb.), have a touch,
RECK (vb.), heed; 1. 3. 51 taste or trace oi" (cf. Per. 2. 5. 60
RECKON, count, enumerate; 2. 2. 'That never relished of a base de-
121 scent'); 3. I. 118
RECOGNIZANCE, a kind of 'statute' REMISS, careless; 4. 7. 133
(q.v.). 'Statutes' and 'recog- REMOVED, remote, retired (cf.
nizances' are commonly men- A.T.L. 3. 2. 337 'so removed
tioned together in the covenants a dwelling'); 1, 4. 61
of purchase deeds; 5. 1. 102 REPAST (vb.), feed; 4. 5. 147