bring —To be
with a person to, a cant expression, which was formerly common enough, though it
occurs only once in our author's plays,—
“Cres. To bring, uncle? Pan. Ay, a token from Troilus,”
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, i. 2.
271.
Of the various explanations which this phrase has called forth none appears to me
satisfactory. (Compare the following passages:
“And I'll close with Bryan till I have gotten the thing
That he hath promis'd me, and then I'll be with him to bring:
Well, such shifting knaves as I am, the ambodexter must play,
And for commodity serve every man, whatsoever the world say.”
Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes,—Peele's Works,
p. 503, ed. Dyce, 1861.
“And heere Ile haue a fling at him, that's flat;
And, Balthazar, Ile be with thee to bring,
And thee, Lorenzo,” Kyd's Spanish Tragedy, sig. G 3 verso, ed. 1618.
“Orlando shakes himselfe, and with a spring
Ten paces off the English duke he cast;
But Brandimart from him he could not fling,
That was behind him, and did hold him fast:
But yet with Oliver he was to bring;
For with his fist he smote him as he past,
That downe he fell, and hardly scaped killing,
From mouth, nose, eyes, the blood apace distilling.”
Harington's Orlando Furioso, B. xxxix. 48, p. 329,
ed. 1634.
“Clem. And Ile go furnish myself with some better accoutri
ments, and Ile be with you to bring presently.”
Heywood's Fair Maid of the West, Sec. Part,
sig. L 2 verso, ed. 1631.
“Lip. Now, Mistress Maria, ward yourself: if my strong hope
fail not, I shall be with you to bring.
Shr. To bring what, sir? some more o'your kind?”
The Family of Love,—Middleton's Works, vol. ii.
p. 147, ed. Dyce.
“If he prove not yet
The cunning'st, rankest rogue that ever canted
I'll never see man again; I know him to bring,
And can interpret every new face he makes.”
Cupid's Revenge,— Beaumont and Fletcher's Works,
vol. ii. p. 419, ed. Dyce.
“E. Love. I would have watch'd you, sir, by your good patience,
For ferreting in my ground.
Lady. You have been with my sister?
Wel. Yes; to bring.
E. Love. An heir into the world, he means.”
The Scornful Lady,—Beaumont and Fletcher's Works,
vol. iii. p. 107, ed. Dyce.
“Why did not I strike her? but I will do something,
And be with you to bring before you think on 't.”
The Ball,—Shirley's Works, vol. iii. p. 36,
ed. Gifford and Dyce. The passage of The Ball just quoted has been misunderstood and corrupted by Gifford: it belongs to one of the plays which were printed before the edition was put into my hands.)
That he hath promis'd me, and then I'll be with him to bring:
Well, such shifting knaves as I am, the ambodexter must play,
And for commodity serve every man, whatsoever the world say.”
Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes,—Peele's Works,
p. 503, ed. Dyce, 1861.
“And heere Ile haue a fling at him, that's flat;
And, Balthazar, Ile be with thee to bring,
And thee, Lorenzo,” Kyd's Spanish Tragedy, sig. G 3 verso, ed. 1618.
“Orlando shakes himselfe, and with a spring
Ten paces off the English duke he cast;
But Brandimart from him he could not fling,
That was behind him, and did hold him fast:
But yet with Oliver he was to bring;
For with his fist he smote him as he past,
That downe he fell, and hardly scaped killing,
From mouth, nose, eyes, the blood apace distilling.”
Harington's Orlando Furioso, B. xxxix. 48, p. 329,
ed. 1634.
“Clem. And Ile go furnish myself with some better accoutri
ments, and Ile be with you to bring presently.”
Heywood's Fair Maid of the West, Sec. Part,
sig. L 2 verso, ed. 1631.
“Lip. Now, Mistress Maria, ward yourself: if my strong hope
fail not, I shall be with you to bring.
Shr. To bring what, sir? some more o'your kind?”
The Family of Love,—Middleton's Works, vol. ii.
p. 147, ed. Dyce.
“If he prove not yet
The cunning'st, rankest rogue that ever canted
I'll never see man again; I know him to bring,
And can interpret every new face he makes.”
Cupid's Revenge,— Beaumont and Fletcher's Works,
vol. ii. p. 419, ed. Dyce.
“E. Love. I would have watch'd you, sir, by your good patience,
For ferreting in my ground.
Lady. You have been with my sister?
Wel. Yes; to bring.
E. Love. An heir into the world, he means.”
The Scornful Lady,—Beaumont and Fletcher's Works,
vol. iii. p. 107, ed. Dyce.
“Why did not I strike her? but I will do something,
And be with you to bring before you think on 't.”
The Ball,—Shirley's Works, vol. iii. p. 36,
ed. Gifford and Dyce. The passage of The Ball just quoted has been misunderstood and corrupted by Gifford: it belongs to one of the plays which were printed before the edition was put into my hands.)
