Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Bosom, subst., that part of the body which contains the heart: “from his soft b. never to remove,” Ven. 81. “within my b. my boding heart pants,” Ven. 81 LLL IV, 3, 136. Mids II, 2, 105. Merch. IV, 1, 245. Merch. IV, 1, 245 As V, 4, 121. Shr. Ind. I, 119. All's IV, 1, 84. Tw. III, 1, 132. H4A III, 3, 174. R3 IV, 4, 234. V, 1, 24. V, 2, 10. Mcb. V, 1, 61 etc. Also, the folds of the dress covering the breast: “what seal is that, that hangs without thy b.?” R2 V, 2, 56. cf. and says, within her b. it (the flower) “shall dwell,” Ven. 1173. my b. as a bed shall lodge thee (the letter), Gentl. I, 2, 114. “my herald thoughts in thy pure b. rest them,” III, 1, 144. “thy letters shall be delivered even in the milk-white b. of thy love,” III, 1, 144 in her excellent white b. these etc. Hml. II, 2, 113 ("It should be mentioned that women anciently had a pocket in the fore part of their stays, in which they not only carried loveletters and love-tokens, but even their money and materials for needlework." Nares).
In a moral sense, 1) the place of tender affections and favor: “and in her b. I'll unclasp my heart,” Ado I, 1, 325. “and in his b. spend my latter gasp,” H6A II, 5, 38. “so I might live one hour in your sweet b.” R3 I, 2, 124 (Qq rest instead of “live). the sons of Edward sleep in Abraham's b.” IV, 3, 38. “sweet peace conduct his soul to the b. of good old Abraham,” R2 IV, 103. cf. “he's in Arthur's b.” H5 II, 3, 10. “will sometimes divide me from your b.” Ant. II, 3, 2. “to pluck the common b. on his side,” Lr. V, 3, 49.
2) the receptacle of secrets: “to lock it in the wards of covert b.” Meas. V, 10. “emptying our --s of their counsel sweet,” Mids. I, 1, 216. “you shall secretly into the b. creep of that prelate,” H4A I, 3, 266. “thou and my b. henceforth shall be twain,” Rom. III, 5, 240. “thy b. shall partake the secrets of my soul,” Caes. II, 1, 305. “I am in their --s,” V, 1, 7. “you are of her b.” Lr. IV, 5, 26.
3) the seat of desires, of passions, of inmost thoughts and wishes: “go to your b.; knock there, and ask your heart,” Meas. II, 2, 136. “how shall this b. multiplied digest the senate's courtesy?” Cor. III, 1, 131 (some M. Edd. bisson multitude; but cf. H4B I, 3, 98. Lr. V, 3, 49). And then == desires, inmost thoughts: “you shall have your b. on this wretch,” Meas. IV, 3, 139. “you have your father's b. there,” Wint. IV, 4, 574. “to speak your b. freely,” Oth. III, 1, 58.
4) scarcely distinguishable from heart: “they whose guilt within their --s lie,” Lucr. 1342. “no love toward others in that b. sits,” Sonn. 9, 13. 24, 7. 31, 1. 120, 12. 133, 9. “the broken --s,” Compl. 254. Tp. II, 1, 278. Gentl. V, 4, 68. Meas. I, 3, 3. Mids. I, 1, 27. II, 2, 42. II, 2, 42 II, 2, 42 “brassy --s,” Merch. IV, 1, 31. “flinty b.” All's IV, 4, 7. “harder --s,” Wint. I, 2, 153. “hollow --s” H5 II Chor. H5 II Chor. All's I, 3, 131. III, 1, 8. Tw. I, 5, 241. II, 1, 40. III, 1, 170. Wint. I, 2, 113. Wint. I, 2, 113 II, 2, 53. John IV, 1, 32. H6A IV, 3, 48. H6B III, 3, 23. V, 2, 35. “my --'s lord sits lightly in his throne,” Rom. V, 1, 3 (i. e. the genius who rules my affections). Mcb. II, 1, 28. IV, 3, 2. Lr. II, 1, 128. Oth. IV, 2, 14 etc. -- Adjectively, == dearest: “the b. lover of my lord,” Merch. III, 4, 17. “no more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our b. interest,” Mcb. I, 2, 64.*
Applied to things, 1) the surface; “when I strike my foot upon the b. of the ground,” John IV, 1, 3. “to march so many miles upon her peaceful b.” R2 II, 3, 93. III, 2, 19. III, 2, 19 Tim. I, 1, 66. “the bounded waters should lift their --s higher than the shores,” Troil. I, 3, 112. “sails upon the b. of the air,” Rom. II, 2, 32. “wooes the frozen b. of the north,” I, 4, 101.
2) the enclosure: “to whose flint b. my condemned lord is doomed a prisoner,” R2 V, 1, 3.
3) the depth, the interior, the inmost recesses: “through night's black b.” Lucr. 788. “shines through the transparent b. of the deep,” LLL IV, 3, 31. “send destruction into this city's b.” John II, 410. “the gaudy day is crept into the b. of the sea,” H6B IV, 1, 2. R3 I, 1, 4. “one drop of blood drawn from thy country's b.” H6A III, 3, 54. Somewhat strangely: “this respite shook the b. of my conscience,” H8 II, 4, 182 (some M. Edd. from Holinshed: bottom).