Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Charge, subst., 1) load, burden: “'tis a great c. to come under one body's hand,” Wiv. I, 4, 104. “you embrace your c. too willingly,” Ado I, 1, 103. “my stay to you a c. and trouble,” Wint. I, 2, 26.
2) luggage: “they have great c.” H4A II, 1, 51. “one that hath abundance of c. too,” H4A II, 1, 51
3) weight: “I have about me many parcels of c.” Wint. IV, 4, 261. “the letter was not nice, but full of c., of dear import,” Rom. V, 2, 18. “many such like Ases of great c.” Hml. V, 2, 43 (a quibble).
4) accusation: “beside the c., the shame, imprisonment,” Err. V, 18. “you may season it in the c.” Hml. II, 1, 28. “we need not put new matter to his c.” Cor. III, 3, 76. Oftener “to lay sth. to c.:” Ado V, 1, 228. As III, 2, 370. John I, 256. R2 I, 1, 84. H6A III, 1, 4. H6B III, 1, 134. R3 I, 3, 326. Lr. I, 2, 139 (Ff. on the c.); cf. lay. -- Singular expression: “might we lay the old proverb to your c., so like you, 'tis the worse,” Wint. II, 3, 96 (== apply to you).
5) expense, cost: “shall worms, inheritors of this excess, eat up thy c.?” Sonn. 146, 8. “bear his c. of wooing,” Shr. I, 2, 216. “the c. and thanking shall be for me,” All's III, 5, 101. “is't not I that undergo this c.?” John V, 2, 100. “this expedition's c.” I, 49. R2 II, 1, 159. H4A I, 1, 35. H6A V, 5, 92. H8 I, 1, 77. Troil. IV, 1, 57. Cor. V, 6, 68.* Caes. IV, 1, 9. Hml. IV, 4, 47. Lr. II, 4, 242. Ant. III, 7, 17 (here it may also be == command). -- Plural charges: “for costs and --s in transporting her,” H6B I, 1, 134. “the --s of the action,” Cor. V, 6, 79. At the c. of: “thou must be hanged at the state's c.” Merch. IV, 1, 367. All's II, 3, 121. H4A I, 3, 79. Lr. I, 1, 10. “I will be at --s for a looking-glass,” R3 I, 2, 256 (make some expense). Of a person's charge: “sent over of the king of England's own proper cost and --s,” H6B I, 1, 61. On a person's c.: “have by some surgeon on your c.” Merch. IV, 1, 257.
6) a person or thing entrusted to the care of another: “how darest thou trust so great a c. from thine own custody?” Err. I, 2, 61. “tell me how thou hast disposed thy c.” Err. I, 2, 61 “patience, even for this c.” Per. III, 1, 27 (the new-born child). “where is the gold I gave in c. to thee?” Err. I, 2, 70. “how now, my c.! Now, my sweet guardian,” Troil. V, 2, 6 (a quibble from which it is evident that it had also the sense of pupil, ward).
7) commission, order, office: “Ariel, thy c. exactly is performed,” Tp. I, 2, 237. V, 317. Wiv. III, 3, 7. Meas. I, 2, 123. IV, 2, 106. Ado III, 3, 7. Ado III, 3, 7 All's III, 3, 4. Wint. V, 1, 162. John IV, 2, 75. R2 IV, 152. H4B I, 2, 72. IV, 2, 99. H5 III, 6, 114. H6A IV, 5, 42. II, 1, 62. H6B III, 1, 321. H6C III, 3, 258. IV, 6, 86. V, 4, 20. R3 III, 7, 131. H8 I, 4, 20. Troil. IV, 4, 128. on c. == at command, IV, 4, 135. -- To give in c. == to command: “in the same fashion as you gave in c.” Tp. V, 8. H6A II, 3, 1. H6C IV, 1, 32. R3 I, 1, 85. IV, 3, 25. Passively: “so am I given in c.” H6B II, 4, 80. To have in c. == to be commanded: “as by your majesty I had in c.” H6B I, 1, 2.
== a military post or command: “I'll procure this fat rogue a c. of foot,” H4A II, 4, 597. III, 3, 208. III, 3, 208 V, 1, 118. H5 IV, 3, 6. R3 V, 3, 25. R3 V, 3, 25 Ant. III, 7, 17. IV, 4, 19. Hence == the troops under a person's command: my whole c. consists of ancients etc. H4A IV, 2, 25. “the centurions and their --s,” Cor. IV, 3, 48. “bid our commanders lead their --s off,” Caes. IV, 2, 48.
8) the order or signal of attack: “his beating heart, alarum striking, gives the hot c.” Lucr. 434. “and upon this c. cry 'God for Harry',” H5 III, 1, 33.
9) the attack itself: “we have heard the --s of our friends,” Cor. I, 6, 6. “we will answer on their c.” Caes. V, 1, 24. “when the compulsive ardour gives the c.” Hml. III, 4, 86. “their armed staves in c.” H4B IV, 1, 120, i. e. couched, prepared for the onset.