Quantity, 1) measure, mass, extent, number, size: “he is not q. enough for that Worthy's thumb,” LLL V, 1, 137 (Armado's speech). “my love prizes not q. of dirty lands,” Tw. II, 4, 85. “my moiety in q. equals not one of yours,” H4A III, 1, 97. he enriched poor straggling soldiers with great q. (of gold) Tim. V, 1, 7. with loves above their (thy griefs') “q.” V, 4, 18. “to set on some q. of barren spectators to laugh too,” Hml. III, 2, 45. “it reserved some q. of choice,” III, 4, 75. “with all their q. of love,” V, 1, 293. “how much the q., the weight as much, as I do love my father,” Cymb. IV, 2, 17.
2) correspondent degree, proportion: “things base and vile, holding no q., love can transpose to form and dignity,” Mids. I, 1, 232 (bearing no proportion to what they are estimated at by love). “women's love and fear holds q.; in neither aught, or in extremity,” Hml. III, 2, 177 (have the same proportion).
3) a small portion, any thing very little and diminutive: “thou rag, thou q., thou remnant,” Shr. IV, 3, 112. “retaining but a q. of life,” John V, 4, 23. “if I were sawed into --es, I should make four dozen of such,” H4B V, 1, 70.
In Oth. III, 3, 259 Ff and later Qq quantities, Q1 and M. Edd. qualities.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
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