Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Reason, subst. 1) the rational faculty, the power of the mind by which it distinguishes truth from falsehood, or good from bad, and forms correct ideas of things: “beating r. back,” Ven. 557. “when r. is the bawd to lust's abuse,” Ven. 557 “my will is strong, past --'s weak removing,” Lucr. 243. “past r. hunted,” Sonn. 129, 6. “my r., the physician to my love,” 147, 5. Pilgr. 301. Phoen. 47. Tp. I, 2, 208. V, 26. V, 26 V, 26 Gent. II, 4, 210. II, 7, 23. Wiv. II, 1, 5. Meas. IV, 4, 28. V, 64. V, 64 Err. V, 189. Mids. II, 2, 115. Mids. II, 2, 115 V, 6. Shr. V, 2, 171. Tw. I, 5, 212. III, 1, 164. III, 2, 16. H4B IV, 1, 157. Rom. IV, 5, 83. Cymb. IV, 2, 22 etc. rhyme and r. joined: “in despite of the teeth of all rhyme and r.” Wiv. V, 5, 133. “in the why and the wherefore is neither rhyme nor r.” Err. II, 2, 49. “in r. nothing. Something then in rhyme,” LLL I, 1, 99. “a dangerous rhyme against the r. of white and red,” I, 2, 112. “neither rhyme nor r. can express how much,” As III, 2, 418. cf. Gent. II, 1, 149 and H5 V, 2, 165. in r. == in justice, with rational ground: “his unjust unkindness, that in all r. should have quenched her love,” Meas. III, 1, 250. “keeping such vile company as thou art hath in r. taken from me all ostentation of sorrow,” H4B II, 2, 53. “yet in r. no man should possess him with any appearance of fear,” H5 IV, 1, 115. “his trespass, in our common r., is not almost a fault,” Oth. III, 3, 64. “in all safe r. he must have some attendants,” Cymb. IV, 2, 131.
Abstr. pro concr., == any thing conformable to the principles of the rational faculty: “I shall do that that is r.” Wiv. I, 1, 218. “as it shall become one that would do r.” Wiv. I, 1, 218 I will do a greater thing than that in any r. 249 (Slender's speeches). “you should hear r.” Ado I, 3, 6. “thou speakest r.” V, 1, 41. “his --s are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff,” Merch. I, 1, 116. “an you will not be answered with r., I must die,” As II, 7, 100. I am loath to prove r. with them (words) Tw. III, 1, 29. “my reasonable part produces r. how I may be delivered of these woes,” John III, 4, 54. more than r. == beyond measure: “do not you love me? Why, no; no more than r.” Ado V, 4, 74. Ado V, 4, 74 it is much that the Moor should be more than r. (i. e. with child) Merch. III, 5, 45.
2) equity, fairness, justice: “but yet in courtesy, in all r., we must stay the time,” Mids. V, 259. “in r. he should never come to heaven,” Merch. III, 5, 83. “r. my son should choose himself a wife, but as good r. the father . . . should hold some counsel in such a business,” Wint. IV, 4, 417. Wint. IV, 4, 417 “we have consented to all terms of r.” H5 V, 2, 358. “'tis but r. that I be released from giving aid,” H6C III, 3, 147. to have r. == to be in the right: “you have no r. to withhold me so,” Ven. 612. “love hath r., r. none,” Phoen. 47. “have I not r. to prefer mine own?” Gent. II, 4, 156. cf. Err. IV, 2, 62.
3) argumentation, discourse, speech: “flesh stays no farther r.” Sonn. 151, 8. “when she will play with r. and discourse,” Meas. I, 2, 190. “your --s at dinner have been sharp and sententious,” LLL V, 1, 2. “lame me with --s,” As I, 3, 6. “feed yourselves with questioning, that r. wonder may diminish how thus we met,” V, 4, 145. “your --s are too shallow and too quick,” R3 IV, 4, 361. R3 IV, 4, 361 “those fell mischiefs our --s laid before him,” H8 V, 1, 50. “perhaps thy childishness will move him more than can our --s,” Cor. V, 3, 158. 6, 59.
4) satisfaction; to do r. == Fr. faire raison: “at thy request I will do r., any r.” Tp. III, 2, 128 “(je vous ferai raison). resolved withal to do myself this r. and this right,” Tit. I, 279 （à me faire raison moi-même).
5) cause, ground, motive: Sonn. 49, 8. 115, 3. Gent. I, 2, 23. II, 1, 149. II, 4, 206. Wiv. II, 1, 4. III, 1, 48. Meas. IV, 4, 13. Err. II, 2, 91. Err. II, 2, 91 III, 1, 97. IV, 2, 62. IV, 3, 87. Ado IV, 1, 260. V, 1, 211 (punning, according to some commentators, upon reasons and raisins; reference being made to H4A II, 4, 264). LLL I, 2, 92. Mids. III, 1, 146. Merch. III, 1, 60. As V, 2, 39. All's III, 1, 2. All's III, 1, 2 Tw. II, 5, 178. H5 IV, 1, 113. H6B I, 3, 116. H6B I, 3, 116 H8 II, 2, 7. Cymb. IV, 2, 22 etc. by r. of == on account of: As II, 4, 85. H6A V, 5, 33. to give --s == a) to give cause: “he loves me well, and I have given him --s,” Caes. II, 1, 219. b) to tell one's motive or occasion: “so can I give no r.” Merch. IV, 1, 59. “I'll give him --s for't,” Tw. I, 5, 325. III, 2, 3. H4A II, 4, 264. to render --s, in the same sense: Meas. I, 3, 48. Merch. IV, 1, 53. there is no r. but == it is necessary, it cannot be helped: “there is no r. but I shall be blind,” Gent. II, 4, 212. cf. “I see no r. but supposed Lucentio must get a father, called supposed Vincentio,” Shr. II, 409. Elliptical expressions: r. == there is good reason for it: “r., you rogues, r.” Wiv. II, 2, 15. “r.: because they then less need one another,” Cor. IV, 5, 247. “he is prepared, and r. too he should:” John V, 2, 130. and r. too: who “should succeed the father but the son?” H6C II, 2, 93. great r., in the same sense: “great r., for past cure is still past care,” LLL V, 2, 28. “then fly . . . great r. why: lest I revenge,” R3 V, 3, 185. “and being intercepted in your sport, great r. that my noble lord be rated for sauciness,” Tit. II, 3, 81. the r.? == tell me your reason: H4B II, 2, 55. your r.? in the same sense: Tp. I, 2, 176. Gent. I, 2, 22. Err. II, 2, 62. LLL II, 233. As III, 2, 40. Tw. II, 3, 156. III, 1, 26. H4A II, 4, 260.