History, subst. 1) an account of the events respecting the fortune of mankind and nations: “could ever hear by tale or h.” Mids. I, 1, 133. “which is more than h. can pattern,” Wint. III, 2, 37. “there is a h. in all men's lives, figuring the nature of the times deceased,” H4B III, 1, 80. “our h. shall speak of our acts,” H5 I, 2, 230. “knows by h.” Cymb. I, 6, 70.
2) any relation of events, story: “what's her h.?” Tw. II, 4, 12. “vouchsafe me a word with you. Sir, a whole h.” Hml. III, 2, 309. “in my travels' h.” Oth. I, 3, 139. “if I should tell my h.” Per. V, 1, 119.
3) any communication: “my breast can better brook thy dagger's point than can my ears that tragic history,” H6C V, 6, 28. “this paper is the h. of my knowledge touching her flight,” Cymb. III, 5, 99. Especially communication of what is in the hearts of men: “in many's looks the false hearts' h. is writ,” Sonn. 93, 7. there is a kind of character in thy life, that to the observer doth “thy h. fully unfold,” Meas. I, 1, 29. “made him my book, wherein my soul recorded the h. of all her secret thoughts,” R3 III, 5, 28. “Brutus' tongue hath almost ended his life's h.” Caes. V, 5, 40 (by which expression it is intimated that his tongue never swerved from truth). “often leaves the h. unspoke that it intends to do,” Lr. I, 1, 239. cf. H4B III, 1, 80.
4) a stage-play founded on historical events (“h. devised and played to take spectators,” Wint. III, 2, 37): “last scene of all, that ends this strange eventful h.” As II, 7, 164. “it is a kind of h.” Shr. Ind. 2, 144. “Chorus to this h.” H5 V Chor. H5 V Chor. “tragedy, comedy, h.” Hml. II, 2, 416. “prologue to the h. of lust,” Oth. II, 1, 264 (quibbling with def. 3).
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
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