Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Mercy, 1) readiness to spare and forgive, grace, clemency, pity: Sonn. 145, 5. Tp. III, 2, 78. Epil. Tp. III, 2, 78 Meas. I, 1, 45. II, 1, 297. II, 2, 50. II, 2, 50 II, 4, 112. III, 1, 65. III, 2, 207. IV, 2, 115. V, 412. V, 412 V, 412 Ado IV, 1, 182. LLL IV, 1, 24. Merch. III, 3, 1. III, 5, 35. IV, 1, 6. IV, 1, 6 As III, 1, 2. Wint. II, 1, 73. John IV, 1, 26. H4A I, 3, 132. H5 II, 2, 44. H6B I, 3, 160. IV, 8, 12. H6C II, 6, 46. IV, 8, 43. R3 I, 1, 151. Hml. I, 5, 169 etc. Plur. “--ies,” H8 II, 1, 70. With of: “should she kneel down in m. of this fact,” Meas. V, 439; cf. Hml. IV, 5, 200. With to: “m. to thee would prove itself a bawd,” Meas. III, 1, 150. “to solicit him for m. to his country,” Cor. V, 1, 73. in m. == out of pity: Meas. V, 439. H5 IV, 3, 83. H6B I, 3, 160. of his m., in the same sense: “God of his m. give you patience,” H5 II, 2, 179. to have m. == to take pity: As I, 3, 2. R3 V, 3, 178. Troil. I, 2, 133. Cor. IV, 6, 108. Oth. V, 2, 58. usually followed by on or upon: “Lord have m. on us,” LLL V, 2, 419. All's II, 3, 224. Tw. III, 4, 152. Tw. III, 4, 152 H6A I, 4, 70. H6B I, 3, 219. H8 III, 2, 262. Hml. IV, 5, 199. Lr. III, 4, 75. Oth. V, 2, 35. Ant. V, 2, 175. to render m. == to show pity: Merch. IV, 1, 88. Merch. IV, 1, 88 to take m. on == to be merciful to: H5 II, 4, 103. H6A IV, 3, 34. I cry you m. == I beg your pardon: Wiv. III, 5, 27. Meas. IV, 1, 10. Ado I, 2, 27. II, 1, 353. H4A I, 3, 212. IV, 2, 57. H6A V, 3, 109. H6B I, 3, 142. R3 I, 3, 235. II, 2, 104. IV, 1, 19. IV, 4, 515. Rom. IV, 5, 141. Oth. IV, 2, 88. V, 1, 69. “I cry your worships m.” Mids. III, 1, 182. “I cry your honour m.” H8 V, 3, 78. I omitted: “cry you m.” Gent. V, 4, 94. Lr. III, 6, 54. “cry m.” R3 V, 3, 224. Imperatively: “cry the man m.” As III, 5, 61. By m. in Tim. III, 5, 55, explained by some as == by your leave, under your pardon.
Often used as an exclamation of surprise or fear: “m., m., this is a devil,” Tp. II, 2, 101. “O m., God! what masking stuff is here!” Shr. IV, 3, 87. “God's m., maiden, does it curd thy blood,” All's I, 3, 155. “name of m., when was this?” Wint. III, 3, 105. “alack, for m.” Tp. I, 2, 436. “God, for thy m.” Err. IV, 4, 147. “God for his m.” R2 II, 2, 98. V, 2, 75. “m. on us,” Tp. I, 1, 64. III, 2, 141. Wint. III, 3, 70. “m. on me,” Wiv. III, 1, 22. John IV, 1, 12. H8 V, 4, 71.
2) power of acting at pleasure, discretion: “lies at the m. of his mortal sting,” Lucr. 364. Tp. IV, 264. “stand at m. of my sword,” Troil. IV, 4, 116. “the part that is at m.” Cor. I, 10, 7. “at thy m. shall they stoop,” Tit. V, 2, 118. “the offender's life lies in the m. of the duke,” Merch. IV, 1, 355. “hold our lives in m.” Lr. I, 4, 350. “all estates which lie within the m. of your wit,” LLL V, 2, 856. “leave thee to the m. of wild beasts,” Mids. II, 1, 228. “stoop unto the sovereign m. of the king,” R2 II, 3, 157. “to our best m. give yourselves,” H5 III, 3, 3. “left thee to the m. of the law,” H6B I, 3, 137. IV, 8, 12. IV, 8, 12 H6C I, 4, 30. H8 III, 2, 363. Plur. --ies: “what foolish boldness brought thee to their --ies,” Tw. V, 73. “I commit my body to your --ies,” H4B V, 5, 130.