Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Wall, subst. a structure raised to enclose and defend a place: Mids. III, 1, 64. Mids. III, 1, 64 Mids. III, 1, 64 69 etc. V, 133 etc. 210 “(when --s are so wilful to hear without warning).” Wint. IV, 4, 818. H6B IV, 10, 7. H6B IV, 10, 7 H6C II, 4, 4 “(a brazen w.).” Tit. V, 1, 24. Rom. I, 1, 20. Rom. I, 1, 20 II, 1, 5. Proverbial: “hunger broke stone --s,” Cor. I, 1, 210. “how has the ass broke the w., that thou art out of the city?” Tim. IV, 3, 354. “I will take the w. of any man or maid,” Rom. I, 1, 15 (== get the better of); cf. Rom. I, 1, 15 the weakest goes to the w. 18 (cf. the Life and Death of Thomas Lord Cromwell, III, 3: though the drops be small, yet have they force to force men to the wall).
== fortification; John IV, 3, 1. R2 II, 1, 47. III, 2, 170. H5 III, 1, 2. H6A IV, 2, 2. H6C V, 1, 17. Tim. IV, 1, 1. Tim. IV, 1, 1 Plur. “--s:” Lucr. 1429. Tp. II, 1, 87. Merch. V, 4. Shr. II, 369 “(Pisa --s).” John II, 198. 201 etc. H5 V, 2, 349. H6A I, 2, 40. I, 6, 1. II, 1, 3. II, 2, 25. III, 2, 69. H6C V, 1, 16. R3 IV, 1, 100. Troil. I, 1, 2 etc. Cor. I, 4, 13. I, 8, 8 (Corioli --s) etc. Rom. III, 3, 17 “(Verona --s).” Tim. V, 1, 170. V, 4, 22. Mcb. V, 5, 1 etc. Figuratively: “rude ram, to batter such an ivory w.” Lucr. 464. Lucr. 464 “they of those marches . . . shall be a w. sufficient to defend our inland,” H5 I, 2, 141. “take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony: dispose of them: the walls are thine,” Lr. V, 3, 77 (== I surrender at discretion. F1 the walls is thine; Qq om.). “the heavens hold firm the --s of thy dear honour,” Cymb. II, 1, 68.
== the structure enclosing a building and its several rooms: LLL V, 2, 922 “(when icicles hang by the w.).” Merch. II, 9, 29. R2 I, 2, 68. V, 2, 15. V, 5, 21. H4B II, 1, 156. H4B II, 1, 156. III, 3, 37. H6A I, 4, 49. R3 III, 3, 11. III, 5, 17. Rom. I, 3, 27. Hml. V, 1, 239. Lr. II, 2, 72. to hang by the w. == not to be made use of, to be neglected: “the enrolled penalties which have, like unscoured armour, hung by the w.” Meas. I, 2, 171. “than picture-like to hang by the w.” Cor. I, 3, 12. “I am richer than to hang by the --s,” Cymb. III, 4, 54. Figuratively: “through crystal --s each little mote will peep,” Lucr. 1251. “a liquid prisoner pent in --s of glass,” Sonn. 5, 10. Used of the human body as the external part of man: “painting thy outward --s so costly gay,” Sonn. 146, 4. “nature with a beauteous w. doth oft close in pollution,” Tw. I, 2, 48. “within this w. of flesh,” John III, 3, 20. “ye white-limed --s,” Tit. IV, 2, 98. cf. out-wall in Lr. III, 1, 45.