Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Yea, particle of affirmation, == yes: Sonn. 40, 1. Tp. III, 2, 68. Meas. II, 2, 8. II, 4, 38. Err. IV, 2, 3. Mids. IV, 1, 201. R3 I, 1, 52. IV, 4, 526 etc. Substantively: “receives the scroll without or yea or no,” Lucr. 1340. “by yea and no,” Wiv. I, 1, 88. “the very yea and the no is,” I, 4, 98. “by yea and no,” IV, 2, 202. H4B II, 2, 142. “by the yea and no of general ignorance,” Cor. III, 1, 145. “by yea and nay,” LLL I, 1, 54. H4B III, 2, 10 (Qq by yea and no). “in russet yeas and honest kersey noes,” LLL V, 2, 413.
Often used == nay, to reprove, or notice, or amplify what has gone before: “yea, though I die, the scandal will survive,” Lucr. 204. “yea, the illiterate . . . will quote my trespass,” Lucr. 204 “make his bold waves tremble, yea, his dread trident shake,” Tp. I, 2, 206. “incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,” III, 3, 74. “the great globe itself, yea, all which it inherit,” IV, 154. “the state . . . yea, my gravity,” Meas. II, 4, 9. “yea, dost thou jeer and flout me?” Err. II, 2, 22. “one that composed your beauties, yea, one to whom you are but as a form in wax,” Mids. I, 1, 48. “yea, art thou there?” III, 2, 411. “I tender it, . . . yea, twice the sum,” Merch. IV, 1, 210. “yea, say you so?” Wint. IV, 4, 588. “yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?” H6C IV, 1, 19. “yea, are you so brief?” R3 I, 4, 88 (Ff what). “yea, so familiar!” Troil. V, 2, 8. “yea, Troilus! O, well fought!” V, 6, 12. “yea, is it come to this?” Lr. I, 4, 326. “yea. mistress, are you so peremptory?” Per. II, 5, 73 etc.