Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Hand, subst. 1) the extremity of the arm, with which we seize and hold things: Ven. 143. Ven. 143 Ven. 143 Ven. 143 Ven. 143 Ven. 143 Ven. 143 421 etc. etc. h. in h. == a) joining hands: “lock h. in h.” Wiv. V, 5, 81. Mids. V, 406. Mcb. I, 3, 32. Ant. IV, 14, 51. b) conjointly, together, or in union and concord: “let's go h. in h.” Err. V, 425. “the prince and Claudio, h. in h., in sad conference,” Ado I, 3, 62. “h. in h. to hell,” R3 V, 3, 313. “that hast so long walked h. in h. with time,” Troil. IV, 5, 203. “will, h. in h., all headlong cast us down,” Tit. V, 3, 132. it (his love) “went h. in h. even with the vow,” Hml. I, 5, 49. foot and h. == alertly: “came in foot and h.,” H4A II, 4, 241. h. to h. == in single fight: “in single opposition, h. to h.” H4A I, 3, 99. “h. to h. he would have vanquished thee,” H6C II, 1, 73. “whom h. to h. I slew in fight,” II, 5, 56. at h. == a) very near (in time as well as place): Wiv. III, 3, 135. Err. II, 1, 44. LLL V, 2, 308. Mids. III, 2, 111. V, 116. Merch. II, 9, 94 V, 52. V, 52 Shr. IV, 1, 120. John II, 77. V, 2, 169 R2 III, 2, 1. H4A II, 1, 53. H6A I, 2, 50. V, 4, 100. H6B III, 2, 10. H6C II, 2, 72. V, 1, 11. V, 4, 60. R3 III, 7, 45. IV, 4, 73. Tit. V, 3, 16. Rom. V, 1, 2. Oth. II, 1, 268. Cymb. III, 4, 2 etc. b) treated with the naked hand, without the use of violence: “like a lion fostered up at h.” John V, 2, 75 (not in a cage). “like horses hot at h.” Caes. IV, 2, 23 (i. e. fiery as long as they are led by the hand, not mounted and managed with the rein and spur; cf. H8 V, 3, 22). out of h. == a) off one's hands, done, ended: “were these inward wars once out of h.” H4B III, 1, 107. b) directly, at once: “gather we our forces out of h. and set upon our boasting enemy,” H6A III, 2, 102. “we will proclaim you out of h.” H6C IV, 7, 63. “I'll find some cunning practice out of h.” Tit. V, 2, 77. a tall man of his --s == an active, able-bodied man, who will stand the test: Wiv. I, 4, 27. “thou art a tall fellow of thy hands,” Wint. V, 2, 178. Wint. V, 2, 178 Wint. V, 2, 178 “I am a proper fellow of my --s,” H4B II, 2, 72 (cf. in the Nibelunge Not: Hagne, der Sifriden sluoc, den helt ze sinen handen; and: er was ein helt zen handen; str. 1846 and 2038). in the h. of == led or held by: “in this right h. . . . stands young Plantagenet,” John II, 236. “led in the h. of her aunt,” R3 IV, 1, 2. “those that tame wild horses pace 'em not in their --s to make 'em gentle, but stop their mouths with stubborn bits,” H8 V, 3, 22 (cf. Caes. IV, 2, 23). “and in her h. the grandchild to her blood,” Cor. V, 3, 23. Tit. V, 3, 138. in h. == about to do or to be done, in the state of execution: “in h. with all things, naught at all effecting,” Ven. 912. “the other takes in h. no cause but company of her drops' spilling,” Lucr. 1235 (i. e. assumes as her office or incumbent duty). “we have sport in h.” Wiv. II, 1, 205. “strange things in h.” V, 1, 32. Ado I, 1, 301. Mids. V, 36. Merch. III, 4, 57. As III, 3, 77. Shr. Ind. 1, 91. V, 2, 91. All's III, 2, 56. Tw. I, 3, 69 (do you think you have fools in h.? == you have to do with fools). Wint. III, 3, 5. John IV, 3, 158 (a thousand businesses are brief in h. == quickly to be dispatched). R2 I, 4, 47. V, 3, 130. H5 I, 1, 77. H6B I, 3, 162. I, 4, 23. III, 1, 318. R3 III, 2, 116. Troil. II, 2, 164. III, 1, 89. Cor. I, 1, 56. Tit. II, 1, 112. Mcb. III, 4, 139. Lr. III, 5, 17 etc. to bear in h. (properly == to be always going to do and never performing) == to illude with false hopes and pretences: Meas. I, 4, 52. Ado IV, 1, 306. Shr. IV, 2, 3. H4B I, 2, 42. Mcb. III, 1, 81. Hml. II, 2, 67. Cymb. V, 5, 43. at a person's h. or --s == from: “at your h. the account of hours to crave,” Sonn. 58, 3. “receive such welcome at my h.” LLL II, 169. All's II, 5, 52. Tw. III, 2, 26. IV, 2, 87. H6C I, 4, 166. III, 3, 149. R3 I, 2, 208. Rom. III, 3, 5. Caes. II, 1, 58. “have you received no promise of satisfaction at her --s?” Wiv. II, 2, 218. Err. IV, 4, 32. Ado V, 2, 2. Mids. II, 2, 124. Shr. V, 2, 152. R2 I, 3, 158. IV, 161. H6A I, 4, 86. H6B IV, 7, 74. H6C II, 5, 67. II, 6, 26. IV, 1, 80. IV, 5, 5. V, 1, 23. V, 1, 23 R3 I, 1, 120. III, 1, 197 (Ff h.). III, 5, 50. IV, 4, 346. Tit. I, 307. Rom. III, 5, 126 etc. your h. is out == you miss your aim, LLL IV, 1, 135. give me your --s == clap hands, applaud: Mids. V, 444; cf. release me from my bands with the help of your good --s, Tp. Epil. 10; “your gentle --s lend us,” All's V, 3, 340. to have by the h. == to hold: Tw. I, 3, 70; metaphorically: “we should not step too far till we had his assistance by the h.” H4B I, 3, 21. to hold h. with == to equal: “she holds h. with any princess of the world,” John II, 494. to hold one's --s == to abstain from beating or striking: “hold your --s,” Err. I, 2, 93. IV, 4, 24. All's IV, 3, 215. Oth. II, 3, 154. cf. “fate held his h.” Wiv. III, 5, 107 (== kept him back). to have a h. in == to be concerned, to take part in: Ado V, 1, 276. R2 V, 2, 37. Caes. III, 1, 248. III, 2, 46. to kiss one's (own) h. (to show homage): LLL IV, 1, 148. V, 2, 324. As III, 2, 50. Shr. IV, 1, 97. All's II, 2, 11. Tw. III, 4, 36 etc. to lay --s on == to seize: Ado III, 3, 58. As I, 1, 58. Shr. V, 1, 39. H6B I, 4, 44. H6C III, 1, 26. R3 I, 4, 196. Tit. V, 2, 159. “some violent --s were laid on Humphrey's life,” H6B III, 2, 138. H6B III, 2, 138 “lay h. upon him,” Lr. IV, 6, 192 (Qq --s). “lay h. on heart, advise,” Rom. III, 5, 192 (== consider). lend me thy h. == assist me: Tp. I, 2, 23. H4A II, 4, 2. Tit. III, 1, 188. Caes. III, 1, 297. to lie upon a person's h. == not to find a purchaser: Ant. II, 5, 105. to rear one's h. == to fall to work, to strike: Tp. II, 1, 295. Caes. III, 1, 30. to rid one's --s of == to get rid of: Shr. I, 1, 186. to shake --s == to join --s (q. v.) in meeting or parting: Wint. I, 1, 33. Mcb. I, 2, 21. Ant. IV, 12, 20; hence == to become friends: “each, though enemies to either's reign, do in consent shake --s to torture me,” Sonn. 28, 6. As V, 4, 107. H6C I, 4, 102. “to take by the h.:” Ven. 361. Wiv. IV, 6, 37. V, 3, 3. Meas. IV, 1, 55 etc. to take --s == to join --s, to take each other by the palm: Tp. I, 2, 377. LLL V, 2, 219. LLL V, 2, 219 Mids. IV, 1, 90. Ant. II, 7, 112 etc.; forming part of the marriage-ceremony: “until they come to take --s,” Ado IV, 1, 306. “here's eight that must take --s,” As V, 4, 134. Wint. IV, 4, 394. “till you take her h. before this friar,” Ado V, 4, 56. Wint. IV, 4, 373; cf. join --s and “close --s,” John II, 532. John II, 532 Hence h. == marriage: “more convenient is he for my h.” Lr. IV, 5, 31. to wring one's --s, see “Wring. a dry h.:” Ado II, 1, 124. Tw. I, 3, 77. H4B I, 2, 204 (cf. Dry). As the hand was given as a pledge of faith and friendship (f. i. Tp. III, 2, 119. Gent. II, 2, 8. V, 4, 116. Wiv. II, 1, 225. Troil. IV, 5, 270. Hml. II, 2, 388) it was usual to swear by it; “by this h.:” Tp. III, 2, 56. Tp. III, 2, 56 IV, 1, 226. Meas. II, 1, 172. Ado IV, 1, 327. Ado IV, 1, 327 Merch. V, 161. As IV, 1, 111. Tw. I, 3, 36. II, 3, 133. IV, 2, 117. John II, 343. H4A I, 3, 216. H4B II, 2, 48. H5 II, 1, 32. Hml. V, 2, 269. Oth. II, 1, 263. IV, 1, 139. 185 etc. “by my h.:” H6B V, 3, 29 (the spurious Qq and some M. Edd. by my faith). Cor. IV, 5, 155. “by her fair immortal h. she swears,” Ven. 80. “by Venus' h. I swear,” Troil. IV, 1, 22. “by the white h. of Rosalind,” As III, 2, 414; cf. H5 III, 7, 101. “by the h. of a soldier,” All's III, 6, 76. “by the buried h. of warlike Gaunt,” R2 III, 3, 109. Similarly “for my h.: master, for my h., both our inventions meet and jump in one,” Shr. I, 1, 194 (perhaps 'fore, q. v.). -- The h. the emblem of power, agency, action: “who once again I tender to thy h.” Tp. IV, 1, 5; cf. Wiv. I, 4, 154. II, 2, 255. Meas. V, 491. Ado III, 1, 112. Mids. II, 1, 216. Shr. V, 2, 177. H6B I, 1, 13. “'tis a great charge to come under one body's h.” Wiv. I, 4, 105. “the h. that hath made you fair hath made you good,” Meas. III, 1, 184. “nature's own cunning h.” Tw. I, 5, 258. “it is your brother's right h.” Ado I, 3, 51; cf. Gent. V, 4, 67. “time's deformed h.” Err. V, 298. “charity chased hence by rancour's h.” H6B III, 1, 144. “to die upon the h. I love so well,” Mids. II, 1, 244. “weigh thy value with an even h.” Merch. II, 7, 25. “in which you shall have foremost h.” H4B V, 2, 140. by strong h. (== by violence). Err. III, 1, 98. Hml. I, 1, 102. you “bear too stubborn and too strange a h. over your friend,” Caes. I, 2, 35. “strange things I have in head that will to h.” Mcb. III, 4, 139 (== that will be performed). “what thou wouldst do is done unto thy h.” Ant. IV, 14, 29 (ready to be received by thee). “a city on whom plenty held full h.” Per. I, 4, 22 etc. Hence == work, business: “you have made a fine h.” H8 V, 4, 74. “you have made fair --s,” Cor. IV, 6, 117.
2) form of writing, handwriting: Gent. I, 3, 46. Wiv. II, 1, 85. Err. III, 1, 12. Merch. II, 4, 12. As IV, 3, 29. Tw. II, 3, 175. II, 5, 95. III, 2, 45. III, 4, 31. V, 340. R3 III, 6, 2. Caes. I. 2, 320. Hml. IV, 7, 52.
3) signature, sign manual: “here is the h. and seal of the duke,” Meas. IV, 2, 207. “five justices' --s at it,” Wint. IV, 4, 288. “set down their --s, to kill the king,” R2 V, 2, 98. “proceeded under your --s and seals,” H8 II, 4, 222. Quibbling: LLL I, 1, 20.
4) the index of a clock or dial: All's I, 2, 41. Rom. II, 4, 119.
5) side, part: “leaving the fear of God on the left h.” Wiv. II, 2, 24. “walk by us on our other h.” Meas. V, 17. “turn up on your right h.” Merch. II, 2, 42. “turn of no h.” Merch. II, 2, 42 “that covenants may be kept on either h.” Shr. II, 128. “go on the right h.” Wint. IV, 4, 856. “if promises be kept on every h.” H4A III, 2, 168. “let my woes frown on the upper h.” R3 IV, 4, 37. “come on my right h.” Caes. I, 2, 213. “upon the left h. of the even field,” V, 1, 17. “before, behind thee, and on every h.” Oth. II, 1, 86. Of omitted: “on either h. thee there are squadrons pitched,” H6A IV, 2, 23. at any h., in any h., and of all --s, == at any rate, in any case: “see that at any h.” Shr. I, 2, 147. “not her that chides, at any h.” Shr. I, 2, 147 “let him fetch off his drum in any h.” All's III, 6, 45. “therefore of all --s must we be forsworn,” LLL IV, 3, 219.
Obscure passage: “I would these --s might never part,” LLL V, 2, 57 (== never be disjoined by giving one to a husband?).