Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Poor, 1) destitute of riches or even of any property, indigent, needy: Lucr. 693. Tp. I, 2, 20. V, 212. Gent. IV, 1, 72. Wiv. I, 3, 95. II, 1, 117. II, 2, 283. V, 5, 164. Meas. III, 1, 25. Err. I, 1, 57. Ado III, 3, 121. All's I, 3, 201. H5 IV, 1, 315. H8 IV, 2, 148 etc. etc. With in: “p. in worth,” Troil. III, 3, 130. Cor. II, 1, 18. Hml. II, 2, 280. With of: “I am p. of thanks,” Cymb. II, 3, 94.
2) of a bad quality, mean, beggarly: “most p. matters point to rich ends,” Tp. III, 1, 3. “p. descent,” Gent. III, 2, 32. “these p. habiliments,” IV, 1, 13. “I'll put myself in p. and mean attire,” As I, 3, 113. Shr. III, 2, 121. IV, 3, 173. IV, 3, 173 H4B V, 5, 13. “while his blood was p.” H4A IV, 3, 76. “mean and right p. blood,” H6A IV, 6, 23.
3) little, insignificant, worthless: “what were thy lips the worse for one p. kiss?” Ven. 207. “p. wretches have remorse in p. abuses,” Lucr. 269. “that p. retention could not so much hold,” Sonn. 122, 9. “stones whose rates are either rich or p.” Meas. II, 2, 150. “I have a p. pennyworth in the English,” Merch. I, 2, 76. “the twentieth part of one p. scruple,” IV, 1, 330. “p. a thousand crowns,” As I, 1, 2. “give me the p. allottery my father left me,” As I, 1, 2 “the --est service is repaid with thanks,” Shr. IV, 3, 45. “in their p. praise he humbled,” All's I, 2, 45. “and my p. doing eternal,” II, 3, 246. “your oaths are words and p. conditions,” IV, 2, 30. “his qualities being at this p. price,” IV, 3, 308. “those p. number saved with you,” Tw. I, 2, 10. “p. trespasses, more monstrous standing by,” Wint. III, 2, 190. “one p. pennyworth of sugarcandy,” H4A III, 3, 180. “wherefore grieve I at an hour's p. loss?” H6B III, 2, 381. “communication of a most p. issue,” H8 I, 1, 87. “for one p. grain or two,” Cor. V, 1, 27. “this is a p. epitome of yours,” V, 3, 68. “one p. root,” Tim. IV, 3, 186. “some p. fragment,” Tim. IV, 3, 186 “give me one p. request,” Hml. I, 5, 142. “our basest beggars are in the --est thing superfluous,” Lr. II, 4, 268. one (life) “is too p., too weak for my revenge,” Oth. III, 3, 443. “I have seen her die twenty times upon far --er moment,” Ant. I, 2, 146. “none our parts so p., but was a race of heaven,” I, 3, 36. I had thought to have held it (my birthday) “p.” III, 13, 186 (not to have celebrated it). “my p. self,” Cymb. I, 1, 119 etc.
4) weak, impotent: “feeble desire, all recreant, p. and meek,” Lucr. 710. “her blood, in p. revenge, held it in chase,” Lucr. 710 “in my p. and old motion,” H4B IV, 3, 37. “our p. malice remains in danger,” Mcb. III, 2, 14. “I have very p. and unhappy brains for drinking,” Oth. II, 3, 35. “as deep as these p. pickaxes can dig,” Cymb. IV, 2, 389.
5) paltry, contemptible: “a most p. credulous monster,” Tp. II, 2, 149. Tp. II, 2, 149 “fear the soft and tender fork of a p. worm,” Meas. III, 1, 17. “such p., such bare, such lewd, such mean attempts,” H4A III, 2, 13. “fickle changelings and p. discontents,” V, 1, 76. “yon p. and starved band,” H5 IV, 2, 16. “rubbing the p. itch of your opinion,” Cor. I, 1, 169. “a p. unmanly melancholy,” Tim. IV, 3, 203. “thy father, that p. rag,” Tim. IV, 3, 203 “with what p. judgment,” Lr. I, 1, 294. “these thin habits and p. likelihoods,” Oth. I, 3, 108. “this p. trash of Venice,” II, 1, 312. “so p. a pinion of his wing,” Ant. III, 12, 4. “be shown for --est diminutives,” IV, 12, 37.
6) used as a term of compassion, == moving pity: Ven. 251. Ven. 251 Ven. 251 Ven. 251 Ven. 251 Ven. 251 Ven. 251 Ven. 251 Ven. 251 Ven. 251 Ven. 251 1177 etc. etc. (the most frequent use).
7) A term of tenderness: “p. ape, how thou sweatest,” H4B II, 4, 233. “God help thee, p. monkey,” Mcb. IV, 2, 59. Often joined to fool; cf. Fool.
8) A term of modesty, used in speaking of things pertaining to one's self: “I invite you to my p. cell,” Tp. V, 301. “in my p. opinion,” Meas. II, 1, 245. “to lean upon my p. shoulder,” LLL V, 1, 108. “under my p. instructions,” All's IV, 4, 27. “to give this p. petition to the king,” V, 1, 19. “to visit her p. castle,” H6A II, 2, 41. “my next p. petition,” H8 IV, 2, 138. “to my p. unworthy notice,” Cor. II, 3, 166. “for my own p. part,” Hml. I, 5, 131. “there's a p. piece of gold for thee,” Oth. III, 1, 26. “you o'errate my p. kindness,” Cymb. I, 4, 41.