Page:Henry V (1918) Yale.djvu/145

Henry the Fifth  measure. Shakespeare frequently plays on the various meanings of this word. Here he first uses the word in the sense of 'metre'; secondly, of 'dancing'; and thirdly, of 'amount.'

 let thine eye be thy cook. Let thine eye dress me in attractions to suit thy taste.

 uncoined constancy. Henry means that his love has not been stamped out into the form of glib phrases such as pass current among more accomplished but less sincere lovers.

 broken music. 'Part music,' arranged for different kinds of instruments.

 circle. The making of a circle was part of the elaborate preparations of conjurers for the exercise of their magic. Within the circle the conjurer was supposed to be immune from the baleful influences of the evil spirits that he raised.

 perspectively. As through a 'perspective' i.e., an instrument producing fantastic optical illusions.

 Præclarissimus. Once more Shakespeare has copied one of Holinshed's errors. The word should be 'præcarissimus,' the Latin equivalent for the French 'très cher.'