And meant to wreck thee; but,befhrew my jealoufy!] It feems, it is as proper to our age To caft beyond ourselves in our opinions, To lack difcretion. Come, go we to the king: More grief to hide, than hate to utter love'. SCENE The Palace. II. [Exeunt. Enter King, Queen, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and 5 King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guilden-15 ftern! Moreover that we much did long to fee you, That you vouchfafe your reft here in our court 20 King. Thou ftill haft been the father of good news. [liege, King. O, fpeak of that; that I do long to hear. 30 Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway? Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd 35 But, better look'd into, he truly found of you; And, fure I am, two men there are not living, Ref. Both your majesties Might, by the fovereign power you have of us, Guil. But we both obey; And here give up ourselves, in the full bent 3, King. Thanks, Rofencrantz, and gentle Guilden- [crantz : Queen. Thanks, Guildenftern, and gentle Rofen- My too much changed fon.-Go, some of you, It was against your highness: Whereat griev'd- 4-5 And his commiffion, to employ thofe foldiers, King. It likes us well; Mean time,we thank you for your well-took labour: Pol. This bufinefs is well ended. 1 i. e. This must be made known to the king, for (being kept fecret) the hiding Hamlet's love might occafion more mifchief to us from him and the queen, than the uttering or revealing of it will occafion hate and refentment from Hamlet. 2 Gentry, for complaisance. 3 Bent, for endeavour, opplication. 4 The trail is the course of an animal pursued by the scent. 5 The deffert after the meat. 1. e. deceived, imposed on. 1 Fre in this place fignifies reward, recompence. My My liege, and madam, to expostulate I Queen. More matter, with lefs art. Pol. Madam, I fwear, I ufe no art at all. Mad let us grant him, then: and now remains, 5 What might you think? No, I went round to work, And my young mistress thus I did bespeak; Admit no meffengers, receive no tokens. 10 Fell into a fadnefs; then into a fast; 15 King. Do you think, 'tis this? Queen. It may be, very likely. Pol. Hath there been fuch a time, (I'd fain know that) That I have pofitively faid, 'Tis fog Thus it remains, and the remainder thus perpend. 20 When it prov'd otherwife? I have a daughter; have, whilst she is mine; Hath given me this: Now gather, and furmife. To the celeftial, and my foul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; beautify'd Is a vile phrafe; but you fhall hear : Thefe in ber excellent white bofam, these, &c.- 25 King. Not that I know. Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwife: King. How may we try it further? Pol. You know, fometimes he walks four hours together, Pol. Good madam, stay a while; I will be 30 Here in the lobby. faithful. Doubt thou, the ftars are fire; Doubt truth to be a liar; Queen. So he does, indeed. Pol. At fuch a time I'll loofe my daughter to him: Be you and I behind an arras then: Mark the encounter: if he love her not, [Reading. 35 And be not from his reafon fallen thereon, Doubt, that the fun doth move; But never doubt, I love. O dear Ophelia, I am ill at thefe numbers; I have net art to reckon my groans: but that I love thee beft, O most beft, believe it. Adieu. Thine evermore, moft dear lady, whilft 40 But keep a farm, and carters. Enter Hamlet, reading. Queen. But, look, where sadly the poor wretch comes reading. Pol. Away, I do befeech you, both away; How does my good lord Hamlet? Pol. I would fain prove fo. But what might 50 You are a fishmonger. 1 To expoftulate, for to enquire or discuss. veyed intelligence between them, and been the confident of their amours, [play'd the defk or tablebook] or had connived at it, only obferved them in fecret, without acquainting my daughter with my difcovery [given my heart a mute and dumb working]; or, laftly, had been negligent in observing the intrigue, and overlooked it [ked upon this love with idle fight]; what would you have thought of me? 3 T 2 Being Being a god, kiffing carrion ',-Have you a daugh ter? Pol. I have, my lord. Ham. Let her not walk i' the fun: conception is a bleffing; but not as your daughter may con- 5 ceive friend, look to't. Pol. How fay you by that? [Afide.] ftill harping on my daughter:-yet he knew me not at firft; he said, I was a fishmonger: He is far gone, far gone: and, truly, in my youth I fuffer'd much 10 extremity for love; very near this.-I'll fpeak to him again. What do you read, my lord? Ham. Words, words, words! Pol. What is the matter, my lord? 15 Ref. Neither, my lord. Pol. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.] Ham. Slanders, fir: for the fatirical rogue 3 fays here, that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thick amber, and plum-tree gum; and that they have a 20 true; fhe is a ftrumpet. What news? Ham. Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favours? plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak Pol. Though this be madness, yet there's me- Will you walk out of the air, my lord? Ham. Into my grave? [Afide. 30 Pol. Indeed, that is out o' the air.-How pregnant 4 fometimes his replies are! a happiness that often madness hits on, which reafon and fanity could not fo profperously be deliver'd of. I will leave him, and fuddenly contrive the means of 35 meeting between him and my daughter.-My honourable lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you. Ham. You cannot, fir, take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal; except my 40 life, except my life, except my life. Pol. Fare you well, my lord. Guil. 'Faith, her privates we. Ham. In the fecret parts of fortune? O, moft Rof. None, my lord; but that the world's grown honeft. Ham. Then is doom's-day near: But your news is not true. Let me question more in particular: What have you, my good friends, deferved at the hands of fortune, that the fends you to prifon hither? Guil. Prison, my lord! Ham. Denmark's a prifon. Ham. A goodly one; in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons; Denmark being one of the worst. Rof. We think not fo, my lord. Ham. Why, then 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it fo; to me it is a prifon. Rof. Why, then your ambition makes it one; 'tis too narrow for your mind. Ham. O God! I could be bounded in a nut-fhell, and count myself a king of infinite space; were lit not that I have bad dreams. Dr. Warburton's comment (which Dr. Johnson says almoft fets the critic on a level with the author) on this paffage is as follows: "The illative particle [for] fhews the speaker to be reasoning from fomething he had faid before: what that was we learn in thefe words, Tohe bonefi, as this werd gees, is to be one picked out of ten thousand. Having faid this, the chain of ideas led him to reflect upon the argument which libertines bring against Providence from the circumftance of abounding evil. In the next speech therefore he endeavours to anfwer that objection, and vindicate Providence, even on a fuppofition of the fact, that almost all men were wicked. His argument in the two lines in question is to this purpose, But why need we wonder at this abounding of evil? For if the fun breed maggots in a dead deg, which though a ged, yet shedding its keat and influence upon carrionHere he stops fhort, left talking too confequentially the hearer fhould fufpect his madness to be feigned; and fo turns him off from the subject, by enquiring of his daughter. But the inference which he intended to make, was a very noble one, and to this purpose: If this (fays he) be the cafe, that the effect follows the thing operated upon [carrion] and not the thing operating [a ged], why need we wonder, that, the fupreme caufe of all things diffufing its bleflings on mankind, who is, as it were, a dead carrion, dead in original fin, man, inftead of a proper return of duty, should breed only corruption and vices? This is the argument at length; and is as noble a one in behalf of Providence as could come from the schools of divinity. But this wonderful man had an art not only of acquainting the audience which what his actors jay, but with what they think. The fentiment too is altogether in character; for Hamlet is perpetually moralizing, and his circumftances make this reflection very natural." 2 The meaning, fays Mr. Steevens, feems to be, Conception (i. e. understanding) is a bleffing; but as your daughter may conceive, (i. e. be pregnant) friend, look to't, i. e. have a care of that. 3 By the fatirical rogue he means Juvenal in his tenth fatire. Pregnant is ready, dexterous, apt. Gail. Guil. Which dreams, indeed, are ambition;f for the very fubftance of the ambitious is merely the fhadow of a dream. Ham. A dream itself is but a shadow. Rof. Truly, and I hold ambition of fo airy and light a quality, that it is but a fhadow's fhadow. Ham. Then are our beggars, bodies; and our monarchs, and out-ftretch'd heroes, the beggars` fhadows: Shall we to the court? for, by my fay, I cannot reason. Both. We'll wait upon you. 5 ΙΟ Ham. No fuch matter: I will not fort you with the reft of my servants; for, to speak to you like an honest man, I am most dreadfully attended. But, in the beaten way of friendship, what make 15 you at Elfinour? Ref. To vifit you, my lord, no other occafion. Ham. Beggar that I am; I am even poor in thanks; but I thank you: and fure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear at a half-penny. Were 20 you not fent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free vifitation? Come, come; deal justly with me: come, come; nay, fpeak. Guil. What should we say, my lord? Ham. Any thing-but to the purpose. You 25 were fent for; and there is a kind of confeffion in your looks, which your modefties have not craft enough to colour: I know the good king_and] queen have fent for you. Rof. To what end, my lord? and peftilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reafon! how infinite in faculties! in form, and moving, how exprefs and admirable! in action, how like an angel! in apprehenfion, how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! And yet to me, what is this quinteffence of duft? man delights not me,-nor woman neither; though, by your fmiling, you feem to say so. Rof. My lord, there was no fuch stuff in my thoughts. Ham. Why did you laugh then, when I faid Man delights not me? Rof. To think, my lord, if you delight not in man, what lenten 2 entertainment the players shall receive from you: we coted 3 them on the way; and hither are they coming to offer you service. Ham. He that plays the king, fhall be welcome; his majefty fhall have tribute of me: the adventurous knight fhall ufe his foil, and target; the lover fhall not figh gratis; the humorous man hall end his part in peace: the clown fhall make thofe laugh, whofe lungs are tickled o' the fere 4; and the lady shall say her mind freely, or the blank verse shall halt for't.-What players are they? Rof. Even thofe you were wont to take fuch delight in, the tragedians of the city. Ham. How chances it, they travel? their refidence, both in reputation and profit, was better 30 both ways. Ham. That you must teach me. But let me conjure you, by the rights of our fellowship, by the confonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever preferv'd love, and by what more dear a better propofer could charge you withal, be 35 even and direct with me, whether you were fent for, or no? [To Guilden. Rof. What say you ? Ham. Nay, then I have an eye of you ;-if you love me, hold not off. Guil. My lord, we were fent for. Rof. I think, their inhibition comes by the means of their late innovation 5. Ham. Do they hold the fame eftimation they did when I was in the city? Are they fo follow'd? Rof. No, indeed they are not. Ham. How comes it? Do they grow rufty? Rof. Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace: But there is, fir, an aiery of children, little eyafes, that cry out on the top of question 7, and 40 are most tyrannically clapp'd for 't: these are now the fashion; and fo berattle the common ftages, (fo they call them) that many, wearing rapiers, are afraid of goofe quills, and dare fcarce come thither. Ham. I will tell you why; fo fhall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your fecrecy to the king and queen moult no feather. I have of late (but, wherefore, I know not) loft all 45 my mirth, foregone all cuftom of exercises: and, indeed, it goes fo heavily with my difpofition, that this goodly frame, the earth, feems to me a ftèril promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'er-hanging firma-50 ment, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me, than a foull 1 An eye of you means, I have a glimpse of your meaning. 2 i. e. fparing, like the entertainments given in Lent. 3 To cote is to overtake. 4 i. e. (fays Mr. Steevens) those who are asthmatical, and to whom laughter is most uneafy, which is the cafe with those whose lungs are tickled by the fere or ferum. 5 i. e. (fays Mr. Steevens) their permission to act any longer at an established boufe is taken away, in confequence of the new custom of introducing perfonal abuse into their comedies. Several companies of actors in the time of our author were filenced on account of this licentious practice. 6 The peet here steps out of his subject to give a lash at home, and sneer at the prevailing fashion of following plays performed by the children of the chapel, and abandoning the established theatres. Little Eyafes mean young neftlings, creatures juft out of the egg. 7 Children that perpetually recite in the highest notes of voice that can be uttered. * i. e. paid; from the French efcut, a fhot or reckoning. 9 Quality for profeffion. fides; 3T3 Ham. It is not very strange: for my uncle is king of Denmark; and those, that would make mouths at him while my father liv'd, give twenty, forty, fifty, an hundred ducats a-piece, for his picture in little 3. There is fomething in this more 15 than natural, if philofophy could find it out. Guil. There are the players. [Flourish of trumpets. Ham. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elfinour. Your hands. Come then: the appurtenance of 20 welcome is fashion and ceremony: let me comply with you in this garb; left my extent to the players, which, I tell you, muft fhew fairly outward, hould more appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome: but my uncle-father, and aunt-25 mother, are deceiv'd. Guil. In what, my dear lord? Ham. I am but mad north-north-weft: when the wind is foutherly, I know a hawk from a hand-faw 4 Enter Polonius. Pel. Well be with you, gentlemen! Ham. Hark you, Guildenstern;-and you too ; at each ear a hearer: That great baby, you fee there, is not yet out of his fwadling-clouts. Rof. Haply, he's the fecond time come to them; for, they fay, an old man is twice a child. Ham. I will prophefy, he comes to tell me of the players; mark it.You fay right, fir: on Monday morning; 'twas then, indeed. Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you. Pel. The actors are come hither, my lord. Pol. Upon mine honour, Ham. Then came each altor on bis afs,—– Ham. O Jephtha, judge of Ifrael,—what a treafure hadft thou! Pol. What a treasure had he, my lord? Pol. Still on my daughter. [Afide. Ham. Am I not i' the right, old Jephtha? Pul. If you call me Jephtha, my lord, I have a daughter, that I love paffing well. Ham. Nay, that follows not. Pol. What follows then, my lord? Ham. Why, as By lot, God wot,-and then, you know, It came to pass, As most like it was 8,-The first row of the pious chanfon 9 will shew you more; for look,, where my abridgment 1o comes. Enter four or five Players. You are welcome, masters; welcome, all:-I am glad to fee thee well :-welcome, good friends.O, old friend! Why, thy face is valanc'd fince I faw thee laft; Com'st thou to beard me in Denmark?-What! my young lady and miftrefs! By-'r-lady, your ladyfhip is nearer to heaven, than 30 when I faw you last, by the altitude of a chioppine ". Pray God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not crack'd within the ring 12-Masters, you are all welcome. We'll e'en to 't like French falconers, fly at any thing we fee: We'll have a 35 fpeech ftraight: Come, give us a taste of your quality; come, a paffionate speech. 1 Play. What fpeech, my good lord? Ham. I heard thee fpeak me a fpeech once,but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above 40 once: for the play, I remember, pleas'd not the million: 'twas caviare 13 to the general: but it was (as I receiv'd it, and others, whose judgments, in fuch matters, cried in the top of mine 14) an excellent play; well digefted in the scenes, fet down 45 with as much modesty 15 as cunning. I remember, one faid, there were no fallets in the lines, to make the matter favoury; nor no matter in the phrafe, that might indite the author of affection 16: To provoke any animal to rage is to tarre him. 2 i. e. They not only carry away the world, but the world-bearer too: alluding to the ftory of Hercules's relieving Atlas; or the allufion may be to the Globe playhouse, on the Bankside, the fign of which was Hercules carrying the Globe. 3 i. e. in miniature. 4 This was a common proverbial fpeech. 5 Buz, buz! are, probably, only interjections employed to interrupt Polonius. 6 This feems to be a line of a ballad. 7 Writ, for writing, compofition. Thefe were quotations from an old fong. 9 Mr. Steevens explains this allution thus: "The pious charfens were a kind of Christmas Carols, containing some scriptural history thrown into loofe rhymes, and fung about the streets by the common people when they went at that feafon to folicit alms. Hamlet is here repeating fome fcraps from a fong of this kind; and when Polonius enquires what follows them, he refers him to the first row (i, e. division) of one of these, to obtain the information he wanted." 10 i, e. as Dr. Johnfon thinks, thefe who will shorten my talk. An abridgment is ufed for a dramatic piece in the Midsummer Night's Dream, A& V. Sc. I. 11 A chioppine is a high fhoe worn by the Italians. 12 That is, crack'd too much for use. 13 The caviare is the spawn of the sterlett, a fish of the sturgeon kind, which feldom grows above thirty inches long. It is found in many of the rivers of Ruffia. The general means the people, or multitude. 14 i. e. quere higher than mine. 15 Modely, for fimplicity. 4. e. convict the author of being a fantastical affected writer. but |
