Imatges de pàgina
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That youth and obfervation copied there;
And thy commandment all alone fhall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmixed with bafer. matter. Yes, by Heaven:
Oh most pernicious woman!

Oh villain, villain, finiling damned villain!
My tables,------meet it is 1 fet it down,
That one may fmile, and fmile, and be a villain;
At least, I'm fure, it may be so in Denmark.

[Writing So, uncle, there you are; now to my word; It is, Adieu, adieu, remember me: I've fworn it--------

Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.

Hor. My Lord, my Lord

Mar. Lord Hamlet

Hor. Heaven fecure him!

Mar. So be it.

Hor. Illo, ho, ho, my Lord!

Ham. Hillo, ho, ho, boy; come, bird, come..

Mar. How is't, my noble Lord?

Hor. What news, my Lord?

Ham. Oh, wonderful!

Hor. Good my Lord, tell it..

Ham. No, you'll reveal it.

Hor: Not I, my Lord, by Heaven.

Már. Nor I, my Lord.

Ham. How fay you then, would heart of ́manī

But you'll be fecret----

Both. Ay, hy Heaven, my Lexi.

[once think it?

Ham. There's ne'er a villain, dwelling in all

But he's an arrant knave.

[Denmark, Hor. There needs no ghoft, my Lord, come frome To tell us this. [the grave. Ham. Why, right, you are i' th' right;,

And fo without more circumftance at all,

I hold it fit that we shake hands, and part; You, as your business and defires fhall point you; (For every man has bufinefs and defire,

Such as it is) and for my own poor part,

I will go pray.

Hor. Thefe are but wild and whirling words, my Lord.

Ham. I'm forry they offend you, heartily; Yes, heartily.

Hor. There's no offence, my Lord.

Ham. Yes, by St.Patrick, but there is, my Lord,. And much offence too. Touching this vifion here--It is an honeft ghoft, that let me tell y

you: For your defire to know what is between us, O'er-mafter it as you may. And now, good friends, As you are friends, fcholars, and foldiers,.

Give me one poor request..

Hor. What is't, my Lord?

Ham. Never make known what you have feen to-night.

Both. My Lord, we will not..

Ham. Nay, but fwear't.

Hor. In faith, my Lord, not I..

Mar. Nor I, my Lord, in faith.

Ham. Upon my fword.

Mar. We have fworn, my Lord, already.

Ham. Indeed, upon my fword, indeed.

Ghoft. Swear.

·

[Ghoft cries under the Stage. Ham. Ah, ha, boy, fay'ft thou fo? art thou there,

true-penny?

Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage."
Confent to fwear.

Hor. Propofe an oath, my Lord.

Ham. Never to fpeak of this that you have feen, Swear by my fword.

Ghost. Swear.

Ham. Hic et ubique? tl.en we'll fhift our ground. Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my fword.
Never to fpeak of this which you have heard, (21)
Swear by my fword.

Ghost. Swear by his fword.

Ham. Well faid, old mole, can't work i' th' ground so fast?

A worthy pioneer! Once more remove, good friends. Hor. Oh, day and night, but this is wondrous ftrange.

Ham. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. (22) There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

Than are dreamed of in your philofophy. But come, Here, as before, never, (fo help you mercy!)

(21) Never to Speak of this that you have heard,

Swear by my fword.] This adjuration and the folemnity of killing Hamlet's fword, feems to be ineered at by Beaumont and Fletcher in their Knight of the Burning Pele, where Ralph the grocer's 'prentice difinifies the barber in quiet, on certain terms agreed betwixt them;

Ralph. I give thee mercy, but yet thou shalt fwear
Upon my burning pe le to perform

Thy promife uttered.

Barb. I fwear and kifs.

(22) There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

Than are dreamt of in your philofophy.] This reflexion of Hamlet feems to be directly copied from this pailage of Lucrecius, lib. i. v. 152.

Quod multa in terris fieri, cœloque tuentur,
Quorum operum caufas nulla ratione videre
Poffient.

I had amended and rectified the pointing of this whole fpeech in my Shakespeare Reftored, to which I defire for brevity's fake to refer my readers. Mr Pope has thought fit to reform the whole, in his laft edition, agreeably to my direc

tions there.

How ftrange or odd foeler I bear myself,
(As I, perchance, hereafter fhall think meet
To put an antic difpofition on;)

That you, at fuch time feeing me, never fhall,
With arms encumbered thus, or this head-fhake,.
Or by pronouncing of fome doubtful phrafe,

As, well--we know--or, we could, and if we would-- . Or, if we lift to fpeak---or, there be, and if there. might

(Or. fuch ambiguous giving out) denote

That you know aught of me; this do ye fwear, So grace and mercy at your most need help you!

Swear.

Ghoft. Swear.

Ham. Reft, reft, perturbed fpirit. So, gentlemen,
With all my love do I commend me to you;
And what fo poor a man as Hamlet is

May do t' exprefs his love and friending to you,
God willing, fhall not lack; let us go in together,
And ftill your fingers on your lips, 1 pray :
The time is out of joint; oh, curfed fpight!
That ever I was born to fet it right.
Nay, come, let's go together.

A C T II.

[Exeunt!

SCENE, an Apartment in Polonius's Houfe.

Enter POLONIUS and REYNOLDO.

POLONIU S.

GIVE him this money, and thofe notes, Reynoldo.

Rey. I will, my Lord.

Pol. You fhall do marvelous wifely, good ReyBefore you vifit him, to make enquiry [noldo, Of his behaviour.

Rey. My Lord, I did intend it.

Pol. Marry, well faid; very well faid. Look you, Sir,

Enquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;
And how, and who, what means, and where they
keep,

What company, at what expence; and finding,
By this encompaffment and drift of question,
That they do know my fon, come you more near;
Then your particular demands will touch it;
Take you, as 'twere, fome diftant knowledge of him,
As thus I know his father and his friends,
And in part him-Do you mark this, Reynoldo?
Rey. Ay, very well, my Lord.

Pol. And in part him----but you may fay----not
But if't be he I mean, he's very wild; [well;
Addicted fo and fo----and there put on him
What forgeries you pleafe; marry, none fo rank
As may difhonour him; take heed of that;
But Sir, fuch wanton, wild, and ufual flips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

Rey. As gaming, my Lord

Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, fwearing, Quarrelling, drabbing---- You may go fo far. Rey. My Lord, that would difhonour him. Pol. 'Faith no, as you may season it in the charge; You must not put another scandal on him, (23)

(23) You must not put another fcandal on him,] I once fufpected, and attempted to correct this paffage. The old gentleman, 'tis plain, is of opinion, that to charge his fon with wenching would not dishonour him; confequently would be no feandal to him. Why then fhould he caution Reynoldo from putting another fcandal on him? There can be no fecond fcandal supposed, without a fift implied. this kind of reafoning, I propofed to correct;

You must not put an utter fcandal on him.

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