Speech immediately preceding this, Laertes taxes himself for ftaying too long: but feeing his Father approach, he is willing to stay for a Second Bleffing, and kneels down to that End.

Laer. Iftay too long; --- But here my Father comes:

A double Bleffing is a double Grace ;

Occafion fmiles upon a fecond Leave.

[Kneeling.

Polonius gives him his Bleffing accordingly; and therefore it
ought to be read, (as I perceive my Two Quarto Editions of 1637,
and 1703, have it;) in Support of my Conjecture.

Yet here, Laertes! Aboard, aboard, for Shame :
The Wind fits in the Shoulder of your Sail,

And you are ftaid for. - - - There, - my Blessing with you;

---my

[Laying his Hand on Laertes's Head

XXIV. Ibid. Page 363.

What is't, Ophelia, he [] faid to you?

The fecond Folio Edition and Mr. Hughs's read, Roaming it thus, --- Which Word, indeed, as our Etymologifts explain it, metaphorically takes in our Poet's Meaning: and in fuch Senfe is frequently used by him in feveral others of his Plays. But as, Wronging it, has the Authority of feveral old Books, we may correct the Paffage with much less Variation from the prefent Text, thus: your felf more dearly;

·

Tender

Or, (not to crack the Wind of the poor Phrafe,)
RANGING it thus, you'll tender me a Fool.

Denver

५

Various
Reading,
and Conjec-
tural Emen-

dation.

Falf

dearly;

i.e.

TG 330

Or not to crack the Wind of the Poor Phrase,

Wringing it thus you'll tender me a

Conjectural
Emendation.

i. e. You, behaving yourself with so much Carelessness and Liberty, will bring me into Contempt for not taking stricter Care of your Conduct.

XXVI. Act. 1. Scene 6. Page 364.

OPHELIA having received the Addresses of HAMLET, Polonius, her Father, takes her to Task for Indiscretion in too lightly giving an Ear to the Prince's Proteftations. He tells her, that HAMLET may walk with a greater Latitude, than her Honour and Reputation will admit her to imitate: And befides that, being in the Heat of Youth, and profeffing himself a Lover, his Soul was prodigal to lend his Tongue Vows; which Polonius cautions her to look upon not as the real Sentiments of his Heart, but as Baits to betray her Virtue. Upon which he counfels her thus:

In few, Ophelia,

Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers,
Not of that die which their investments Shew
But meer implorers of unholy fuits,

Breathing like fanctified and pious BONDS,
The better to beguile.

Thus indeed all the Impreffions, which have ever come in my
Way, read this Paffage; even that Edition of HAMLET, revifed
by the late accurate Mr. John Hughs. I muft own, I have al-
ways ftumbled at it; and been furprized how Men of Genius
and Learning could let it pafs without fome Sufpicion. What
Ideas can we form to our felves of a breathing BOND, or of
its being fanctified and pious? Surely, fo abfurd a Thought
could fcarce come from SHAKESPEARE. The only tolerable
Way of reconciling it to a Meaning without a Change, is to
fuppofe that the Poet intends by the Word BONDS, Verbal Ob
ligations, Proteftations; and then, indeed, these Bonds may, in
some Sense, be faid to have Breath: But this is to make him guil-
ty of overstraining the Word and Allufion; and it will hardly

bear

337

bear that Interpretation, at least, not without much Obscurity. As he, just before, is calling amorous Vows, Brokers, and Implorers of unholy Suits; I think, a Continuation of the plain and natural Senfe directs us to an eafy Emendation, which makes the whole Thought of a Piece, and gives it a Turn not unworthy of our Poet. I am, therefore, very willing to fufpect it came from his Pen thus, tho' none of his Editors have ever been aware of it;

In few, Ophelia,

Do not believe his Vows; for they are Brokers,
Not of that Dye which their Investments fhew,
But meer Implorers of unholy Suits,

Breathing like fanctified and pious BAWDS,
The better to beguile.

It is ufual with our Poet, as his Critical Readers must have ob-
ferved, to give those infamous Creatures the Style and Title of
Brokers; of which it may not be amiss to fubjoin a few Ex-
amples. In his two Gentlemen of Verona, page, 161. Lucetta,
the Servant of Julia, having received a Love-Letter to her
Mistress as in her Name, Julia, who has a Mind to fhew a Dif-
like of this Proceeding in her Maid, thus repremands her.

Now, by my Modefty, a goodly BROKER!
Dare you prefume to harbour wanton Lines?
To whisper and confpire against my Youth?
Now, trust me, 'tis an Office of great Worth;
And you an Officer fit for the Place.

Where it is plain that Broker is ufed but as a more modeft Word
for Bawd; and the Business of fuch a One is defcrib'd in the Lines
that follow it.

So likewife in All's well that ends well, pag. 420. Helena, difcourfing with the Widow her Hoftefs, concerning Count Roffillion's Conduct; and the Widow intimating that her Daughter

F 2

Diana

Diana might have an Affair with him, if fhe pleas'd; Helena fays that, It may be, the amorous Count follicits her in the unlawful Purpose: To whichthe Widow replies,

He does indeed,

And brokes with all that can in fuch a Suit
Corrupt the tender Honour of a Maid.

Where brokes, or brokers, evidently implies
treats with, as with Bawds.

tampers with,

So likewife in King JOHN, page 142. Falconbridge defcanting on Commodity and Self-Intereft, and how all Ranks and Degrees of Perfons were fubfervient to it, and, as it were, feduc'd and betray'd to forfake Virtue thro' its Inftigations, uses these Expreffions:

That BROKER, that still breaks the Pate of Faith,
That daily Break-Vow, He that wins of all,

Of Kings, of Beggars, Old Men, Young Men, Maids,
Who having no external Thing to lose

But the Word Maid, cheats the poor Maid of That, &c.

And, afterwards, a little lower he subjoins,

This BAWD, this BROKER, &c.

BESIDES, what strengthens my Suspicion, and makes this Emendation the more neceffary and probable, is, the Words with which the Poet winds up his Thought, the better to beguile. Every Body, I believe, is fatisfied that it is the Cuftom of Bawds to put on an Air and Form of Sanctity, to betray the Virtues of Young Ladies; by drawing them firft into a kind Opinion of them, from their exterior and diffembled Goodness. And Bawds in their Office of Treachery are likewife properly Brokers; and the Implorers, and Promoters, of unholy (that is, unchafte) Suits; and so a Chain of the fame Metaphors is continued to the End.

XXVII.

tions..

WE come now to a degraded Paffage, as Mr. POPE ftiles it; Emendathat is, One not receiv'd into the Text, but plac'd (as fufpected, and too bad to belong to SHAKESPEARE;) at the Bottom of his Page. I must transcribe the whole Paffage, tho' long, before I attempt to fet it right; because it happens to labour under falfe Spelling, falfe Pointing, falfe Reading, falfe Concord, and flat Nonfenfe. Mr. POPE introduces the Verfes with this fhort Note. [*Thefe 21 Lines following are in the firft Edition, but since left out, perhaps being thought too verbofe.] Since left out? I have a Quarto

Edition, which, I fuppofe, Mr. POPE never faw; (printed by R. Young and John Smethwicke, in the Year 1637.) where they are not left out; but inferted with an Addition, which, tho' very corruptly printed, when amended, I doubt not will appear to be of our Author's own Writing: And they are again inserted in the other Quarto Edition publifh'd in 1703, and in the HAMLET revised by Mr. Hughs. So that they have not been left out, altogether, from the Time of the first Publication. But to the Lines;

P.365.

T

HAMLET, holding the Watch with Horatio, in Order to fee his Act.x. Sc. 7. Father's Apparition, a Noise of Warlike Mufick is heard : Which Horatio defirous to know the Meaning of, HAMLET tells him, that the King fat up to drink, and whenever he took his Draught, the Kettle-Drum and Trumpet proclaim'd the Triumph of his Pledge. Horatio asking, whether it was a Custom; HAMLET replies, Yes; but one that, in his Opinion, it were better to break, than observe: And then falls into the following Reflexion, how the Danes were reproach'd for Drunkenness, and what a Blot that Character was in their Efcutcheons.

(1.)

This heavy-headed revel, eaft and weft [;]
(2.) Makes us traduc'd, and tax'd of other nations [,]
They CLIP us drunkards, and with finifh phrafe
Soil our addition; and indeed it takes

(3.)

From