Hor. Ay, good my lord. Ham. An earnest conjuration from the king,As England was his faithful tributary; As love between them like the palm might flourish; peace should still her wheaten garland wear, And stand a comma 'tween their amities; And many such like ases of great charge,That, on the view and knowing of these contents, Without debatement further, more, or less, He should the bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving time allow'd." Hor. How was this seal'd? Ham. Why, even in that was heaven ordinant; I had my father's signet in my purse, Which was the model of that Danish seal Folded the writ up in form of the other; Subscrib'd it; gave't the impression; plac'd it safely, The changeling never known: Now, the next day Was our seafight; and what to this was sequent Thou know'st already. Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't. Ham. Why, man, they did make love to this employment; They are not near my conscience; their defeat "Tis dangerous, when the baser nature comes Hor. Why, what a king is this? Ham. Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon ?a He that hath kill'd my king, and whor'd my mother; Popp'd in between the election and my hopes; 1 With, ho! such bugs and goblins in my, life.'With such causes of terror arising from my character and designs.' Bugs were no less terrific than goblins. We now call them bugbears, 2 on the supervise, no leisure bated. The supervise is the looking over; no leisure bated means without any abatement or intermission of time. 3 Or,' for ere, before. See Tempest, Act i. Sc. 2. 4 Statists are statesmen. Blackstone says, that most of our great men of Shakspeare's time wrote very bad hands; their secretaries very neat ones.' This must be taken with some qualification; for Elizabeth's two most powerful ministers, Leicester and Burleigh, both wrote good hands. It is certain that there were some who did write most wretched scrawls, but probably not from affectation; though it was accounted a mechanical and vulgar accomplishment to write a fair hand. The worst and most unintelligible scrawls I have met with, are Sir Richard Sackville's, in Elizabeth's time; and the miserable scribbling of Secretary Conway, of whom James said they had given him a secretary that could neither write nor read. 3 Yeoman's service I take to be good substantial service. The ancient yeomen were famous for their staunch valour in the field; and Sir Thomas Smyth says, they were 'the stable troop of footmen that affraide all France.' 6 stand a comma 'tween their amities." This is oddly expressed, as Johnson observes: but the meaning appears to be, Stand as a comma, i. e. as a note of connexion between their amities, to prevent them from being brought to a period.' land, What is the issue of the business there. Ham. It will be short: the interim is mine; Peace who comes here? Osr. Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. Ham. I humbly thank you, sir.-Dost know this water-fly ?11 Hor. No, my good lord. Ham. Thy state is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him: He hath much land and fertile ; let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the king's mess: "Tis a chough; but, as I say, spacious in the possession of dirt. Osr. Sweet lord, if your lordship were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his majesty. Ham. I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of spirit: Your bonnet to his right use; 'tis for the head. Osr. I thank your lordship, 'tis very hot. Ham. No, believe me, sir,'tis very cold: the wind is northerly. Osr. It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed. Ham. But yet, methinks, it is very sultry and hot; or my complexion Osr. Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry, 12as 'twere,-I cannot tell how-My lord, his majesty bade me signify to you, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter,Ham. I beseech you, remember [HAMLET moves him to put on his Hat. Osr Nay, good my lord; for my ease in good faith.13 Sir, here is newly come to court, Laertes: believe me, an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent differences, 14 of very soft society, and great showing: Indeed, to speak feelingly of him, he is the card's or, calendar of gentry, for you shall find in him the continents of what part a gentleman would see. 7 Not shriving-time allow'd.' That is, without allowing time for the confession of their sins. S'Bethink thee, does it not become incumbent upon me to requite him,' &c. Vide note upon King Richard II. Act ii. Sc. 3. This passage and the three following speeches are not in the quartos. 9 I'll count his favours.' Rowe changed this to 'I'll court his favour ;' but there is no necessity for change. Hamlet means, 'I'll make account of his favours,' i. e. of his good will; for this was the general meaning of favours in the poet's time. 10 The quarto of 1603-Enter a braggart Gentleman.' 11 In Troilus and Cressida, Thersites says, 'How the poor world is pestered with such water-flies; diminutives of nature.' The gnats and such like ephemeral insects are not inapt emblems of such busy triflers as Osric. 12 Exceedingly, my lord; 'tis very sultry.' igniculum bruma si tempore poscas Accipit endromidem; si dexeris æstuo, sudat." Juvenal 13 The folio omits this and the following fourteen speeches; and in their place substitutes, Sir, you are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is at his weapon.' 14 i. e. distinguishing excellencies. 15 The card or calendar of gentry. The general preceptor of elegance; the card (chart) by which a gentleman is to direct his course; the calendar by which he is to order his time. 16 You shall find in him the continent of what part a Ham. Sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you-though, I know, to divide him inventorially, would dizzy the arithmetic of memory; and yet but raw neither, in respect of his quick sail. But in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a soul of great article; and his infusion of such dearth and rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his semblable is his mirror; and, who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more.2 Osr. Your lordship speaks most infallibly of him. Ham. The concernancy, sir? why do we wrap the gentleman in our more rawer breath? Osr. Sir? Hor. Is't not possible to understand in another tongue! You will do't, sir, really.' Ham. What call you the carriages? Hor. I knew, you must be edified by the ma gent' ere you had done. Osr. The carriages, sir, are the hangers. Ham. The phrase would be more german10 to the matter, if we could carry a cannon by our sides; I would, it might be hangers till then. But, on: Six Barbary horses against six French swords, their assigns, and three liberal conceited carriages; that's the French bet against the Danish: Why is this impawned, as you call it? Osr. The king, sir, hath laid, that in a dozen passes between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you three hits;11 he hath laid on twelve for nine; and it would come to immediate trial, if your Ham. What imports the nomination of this gen-lordship would vouchsafe the answer. dleman? Osr. Of Laertes? Ham. How, if I answer no? Osr. I mean, my lord, the opposition of your per Hor. His purse is empty already; all his golden son in trial. words are spent. Ham. Of him, sir. Osr. I know, you are not ignorant Ham. I would, you did, sir; yet, in faith, if you did, it would not much approve me.-Well, sir. Osr. You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is Ham. I dare not confess that, lest I should compare with him in excellence; but, to know a man well, were to know himself."" Osr. I mean, sir, for his weapon; but in the imputation laid on him by them, in his meed he's unfellowed. Ham. What's his weapon? Ham. That's two of his weapons: but, well. Osr. The king, sir, hath wagered with him six Barbary horses: against the which he has impawned, as I take it, six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdle, hangers, and so: Three of the carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very responsive to the hilts, most delicate carriages, and of very liberal conceit. gentleman wouls, aee.' You shall find him containing and comprising every quality which a gentleman would desire to contemplate for imitation. Perhaps we should read, You shall find him the continent." 1 Dearth, according to Tooke, is the third person singular of the verb to dere; it means some cause which dereth, i. e. maketh dear; or hurteth, or doth mischief That dearth was, therefore, used for scarcity, as well as dearness, appears from the following passage in a MS. petition to the council, by the merchants of London, 6 Edw. VI.: speaking of the causes of the dearness of cloth, they say, This detriment cometh through the dearth of wool, the procurers whereof being a few in number for the augmentation of the same.'-Conway Papers. 2 This speech is a ridicule of the Euphuism, or court jargon of that time. 3 Is it not possible to understand in another tongue? You will do't, sir, really.' This interrogatory remark is very obscure. The sense may be, 'Is it not possible for this fantastic fellow to understand in plainer language? You will, however, imitate his jargon admirably, really, sir.' It seems very probable that another tongue, is an error of the press for mother tongue.' Ham. Sir, I will walk here in the hall: if it please his majesty, it is the breathing time of day with me: let the foils be brought, the gentleman willing, and the king hold his purpose, I will win for him, if I can; if not, I will gain nothing but my shame, and the odd hits. Osr. Shall I deliver you so? Ham. To this effect, sir; after what flourish your nature will. Osr. I commend my duty to your lordship. [Exit. Ham. Yours, yours.-He does well to commend it himself; there are no tongues else for's turn. Hor. This lapwing12 runs away with the shell on his head. Ham. He did comply13 with his dug, before he sucked it. Thus has he, (and many more of the same bevy, 14 that, I know, the drossy age dotes on,) only got the tune of the time, and outward habit of encounter;15 a kind of yesty collection, which carries them through and through the most fanned and winnowed opinions ;16 and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out. 9The margent. The gloss or commentary in old books was usually on the margin of the leaf. 10 i. e. more a kin. Those that are german to him, though fifty times removed, shall come under the hang man.'-Winter's Tale. 11 The conditions of the wager are thus given in the quarto of 1603 : 'Marry, sir, that young Laertes in twelve venies At rapier and dagger, do not get three odds of you. 12 This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head. Horatio means to call Osric a raw, unfledged, foolish fellow. It was a common comparison for a forward fool. Thus in Meres's Wits Treasury, 1599:As the lapwing runneth away with the shell on her head, as soon as she is hatched,' &c. Forward lapwing, He flies with the shell on his head.' Vittoria Coroml.sna. 13 He did comply with his dug, before he sucked it." See Act ii. Sc. 2. 14 The folio reads, mine more of the same bevy.”— Mine is evidently a misprint, and more likely for manie (i. e. many) than mine. The quarto of 1604 reads, 'many more of the same breed,' 15 Outward habit of encounter' is exterior politeness of address. 4 If you did, it would not tend much toward proving me or confirming me.'-What Hamlet would have added we know not; but surely Shakspeare's use of 16 A kind of yesty collection, which carries them the word approve, upon all occasions, is against John-through and through the most fanned and winnowed son's explanation of it- to recommend to approbation.' opinions,' &c. The folio reads, fond and winnowed.-There is no consistency in the commentators; they The corruption of the quarto, prophaned and trenrarely look at the prevalent sense of a word in the poet, nowed,' is not worth attention; and I have no doubt that but explain it many ways, to suit their own views of the fond in the folio should be fanned, formerly spelt fan'd meaning of a passage. and sometimes even without the apostrophe. Fanned and winnowed are almost always coupled by old writers, for reasons that may be seen under those words in Baret's Alvearie. So Shakspeare himself, in Troilus and Cressida : 5 'I dare not confess that, lest I should compare with him, &c. I dare not pretend to know him, lest I should pretend to an equality: no man can completely know another, but by knowing himself, which is the utmost extent of human wisdom. 6 Meed is merit. Vide King Henry VI. Part III. Act ii. Sc. 1. 7Impawned. The folio reads imponed. Pignare, in Italian, signifies both to impawn and to lay a wager. The stakes are, indeed, a gage or pledge. 8 Hangers, that part of the belt by which the sword was suspended. Distinction with a broad and powerful fan, Puffing at all, winnows the light away.' The meaning is, 'These men have got the cant of the day, a superficial readiness of slight and cursory conversation, a kind of frothy collection of fashionable prattle, which yet carries them through with the most light and inconsequential judgments; but if brought to the trial by the slightest breath of rational conversation, the Ham. In happy time. Lord. The queen desires you, to use some gentle entertainment to Laertes, before you fall to play. Ham. She well instructs me. [Eru Lord. Hor. You will lose this wager, my lord. Ham. I do not think so; since he went into France, I have been in continual practice; I shall win at the odds. But thou would'st not think, how ill all's here about my heart; but it is no matter. Hor. Nay, good my lord, Ham. It is but foolery; but it is such a kind of gain-giving, as would, perhaps, trouble a woman. Hor. If your mind dislike any thing, obey it: I will forestal their repair hither, and say, you are not fit. Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury; there is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all: Since no inan, of aught he leaves,knows;-what is't to leave betimes. Let be. Enter King, Queen, LAERTES, Lords, OSRIC, and Attendants, with Foils, &c. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. [The King puts the hand of LAERTES into that of HAMLET. Ham. Give me your pardon, sir: I have done you wrong; But pardon it, as you are a gentleman. Sir, in his audience, I am satisfied in nature, Let my disclaiming from a purpos'd evil Ham. Laer. Ham. sir. Very well, my lord; Your grace hath laid the odds o' the weaker side. King. I do not fear it: I have seen you both:But since he's better'd, we have therefore odds. Laer. This is too heavy, let me see another. Ham. This likes me well: These foils have all a length? [They prepare to play. Osr. Ay, my good lord. King. Set me the stoups of wine upon that table: If Hamlet give the first or second hit, The king shail drink to Hamlet's better breath; This presence knows, and you must needs have In Denmark's crown have worn; Give me the cups; heard, How I am punish'd with a sore distraction. That might your nature, honour, and exception, And, when he's not himself, does wrong Laertes, bubbles burst; or, in other words, display their emp-ask advice of older men of the sword, whether artificial tiness.' 1 All that passes between Hamlet and this Lord is omitted in the folio. 2 i. e. misgiving, a giving against, or an internal feeling and prognostic of evil. 3. Since no man, of aught he leaves,-knows;What is it to leave betimes! This is the reading of the folio; the quarto reads, 'Since no man has aught of what he leaves. What is't to leave betimes. Has is evidently here a blunder for knows. Johnson thus interprets the passage:- Since no man knows aught of the state which he leaves, since he cannot judge what other years may produce, why should we be afraid of leaving life betimes?' Warburton's explanation is very ingenious, but perhaps strains the poet's meaning farther than he intended. It is true that by death we lose all the goods of life; yet seeing this loss is no otherwise an evil than as we are sensible of it; and since death removes all sense of it, what matters it how soon we lose them. This argument against the fear of death has been dilated and placed in a very striking light by the late Mr. Green.-See Diary of a Lover of Literature, Ipswich, 1810, 4to. p. 230.-Shakspeare himself has elsewhere said, the sense of death is most in apprehension.' 4 i. e. the king and queen. 5 This line is not in the quarto. 6 i. e. unwounded. This is a piece of satire on fanstical honour. Though nature is satisfied, yet he will honour ought to be contented with Hamlet's apology. 8 Stoup is a common word in Scotland at this day, and denotes a pewter vessel resembling our wine mea. sures; but of no determinate quantity; for there are gallon-stoups, pint-stoups, mulchkin-stoups, &c. The vessel in which water is fetched or kept is also called a water-stoup. A stoup of wine is therefore equivalent to a pitcher of wine. 9 An union is a precious pearl, remarkable for its size. And hereupon it is that our dainties and delicates here at Rome, &c. call them unions, as a man would say singular, and by themselves alone. To swallow a pearl in a draught seems to have been common to royal and mercantile prodigality. Thus in the second part of If You Know Not Me You Know Nobody :'— 'Here sixteen thousand pound at one clap goes, Instead of sugar. Gresham drinks this pearl Unto the queen his mistress.' According to Rondeletus, pearls were supposed to have an exhilarating quality. Uniones quæ a conchis, &c. valde cordiale sunt. Under pretence of throwing a pearl into the cup, the King may be supposed to drop some poisonous drug into the wine. Hamlet subsequenily asks him tauntingly, 'Is the union here ? King. Stay, give me drink: Hamlet, this pearl | Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet: Mine and my father's death come not upon thee; Nor thine on me! is thine; Here's to thy health.-Give him the cup. [Trumpets sound; and Cannons shot off within. He's fat, and scant of breath. King. Gertrude, do not drink. [Aside. I do not think it. Laer. And yet it is almost against my conscience. [Aside. Ham Come, for the third, Laertes: You do but dally; I pray you, pass with your best violence; [They play. [LAERTES wounds HAMLET; then, in scuf- King. Osr. How is't, Laertes? Laer. Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery. King. [Dies. The drink, the drink ;-I am poison'd! Laer. It is here, Hainlet; Hamlet, thou art slain; [Dies I am more an antique Roman than a Dane, [March afar off, and Shot within. To the ambassadors of England gives Ham. O, I die, Horatio; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! What is it, you would see? 1 Amb. The sight is dismal; Drink off this potion: la the union here? Laer. He is justly serv'd ; It is a poison temper'd by himself. 1 i. e. the queen drinks to thy good success. 2 i. e. you trifle or play with me as if I were a child. 3 See note on Act iv. Sc. 7. 4 In the quarto of 1603: 'The poison'd instrument within my hand' Then venom to thy venom; die, damn'd villain: Come, drink, here lies thy union here. [King dies. 6 To overcrow, is to overcome, to subdue. These noblemen laboured with tooth and naile to overcrowe, and consequently to overthrow one another.'-Holin shed's History of Ireland. 7 The occurrents which have solicited-the occur. rences or incidents which have incited. The sentence is left unfinished. 8 This quarry cries on havoc! To cry on, was to 5 A sergeant was a bailiff or sheriff's officer. Shak-exclaim against. I suppose when unfair sportsmen epeare, in his 74th Sonnet, has likened death to an ar- destroyed more game than was reasonable, the censure rest: was to call it havoc.-Johnson. Quarry was the term used for a heap of slaughtered game. See Macbeth, Act iv. Sc. 3. 9 It has been already observed that jump and just, or exactly, are synonymous. Vide note on Act i. Sc. 1 10 'Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts' Of san |