Your bait of falfhood takes this carp of truth; So by my former lecture and advice you my fon; you have me, have you not? Rey. My Lord, I have. Pol. God b'w' you; fare you well. Rey. Good my Lord. Pol. Obferve his inclination in yourself. Rey. I fhall, my Lord. Pol. And let him ply his musick. Rey. Well, my Lord. [Exit. Pol. Farewel. How now, Ophelia, what's the matter? Oph. My Lord, as I was fewing in my closet, (12) -bis Stockings foul'd, ----The Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his Ancle.] I have restored the Reading of the Elder Qaarto's---bis Stockings loofe. Change, I fufpect, was first from the Players, who faw a Contradiction in his Stockings being loofe, and yet fhackled down at Ancle, But they, in their Ignorance, blundered away our Author's Word, because they did not understand it; Ungarter'd, and down-gyred, i. e. turned down. So, the oldeft Copies; and, fo his Stockings were properly loose, as they were ungarter'd and rowl'd down to the Ancle. The Latins borrowed Gyrus from the Greeks, to fignify, a Circle; as we may find in their beft Poets and Profe-Writers: and the Spaniards and Italians have from thence adopted both the Verb and Substantive into their Tongues: fo that Shake care could not be at a Lofs for the Ufe of the Term. As As if he had been loosed out of hell, To speak of horrors; thus he comes before me. Oph. My Lord, I do not know : Pol. What faid he ? Oph. He took me by the wrift, and held me hard; As he would draw it. Long time staid he fo; And thrice his head thus waving up and down, Pol. Come, go with me, I will go feek the King. This is the very ecftacy of love; Whofe violent property foredoes itself, And leads the will to defp'rate undertakings, That does afflict our natures. I am forry; What, have you giv'n him any hard words of late? His accefs to me. Pol. That hath made him mad. I'm forry, that with better speed and judgment. I had not quoted him. I fear'd, he trifl'd, And meant to wreck thee; but beshrew my jealousy ; It seems, it is as proper to our age To caft beyond ourselves in our opinions, As it is common for the younger fort To lack difcretion. Come; go we to the King. SCENE changes to the Palace. Enter King, Queen, Rofincrantz, Guildenftern, Lords. King. Moreover that we much did long to fee you, The need, we have to ufe you, did provoke That being of fo young days brought up with him, Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you; To whom he more adheres. If it will please you As to extend your time with us a while, Rof. Both your majesties Might, by the fov'reign power you have of us, Guil. But we both obey, And here give up ourselves, in the full bent, Τα To lay our service freely at your feet. King. Thanks, Rofincrantz, and gentle Guildenstern. Queen. Thanks, Guildenfiern, and gentle Rofincrantz. And, I befeech you, inftantly to vifit My too much changed fon. Go, fome of ye, Guil. Heav'ns make our prefence and our practices Pleasant and helpful to him! [Exeunt Rof. and Guil. Queen. Amen. Enter Polonius. Pol. Th' ambaffadors from Norway, my good lord, Are joyfully return'd. King. Thou fill haft been the father of good news. Pol. Have 1, my Lord? affure you, my good Liege, I hold my duty, as I hold my foul, Both to my God, and to my gracious King; As I have us'd to do) that I have found King. Oh, fpeak of that, that do I long to hear. Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main, His father's death, and our o'er-hafty marriage. Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand, and Cornelius. King. Well, we fhall fift him.-Welcome, my good friends! Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway? His nephew's levies, which to him appear'd (13) Gives him three thousand Crowns in annual Fee.] This Reading firft obtain'd in the Édition put out by the Players. But all the old Quarto's (from 1605, downwards,) read, as I have reform'd the Text. I hid hinted, that threefcore thousand Crowns feemed a much more fuitable Donative from a King to his own Nephew, and the General of an army, than fo poor a Pittance as three thoufand Crowns, a Penfion fearce large enough for a dependent Courtier. I therefore reftor'd, Gives him threescore thousand Crowns----- To this Mr. Pope, (very archly critical, as he imagines;) has only replied,----which in his Ear is a Verfe. I own, it is; and I'll venture to prove to this great Mafter in Numbers, that two Syllables may, by Pronunciation, be refolu'd and melted into one, as easily as two Notes are flurr'd in Mufick: and a Redundance of a Syllable, that may be fo funk, has never been a Breach of Harmony in any Language. We must pronounce, and ican, as if 'twere written; Gi's'm three fcore thousand crowns } Mr. Pope would advance a falfe Nicety of Ear against the Licence of Shakespeare's Numbers; nay, indeed, against the Licence of all English Verfification, in common with that of other Languages. Three Syllables, thus liquidated into two, are in Scanfion plainly an Anapest; and equal to a Spondee, or Foot of two Syllables. I could produce at least two thoufand of our Poet's Verfcs, that would be difturb'd by this modern, unreasonable, Chaftenefs of Metre. And |