Mark you, your party in converfe, he you would found, Rey. Very good, my Lord. Pol. And then, Sir, does he this; I was about to fay fomething-where did I leave ?- Pol. At, clofes in the confequence-Ay, marry. Or then, with fuch and fuch; and, as you say, Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth. -See you now; By indirections find directions out: So by my former lecture and advice Shall you my fon; you have me, have you not? 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 mufick. Rey, Well, my Lord. [Exit. in the metaphors is there betwixt fallies and foil'd?· All the old copies, which I have feen, read as I have reform'd the text. So Beaumont and Fletcher in their Two Noble Kinfmen; -Let us leave the city Thebes, and the temptings in't, before we further Sully our glofs of youth. Enter Enter Ophelia. Pol. Farewel. How now, Ophelia, what's the matter? Oph. Alas, my Lord, I have been so affrighted! Pol. With what, in the name of heav'n ?` Oph. My Lord, as I was fewing in my closet, Lord Hamier, with his doublet all unbrac'd, No hat upon his head, his stockings loose, (25) Ungarter'd, and down-gyred to his ancle; Pale as his fhirt, his knees knocking each other, And with a look fo piteous in purport, As if he had been loofed out of hell, To speak of horrors; thus he comes before me. Oph. My Lord, I do not know: But, truly, I do fear it. Hol. What faid he? Oph. He took me by the wrift, and held me hard; (25) bis ftockings foul'd, Ungarter'd, and down gyveď to his ancle.] I have reftor❜d the readIng of the elder quarto's,—bis ftockings loofe.The change, I suspect, was first from the players, who faw a contradiction in his ftockings being loafe, and yet shackled down at ancle. But they, in their ignorance, blunder'd away our Author's word, because they did not understand it; Ungarter'd, and down-gyred, i. e. turn'd down. So, the oldeft copies; and, fo his stockings were properly loofe, as they were ungarter'd and rowl'd down to the ancle. Tugos among the Greeks fignified a circle; and yugów, to roul round; and the word yugos alfo meant crooked. Therefore the Gyræan rocks, amidft which Ajax of Locri was loft, were call'd fo, because, as Euftathius fays, they were crooked: or, perhaps, because they lay, as it were, in a ring. Hefychius, by the bye, wants a flight correction upon this word. † Γυρῇσι πέτρησιν, ὅτω καλῶνται. † Γυραὶ πέτραι ἐν τῷ ἱκαρίῳ πελάγει, πρὸς μυκώνῃ τῇ νήσῳ. In the frft place we muf take away the note of distinction, and reduce the two articles into one, thus. † Γυρῇσι πέτρησιν· ὅτω καλένται Γυραὶ πέτραι, &c. Then, inftead of μυκώνῃ, we muft read μυκώνω, or μυκόνῳ; for it is written both ways. But, to return to my theme. The Latins borrow'd Gyrus from the Greeks, to fignify a circle; as we may find in their best poets and profe writers: and the Spaniards and Italians have from thence adopted both the verb and fubftantive into their tongues: fo that Shake peare could not be at a loss for the use of the term. Then Then goes he to the length of all his arm; As he would draw it. Long time ftaid he fo; Pol. Come, go with me, I will go seek the King. Whofe violent property foredoes itself, And leads the will to defp'rate undertakings, That does affli&t our natures. I am forry; What, have you giv'n him any hard words of late? Oph. No, my good Lord; but, as you did command, I did repel his letters, and deny'd His accefs to me. Pol. That hath made him mad. I'm forry, that with better speed and judgment (26) (26) I'm forry, that with better heed and judgment I had I had not quoted him.] I have restor'd with the generality of the older copies, speed: and every knowing reader of our Author muft have obferv'd, that he oftner ufes speed in the fignification of success than of celerity. To be content with a few inftances; Launce. There, and St. Nicholas be thy speed! 2 Gent. of Verona. Rof. Now Hercules be thy speed, young man! As You Like it. (Let me fee; What then?- -St. Dennis be my fpeed? K. Hen. V. Bapt. Well may'st thou wooe, and happy be thy speed! Taming the Sbrew. Winter's Tale. The prince your fon, with meer conceit and fear Of the Queen's Speed, is gone. Or if we were to take speed, in its native fenfe of quickness, celerity, Polonius might very properly use it; meaning, that he is forry, he had not fooner, and with better judgment, fifted into Hamlet's indifpofition. So Neftor fays, in Troilus. And I had not quoted him. I fear'd, he triff'd, 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. [Exeunt. Enter King, Queen, Rofincrantz, Guildenstern, Lords and other Attendants. King. W Elcome, dear Rofincrantz, and Guildenstern! That being of fo young days brought up with him, Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you ; And in the publication, make no ftrain, But that Achilles will with great speed of judgment, Το To fhew us fo much gentry and good will, Might, by the fov'reign power you have of us, Guil. But we both obey, And here give up ourselves, in the full bent, King. Thanks, Rofincrantz, and gentle Guildenftern. Queen. Thanks, Guild nftern, and gentle Rofincrantz. And, I beseech you, inftantly to visit 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 ftill haft been the father of good news. Both to my God, and to my gracious King; As I have us'd to do) that I have found The very cause of Hamlet's lunacy. King. Oh, fpeak of that, that do I long to hear. My news fhall be the fruit to that great feaft. [Exit Pol. He tells me, my fweet Queen, that he hath found Queen. |