SCENE changes to a HALL, in the Palace.

Ham.

S

Enter Hamlet and Horatio.

O much for this, now you fhall fee the other.
You do remember all the circumftance?

Hor. Remember it, my Lord?

Ham. Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting, That would not let me fleep; methought, I lay

Worfe than the mutines in the bilboes; Rafhnefs
(And prais'd be rashness for it) lets us know,
Our indifcretion fometimes ferves us well,

When our deep plots do fail; and that should teach us,
There's a Divinity that fhapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will.

Hor. That is most certain.
Ham. Up from my cabin,

My fea-gown fcarft about me, in the dark
Grop'd I to find out them; had my defire,
Finger'd their packet, and in fine withdrew
To mine own room again; making so bold
(My fears forgetting manners) to unfeal
Their grand commifion, where I found, Horati,
A royal knavery; an exact command,
Larded with many feveral forts of reasons,
Importing Denmark's health and Englana's too,
(With, ho! fuch buggs and goblins in my life ;)
That on the fupervize, no leifure bated,

No, not to stay the grinding of the ax,

My head should be ftruck off.

Hor. Is't poffible?

Ham. Here's the commiffion, read it at more leifure; But wilt thou hear now how I did proceed? Hor. I befeech you.

Ham. Being thus benetted round with villainy,

(Ere I could make a prologue, to my bane (70)

(70) Being thus benetted round with villains,

E'er I could make a prologue to my brains,
They bad begun the play. I fate me down, &‹.]

They

They had begun the play :) I fate me down,
Devis'd a new commiffion, wrote it fair :
(I once did hold it, as our Statifts do,
A baseness to write fair; and labour'd much
How to forget that learning; but, Sir, now
It did me yeoman's fervice;) wilt thou know
Th' effect of what I wrote ?

Hor. Ay, good my Lord.

Ham. An earneft conjuration from the King,
As England was his faithful tributary,

As love between them, like the palm, might flourish,
As fhould ftill her wheaten garland wear, (71)
And ftand a Commere 'tween their amities;

peace

And many fuch like As's of great charge;
That on the view and knowing these contents,
Without debatement further, more or lefs,

This paffage is certainly corrupt both in the text and pointing. Making a prologue to his brain is fuch a phrafe as SHAKESPEARE would never have us'd, to mean, e're I could form my thoughts to making a prologue. I communicated my doubts to my two ingenious friends Mr. Warburton and Mr. Rishop; and by their affiftance, I hope, I have reform'd the whole to the Author's intention :

Being thus benetted round with villainy,

(E're I could make a prologue, to my bane

They had begun the play :) I fate me down,

i.e. Being thus in their fnares, ere I could make a prologue (take the leaft previous step) to ward off danger, they had begun the play (put their schemes in action) which was to terminate in my destruction. (71) As Peace fhould fill her wheaten garland wear,

And ftand a comma 'tween their amities, &c.]

Peace is finely and properly perfonaliz'd here, as the goddefs of good league and friendship: but what ideas can we form of her ftanding as a comma, or ftop, betwixt their amities? I am fure, the ftands rather like a cypher, in this reading. I have no doubt, but the Poet wrote;

And ftand a commere 'tween their amities;

i. e. a guarantee, a common mother. Nothing can be more picturefque than this image of Peace's ftanding dreft in her wheaten garland between the two princes, and extending a hand to each. In this equipage and office we frequently fee her on Roman coins: particu larly, on two exhibited by Baron Spanheim; one of Auguftus, and the other of Vefpatian. The poets likewife image to us Peace holding an ear of corn, as the emblem of plenty. Tibull. lib. I. Eleg. x.

At nobis, Pax alma, veni, spicamque teneto. Mr. Warburton.

He

He should the bearers put to fudden death.
Not fhriving- time allow'd.

Hor. How was this feal'd?

Ham. Why, ev'n in that was heaven ordinant;
I had my father's Signet in my purse,
Which was the model of that Danish feal:
I folded the Writ up in form of th' other,
Subfcrib'd it, gave th' impreffion, plac'd it fafely,
The changeling never known; now, the next day
Was our fea-fight, and what to this was fequent
Thou know'ft already.

Hor. So, Guildenstern and Rofincrantz go to't.

Ham. Why, man, they did make love to this employment.

They are not near my confcience; their defeat

Doth by their own infinuation

grow: 'Tis dangerous when the bafer nature comes Between the pafs, and fell incenfed points, Of mighty oppofites.

Hor. Why, what a King is this!

Ham. Does it not, think'st thou, ftand me now upon ? He that hath kill'd my King, and whor'd my mother, Popt in between th' election and my hopes, Thrown out his angle for my proper life,

And with fuch cozenage; is't not perfect confcience, To quit him with this arm? and is't not to be damn'd, To let this canker of our nature come

In further evil?

Hor. It must be fhortly known to him from England, What is the iffue of the business there.

Ham. It will be short.

The Interim's mine; and a man's life's no more

Than to fay, one.

But I am very forry, good Horatio,

That to Laertes I forgot myfelf;

For by the image of my cause I fee

The portraiture of his; I'll court his favour;
But, fure, the bravery of his grief did put me
Into a tow'ring paffion.

Hor. Peace, who comes here ?

Enter

Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Your Lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. Ham. I humbly thank you, Sir. Doft know this water-fly?

Hor. No, my good Lord.

Ham. Thy ftate is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him: he hath much land, and fertile; let a beaft be Lord of beafts, and his crib fhall stand at the King's meffe; 'tis a chough; but, as I fay, fpacious in the poffeffion of dirt.

Ofr. Sweet Lord, if your Lordship were at leifure, I fhould impart a thing to you from his Majefty.

Ham. I will receive it with all diligence of fpirit: your bonnet to his right ufe,- is for the head. Ofr. I thank your Lordship, 'tis very hot. (72) Ham. No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is northerly.

Ofr. It is indifferent cold, my Lord, indeed.

Ham. But yet, methinks, it is very fultry, and hot for my complexion.

Ofr. Exceedingly, my Lord, it is very fultry, as 'twere, I cannot tell how:-My Lord, his Majesty bid me fignify to you, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter

Ham. I beseech you, remember

Ofr. Nay, in good faith, for mine ease, in good faith : -Sir, here is newly come to Court, Laertės; (73) believe

(72) Ibank your Lordship, 'tis very hot.

Ham. No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is northerly.
Ofr. It is indifferent cold, my Lord, indeed.

me,

Ham. But yet, methinks, it is very fultry, and hot for my complexion. Ofr. Exceedingly, my Lord, it is very fultry, as 'twere, I cannot tell bow.] The humourous compliance of this fantastic courtier, to every thing that Hamlet fays, is fo clofe a copy from Juvenal, (Sat. III.) that our Author must certainly have had that picture in his eye. Rides? majore cachinno

Concutitur: flet, fi lacrymas afpexit amici,
Nec dolet: igniculum bruma fi tempore pofcas,

Accipit endromidem : fi dixeris, Æstuo, fudat.

(73) Sir, here is newly come to court, Laertes.] I have reflor'd here

feveral fpeeches from the elder quartos, which were omitted in the

me, an abfolute Gentleman, full of moft excellent Differences, of very foft fociety, and great fhew: indeed, to speak feelingly of him, he is the card or kalendar of gentry; for you shall find in him the continent of what part a gentleman would fee.

Ham. Sir, his definement fuffers no perdition in you, tho' I know, to divide him inventorially would dizzy the arithmetick of memory; and yet but raw neither in refpect of his quick fail: But, in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a foul of great article; and his infusion of such dearth and rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his semblable is his mirrour; and, who elfe would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more.

Ofr. Your Lordship fpeaks molt infallibly of him. Ham. The concernancy, Sir?-Why do we wrap the Gentleman in our more rawer breath?

Ofr. Sir,

[To Horatio.

Hor. Is't not poffible to understand in another tongue ? you will do't, Sir, rarely.

Ham. What imports the nomination of this gentleman? Ofr. Of Laertes ?

Hor. His purfe is empty already: all's golden words are spent.

Ham. Of him, Sir,

Ofr. I know, you are not ignorant,

Ham. I would, you did, ir; yet, in faith, if you did, it would not much approve me. Well, Sir. Ofr. You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes

is.

--

Ham. I dare not confefs that, left I should compare with him in excellence: but to know a man well, were to know himself.

Ofr. I mean, Sir, for his weapon: but in the Imputation laid on him by them in his meed, he's unfellow'd.

folio editions, and which Mr. Pope has likewife thought fit to fink upon us. They appear to me very well worthy not to be loft, as they thoroughly fhew the foppery and affectation of Ofrick, and the humour and addrefs of Hamlet in accofting the other at once in his own vein and ftyle,

Ham.