I lov'd you ever: But it is no matter; Let Hercules himself do what he may, The cat will mew, and dog will have his day. [Exit. King. I pray thee, good Horatio, wait upon him.— [Exit HORATIO. Strengthen your patience in our last night's speech; [TO LAERTES. We'll put the matter to the present push. SCENE II. A Hall in the Castle. Enter HAMLET and HORATIO. [Exeunt. Ham. So much for this, sir: now shall you see the other; You do remember all the circumstance? Hor. Remember it, my lord! Ham. Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting, That would not let me sleep: methought, I lay Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. " 6 Rashly, mutines in the bilboes] Mutines, the French word for seditious or disobedient fellows in the army or fleet. The bilboes is a bar of iron with fetters annexed to it, by which mutinous or disorderly sailors were anciently linked together. The word is derived from Bilboa, a place in Spain where instruments of steel were fabricated in the utmost perfection. To understand Shakspeare's allusion completely, it should be known, that as these fetters connect the legs of the offenders very close together, their attempts to rest must be as fruitless as those of Hamlet, in whose mind there was a kind of fighting that would not let him sleep. Every motion of one must disturb his partner in confinement. The bilboes are still shown in the Tower of London, among the other spoils of the Spanish armada. And prais'd be rashness for it,- Let us know, When our deep plots do pall7; and that should teach us, There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will. Hor. Ham. Up from my cabin, That is most certain. My sea-gown scarf'd about me, in the dark Their grand commission; where I found, Horatio, Larded with many several sorts of reasons, My head should be struck off. Hor. 9 Is't possible? 7 Rashly, And prais'd be rashness for it, - Let us know, Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well, When, &c.] Hamlet, delivering an account of his escape, begins with saying-That he rashly and then is carried into a reflection upon the weakness of human wisdom. I rashly praised be rashness for it. Let us not think these events casual, but let us know, that is, take notice and remember, that we sometimes succeed by indiscretion when we fail by deep plots, and infer the perpetual superintendance and agency of the Divinity. The observation is just, and will be allowed by every human being, who shall reflect on the course of his own life. JOHNSON. 8 With, ho! such bugs and goblins in my life,] With such causes of terror, rising from my character and designs. 9 of time. no leisure bated,] Without any abatement or intermission Ham. Here's the commission; read it at more leisure. But wilt thou hear now how I did proceed? Hor. Ay, 'beseech you. Ham. Being thus benetted round with villainies, They had begun the play; - I sat me down ; I once did hold it, as our statists do, 2 A baseness to write fair, and labour'd much 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 ; 1 Or I could make - Or in old English signified before. 2 ———— as our statists do,] A statist is a statesman. Most of the great men of Shakspeare's times, whose autographs have been preserved, wrote very bad hands; their secretaries very neat ones. 3 - yeoman's service:] The meaning is, this yeomarly qualification was a most useful servant, or yeoman, to me; i. e. did me eminent service. The ancient yeomen were famous for their military valour. 4 As peace should still her wheaten garland wear, And stand a comma 'tween their amities;] The expression of our author is, like many of his phrases, sufficiently constrained and affected, but it is not incapable of explanation. The comma is the note of connection and continuity of sentences; the period is the note of abruption and disjunction. Shakspeare had it perhaps in his mind to write, That unless England complied with the mandate, war should put a period to their amity; he altered his mode of diction, and thought that, in an opposite sense, he might put, that peace should stand a comma between their amities. This is not an easy style; but is it not the style of Shakspeare? JOHNSON. Without debatement further, more, or less, 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: 6 Subscrib'd it; gave't the impression; plac'd it safely, Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't. They are not near my conscience; their defeat 'Tis dangerous, when the baser nature comes Of mighty opposites. Hor. Why, what a king is this! Ham. Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon He that hath kill'd my king, and whor'd my mother; Popp'd in between the election and my hopes: Thrown out his angle for my proper life, 8 ? And with such cozenage; is't not perfect conscience, In further evil? Hor. It must be shortly known to him from England, What is the issue of the business there. 3 Not shriving-time allow'd.] i. e. without time for confession of their sins: another proof of Hamlet's christian-like disposition. the model of that Danish seal;] The model is in old language the copy. 6 7 by their own insinuation] By their having insinuated or thrust themselves into the employment. 8 To quit him-] To requite him; to pay him his due. Ham. It will be short: the interim is mine; For by the image of my cause, I see The portraiture of his: I'll count his favours: 9 Hor. Peace; who comes here? Enter OSRIC. Osr. Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. Ham. I humbly thank you, sir. - Dost know this water-fly?1 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 chough2; 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, '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, -as 9 -I'll count his favours:] I will make account of them, i. e. reckon upon them, value them. 1 Dost know this water-fly?] A water-fly skips up and down upon the surface of the water, without any apparent purpose or reason, and is thence the proper emblem of a busy trifler. |