Fell in the weeping brook; her cloaths fpread wide, And mermaid-like, a while they bore her up; Or like a creature native, and indued Unto that element: but long it could not be, Laer. Alas then, fhe is drown'd! Laer. Too much of water haft thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears. But yet It is our trick: Nature her cuftom holds, Let fhame fay what it will. When these are gone, The woman will be out. Adieu, my Lord! I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze, But that this folly drowns it. King. Follow, Gertrude. How much had I to do to calm his rage! 2 Which time she chaunted Snatches of old tunes,] Fletcher, in his Scornful Lady, very invidioufly ridicules this incident. [Exit. [Exeunt. I 3 ACT V. SCENE I. A CHURCH. Enter two clowns, with spades and mattocks. I CLOWN. Is the to be buried in chr S fhe to be buried in christian burial, that wilfully 2 Clown. I tell thee, the is, therefore 3 make her Grave ftraight. The crowner hath fate on her, and finds it christian burial. I Clown. How can that be, unless fhe drowned her felf in her own defence? 2 Clown. Why, 'tis found fo... 4 1 Clown. It must be fe offendendo, it cannot be elfe. For here lies the point; If I drown myfelf wittingly, it argues an act; and an act hath three branches; it is to act, to do, and to perform. Argal, the drown'd herfelf wittingly. 2 Clown. Nay, but hear you, goodman Delver. I Clown. Give me leave. Clown, here lies the water; Good: here ftands the man; Good. If the man go to this water, and drown himself, it is, will he, nill he, he goes; mark you that: But if the water come to him, and drown him, he drowns not himself. 3 make her Grave ftraight.] Make her grave from east to west in a direct line parallel to the church; not from north to fouth, athwart the regular line. This, I think, is meant. I an act hath three branches; it is to act, to do, and to perform ;] Ridicule on fcholaftic divifions without diftin&ion; and of dif tinctions without difference. WARBURTON. Argal, Argal, he, that is not guilty of his own death, fhortens not his own life. 2 Clown. But is this law? 1. Clown. Ay, marry is't, crowner's queft-law. 2 Clown. Will you ha' the truth on't? If this had not been a gentlewoman, fhe fhould have been buried out of chriftian burial. 1 Clown. Why, there thou fay'ft. And the more pity, that great folk fhould have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves, more than 5 their even christian. Come. My fpade. There is no ancient gentlemen But gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they hold up Adam's profeffion. 2 Clown. Was he a gentleman? 1 Clown. He was the firft that ever bore arms. "I Clown. What, art a heathen? How doft thou "understand the Scripture? the Scripture fays, Adam digg'd; could he dig without arms?" I'll put another queftion to thee; if thou answereft me not to the purpose, confefs thyfelf 2 Clown. Go to. 1 Clown. What is he that builds ftronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter? 2 Clown. The gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand tenants. 1 Clown. I like thy wit well, in good faith; the gallows does well; but how does it well? it does well to thofe that do ill: now thou doft ill, to fay the gallows is built ftronger than the church; argal, the gallows may do well to thee. To't again, come. 2 Clown. Who builds ftronger than a mafon, a fhipwright, or a carpenter ? 5 their even chriftian] So all the old books, and rightly. An old English expreffion for fellowchriftians. Dr. THIRLBY. T 4 1 Clown. 6 1 Clown. Ay, tell me that, and unyoke, 2 Clown. Marry, now I can tell. 1 Clown. To't. 2 Clown. Mafs, I cannot tell. Enter Hamlet and Horatio, at a distance. Clown. Cudgel thy brains no more about it, for your dull afs will not mend his pace with beating; and when you are afk'd this question next, fay, a grave-maker. The houses, he makes, laft 'till doomsday. Go, get thee to Yaughan, and fetch me a ftoup of liquor. [Exit 2 Clown. He digs, and fings. 7. In youth when I did love, did love, Methought, it was very fweet; To contract, ob, the time for, a, my bebove, Ham. Has this fellow no feeling of his business, that he fings at Grave-making? Hor. Cuftom hath made it to him a property of eafiness. Ham. 'Tis e'en fo. The hand of little imployment hath the daintier fenfe. Clown fings. • But age, with his stealing steps, Hath claw'd me in his clutch: Ham. That fcull had a tongue in it, and could fing once; how the knave jowles it to the ground, as if it were Cain's jaw-bone, that did the first murder! This might be the pate of a politician, 1 As though I had never been 2 which this afs which this afs o'er-offices ;] The meaning is this. People in office, at that time, were so overbearing, that Shakespear speaking of infolence at the height, calls it Infolence in office. And Donne fays, Who is be Who officers' rage and fuitors' mifery Can write in jeft Sat. Alluding to this character of mi nifters and politicians, the speak 1 a politician-one that would circumvent God,] This character is finely touched. Our great hifer obferves, that this infolent oftorian has well explained it in an example, where fpeaking of the death of Cardinal Mazarine, at the time of the Restoration, he fays, The Cardinal was probably ftruck with the wonder, if not the agony of that undream d-of profperity of our King's affairs; as if ficer is now o'er-officer'd by the Sexton, who, knocking his fcull about with his fpade, appears to be as infolent in his office as they were in theirs. This is faid with much humour. WARBURTON. In the quarto, for over-offices is, over-reaches, which agrees better |
