Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

Hor. You might have rhym'd.

Ham. Oh, good Horatio, I'll take the Ghoft's word for a thousand pounds. Didit perceive?

Hor. Very well, my Lord.

Ham. Upon the talk of the poisoning?

Hor. I did very well note him.

[ocr errors]

Ham. Oh, ha! come, fome mufick. Come, the recorders.

For if the King like not the comedy;

[ocr errors]

Why, then, belike,—He likes it not, perdy.

Enter Rofincrantz and Guildenstern.

Come, fome musick,

Guil. Good my Lord, vouchfafe me a word with you.

Ham. Sir, a whole hiftory.

cock, Paicocke, and Pajocke. I fubftitute Paddock as nearest to the traces of the corrupted reading. I have, as Mr. Pope fays, been willing to fubftiture any thing in the place of his Peacock. He thinks a fable alluded to, of the birds chufing a King; inftead of the eagle, a peacock. I fuppofe, he must mean the fable of Barlandus, in which it is faid, the birds being weary of their ftate of anarchy, moved for the fetting up of a King: and the Peacock was elected on account of his gay feathers. But, with fubmiffion, in this paffage of our Shakespeare, there is not the leaft mention made of the eagle in antithefis to the peacock; and it must be by a very uncommon figure, that Jove himself ftands in the place of his bird. I think,

Hamlet is fetting his father's and uncle's characters in contralt to each other and means to fay, that by his father's death the ftate was ftripp'd of a godlike monarch, and that now in his stead reign'd the most defpicable poifonous animal that could be: a meer padd ck, or toad, PAD, bufo, rubeta major; a toad. This word, I take to be of Hamlet's own fubftituting. The verses, repeated, feem to be from fome old bailad; in which, rhyme being neceffary, I doubt not but the left verfe ran thus ;

A very, very, -Afs.

ΤΗΣΟΒΑΙΝ.

Why, then, belike] Fiamet was going on to draw the confequence when the courtiers entered.

[blocks in formation]

Guil. The King, Sir

Ham. Ay, Sir, what of him?

Guil. Is, in his retirement, marvellous diftemper❜d-Ham. With drink, Sir?

Guil. No, my Lord, with choler.

Ham. Your wifdom fhould fhew itfelf more rich, to fignify this to his Doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation, would, perhaps, plunge him into

more choler.

Guil. Good my Lord, put your difcourfe into fome frame, and ftart not fo wildly from my affair.

Ham. I am tame, Sir.Pronounce.

Guil. The Queen your mother, in moft great affiction of fpirit, hath fent me to you.

Flam. You are welcome.

Guil. Nay, good my Lord, this Courtesy is not of the right Breed. If it fhall pleafe you to make me a wholefome anfwer, I will do your mother's commandment; if not, your pardon and my return fhall be the end of my bufinefs.

Ham. Sir, I cannot.

Guil. What, my Lord?

Ham. Make you a wholefome anfwer: my wit's difeas'd. But, Sir, fuch anfwer as I can make, you fhall command; or rather, as you fay, my mother. Therefore no more but to the matter. My mother, you fay

Rof. Then thus fhe fays. Your behaviour hath ftruck her into amazement, and admiration.

Ham. Oh wonderful fon, that can fo aftonish a mother! But is there no fequel at the heels of this mo ther's admiration?

Rof. She defires to speak with you in her closet, ere you go to bed.

9 With drink, Sir?] Hamlet takes particular care that his

unk'e's love of drink fhail not be forgotten..

Ham

Ham. We fhall obey, were the ten times our mother. Have you any further trade with us?

Rof. My Lord, you once did love me.

2

Ham. So I do ftill, by thefe pickers and stealers. Rof. Good my Lord, what is your cause of diftemper? You do, furely, bar the door of your own li berty, if you deny your griefs to your friend. Ham. Sir, I lack advancement.

Ref. How can that be, when you have the voice of the King himself, for your fucceffion in Denmark? Ham. Ay, but while the grafs grows the Proverb is fomething mufty.

Enter one, with a Recorder.

Oh, the Recorders; let me fee one. To withdraw with you-Why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toile?

3

Guil. Oh my Lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly.

Ham. I do not well underftand that. Will you play upon this pipe?

Guil. My Lord, I cannot.

Ham. I pray you.

Guil. Believe me, I cannot.

Ham. I do befeech you.

Guil. I know no touch of it, my Lord.

Ham. 'Tis as eafy as lying. Govern thefe 4 ventages with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will difcourfe moft eloquent mufick. Look you, thefe are the ftops.

[blocks in formation]

Guil. But thefe cannot I command to any utterance of harmony; I have not the skill.

Ham. Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you would make of me; you would play upon me, you would feem to know my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my mystery; you would found me from my lowest note, to the top of my compass; and there is much mufick, excellent voice, in this little organ, yet cannot you make it speak. Why, do you think, that I am easier to be play'd on than a pipe? Call me what inftrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me. God blefs you, Sir.

Enter Polonius.

Pol. My Lord, the Queen would speak with you, and presently.

5

Ham. Do you fee yonder cloud, that's almost in hape of a Camel?

Pol. By the mass, and it's like a Camel, indeed.
Ham. Methinks it is like an Ouzle.

Pol. It is black like an Ouzle.

Ham. Or, like a Whale?

Pol. Very like a Whale.

Ham. Then will I come to my mother by and bythey fool me to the top of my bent.I will come by and by.

Pol. I will fay fo.

Ham. By and by is eafily faid. Leave me, friends.

[Exeunt. 'Tis now the very witching time of night, When church-yards yawn, and hell itfelf breathes

out

Contagion to this world. blood,

They fool me to the top of my bu.] They compel me to play

Now could I drink hot

the fool, till, I can endure to do it no longer.

And

* And do fuch bitter business as the day

Would quake to look on. Soft, now to my mo

ther

O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever
The Soul of Nero enter this firm bofom
;
Let me be cruel, but not unnatural;
I will speak daggers to her, but ufe none.
My tongue and foul in this be hypocrites;
How in my words foever fhe be fhent,
? To give them feals never my foul confent!

SCENE

VIII,

Enter King, Rofincrantz, and Guildenstern.

King. I like him not, nor ftands it fafe with us To let his madness range. Therefore, prepare you ;I your Commiffion will forthwith dispatch, And he to England fhall along with you. The terms of our estate may not endure Hazard fo near us, as doth hourly grow

And do fuch BITTER bufinefs as the day Would quake to look on-] The expreffion is almoft burlefque. The old quarto reads,

And do fuch business as the BIT

TER day

Would quake to look on. This is a little corrupt indeed, but much nearer Shakespear's words, who wrote,

BETTER day, which gives the fentiment great force and dignity. At this very

time (fays he) hell breathes out contagion to the world, whereby night becomes polluted and execrable; the horror therefore of this feafon fits me for a deed, which the pure and facred day would quake to look on. This is faid with great claffical propriety. According to ancient fuperftition, night was prophane and execrable; and day, pure and holy. WARBURTON.

7 To give them feals—] i. e. put them in execution. WARB.

« VorigeDoorgaan »