Ham. Yours, yours. He does well to commend it himself, there are no tongues elfe for 's turn. · Hor. This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head... Ham. He did compliment with his dug before he fuck'd it: thus has he, and many more of the fame breed, that, I know, the droffy age dotes on, only got the tune of the time, and outward habit of encounter, a kind of yefty collection, which carries them through A This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head.] I fee no particular propriety in the image of the lapwing. Ofrie did not run till he had done his business. We may read, This lapwing ran away-That is, this fellow was full of unimportant buftle from his birth. 5 He did fo, Sir, with his dug, &c.] What, run away with it? The Folio reads, He did COMPLY with his dug. So that the true reading appears to be, He did COMPLIMENT with bis dug, i. e. ftand upon ceremony with it, to fhew he was born a courtier. This is extremely hu WARBURTON. Hanmer has the fame emendation. mourous. feeing, from the character of this yesty collection, that the opinions, through which they were fo currently carried, were falle op:nions; and fann'd and winnow'd opinions, in the most obvious fenfe fignifying tried and purified opinions, they thought fanned muft needs be wrong, and therefore made it fond, which word fignfied in our author's time, foolish, weak or childish. They did not confider that fann'd and winnowed opinions had alfo a different fignification: For it may mean the opinions of great men and courtiers, men feparated by their quality from the vulgar, as corn is feparated from the chaff. This yefty collection, fays Hamlet, infinuates itself into people of the higheft Quality, as yeft into the fineft flower. The courtiers admire him, but when he comes to the trial, &c. WARBURTON. This is a very happy emendation, but I know not why the critick fhould fuppofe that fond was printed for fann'd in confequence of any reafon or reflection. Such errours, to which there is no temptation but idlenefs, and of which there was no caufe through and through the moft fond and winnowed opinions; and do but blow them to their trials, the bubbles are out.. Enter a Lord. Lord. My Lord, his Majefty commended him to you by young Ofrick, who brings back to him, that you attend him in the Hall. He fends to know if your pleasure bold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time? Ham. I am conftant to my purposes, they follow the King's pleasure, if his fitness fpeaks, mine is ready, now, or whenfoever, provided I be fo able as now. Lord. The King, and Queen, and all are coming down. Ham. In happy time. 8 Lord. The Queen defires you to ufe fome gentle entertainment to Laertes, before you fall to play. Ham. She well inftructs me. caufe but ignorance, are in every page of the old Editions. This paffage in the quarto ftands thus. They have got out of the habit of encounter, a kind of misty collection, which carries them through and through the most profane and trennowned opinions. If this printer preferved any traces of the original, our authour wrote, the most fane and renowned opinions, which is better than fanned and winnowed. [Exit Lord. them through the most select and approved judgement. This airy facility of talk fometimes impofes upon wife men. Who has not feen this obfervation verified? 7 do but blow them, &c.] Thefe men of fhow, without folidity, are like bubbles railed from foap and water, which danee, and glitter, and pleafe the eye, but if you extend them, by blowing hard, feparate into a mitt; fo if The meaning is, these men you oblige thefe fpecious talkers have got the cant of the day, to extend their compafs of cona fuperficial readiness of flight verfation, they at once difcover. and curfory converfation, a kind the tenuity of their intellects. of frothy collection of fashion- gentle entertainment.] Mild able prattle, which yet carried and temperate converfation. For. Hor. You will lofe this wager, my Lord. -Ham. I do not think fo. Since he went into France, I have been in continual practice; I fhall win at the odds. But thou wouldst not think how ill all's here about my heart. But it is no matter. Hor. Nay, my good Lord. heart. Ham. It is but foolery; but it is fuch a kind of gain-giving as would, perhaps, trouble a woman, Hor. If your mind diflike any thing, abey it. I will foreftal their repair hither, and fay you are not fit. Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury; there is a fpecial providence in the fall of a fparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come; the readiness is all. 9 Since no man knows aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes? • Since no man HAS OUGHT OF WHAT he leaves, what is't to leave betimes?] This the editors called reafoning. I fhould have thought the premifes concluded juft otherwife: For fince death ftrips a man of every thing, it is but fit he fhould fhun and avoid the defpoiler. The old Quarto reads, Since no man, of ought he leaves, KNOWS, what is't to leave betimes. Let be. This is the true reading. Here the premifes conclude right, and the argument drawn out at length is to this effect. It is true, that, by death, we lofe all the goods of life; yet feeing this lofs is no otherwife an evil than as we are fenfible of it; and fince death removes all fenfe of it, what matters it how foon we Loje them: Therefore come what The reading of the quarto was right, but in fome other copy the harshness of the tranfpofition was foftened, and the paffage ftood thus, Since no man, knows aught of what he leaves. For knows was printed in the later copies has, by a flight blunder in fuch typographers. I do not think Dr. Warburton's interpretation of the paffage the belt that it will admit. The meaning may be this, Since no man knows aught of the state of Enter King, Queen, Laertes and lords, Ofrick, with other attendants with foils, and gantlets, A table, and flaggons of wine on it. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. [King puts the band of Laertes into the band of Hamlet. Ham. Give me your pardon, Sir. I've done you I wrong; But pardon't, as you are a gentleman. This prefence knows, and you must needs have heard, What I have done, That might your Nature, Honour, and Exception And, when he's not himself, does wrong Laertes, life which he leaves, fince he cannot judge what other years may produce, why fhould he be afraid of leaving life betimes? Why should he dread an early death, of which he cannot tell whether it is an exclufion of hap. pinefs, or an interception of calamity. I defpife the fuperftition of augury and omens, which has no ground in reafon or piety my comfort is, that I cannot fall but by the direction. Hanmer has, Since no man owes Give me your pardon, Sir.~} I with Hamlet had made fome other defence; it is unfuitable to the character of a good or a brave man, to shelter himself in falfehood. His His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy. Laer. I am fatisfied in nature, Whose motive, in this cafe, fhould ftir me most Ham. I embrace it freely, And will this brother's wager frankly play. Laer. Come, one for me. Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes; in mine ignorance Your fkill fhall, like a ftar i̇' th' darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed. Laer. You mock me, Sir. Ham. No, by this hand. King. Give them the foils, young Ofrick. Hamlet, you know the wager. Ham. Well, my Lord; Your Grace hath laid upon the weaker fide. 2 Your Grace bath laid upon the weaker fide.] Thus Hanmer. All the others read, Your Grace bath laid the odds 'th weaker fide. These foils have all a [Prepares to play. When the odds were on the fide of Laertes, who was to hit Hamlet twelve times to nine, it was perhaps the authour's flip. Ofr. |