Hear you, sir; What is the reason that you use me thus ? [Exit. We'll put the matter to the present push.- and Horatio. Enter Hamlet As England was his faithful tributary; Hor. How was this seal'd? Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't. They are not near my conscience; their defeat Ham. So much for this, sir: now shall you see Does by their own insinuation grow: the other ; You do remember all the circumstance? Hor. Remember it, my lord! Ham. Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fight- That would not let me sleep: methought, I lay There's a divinity that shapes our ends, That is most certain. Ham. Up from my cabin, Hor. Is't possible? 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 villanies, A baseness to write fair, and labour'd much Hor. 'Tis dangerous, when the baser nature comes Hor. upon? He that hath kill'd my king, and whor'd my mother; And with such cozenage; is't not perfect conscience, To let this canker of our nature come Hor. It must be shortly known to him from England, What is the issue of the business there. Ham. It will be short: the interim is mine; see 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 ?16 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 chough; 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. The phrase would be more german's to the Ham. But yet, methinks it is very sultry and matter, if we could carry a cannon by our sides; I hot; or my complexionwould it might be hangers till then. But on: Six Osr. Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry,-Barbary horses against six French swords, their asas 'twere,-I cannot tell how-My lord, his majesty signs, and three liberal-conceited carriages; that's bade me signify to you, that he has laid a great wa-the French bet against the Danish: Why is this imger on your head: Sir, this is the matter,- pawned, as you call it? Ham. I beseech you, remember Osr. The king, sir, hath laid, that in a dozen [Hamlet moves him to put on his hat. passes between yourself and him, he shall not exOsr. Nay, good my lord; for my ease, in good ceed you three hits; he hath laid, on twelve for faith. Sir, here is newly come to court, Laertes: nine; and it would come to immediate trial, if your believe me, an absolute gentleman, full of most ex-lordship would youchsafe the answer. cellent differences,2 of very soft society, and great Ham. How, if I answer, no? showing: Indeed, to speak feelingly of him, he is the card' or calendar of gentry, for you shall find in him the continent of what part a gentleman would see. Ham. Sir, this definement suffers no perdition in you;-though, I know, to divide him inventorially, would dizzy the arithmetic of memory; and yet but raw neither, in respect of his quick sail. But, in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a souĺ of great article; and his infusion of such dearth and rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his semblable is his mirror; and, who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more." Osr. Your lordship speaks most infallibly of him. Ham. The concernancy, sir? why do we wrap the gentleman in our more rawer breath? Osr. Sir? Hor. Is't not possible to understand in another tongue? you will do't, sir, really. Ham. What imports the nomination of this gen tleman ? Osr. Of Laertes ? Osr. I mean, my lord, the opposition of your person in trial. Ham. Sir, I will walk here in the hall: If it please his majesty, it is the breathing time of day with me: let the foils be brought, the gentleman willing, and the king hold his purpose, I will win for him, if I can; if not, I will gain nothing but my shame, and the odd hits. Osr. Shall I deliver you so? Ham. To this effect, sir; after what flourish your nature will. Osr. I commend my duty to your lordship. [Exit. Ham. Yours, yours.-He does well to commend it himself; there are no tongues else for's turn. Hor. This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head. Ham. He did comply14 with his dug before he sucked it. Thus has he (and many more of the same breed, that, I know, the drossy age dotes on,) only got the tune of the time, and outward habit of encounter; a kind of yesty: collection, which car Hor. His purse is empty already; all his golden ries them through and through the most fond" and words are spent. Ham. Of him, sir. Osr. I know, you are not ignorant Ham. I would you did, sir; yet, in faith, if you did, it would not much approve" me ;-Well, sir. Osr. You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is Ham. I dare not confess that, lest I should compare with him in excellence; but, to know a man well, were to know himself. Ost. I mean, sir, for his weapon; but in the imputation laid on him by them, in his meed he's unfellowed. Ham. What's his weapon? Ham. That's two of his weapons: but, well. Osr. The king, sir, hath wagered with him six Barbary horses: against the which he has impawned, as I take it, six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdle, hangers, 10 and so: Three of the carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very responsive to the hilts, most delicate carriages, and of very liberal conceit. Ham. What call you the carriages? winnowed opinions; and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out. Hor. I knew, you must be edified by the mar-matter. gent," ere you had done. Osr. The carriages, sir, are the hangers. (1) The affected phrase of the time. (2) Distinguishing excellencies. (3) Compass or chart. (4) The country and pattern for imitation. (5) This speech is a ridicule of the court jargon of that time. (6) Mentioning. (7) Recommend. (8) Praise (9) Imponed, put down, staked. (10) That part of the belt by which the sword was suspended. Hor. Nay, good my lord, 18 Ham. It is but foolery; but it is such a kind of, gain-giving, as would, perhaps, trouble a woman. Hor. If your mind dislike any thing, obey it: I (11) Margin of a book which contains explanatory notes. (12) Akin. (13) A bird which runs about immediately as it is hatched. (14) Compliment. (16) Frothy. (15) Worthless. (17) For fond read fann'd. will forestal' their repair hither, and say, you are not fit. Let all the battlements their ordnance fire; Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury; there is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. 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: Since no man, if aught he leaves, knows, what is't to leave betimes? Let be. Enter King, Queen, Laertes, Lords, Osric, and tendants, with foils, &c. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand [The King puts the hand of Laertes into Ham. Give me your pardon, sir: I have done you heard, Fsore How I am punish'd with 'sore distraction. That might your nature, honour, and exception, Let my disclaiming from a purpos'd evil Free me so far in your most generous thoughts, Laer. I am satisfied in nature, Laer. Ham. Laer. Ham. Come, my lord. [They play. One. Osr. A hit, a very palpaple hit. Laer. No. Judgment. Well, again. King. Stay, give me drink: Hamlet, this pearl is thine; Here's to thy health.-Give him the cup. [Trumpets sound; and cannon shot off within. King. [Aside Ham. Come, for the third, Laertes; you do but dally ; I pray you, pass with your best violence; I Osr. Nothing neither way. Laer. Have at you now. King. [They play. [Laertes wounds Hamlet; then, in scuffling, they change rapiers, and Hamlet wounds Laertes. Part them, they are incens'd. Ham. Nay, come again. [The Queen falls. Look to the queen there, ho! Hor. They bleed on both sides :-) -How is it, my Osr. lord? am justly kill'd with mine own treachery. King. The drink, the drink;-I am poison'd! [Dies. Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain, Drinks good luck to you. (8) Boy. The foil without a button, and poisoned at the point. Hath turn'd itself on me; lo, here I lie, Osr.& Lords. Treason! treason! Where should we have our thanks? Not from his mouth, Drink off this potion:-is the union here? Laer. He is justly serv'd; [Dies. Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright Hor. Never believe it; I am more an antique Roman than a Dane, Ham. And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, [March afar off, and shot within. To the ambassadors of England gives Ham. O, I die, Horatio; ; The potent poison quité o'er-crows3 my spirit; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! others. Fort. Where is this sight? What feast is toward in thine eternal cell, 1 Amb. (1) Mixed. (2) A sergeant is a sheriff's officer. Let us haste to hear it, you hear Fort. Hor. Of that I shall have also cause to speak, On plots and errors, happen. Let four captains Take up the bodies:-Such a sight as this If the dramas of Shakspeare were to be characterised, each by the particular excellence which distinguishes it from the rest, we must allow to the tragedy of Hamlet the praise of variety. The incidents are so numerous, that the argument of the play would make a long tale. The scenes are interchangeably diversified with merriment and solemnity: with merriment that includes judicious and instructive observations; and solemnity not strained by poetical violence above the natural sentiments of man. New characters appear from time to time in continual succession, exhibiting various The pretended madness of Hamlet causes much forms of life, and peculiar modes of conversation. mirth, the mournful distraction of Ophelia fills the heart with tenderness, and every personage produces the effect intended, from the apparition that, in the first act, chills the blood with horror, to the fop in the last, that exposes affectation to just contempt. The conduct is, perhaps, not wholly secure against objections. The action is, indeed, for the most part, in continual progression; but there are some scenes which neither forward nor retard it. Of the feigned madness of Hamlet there appears no adequate cause, for he does nothing which he might not have done with the reputation of sanity. He plays the (7) A word of censure when more game was destroyed than was reasonable. (8) i. e. The king's. (9) By chance. R madman most, when he treats Ophelia with so much easily be formed, to kill Hamlet with the dagger rudeness, which seems to be useless and wanton and Laertes with the bowl. cruelty. The poet is accused of having shown little reHamlet is, through the whole piece, rather an in-gard to poetical justice, and may be charged with strument than an agent. After he has, by the stratagem of the play, convicted the king, he makes no attempt to punish him; and his death is at last effected by an incident which Hamlet had no part in producing. equal neglect of poetical probability. The apparition left the regions of the dead to little purpose: the revenge which he demands is not obtained, but by the death of him that was required to take it; and the gratification, which would arise from the The catastrophe is not very happily produced; destruction of a usurper and a murderer, is abated the exchange of weapons is rather an expedient of by the untimely death of Ophelia, the young, the necessity, than a stroke of art. A scheme might beautiful, the harmless, and the pious. |