"and are most tyrannically clapt for't; these are now "the fashion, and fo berattle the common ftages, (fo "they call them) that many wearing rapiers are afraid "of goofe-quills, and dare fcarce come thither.

Ham. What, are they children? who maintains "'em? how are they 7 efcoted? will they purfue "the Quality, no longer than they can fing? will they "not fay afterwards? if they should grow themfelves "to common players, as it is moft like, if their "means are no better: their writers do them wrong "to make them exclaim against their own fucceffion. "Rof. Faith, there has been much to do on both "fides; and the nation holds it no fin, to tarre them on to controverfy. There was, for a while, no mony bid for argument, unlefs the poet and the "player went to cuffs in the queftion.

Ham. Is't poffible?

"Guil. Oh, there has been much throwing about ❝ of brains.

"Ham. Do the Boys carry it away?

Rof. Ay, that they do, my Lord, 9 Hercules and "his load too.

Ham. It is not ftrange; for mine uncle is King of Denmark; and those, that would make mowes at him while my father lived, give twenty, forty, fifty, an hundred ducats a-piece, for his picture in little. There is fomething in this more than natural, if philofophy could find it out. [Flourish for the Players:

7 Efcoted] Paid.

8 will they pursue the Quality no longer than they can fing? Will they follow the profeffion of players, no longer than they keep the voices of boys? So afterwards he fays to the player, Come, give us a taste of your quality; Come, a paffionate feech.

9 Hercules end his load too.] i. e. They not only carry away

the world, but the world bearer too: Alluding to the ftory of Hercules's relieving Atlas. This is humourous. WARE.

It is not frange; for mine unkle] I do not wonder that the new players have fo fuddenly rifen to reputation, my uncle fupplies another example of the facility with which honour is conferred upon new claimants. Q.2

Guil.

Guil. There are the Players,

Ham. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elfinoor. Your hands. Come then. Come then. The appurtenance of.. welcome is fashion and ceremony; 2 let me comply with you in this garbe, left my extent to the players, which, I tell you, muft fhew fairly outward, fhould more appear like entertainment than yours. You are

welcome; but my Uncle-father and Aunt- mother are deceiv'd.

Guil. In what, my dear Lord?

Ham. I am but mad north, north-weft: when the wind is foutherly, 'I know a hawk from a hand-faw.

SCENE VII.
СЕ

Enter Polonius.

Pol. Well be with you, gentlemen.

Ham. Hark you, Guildenstern; and you too, at each ear a hearer. That great Baby, you see there, is not yet out of his fwathling-clouts.

Rof. Haply, he's the fecond time come to them; for they fay, an old man is twice a child.

Ham. I will prophefy, he comes to tell me of the players. Mark it. You fay right, Sir; for on Monday morning 'twas fo, indeed.

Pol. My Lord, I have news to tell you. Ham My Lord, I have news to tell you. When Rofcius was an Actor in Rome

Pol. The Actors are come hither, my Lord.

2 Harmer reads, Let me compliment with you.

3 I knew a hawk from a hand faqv] This was a common proverbial fpeech. The Oxford Editor alters it to, I know a hawk from a bernfbaw. As if the

other had been a corruption of. the players; whereas the poet found the proverb thus corrupted in the mouths of the people. So that this critick's alteration only ferves to fhew us the original of the expreffion. WARB.

Ham.

Ham. 4 Buzze, buzze

Pol. Upon mine honour-

Ham. Then come each Actor on his ass

Pol. The best Actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, hiftory, paftoral, paftoral-comical, historical pastoral, scene undividable, or Poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus to light. For the law of writ, and the Liberty, these are the only men.

Ham. Oh, Jephtha, judge of Ifrael, what a treasure

hadft thou!

Pol. What a treasure had he, my Lord? Ham. Why, one fair daughter, and no more, The which he loved paffing well.

Pol. Still on my daughter.

Ham. Am I not i' th' right, old Jephiba? Pol. If you call me Jephtha, my Lord, I have a daughter that I love paffing well.

Ham. Nay, that follows not.

Pol. What follows then, my Lord?

Ham. Why, as by lot, God wot-and then you know, it came to pass, as most like it was: 7 the first

4 Buzze, buzze] Meer idle talk, the buzze of the vulgar.

5 Then came, &c.] This feems to be a line of a ballad.

6 For the law of writ, and the Liberty, thefe are the only men.] All the modern editions have, the law of wit, and the liberty; but both my-old copies have, the law of writ, I believe rightly. Writ, for writing, compofition. Wit was not, in our authour's time, taken either for imagination, or acuteness, or both together, but for underflanding, for the faculty by which we apprehend and judge. Those who wrote of the human mind diftinguished its primary powers into wit and will. Af

row of the rubrick will fhew you more. For, look, where 8 my abridgments come.

Enter four or five Players.

Y'are welcome, mafters, welcome all. I am glad to fee thee well; welcome, good friends. Oh! old friend! thy face is valanc'd, fince I faw thee laft : com'st thou to beard me in Denmark? What! my young lady and miftrefs? b'erlady, your ladyfhip is nearer heaven than when I faw you laft, by the altitude of a chioppine. Pray God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not crack'd within the ring.-Mafters, you are all welcome, we'll e'en to't like friendly faulconers, fly at any thing we fee, we'll have a speech straight. Come, give us a tafte of your quality; come, a paffionate fpeech.

1 Play. What fpeech, my good Lord?

Ham. I heard thee fpeak me a fpeech once; but it was never acted or if it was, not above once; for the Play, I remember, pleas'd not the million; 'twas 2 Caviare to the general; but it was as I receiv'd it, and others whofe judgment in fuch matters 3 cried in the top of mine, an excellent Play; well digefted in the fcenes, 4 fet down with as much modefty as cun

ning. I remember, one faid, there was no falt in the
lines, to make the matter favoury; nor no matter in
the phrase, that might indite the author of affection;
6 but call'd it, an honeft method, as wholesome as
Sweet, and by very much more bandfome than fine. One
speech in it I chiefly lov'd! 'twas Eneas's tale to
Dido, and thereabout of it efpecially, where he speaks
of Priam's flaughter. If it live in your memory, be-
gin at this line, let me fee, let me fee-The rugged
Pyrrhus, like th' Hyrcanian beast,—It is not so;
it begins with Pyrrhus.

The rugged Pyrrhus, he, whofe fable arms,
Black as his purpofe, did the Night resemble
When he lay couched in the ominous horse;
Hath now his dread and black complexion fmear'd
With heraldry more difmal; head to foot,
Now is he total gules; horridly trickt

With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, fons,
Bak'd and impafted with the parching fires,
That lend a tyrannous and damned light
To murders vile. Roafted in wrath and fire,
And thus o'er-fized with coagulate gore,
With eyes like carbuncles, the hellifh Pyrrhus
Old grandfire Priam feeks.

Pol. 'Fore God, my Lord, well fpoken, with good accent and good difcretion.

1 Play. Anon he finds him,

Striking, too fhort, at Greeks. His antique fword. Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls, Repugnant to Command; unequal match'd,