on her: Yet here she is allow'd her virgin crants, || Laer. Must there no more be done? Laer. Lay her i'the earth;- Ham. What, the fair Ophelia ! Queen. Sweets to the sweet: Farewell! [Scattering Flowers. I hop'd, thou shouldst have been my Hamlet's wife : I thought thy bride-bed to have deck'd, sweet maid, And not have strew'd thy grave. Laer. O treble woe Fall ten times treble on that cursed head, Ham. [Advancing.] What is he, whose grief Bears such an emphasis? whose phrase of sorrow Conjures the wand'ring stars, and makes them stand | Could not, with all their quantity of love, Queen. This is mere madness: And thus awhile the fit will work on him; Ham. Hear you, Sir; I lov'd you ever: But it is no matter; speech; [Exit. King. I pray thee, good Horatio, wait upon him.[Exit HORATIO. Strengthen your patience in our last night's [To LAERTES. We'll put the matter to the present push.Good Gertrude, set some watch over your son.This grave shall have a living monument: Till then, in patience our proceeding be. An hour of quiet shortly shall we see; [Exeunt. teach us, There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Hor. That is most certain. Ham. Up from my cabin, A royal knavery; an exact command,- life, That, on the supervise, † no leisure bated, No, not to stay the grinding of the axe, My head should be struck off. Hor. Is't possible? Ham. Here's the commission; read it at more leisure. But wilt thou hear now how I did proceed ? Ham. Being thus benetted round with villanies, Eizel is vinegar: but Mr. Steevens conjectures the word should be Weisel, a river which falls into the Baltic ocean. ↑ Hatched. * Mutineers. The ship's prison. Garnished. Bugbears. Fail. tt Looking over. As England was his faithful tributary; As peace should still her wheaten garland wear, Without debatement further, more, or less, Not shriving 5-time allow'd. Hor. How was this seal'd? Osr. Sweet lord, if your lordship were al 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 its 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. But yet, methinks, it is very sultry and hot; or my complexion- Osr. Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry, as 'twere,-I cannot tell how-My lord, his majesty bade me signify to you, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter, Ham. I beseech you, remember—— [HAMLET moves him to put on his Hat. Osr. Nay, good my lord; for my ease, in good faith. Sir, here is newly come to court, Laertes: believe me, an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent differences, of very soft so Ham. Why, even in that was heaven ordi- ciety, and great showing: Indeed, to speak feel Thou know'st already. Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't. Ham. Why, man, they did make love to this employment; They are not near my conscience; their defeat Hor. Why, what a king is this! Ham. Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon? He that hath kill'd my king and whor'd my mother, Popp'd in between the election and my hopes; Thrown out his angel for my proper life, And with such cozenage; is't not perfect con ingly 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 soul 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. H 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 gentleman? Hor. It must be shortly known to him from 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. Osr. I mean, Sir, for his weapon; but in the imputation laid on him by them, in his meed it 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, 5 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? Hor. I knew, you must be edified by the margent, ere you had done. Osr. The carriages, Sir, are the hangers. Ham. The phrase would be more german to the matter, if we could carry a cannon by our sides; I would, it might be hangers till then. But, on: Six Barbary horses against six French swords, their assigns, and three liberal conceited carriages; that's the French bet against the Danish: Why is this impawned, as you call it ? Osr. The king, Sir, hath laid, that in a dozen passes between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you three hits; he hath laid, on twelve for nine; and it would come to immediate trial, if your lordship would vouchsafe the an swer. Ham. How, if I answer, no? 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, 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 comply 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 carries them through and through the most fond ¶ and winnowed opinions; and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out. Enter a LORD. Lord. My lord, his majesty commended him to you by young Osric, who brings back to him, that you attend him in the hall: He sends to know, if your pleasure hold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time. Ham. I am constant to my purposes, they follow the king's pleasure: if his fitness speaks, mine is ready; now, or whensoever, provided I be so able as now. Lord. The king, and queen, and all are coming down. Ham. In happy time. Lord. The queen desires you to use some gentle entertainment to Laertes, before you fall to play. Ham. She well instructs me. [Exit LORD. Ham. I do not think so; since he went into France, I have been in continual practice; I shall win at the odds. But thou wouldst not think, how ill all's here about my heart: but it is no matter. Hor. Nay, good my lord, Has It is but foolery; but it is such a kind of gain-giving, ** as would, perhaps, trouble a Enter KING, QUEEN, LAERTES, Lords, Osaic and Attendants, with Foils, &c. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. [The KING puts the Hand of LAERTES into that of HAMLET. Ham. Give me your pardon, Sir: I have done But pardon it, as you are a gentleman. That might your nature, honour, and exception, let: ertes, And, when he is not himself, does wrong La- Let my disclaiming from a purpos❜d evil Laer. I am satisfied in nature, Whose motive, in this case, should stir me most To my revenge: but in my terms of honour, Ham. I embrace it freely; Laer. Come, one for me. Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes; in mine ig But since he's better'd, we have therefore odds. table : Let all the battlements their ordnance tire; begin; Laer. Come, my lord. The king and queen's presence. Large jugs. [They play Ham. Heaven make thee free of it! I follow I am dead, Horatio :-Wretched queen, adieu ! [They play. To the unsatisfied. Laer. A touch, a touch, I do confess. Queen. He's fat, and scant o'breath.- King. Gertrude, do not drink. Queen. I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon The drink, the drink I am poison'd! [Dies. Ham. O villany -Ho let the door be lock'd: Treachery! seek it out. [LAERTES falls. Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain; No medicine in the world can do thee good, Ham. Here, thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned Daue, Drink off this potion :-Is the union here? Follow my mother. [KING dies. Laer. He is justly serv'd; It is a poison temper'd by himself.Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet: Hor. Never believe it; I am more an antique Roman than a Dane, Ham. As thou'rt a man, Give me the cup; let go; by heaven I'll have it.- If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, [March afar off, and Shot within. What warlike noise is this? Ors. Young Fortinbras, with conquest come from Poland, To the ambassadors of England gives Ham. O I die, Horatio; The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit; [Dies. Hor. Now cracks a noble heart;-Good night, sweet prince; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!-- [March within. Enter FORTIN BRAS, the ENGLISH AMBASSADORS, and others. Fort. Where is this sight? If aught of woe, or wonder, cease your search. death! What feast is toward in thine eternal cell, 1 Amb. The sight is dismal : And our affairs from England come too late; The ears are senseless, that should give us hearing, To tell him, his commandment is fulfill'd, Had it the ability of life to thank you; England, Are here arriv'd; give order that these bodies Fort. Let us haste to hear it, A sergeant is a sheriff's ofhow Incidents. 1 Heap of dead game. + O'ercomes. Incited. A word of censure when more game was destroy:d than was reasonable. • 1. c. The king s 1 By chance. And call the noblest to the audience. For me, with sorrow I embrace my fortune ; A more : Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage; The soldier's music, and the rites of war, Take up the bodies :-Such a sight as this But let this same be presently perform'd Even while men's minds are wild; lest more Go, bid the soldiers shoot. [A dead march. mischance On plots and errors, happen. [Exeunt, bearing off the dead Bodies; after which, a Peal of Ordnance is shot off. In reply to an objection which was raised by an eminent critic, and has been repeated with considerable justice by all who have since written on the incidents of this play, viz. that “there appears no adequate canse for the feigned madness of Hamlet; as he does nothing which he might not have done with the reputation of sauity; playing the madman most when he treats Ophelia with so much rudeness, which seems to be useless and wanton cruelty,"--the following novel and satisfactory opinion, condensed from the remarks of a most intelligent and praise-worthy commentator, may be advantageously quoted :---Hamlet resolved to counterfeit madness that he might kill his uncle without being considered as a traitor and a murderer: this he must have been, having no proof against his father's assassin, except what was said by the ghost to himself alone; and of course it would have no weight with any other person. Wishing for additional evidence, he had recourse to the play, which confirming the story of the ghost, he would instantly have gratified his vengeance by killing his uncle, but for the extraordinary circumstance of finding him on his knees at prayer; and shortly afterwards he actually supposed he had done it, when he stabbed Polonius behind the arras, and, finding his mistake, solemnly conjured his mother to retain the secret of his madness being feigned. His treatment of "the young, the beautiful, the harmless, and the pious Ophelia" may be explained in the same way; for if he behaved in such a frantic manner to her, who was the object of his tenderest regard, it is a certain consequence that not a doubt could be entertained by others of the reality of his distraction; and thus the delusion was complete.---Bowdler versus Johnson. |