Take each man's censure', but reserve thy Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, 5 And they in France, of the best rank and station, lord. Pol. The time invites you; go, your servants Oph. 'Tis in my memory lock'd, [Exit Laertes. Pol. What is 't, Ophelia, he hath said to you? Oph. So please you, something touching the lord Hamlet. Pol. Marry, well bethought: 8 1005 Pol. Ay, fashion you may call it: go to, go to. With almost all the holy vows of heaven. 10 When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul 25 [teous: 30 'Tis told me, he hath very oft of late [tenders Pol. Affection puh! you speak like a green Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. [baby; Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds, I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, SCENE IV. The Platform. [Exeunt. Enter Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus. Hor. I think, it lacks of twelve. Hor. Indeed? I heard it not: it then draws 40 Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk. Pol. Marry, I'll teach you think yourself a That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay, Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more 45 dearly; poor phrase) 4i. e. your Chief is an adjective used adverbially; a practice common to our author: 3 That is, infix it in such a manner as that it never may wear out. servants are waiting for you.. 7 "The meaning is, that your counsels are as sure of remaining locked Unsifted, for untried.-Untried signiup in my memory, as if you yourself carried the key of it. fies either not tempted, or not refined; unsifted, signifies the latter only, though the sense requires the That is, if you continue to go on thus wrong. former. A proverbial saying. for a transient practice. tion; from the French entrétien. uninclosed, is confined within the proper limits. She uses fashion for manner, and he 10 Entreatments here means company, conversa11 Tether is that string by which an animal, set to graze in grounds 12 Do not believe (says Polonius to his daughter) A rouse is a large dose of liquor, a deHamlet's amorous vows made to you; which pretend religion in them (the better to beguile) like those sanctified and pious vows [or bonds] made to Heaven. 15 That is, the blustering upstart, according to Dr. Johnson: bauch. 14 See Macbeth, Act I. 13 but Mr. Steevens says, that up-spring was a German dance; and that the spring was also anciently the name of a tune. But, But, to my mind,--though I am native here, That, for some vicious mole of nature in them, Enter Ghost. Hor. Look, my lord, it comes! 5 And for my soul, what can it do to that, It waves me forth again;-I'll follow it. Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff, 15 20 Ham. It waves me still:- Mar. You shall not go, my lord. And makes each petty artery in this body Ham. Angels and ministers of grace defend us! Why thy canoniz'd bones, hearsed in death, Mar. Look, with what courteous action Hor. No, by no means. Ham. It will not speak; then I will follow it. Ham. Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin's fee'; 135 140 45 SCENE V. mark. [Exeunt. Ghost. My hour is almost come, When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames Ham. Alas, poor ghost! Ghost. Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing To what I shall unfold. Ham. Speak, I am bound to hear. [hear. 50 Ghost. So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt Ham. What? Ghost. I am thy father's spirit; Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night; 55 Till the foul crimes, done in my days of nature, i. e. humour; as sanguine, melancholy, phlegmatic, &c. tainly, in our author's time signified to converse. buried in that manner 4 The dram of base means the least alloy of baseness or vice: To do a thing out, is to extinguish it, or to efface or obliterate any thing painted or written. i. e. in a shape or form capable of being conversed with.-To question, cerIt was the custom of the Danish kings to be The expression is fine, as intimating we were only kept (as formerly, fools in a great family) to make sport for nature, who lay hid only to mock and laugh at us, for our vain searches into her mysteries. ? Toys for whims. take away. i. e. 6 Disposition, for frame. 10 i. e. hinders or prevents me. I could I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word Thy knotty and combined locks to part, To ears of flesh and blood:-List, list, O list!— Ham. O heaven! [murder. Ghost. Revenge his foul and most unnatural Ham. Murder? Ghost. Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. Ham. Haste me to know it; that I, with wings As meditation', or the thoughts of love, Ghost. I find thee apt; [That, swift as quicksilver, it courses through Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand, And duller should'st thou be than the fat weed Ham. O, my prophetic soul! my uncle? But virtue, as it never will be mov'd, And prey on garbage. But soft! methinks, I scent the morning air--- [Exit. And shall I couple hell?-O fie!-Hold, hold, my 35I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! 50 [Writing. So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word"; I have sworn it. Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, 'That is, henbane. * Dispatch'd for bereft. [Within. This similitude is extremely beautiful. The word meditation is consecrated, by the mystics, to signify that stretch and flight of mind which aspires to the enjoyment of the supreme good: So that Hamlet, considering with what to compare the swiftness of his revenge, chooses two of the most rapid things in nature, the ardency of divine and human passion, in an enthusiast and a lover. 2 Orchard for garden. i. e. without the sacrament taken; from the old Saxon word for the sacrament, housel. "Disappointed is the same as unappointed; and may be properly explained unprepared. 7 i. e. unanointed, not having the extreme unction. i. e. for lewdness. i. e. fire that is no longer seen when the light of morning approaches. 10 i. e. in this head confused with thought. "Hamlet alludes to the watch-word given every day in the military service, which at this time he says is, Adieu, adieu, remember me. Ham. Mar. Nor I, my lord. Ham. Ha, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, true-penny? Come on,-you hear this fellow in the celleridge,Consent to swear. Hor. Propose the oath, my lord. Ham. Never to speak of this that you have seen, Swear by my sword. [ground: Ghost. [beneath.] Swear. Ham. Hic & ubique? then we'll shift our Ham. How say you then; would heart of man 10 Come hither, gentlemen, once think it? But you'll be secret, Boh. Ay, by heaven, my lord. [mark, Ham.There's ne'era villain,dwelling in all Den But he's an arrant knave. Hor. There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave, To tell us this. Ham. Why, right; you are in the right; And so, without more circumstance at all, I hold it fit, that we shake hands, and part: You, as your business and desire,shall point you;For every man hath business and desire, Such as it is, and, for my own poor part, Look you, I will go pray. Hor. These are but wild and whirling words, my lord. Ham. I am sorry they offend you, heartily; Yes 'faith, heartily. Hor. There's no offence, my lord. Ham.Yes,by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio, And much offence too. Touching this vision here,-It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you: For your desire to know what is between us, 15 20 And lay your hands again upon my sword: Never to speak of this that you have heard. strange! [come '. Ham. And therefore as a stranger give it welThere are more things in heaven and earth, HoraThan are dreamt of in your philosophy. [tio, But come; Here, as before, never, so help you mercy! 25 How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet To put an antick disposition on, 30 That you, at such times seeing me, never shall With arms encumber'd thus; or this head-shake; Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, As, Well, well, we know ;—or, We could, an if we would-or, If we list to speak ;—or, There be, an if they might; Or such ambiguous giving out;) denote O'er-master it as you may. And now, good friends, 35 That you know aught of me: This do ye swear, As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers, Give me one poor request. Hor. What is't, my lord? we will. Ham. Never make known what you have seen So grace and mercy at your most need help you! Swear. This is the call which falconers use to their hawk in the air when they would have him come down to them.. It was common to swear upon the sword, that is, upon the cross which the old swords always had upon the hilt. i. e. receive it to yourself; take it under your own roof; as much as to say, Keep it secret ;-alluding to the laws of hospitality. * Danske is the ancient name of Denmark. And What company, at what expence; and finding, [not well: 10 Pol. And, in part, him;-but, you may say,But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild; Addicted so and so;-and there put on him What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank As may dishonour him; take heed of that; But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips, As are companions noted and most known To youth and liberty. Rey. As gaming, my lord. Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, A savageness in unreclaimed blood, Rey. But, my good lord, Pol. Wherefore should you do this? I would know that. 15 20 [quaintly, 25 Pol. Marry, sir, here's my drift; Having ever seen, in the prenominate ' crimes, Rey. Very good, my lord. [What was I Pol. And then, sir, does he this,---He does--About to say? I was about to say Something: Where did I leave? [say, (Videlicet, a brothel) or so forth.---See you now; Pol. God be wi' you; fare you well. Rey. Good my lord,-- Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself". Pol. And let him ply his musick. Rey. Well, my lord. Enter Ophelia. [Exit. Pol. Farewell.---How now, Ophelia? what's the matter? [frighted! Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so afPol. With what, in the name of heaven? Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet,---with his doublet all unbrac'd; No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd, Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle; Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; And with a look so piteous in purport, 6 As if he had been loosed out of hell, To speak of horrors,---he comes before me. Oph. My lord, I do not know; 30 But, truly, I do fear it. Pol. What said he? [hard; Oph. He took me by the wrist, and held me 35 He falls to such perusal of my face, As he would draw it. Long staid he so; And thrice his head thus waving up and down,--- Whose violent property foredoes' itself, And leads the will to desperate undertakings, 50 As oft as any passion under heaven, That does aillict our natures. I am sorry,What, have you given him any hard words of late? Oph. No, my good lord; but, as you did comI did repel his letters, and deny'd [mand, His access to me. Pol. At, closes in the consequence. I saw him enter such a house of sale, 2 Savageness, for wildness. Pol. That hath made him mad. I am sorry, that with better heed, and judgement, I had not quoted him: I fear'd, he did but trifle, 2i. e. such as youth in general is liable to. 3 i. e. crimes already named. It is a common mode of colloquial language to use, or so, as a slight intimation of more of the same, or a like kind, that might be mentioned. i. e. in your own person, not by spies. Down-gyved means hanging down like the loose cincture which confines the fetters round the ancles. To foredo is to destroy. To quote here means to reckon, to take an account of. 3 T And |