But fince fo full upon this bloody question,
You from the Polack wars, and you from England,
Are here arriv'd; give order that thefe bodies,
High on a ftage be placed to the view,

And let me fpeak to th' yet unknowing world,
How these things came about. So fhall you hear
Of cruel, bloody, and unnatural acts;

Of accidental judgments, cafual flaughters;
Of deaths put on by cunning, and forc'd caufe
And, in this upfhot, purposes mistook,

Fall'n on th' inventors' heads. All this can I
Truly deliver.

Fort. Let us hafte to hear it,

And call the Nobleffe to the audience.

For me, with forrow I embrace my fortune;
I have fome rights of memory in this kingdom,
Which, now to claim my vantage doth invite me.
Hor. Of that I fhall have alfo cause to speak,
And from his mouth whofe voice will draw on more: (78)
But let this fame be prefently perform'd,

Even while men's minds are wild, left more mifchance
On plots and errors happen.

Fort. Let four captains

Bear Hamlet, like a foldier, to the stage;
For he was likely, had he been put on,

thus; that he no otherways gave a command for their deaths, than in putting a change upon the tenour of the King's commiffion, and warding off the fatal fentence from his own head,

(78) And from bis mouth whofe voice will draw no more.] This is the reading of the old quarto's, but certainly a mistaken one.

We

fay, a man will no more draw breath; but that a man's voice will draw no more, is, I believe, an expreffion without any authority. I chufe to efpoufe the reading of the elder folio.

And from his mouth, whofe voice will draw on more.

And this is the Poet's meaning. Hamlet, juft before his death, had

faid;

But I do prophefy, th' election lights

On Fortinbras: he has my dying voices
So tell him, &c.

Accordingly, Horatio here delivers that meffage; and very juftly infers, that Hamlet's voice will be feconded by others, and procure them, in favour of Fortinbras's fucceffion,

To

To have prov'd moft royally. And for his paffage,
The foldiers mufick, and the rites of war

Speak loudly for him

Take up the body: fuch a fight as this

Becomes the field, but here fhews much amifs.
Go, bid the foldiers fhoot.

[Exeunt, marching: after which, a peal of
Ordnance is hot off.

O THE LLC,

THE

Moor of VENICE.

L4

DUKE of Venice.

Brabantio, a noble Venetian.

Gratiano, Brother to Brabantio.

Lodovico, Kinfman to Brabantio and Gratiano.
Othello, the Moor, General for the Venetians in Cyprus.
Caffio, his Lieutenant-General.

Jago, Standard-bearer to Othello.

Rodorigo, a foolish Gentleman, in love with Defdemona, Montano,the Moor's Predeceffor in the Governmentof Cyprus. Clown, Servant to the Moor.

Herald.

Desdemona, Daughter to Brabantio, and Wife to Othello. Emilia, Wife to Iago.

Bianca, Courtezan, and Miftrefs to Caffio.

Officers, Gentlemen, Meffengers, Muficians, Sailors, and Attendants.

SCENE, for the First Act, in Venice; during the reft of the Play, in Cyprus.