cient cause to fufpect, that the private advantage of individuals is more intended than the general one of the community.. I do not mean to plead here for the old and justly exploded doctrines of paffive obedience and non-refiftance; but only to hint a diftinction between reason and refentment, between rebellion and defence.

The following fpeech in the fame Scene will fupply its own reflections and morals, without the af fiftance of a comment:

King. Oh! my offence is rank, it smells to heaven.
Pray, I cannot,

Though inclination be as fharp as't will;
My ftronger guilt defeats my ftrong intent;
And, like a man to double bufinefs bound,
I stand in pause where I fhall first begin,
And both neglect. What if this curfed hand
Were thicker than itself with brother's blood ?
--Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens,
To wash it white as fnow? Whereto ferves mercy,
But to confront the vifage of offence?

And what's in prayer but this twofold force,
To be foreftalled ere we come to fall,

Or pardoned being down? Then I'll look up;
My fault is paft. But, oh! what form of prayer
Can ferve my turn? Forgive me my foul murder !
That cannot be, fince I am ftill possessed
Of thofe effects for which I did the murder,
My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.
May one be pardoned, and retain th' offence?
In the corrupted currents of this world,
Offence's gilded hand may fhove by juftice;
And oft 'tis feen, the wicked prize itself
Buys out the law-But 'tis not fo above:
There is no buffling; there the action lies
-In his true nature; and we ourselves compelled,
Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults,
To give in evidence. What then? What refts?
Try what repentance can. What can it not?
Yet what can it, when one cannot repent * ?
Oh wretched ftate! O bofom, black as death!
Oh limed foul, that ftruggling to be free,
Art more engaged! Help, angels! make affay!

• That is, fhew their penitence fincere by making reflitution.

Bow, ftubborn knees! and heart, with strings of fteal,
Be foft as finews of the new-born babe!

After fome time he rifes, and fays,

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:
Words without thoughts will ne'er to Heaven go.

SCENE X.

In the latter end of the conference between Hamlet and his mother, he makes a fpeech, upon the power of custom, which fhould be engraved on our hearts, and be the matin foliloquy of our lives.

Good night; but go not to mine uncle's bed!
Affame a virtue, if you have it not :

That monfier cufom, who all fense doth eat
Of kabit's devil, is angel yet in this;
That to the uje f actions fair and good,
He likewife gives a frock, or livery,
That aptly is put on. Refrain, to-night,
And that ball lend a kind of eafinefs
To the next abftinence; the next, more eafy;
For ufe can almoft change the ftamp of nature,
And mafter ev'n the devil; or throw bim out,
With wondrous potency.

The following fpeech of Hamlet contains a very philofophic reflection, and is the proper fentiment of men who are not brutes in their nature, and deferve to perish like them.

What is a man,

If his chief good and market of his time,
Be but to fleep and feed? A beaft, no more.
Sure he that made us with fuch large difcourfe",
Looking before and after, gave us not
Tbat capability and godlike reafon,

To fuft in us unused.

SCENE V.

When the Queen fuffers Ophelia in her madness to be admitted to her prefence, left her pitiable conWith fuch investigating powers and faculties of reasoning.

dition might raise a tumult in the city, he makes

this foliloquy :

Let her come in

To my fick foul, as fin's true nature is,
Each toy feems prologue to fome great amifs;
So full of artlefs jealoufy is guilt,

It fpills itself, in fearing to be fpilt ‡.

ACT V. SCENE

IV.

Here follows the defcription of an obfequious, empty, but impofing character, fuch as is frequently, to be met with in life; moftly in Courts, or among those who, by a modern unmeaning title, are ftiled, The Ton-Vox et præterea nihil .

Hamlet, fpeaking of Ofrick,

He did compliment with his dug before he fucked it. Thus has he, and many more of the fame breed, that I know the droffy age dotes on, only got the tune of the time, and outward habit of encounter; a kind of yefty collection, which carries them thro' and thro' the most fanned and winnowed opinions; and do but blow them to their trials, the bubbles are out.

In the fame Scene, juft before his going to engage with Laertes on the trial of fkill, Hamlet hints at one of thofe forebodings frequent in the human mind, and already remarked upon in former places.

Hamlet to Horatio.

Thou wouldst not think how ill all's here about my 'tis no matter.

Horatio. Nay, my good lord.

heart-But

Hamlet. It is but foolery; but it is fuch a kind of gain-giving §, as would, perhaps, trouble a woman.

Horatio. If your mind dislike any thing, obey it. I will foreftal their repair hither, and say you are not fit.

↑ A tainted conscience, as the proverb fays, in other words, is apt to betray itself. Virtue and vice, fenfe and folly, are the only juft, natural, or adequate differences in mankind. These made the first diftinctions between men, and ought still to preferve them,

From yeft, or barm. In general, it means fpumy or frothy.

Gain-giving for misgiving. A most extraordinary kind of synonima, and only met with here.

L12

To

Bow, ftubborn knees! and heart, with strings of fteel,
Be foft as finews of the new-born babe!

After fome time he rises, and fays,

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below :
Words without thoughts will ne'er to Heaven go.

In the latter end of the conference between Hamlet and his mother, he makes a fpeech, upon the power of custom, which should be engraved on our hearts, and be the matin foliloquy of our lives.

Good night; but go not to mine uncle's bed!
Affume a virtue, if you have it not :
That monfter cuffom, who all fenfe doth eat
Of habit's devil, is angel yet in this;
That to the use of actions fair and good,
He likewife gives a frock, or livery,
That aptly is put on. Refrain, to-night,
And that hall lend a kind of eafiness
To the next abftinence; the next, more eafy;
For ufe can almoft change the ftamp of nature,
And mafter ev'n the devil; or throw him out,
With wond'rous potency.

The following fpeech of Hamlet contains a very philofophic reflection, and is the proper fentiment of men who are not brutes in their nature, and deferve to perish like them.

What is a man,

If his chief good and market of his time,
Be but to fleep and feed? A beat, no more.
Sure he that made us with fuch large difcourfe",
Looking before and after, gave us not

That capability and godlike reafon,

To fuft in us unused.

When the Queen fuffers Ophelia in her madness to be admitted to her prefence, left her pitiable con

With fuch inveftigating powers and faculties of reafoning.

dition might raife a tumult in the city, he makes

this foliloquy :

Let her come in

To my fick foul, as fin's true nature is,
Each toy feems prologue to fome great amifs;
So full of artless jealoufy is guilt,

It fpills itself, in fearing to be fpilt .

ACT V. SCENE

IV.

Here follows the defcription of an obfequious, empty, but impofing character, fuch as is frequently. to be met with in life; moftly in Courts, or among those who, by a modern unmeaning title, are stiled, The Ton-Vox et præterea nihil ||.

Hamlet, fpeaking of Ofrick,

He did compliment with his dug before he fucked it. Thus has he, and many more of the fame breed, that I know the droffy age dotes on, only got the tune of the time, and outward habit of encounter; a kind of yefty collection, which carries them thro' and thro' the most fanned and winnowed opinions; and do but blow them to their trials, the bubbles are out.

In the fame Scene, juft before his going to engage with Laertes on the trial of fkill, Hamlet hints at one of those forebodings frequent in the human mind, and already remarked upon in former places.

Hamlet to Horatio.

Thou wouldst not think how ill all's here about my heart-But 'tis no matter.

Horatio. Nay, my good lord.

Hamlet. It is but foolery; but it is fuch a kind of gain-giving §, as would, perhaps, trouble a woman.

Horatio. If your mind diflike any thing, obey it. I will foreftal their repair hither, and say you are not fit.

↑ A tainted conscience, as the proverb fays, in other words, is apt to betray itself. Virtue and vice, fenfe and folly, are the only juft, natural, or adequate differences in mankind. These made the first diftinctions between men, and ought stilk to preferve them,

From yeft, or barm. In general, it means fpumy or frothy.

Gain-giving for mifgiving. A moft extraordinary kind of synonima, and only

met with here.