Hor. Half a share. Ham. A whole one, I.9 For thou dost know, O Damon dear,1 Of Jove himself; and now reigns here Hor. You might have rhymed. Ham. O good Horatio, I'll take the ghost's word for a thousand pound. Didst perceive? Hor. Very well, my lord. Ham. Upon the talk of the poisoning, Hor. I did very well note him. Ham. Ah, ha!Come, some musick; come, the recorders. For if the king like not the comedy, Why then, belike2, - he likes it not, perdy.3 Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Come, some musick. Guil. Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you. Ham. Sir, a whole history. Guil. The king, sir, Ham. Ay, sir, what of him? Guil. Is, in his retirement, marvellous distempered. shoes with high heels; such as by adding to the stature, are supposed to increase the dignity of a player. 8 a cry of players,] Allusion to a pack of hounds, which was once called a cry of hounds. Ham. A whole one, I.] The actors in our author's time had not annual salaries as at present. The whole receipts of each theatre were divided into shares, of which the proprietors of the theatre, or house-keepers, as they were called, had some; and each actor had one or more shares, or part of a share, according to his merit. O Damon dear,] Hamlet calls Horatio by this name, in allusion to the celebrated friendship between Damon and Pythias. 2 Why then, belike,] Hamlet was going on to draw the consequence, when the courtiers entered. JOHNSON. 3 he likes it not, perdy.] Perdy is the corruption of par Dieu, and is not uncommon in the old plays. Ham. With drink, sir ?* Guil. No, my lord, with choler. Ham. Your wisdom should show itself more richer, to signify this to the doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation, would, perhaps, plunge him into more choler. Guil. Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame, and start not so wildly from my affair. Ham. I am tame, sir: pronounce. Guil. The queen, your mother, in most great affliction of spirit, hath sent me to you. Ham. You are welcome. Guil. Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed. If it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer, I will do your mother's commandment : if not, your pardon, and my return, shall be the end of my business. Ham. Sir, I cannot. Guil. What, my lord? Ham. Make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseased: But, sir, such answer as I can make, you shall command; or, rather, as you say, my mother: therefore no more, but to the matter: My mother, you say, Ros. Then thus she says; Your behaviour hath struck her into amazement and admiration. Ham. O wonderful son, that can so astonish a mother! But is there no sequel at the heels of this 'mother's admiration? impart. Ros. She desires to speak with you in her closet, ere you go to bed. Ham. We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Have you any further trade with us? 5 Ros. My lord, you once did love me. 4 With drink, sir?] Hamlet takes particular care that his uncle's love of drink shall not be forgotten. 5 - further trade —] Further business; further dealing. 6 Ham. And do still, by these pickers and stealers. Ros. Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? you do, surely, but bar the door upon your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to your friend. Ham. Sir, I lack advancement. Ros. How can that be, when you have the voice of the king himself for your succession in Denmark? Ham. Ay, sir, but, While the grass grows, the proverb is something musty.7 Enter the Players, with Recorders. O, the recorders: - let me see one. To withdraw with you9:- Why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toil? Guil. O, my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly. Ham. I do not well understand that. upon this pipe? 6 Guil. My lord, I cannot. Ham. I pray you. Guil. Believe me, I cannot. Ham. I do beseech you. Guil. I know no touch of it, my lord. 7 proverb is by these pickers, &c.] By these hands. Will you play the proverb is something musty.] The remainder of this old "While grass doth growe, the silly horse he starves." Hamlet means to intimate, that whilst he is waiting for the succession to the throne of Denmark, he may himself be taken off by death. 8 Recorders.] i. e. a kind of flute, or flagelet. 9 To withdraw with you:] Here Mr. Malone adds the following stage direction: [Taking Guildenstern aside.] But these obscure words may refer to some gesture which Guildenstern had used, and which, at first, was interpreted by Hamlet into a signal for him to attend the speaker into another room. "To withdraw with you?" (says he) Is that your meaning? But finding his friends continue to move mysteriously about him, he adds, with some resentment, a question more easily intelligible. STEEVENS. Ham. 'Tis as easy as lying: govern these ventages1 with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most eloquent musick. Look you, these are the stops. Guil. But these cannot I command to any utterance of harmony; I have not the skill. Ham. Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me. You would play upon me; you would seem to know my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my mystery; you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass: and there is much musick, excellent voice, in this little organ; yet cannot you make it speak. S'blood, do you think, I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me. God bless you, sir! Enter POLONIUS. Pol. My lord, the queen would speak with presently. you, and Ham. Do you see yonder cloud, that's almost in shape of a camel? Pol. By the mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed. Ham. Methinks, it is like a weasel. Pol. It is backed like a weasel. Ham. Or, like a whale? Pol, Very like a whale. Ham, Then will I come to my mother by and by. by and by. 1 They fool me to the top of my bent 2.- I will come Pol, I will say so. [Exit POLONIUS. [Exeunt Ros. GUIL. HOR. &c. Ham. By and by is easily said.-Leave me, friends. ventages-] The holes of a flute. 2 They fool me to the top of my bent.] They compel me to play the fool, till I can endure it no longer. 'Tis now the very witching time of night; my mother. When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out 3 [Exit. SCENE III. A Room in the same. Enter King, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN. King. I like him not; nor stands it safe with us, To let his madness range. Therefore, prepare you; I your commission will forthwith despatch, And he to England shall along with you: The terms of our estate may not endure Hazard so near us, as doth hourly grow Out of his lunes. " Guil. 5 We will ourselves provide: To keep those many many bodies safe, Ros. The single and peculiar life is bound, be shent,] To shend, is to reprove harshly, to treat with rough language. 4 To give them seals] i. e. put them in execution. 5 Out of his lunes.] i. e. his madness, frenzy. Mr. Malone reads lunacies. |