as girdle, hangers 9, and fo: Three of the carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very refponfive 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.

Ofr. The carriages, fir, are the hangers.

2

Ham. The phrafe would be more german to the matter, if we could carry a cannon by our fides; I would, it might be hangers till then. But, on: Six Barbary horfes againft fix French fwords, their affigns, and three liberal-conceited carriages; that's the French bet against the Danish: Why is this impawn'd, as you call it?

Ofr. The king, fir, hath lay'd3, that in a dozen paffes

The word

9 -as girdle, hangers, and fo:] i. e. and fo forth. bangers has been mifunderstood. That part of the girdle or belt by which the fword was fufpended, was in our poet's time called the bangers. See Minfheu's Dictionary, 1617: "The bangers of a fword. G. Pendants d'efpée, L. Subcingulum," &c. So, in an Inventory found among the papers of Hamlet Clarke, an attorney of a court of record in London in the year 1611, and printed in The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. LVIII, p. 111:

Item,One payre of girdle andhangers, of filver purle,and cullored filke. Item, One payre of girdler and bangers upon white fattene."

The bangers ran in an oblique direction from the middle of the forepart of the girdle acrofs the left thigh, and were attached to the girdle behind. MALONE.

-you must be edified by the margent,-] Dr. Warburton very properly obferves, that in the old books the glofs or comment was ufually printed on the margent of the leaf. So, in Decker's Honeft Whore, part 28, 1630:

2

66

I read

"Strange comments in thofe margins of your looks." STEEVENS. This fpeech is omitted in the folio.

See Vol. X. p. 92, n. 6. MALONE.

-more german-] More a-kin. JOHNSON.

3 The king, fir, bath lay'd, &c.] This wager I do not understand. In a dozen pafies one muft exceed the other more or lefs than three hits. Nor can I comprehend, how, in a dozen, there can be twelve to nine. The paffage is of no importance; it is fufficient that there was a wager. The quarto has the paffage as it ftands. The folio, He hath one twelve for mine. JOHNSON.

The meaning, I think, is, The king hath laid that in a game of a dozen paffes, or in other words, in a trial of skill with foils, which is to be within, or at the utmoft, not to go beyond, a dozen paffes or bouts,

paffes between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you three hits; he hath lay'd, on twelve for nine; and it would come to immediate trial, if your lordship would youchfafe the answer.

Ham. How if I answer, no?

Ofr. I mean, my lord, the oppofition of your person in trial.

Ham. Sir, I will walk here in the hall: If it please his majefty, it is the breathing time of day with me: let the foils be brought, the gentleman willing, and the king hold

bouts, Laertes does not exceed you three hits; the king bath laid on the principle of him who makes a bet, with the chance of gaining twelve, for nine that he may lofe: or, in the language of gamefters, the king (by the advantage allowed to the prince,) hath odds, tantamount to four to three.

So, in The Tempest,

each putter out, on three for one,"

means, each layer out of money on the terms of gaining three pounds, &c. if he returns from his travels, for one that he hath staked, and will lofe, if he does not return.

If the words, "be bath lay'd, &c. relate to Laertes, they must mean, I think, that "Laertes bath laid on the principle of one who undertakes to make twelve passes for nine, that his adverfary fhall make; on the ratio of twelve to nine.

Dr. Johnfon objects very plaufibly to this wager, that in a dozen paffes one must exceed the other more or less than three hits: nor can there, fays he, in a dozen paffes be twelve to nine. If my interpretation of the words-be bath laid on twelve for nine, be right, the latter objection is done away: for these words relate to the nature or principle of the bet, and not to the number of pales actually to be made.

Let us then confider the other objection. In a dozen paffes or bouts, if they are play'd out, one must certainly exceed the other more or less than three hits; for the victor muft either gain eight to four, or seven to five. But Shakspeare by the words-in a dozen paffes, meant, I believe, within a dozen paffes, or in a game that at the utmost may be extended to a dozen paffes. In fuch a game it might be afcertained that Laertes could not exceed Hamlet by three hits, without the twelve paffes being made: for if Hamlet obtained the first five hits, the king would win his wager, and it would be useless to play out the remaining pafies, inafmuch as Laertes could not, in that cafe, exceed his adverfary by three hits. So, if Laertes was successful in the first five, and Hamlet in the second five,-the game would be at an end, and Hamlet be victorious; for the remaining hits could avail Laertes nothing: and fo in other cafes that might be put.

A cafe, however, it must be acknowledged, might arife, in which it might be necessary to play out the whole twelve pafles. Thus, if Hamlet had made four hits, and Laertes, feven, Hamlet would have

2

a right

hold his purpose, I will win for him, if I can; if not, I will gain nothing but my fhame, and the odd hits.

Ofr. Shall I deliver you fo?

Ham. To this effect, fir; after what flourish your nature will.

Ofr. I commend my duty to your lordship. [Exit. Ham. Yours, yours.-He does well, to commend it himself; there are no tongues elfe for's turn.

Hor. This lapwing runs away with the fhell on his head. Ham.

a right to infift on the twelfth bout being played, because if he was fuccefsful in that, his antagonist would be defeated, and lofe his wager. Shakspeare probably did not advert to the circumftance, that if the whole twelve paffes were made, one must exceed the other by more or less than three hits, because it is obvious that the wager might be determined without twelve pafles being made.

Three bits, was, I fuppofe, the ufual number by which superior skill in the use of the fword was afcertained in Shakspeare's time. In Master Slender's engagement with a mafter of defence, the victor on making three venies, i. e. bits, more than his antagonist, was to have a dish of ftew'd prunes. How many bouts or palles were allowed, is not mentioned; but probably the game generally was limited, and not permitted to exceed twelve pafles.-The paffage alluded to, has been mifunderftood. See the note on it in Vol. X. in the APPENDIX. MALONE. 4 This lapsing runs away with the hell on his head.] I fee no particular propriety in the image of the lapwing. Ofrick did not run till he had done his bufinefs. We may read, This lapwing ran awayThat is, this fellow was full of unimportant buftle from his birth. JOHNS, The fame image occurs in Ben Jonfon's Staple of News:

and coachmen

"To mount their boxes reverently, and drive,

"Like lapwings with a shell upon their beads,
"Thorough the streets."

And I have fince met with it in feveral other plays. The meaning, I believe, is,-This is a forward fellow. So, in Vittoria Corombona, or the White Devil, 1612:

Forward lapwing,

"He flies with the hell on's head."

Again, in Revenge of Honour, by Chapman :

"Boldness enforces youth to hard atchievements

"Before their time; makes them run forth like lapwings
"From their warm neft, part of the hell yet sticking

"Unto their downy heads." STEEVENS.

I believe, Hamlet means to fay that Ofrick is, bustling and impetuous, and yet" but raw in respect of his quick fail." So, in The Character of an Oxford Incendiary, 1643: "This lapwing incendiary ran away balfbatch'd from Oxford, to raise a combustion in Scotland."

Ham. He did comply with his dug, before he fuck'd 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 encounter7; a kind of yefty collection, which carries them through and through the most fond and winnow'd opinions; and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out.

Enter

In Meres's Wit's Treasury 1598, we have the fame image expreffed exactly in our poet's words: "As the lapwing runneth away with the hell on ber bead, as foon as the is hatched," &c. MALONE.

The

5 He did comply with bis dug, &c.] Thus the folio. The quarto, 1604, reads-A [i. e. be] did, fir, with his dug, &c. For comply Dr. Warburton and the fubfequent editors; read-compliment. verb to compliment was not used, as I think, in the time of Shakspeare. MALONE. Shakspeare feems to have ufed comply in the fenfe in which we ufe the verb compliment. See before, Act II. sc. ii. let me comply with you in this garb. TYRWHITT.

61

and many more of the fame breed.] The firft folio has-and mine more of the fame beavy. The fecond folio-and nine more, &c. Perhaps the laft is the true reading. STEEVENS.

There may be a propriety in beavy, as he has just call'd him a lapwing. TOLLET.

"Many more of the fame breed," is the reading of the quarto, 1604. MALONE.

7- - outward babit of encounter;] Thus the folio The quartosread-out of an habit of encounter. STEEVENS.

$

We should, I think, read-an outward habit, &c. MALONE. a kind of yefty collection, which carries them through and through the most fond and winnow'd opinions;] This paffage in the quarto ftands thus: "They have got out of the habit of encounter, a

kind of mifty collection, which carries them through and through "the moft profane and trennowned opinions." If this printer preferved any traces of the original, our author wrote, "the most fane and renowned opinions," which is better than [the reading propofed by Dr. Warburton,] fann'd and winnowed.

The meaning is, "thefe men have got the cant of the day, a fu"perficial readiness of flight and curfory converfation, a kind of "frothy collection of fashionable prattle, which yet carries them "through the most select and approved judgments. This airy facility "of talk fometimes impofes upon wife men.'

Who has not feen this obfervation verified? JOHNSON.

The quarto, 1604, reads, "-dotes on; only got the tune of the time, and out of an habit," &c. and-not mifty, but bifty; the folio rightly, yefty: the fame quarto has not trennowned, but trennowed (a corruption of winnowed,) for which (according to the ufual process,) the next

quart

Enter a Lord.

Lord. My lord', his majefty commended him to you by young Ofrick, who brings back to him, that you attend him in the hall: He fends to know, if your pleafure hold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time.

Ham. I am conftant to my purposes, they follow the king's pleasure: if his fitnefs fpeaks, mine is ready; now, or whenfoever, provided I be fo able as now.

Lord. The king, and queen, and all are coming down. Ham. In happy time.

Lord. The queen defires you, to ufe fome gentle entertainment to Laertes, before you fall to play.

Ham. She well instructs me.

Hor. You will lofe this wager, my lord.

[Exit Lord.

Ham. I do not think fo; fince he went into France, I have been in continual practice; I fhall win at the odds 3. quarto gave trennowned. Fond and winnowed is the reading of the folio. MALONE.

Fond is evidently oppofed to winnowed. Fond, in the language of Shakspeare's age, fignified foolish. So, in the Merchant of Venice: "Thou naughty jailer, why art thou fo fond," &c. Winnored is fifted, examined. The fenfe is then, that their conver fation was yet fuccessful enough to make them paffable not only with the weak, but with thofe of founder judgment. The fame oppofition in terms is vifible in the reading which the quartos offer. Profane or vulgar, is oppofed to trenowned, or thrice renowned. STEEVENS.

Fann'd and winnow'd feems right to me. Both words, winnowed, fand and dreft, occur together in Markham's English Husbandman, p. 117. So do fan'd and winnow'd, fanned and winnowed, in his Husbandry, p. 18, 76, and 77. So Shakspeare mentions together the fan and wind in Troilus and Creffida, Act V. fc. iii. TOLLET.

9- - do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out.] Thefe men of fhow, without folidity, are like bubbles raised from foap and water, which dance, and glitter, and please the eye, but if you extend them, by blowing hard, feparate into a mist; fo, if you oblige thefe fpecious talkers to extend their compass of converfation, they at once difcover the tenuity of their intellects. JOHNSON.

My lord, &c.] All that paffes between Hamlet and this Lord is omitted in the folio. STEEVENS.

2-gentle entertainment-] Mild and temperate converfation. JOHNS. 3 I shall win at the odds.] I fhall fucceed with the advantage that I am allowed. MALONE.

So written without the apoftrophe, and eafily might in MS. be mistaken for fond.

But