They had begun the play :) I fate me down, A bafenefs to write fair, and laboured much Hor. Ay, good my Lord. Ham. An earneft conjuration from the King, As England was his faithful tributary, As love between them, like the palm, might flourish, As peace fhould ftill her wheaten garland wear, (71) And ftand a Commere 'tween their amities; my doubts to my two ingenious friends Mr Warburton and Mr Bishop; and by their affiftance, I hope, I have reformed the whole to the Author's intention: Being thus benetted round with villainy, They had begun the play :) I fate me down. e. Being thus in their fnares, ere I could make a prologue, (tåke the leaft previous ftep to ward off danger), they had begun the play (put their schemes in action) which was to terminate in my destruction. (71) As Peace fhould fill her wheaten garland wear, And and a comma 'tween their amities, &c.] Peace is finely and properly perfonalized here, as the goddefs of good league and friendship; but what idea can we form of her ftanding as a comma, or stop, betwixt their amities? I am fure the stands rather like a cypher in this reading. I have no doubt but the Poet wrote; And ftand a commere 'tween their amities. i. è a guarantee, a common mother. Nothing can be more picturefque than this image of Peace's standing dressed in her wheaten garland between the two princes, and extending a hand to each. In this equipage and office we frequently fee her on Roman coins; particularly on two exhibited by Baron Spanheim; one of Auguftus, and the other of Vef pafian. The pocts likewife image to us Peace holding an ear of corn, as the emblem of plenty. Tibull. lib. 1. Eleg. x. At nobis, pax alma, veni, spicamque teneto. Mr Warburton. And many fuch like As's of great charge; Hor. How was this fealed? Ham. Why, even in that was Heaven ordinant; I had my father's fignet in my purse, Which was the model of that Danith feal : I folded the writ up in form of th' otlrer, Subfcribed it, gave th' impreffion, placed it fafely, The changeling never known. Now, the next day Was our fea-fight, and what to this was fequent Thou knoweft already. Hor. So Guildenstern and Rofincrantz go to't. Ham. Why, man, they did make love to this employment.--- They are not near my confcience; their defeat Of mighty oppofites. Hor. Why, what a King is this! Ham. Does it not, thinkeft thou, and me now upon? He that hath killed my King, and whored my moTM Pop'd in between th' election and my hopes, [ther, Thrown out his angle for my proper life, And with fuch cozenage; is it not perfect confcience To quit him with this arm? and is't not to bẹ To let this canker of our nature come [damned, In further evil? Her. It must be fhortly known to him from EngWhat is the iffue of the business there. Ham. It will be short. [land, The interim's mine; and a man's life's no more Than to fay, one. But I am very forry, good Horatio, Hor. Peace, who comes here? Enter OSRICK. Ofr. Your Lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. Ham. I humbly thank you, Sir. Doft know this water-fly? Hor. No, my good Lord. Ham. Thy ftate is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him: he hath much land, and fertile; let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib fhall stand at the King's mefs; 'tis a chough; but, as I fay, fpacious in the poffeffion of dirt. Ofr. Sweet Lord, if your Lordship were at leifure, I fhould impart a thing to you from his Majefty. Ham. I will receive it with all diligence of fpirit: your bonnet to his right ufe- --'tis for the head. Ofr. I thank your Lordship, 'tis very hot. (72) (72) I thank our Lordship, 'tis very hot. Ham. No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is northerly. Ofr. It is indifferent cold, my Lord, indeed. Ham. But yet, methinks, it is very sultry, and bot for my complexion. Ofr. Exceedingly, my Lord, it is very fultry, as 'twere, I can not tell how:] The humourous compliance of this fantastic courtier to every thing that Hamlet fays, is fo close a copy from Juvenal, (Sat. III.) that our Author muft certainly have had that picture in his eye: -Rides? majore cachinno Ham. No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is northerly. Ofr. It is indifferent cold, my Lord, indeed. Ham. But yet, methinks, it is very fultry, and hot for my complexion. Ofr. Exceedingly, my Lord, it is very fultry, as 'twere, I cannot tell how. -My Lord, his Majesty bid me fignify to you, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter Ham. I befeech you, remember-- Ofr. Nay, in good faith, for mine eafe, in good faith:-Sir, here is newly come to court, Laertes ; (73) believe me, an abfolute gentleman, full of moft excellent differences, of very foft fociety, and great fhew: indeed, to fpeak feelingly of him, he is the card or calender of gentry; for you fhall find in him the continent of what part a gentleman would fee. Ham. Sir, his definement fuffers no perdit n in you, though I know, to divide him inventorially would dizzy the arithmetic of memory; and yet but raw neither in respect of his quick fail: but, in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a foul of great article; and his infufion of such dearth and rarenefs, as, to make true diction of him, his femblable is his mirrour; and, who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more. Concutitur; fet, fi lacrimas afpexit amici, Nec dolet; igniculum bruma fi tempore pofcas, (73) Sir, here is newly come to court, Laertes] I have reftored here, feveral fpeeches from the elder Quartos, which were omitted in the Folio editions, and which Mr Pope has likewife thought fit to fink upon us. They appear to me very well worthy not to be loft, as they thoroughly hew the foppery and affectation of Offick, and the humour and addrefs of Hamlet in accofting the other at once in his own vein and style. Ofr. Your Lordship fpeaks moft infallibly of him. Ham. The concernancy, Sir?- -Why do we wrap the gentleman in our more rawer breath? [To Horatio. Ofr. Sir. Hor. Is't not poffible to understand in another tongue? you will do't, Sir, rarely. Ham. What imports the nomination of this gentleman? Ofr. Of Laertes? Hor. His purfe is empty already: all's golden words are spent. Ham. Of him, Sir. Ofr. I know, you are not ignorant, Ham. I would you did, Sir; yet, in faith, if y you did, it would not much approve me.-Well, Sir. Ofr. You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is. Ham. I dare not confefs that, left I fhould compare with him in excellence: but to know a man well, were to know himself. Ofr. I mean, Sir, for his weapon: but in the imputation laid on him by them in his meed, he's un-fellowed. Ham. What's his weapon? Ofr. Rapier and dagger. Ham. That's two of his weapons; but well. Ofr. The King, Sir, has waged with him fix Barbary horfes, against the which he has imponed, as I take it, fix French rapiers and poniards, with their affigns, as girdle, hangers, 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. [Afide. |