express and admirable! in action, how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me, nor woman neither; though, by your smiling, you seem to say so. Ros. My lord, there is no such stuff in my thoughts. HAM. Why did you laugh [then] when I said, Man delights not me? Ros. To think, my lord, if you delight not in man, what lenten entertainment (26) the players shall receive from you: we coated them on the way; (27) and hither are they coming, to offer you service. HAM. He that plays the king, shall be welcome; his majesty shall have tribute of me: the adventurous knight shall use his foil, and target; the lover shall not sigh gratis; the humorous man shall end his part in peace: the clown shall make those * that are laugh, whose lungs are tickled o'the sere; (28) and the tickled in lady shall say her mind freely,(29) or the blank verse shall halt for't.-What players are they? the lungs. 1603. Ros. Even those you were wont to take [such] delight in, the tragedians of the city. HAM. How chances it, they travel? their residence, both in reputation and profit, was better both ways. Ros. I think, their inhibition comes by the means of the late innovation.(30) express] i. e. according to pattern, justly and perfectly modelled. b paragon] i. e. model of perfection. See Two G. of V. II. 4. Prot. The humorous man shall end his part in peace] i. e. the fretful or capricious man shall vent the whole of his spleen undisturbed. d travel] Become strollers. Malone cites the Poetaster: "thou shalt not need to travell, with thy pumps full of gravel any more, after a blind jade and a hamper, and stalk upon boords and barrel-heads to an old crackt trumpet." HAM. Do they hold the same estimation they did when I was in the city? Are they so followed? Ros. No, indeed, they are not. [HAM. How comes it? Do they grow rusty? Ros. Nay, their endeavour keeps in their wonted pace: But there is, sir, an ayrie of children,(31) little yases,(32) that cry out on the top of question,(33) and are most tyrannically clapped for't:(34) these are now the fashion; and so berattle* the common So 1632. stages, (so they call them) that many, wearing ra- beratled. piers, are afraid of goose quills, and dare scarce come thither. a HAM. What, are they children? who maintains them? how are they escoted? Will they pursue the quality no longer than they can sing ? will they not say afterwards, if they should grow themselves to common players, (as it is like most, if their means are not better,) their writers do them wrong, to make them exclaim against their own succession?" Ros. 'Faith, there has been much to do on both a goose quills] i. e. lampoons. bescoted] i. e. paid. Escot, Fr. a sort of reckoning. JOHNSON. с pursue the quality] i. e. the calling. Malone cites Gosson's Schoole of Abuse, 1579: "Over-lashing in apparell is so common a fault, that the verye hyerlings of some of our plaiers, which stand at the reversion of vis. by the weeke, jet under gentlemen's noses in sutes of silke, exercising themselves in pratyng on the stage- -I speak not this, as though every one, that professeth the qualitie, so abused himselfe." And M. Mason, Massinger's Roman Actor: "In these, as being chief of thy profession, d no longer than they can sing] i. e. keep their voices. e grow themselves to] i. e. advance themselves, shoot up to. f like most] Most like, or likely, is the modern turn of the phrase. B exclaim against their own succession] i. e. by another sort of outcry traduce that profession, to which they must look, as an inheritance or future provision. 1623. * not very. 4tos. sides; and the nation holds it no sin, to tarre them to controversy: there was, for a while, no money bid for argument, unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question. HAM. Is it possible? GUIL. O, there has been much throwing about of brains.b HAM. Do the boys carry it away? Ros. Ay, that they do, my lord; Hercules and his load too."] HAM. It is not strange: for my uncle(35) is king of Denmark; and those, that would make mowes at him while my father lived, give twenty, forty, fifty, an hundred ducats a-piece for his picture in + So, 4tos. little. ['Sblood,+] there is something in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out. this. 4tos. [Flourish of Trumpets within. GUIL. There are the players. HAM. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your hands. Come [then :] the appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony: let me comply with you in the garb;' lest my extent to the players, which, I tell you, must show fairly outward, should more appear like entertainment" than yours. You are welcome: but my uncle-father, and auntmother, are deceived. a to tarre them] i. e. set them on. See K. John, IV. 1. Arth. b throwing about of brains] i. e. sharp and nice discussion. c Hercules and his load too] i. e. “ every thing before them." Steevens observes," the allusion may be to the Globe playhouse on the Bankside, the sign of which was Hercules carrying the Globe; as for a time he did in ease of the labours of Atlas." d make mowes at him] i. e. use antic gestures, mockery. See Temp. II. 2. Calib. The quartos read mouths. e in little] i. e. in miniature. f comply with you in the garb] dress and fashion of behaviour. See III. 4. Haml. i. e. compliantly assume this See Haml. of Osric, V. 2. 8 my extent to] i. e. the degree of courtesy dealt out. h entertainment] i. e. acceptance of service, kind reception. GUIL. In what, my dear lord? HAM. I am but mad north-north west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw,(36) Enter POLONIUS. Poz. Well be with you, gentlemen! HAM. Hark you, you too; Guildenstern ;-and at each ear a hearer: that great baby, you see there, is not yet out of his swathing-clouts. Ros. Haply, he's the second time come to them; for, they say, an old man is twice a child. HAM. I will prophecy, he comes to tell me of the players; mark it, you say right, sir: for o' Monday morning 'twas so indeed. POL. My lord, I have news to tell you. HAM. My lord, I have news to tell you. POL. The actors are come hither, my lord. POL. Upon my honour, HAM. Then came each actor on his ass." When * was. 4tos. + So 4tos. can. 1623, 32. POL. The best actors in the world either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral; pastorical-comical, historical-pastoral; tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral; scene indivisible or ‡ light for poem unlimited. Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor writ and the Plautus too light.(38) For the law of writ and the liberty. liberty, these are the only men.(39) the law of These &c. the earlier 4tos. & HAM. O Jephthah, judge of Israel,-what a trea- 1623, 32. sure hadst thou! POL. What a treasure had he, my lord? HAM. Why-One fair daughter, and no more " Then came each actor on his ass] This seems to be a line of a ballad. JOHNSON. "too light: only men." ced. 4tos. & 1603. POL. Still on my daughter. HAM. Am I not i'the right, old Jephthah? [Aside. POL. If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter, that I love passing well. HAM. Nay, that follows not. POL. What follows then, my lord? The HAM. Why, As by lot, God wot,(40) and then, you know, It came to pass, As most like it was,first row of the Pons Chanson will show you more; for look, where my abridgments come.(41) Enter Four or Five Players. You are welcome, masters; welcome, all:-I am glad to see thee well:-welcome, good friends.— vallan- O, my old friend! [Why,] thy face is valiant (42) since I saw thee last: Com'st thou to beard me in Denmark?-What! my young lady and mistress! By-'r-lady, your ladyship is nearer to heaven, than when I saw you last, by the altitude of a choppine.(43) Pray God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not cracked within the ring.(44)— Masters, you are all welcome. We'll e'en to't like + friendly. French† falconers,(45) fly at any thing we see: We'll have a speech straight: Come give us a taste of your quality; come, a passionate speech. 4tos. 1 PLAY. What speech, my lord? HAM. I heard thee speak me a speech once,— but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above vulgar once for the play, I remember, pleased not the million; 'twas caviarie to the General:(46) but it million. 1603. a row of the Pons Chanson] Row is column or division: Pons Chanson, says Pope, the old ballads, sung on bridges. Hamlet is here repeating ends of old songs. Pans is the reading of the folio of 1632, and one 4to. Pious of the other. The 4to. 1603 for 66 row of the Pons Chanson" reads " verse of the godly Ballet." b quality] i. e. " qualifications, faculty." Hamlet to Rosencr. supra. |