Laer. Come, one for me.

Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes; in mine ignorance Your skill fhall like a ftar i'th' darkest night Stick fiery off, indeed.

Laer. You mock me, Sir.

Ham. No, by this hand.

King. Give them the foils, young Ofrick. Hamlet, you know the wager.

Ham. Well, my lord;

Your Grace hath laid the odds o'th' weaker fide.
King. I do not fear it, I have seen you both:
But fince he's better'd, we have therefore odds.
Laer. This is too heavy, let
Ham. This likes me well;
length.

Ofr. Ay, my good lord.

me fee another.
thefe foils have all a

[Prepares to play.

King. Set me the ftoops of wine upon that table:
If Hamlet gives the firft, or fecond, Hit,
Or quit in anfwer of the third exchange,
Let all the battlements their ordnance fire;
The King fhall drink to Hamlet's better breath :
And in the cup an Union shall he throw, (33)

(33) And in the Cup an Onyx fhall he throw,

Richer than that which four fucceffive Kings

Richer

In Denmark's Crown have worn.] This is a various Reading in feveral of the old Copies; but Union feems to me to be the true word, for several reafons. The Onyx is a fpecies of lucid Stone, of which the Antients made both Columns and Pavements for Ornament, and in which they likewife cut Seals, &c. but, if I am not miftaken, neither the Onyx, nor Sardonyx, are Jewels which ever found Place in an Imperial Crown. On the other hand, an Union is the finest fort of Pearl, and has its Place in all Crowns and Coronets. Befides, let us confider what the King says on Hamlet's giving Laertes the firft Hit.

Stay, give me Drink: Hamlet, this Pearl is thine:
Here's to thy Health.

Therefore, if an Union be a Pearl, and an Onyx a Gemm, or
Stone quite differing in its Nature from Pearls; the King fay-

Richer than that which four fucceffive Kings
In Denmark's Crown have worn. Give me the cups;
And let the kettle to the trumpets speak,

The trumpets to the cannoneer without,

The cannons to the heav'ns, the heav'ns to earth :
Now the King drinks to Hamlet.

And you the Judges bear a wary eye.

Ham. Come on, Sir.

Laer. Come, my lord.

Come, begin,

[They play.

Ham. One

Laer. No

Ham. Judgment.

Laer. Well

again

Ofr. A hit, a very palpable hit.

King. Stay, give me Drink. Hamlet, this Pearl is thine, Here's to thy health. Give him the cup.

Trumpets found, Shot goes off.

Ham. I'll play this bout first, fet it by a while.

Laer. A touch, a touch,

King. Our fon fhall win.

[They play,

Queen. He's fat, and fcant of breath.

Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows;
The Queen caroufes to thy fortune, Hamlet.
Ham. Good Madam,

King. Gertrude, do not drink.

Queen. I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me.
King. It it the poifon'd cup, it is too late.

Ham. I dare not drink yet, Madam, by and by.
Queen. Come, let me wipe thy face.

Laer. I'll hit him now.

King. I do not think't.

[afide.

Laer. And yet it is almoft against my confcience.

[Afide. Ham. Come, for the third, Laertes, you but daily;

ing, that Hamlet has earn'd the Pearl, I think, amounts to a Demonftration that it was an Union-Pearl, which he meant to throw into the Cup.

K 4

I pray,

I pray you, pafs with your beft violence;
I am afraid, you make a Wanton of me.
Laer. Say you fo? come on.

Ofr. Nothing neither way,

Laer. Have at you now.

[Play.

[Laertes wounds Hamlet; then, in scuffling, they change rapiers, and Hamlet wounds Laertes,

King. Part them, they are incens'd.

Ham. Nay, come again ·

Ofr. Look to the Queen there, ho!

Hor. They bleed on both fides. How is't, my lord? Ofr. How is't, Laertes?

Laer. Why, as a woodcock to my own fprindge, Ofrick;

I'm justly kill'd with mine own treachery.

Ham. How does the Queen ?

King. She fwoons to fee them bleed.
Queen. No, no, the drink, the drink

Oh my dear Hamlet, the drink, the drink,
I am poifon'd

[Queen dies.

Ham. Oh villany! ho! let the door be lock'd;
Treachery feek it out

Laer. It is here, Hamlet, thou art flain,
No medicine in the world can do thee good.
In thee there is not half an hour of life;
The treach'rous inftrument is in thy hand, (34)
Unbated and envenom'd: the foul practice
Hath turn'd itself on me. Lo, here I lye,

(34) The treach'rous Inftrument is in thy band,

Unbated and envenom'd.] The King in the fourth A,

in the Scene betwixt him and Laertes, fays;

So that with ease,

Or with a little shuffling, you may chufe

A Sword unbaited, and in a Pafs of Practife
Require him for your Father.

In which Paffage the old Folio's read,

A Sword unbaited

which makes Nonfenfe of the Place, and deftroys the Poet's Meaning. Unbated fignifies, unabated, unblunted, not charg'd with a Button as Foils are.

Ham. The point envenom'd too?

Then venom do thy work.

All. Treafon, treafon.

[Stabs the King.

King. O yet defend me, friends, I am but hurt.
Ham. Here, thou incestuous, murth'rous, damned

Dane,

Drink off this potion: is the Union here?

Follow my mother.

Laer. He is juftly ferved.

It is a poifon temper'd by himself.

[King dies.

Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet;
Mine and my father's death come not on thee,
Nor thine on me!

[Dies.

Ham. Heav'n make thee free of it! I follow thee.
I'm dead, Horatio; wretched Queen, adieu!
You that look pale, and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act,
Had I but time, (as this fell Serjeant death
Is ftrict in his arreft) oh, I could tell you
But let it be · Horatio, I am dead ; :
Thou liv't, report me and my cause aright
To the unfatisfied.

Hor. Never believe it.

I'm more an antique Roman than a Dane ;
Here's yet fome liquor left...

Ham. As th' art a man,

Give me the cup; let go; by heav'n, I'll hav't.
Oh good Horatio, what a wounded name,
Things iftanding thus unknown, fhall live behind me
If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,

Absent thee from felicity a while,

And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain,
To tell my tale. [March afar off, and foout within.

What warlike noife is this?

Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Young Fortinbras, with Conqueft come from
Poland,

To the Ambaffadors of England gives
This warlike volley.

Ham. O, I die, Horatio :

The potent poifon quite o'e-growes my spirit ;
I cannot live to hear the news from England.
But I do prophefie, th' election lights

On Fortinbras; he has my dying voice;
So tell him, with the occurrents more or lefs,
Which have follicited.

The reft is filence.

[Dies

Hor. Now cracks a noble heart; good night, sweet Prince;

And flights of angels fing thee to thy Reft!

Why does the Drum come hither ?

Enter Fortinbras, and English Ambassadors, with drum, colours, and attendants,

Fort. Where is this fight?

Hor. What is it you would fee?

If aught of woe or wonder, ceafe

your

fearch.

Fort. This quarry cries on havock. Oh proud

death!

What feaft is tow'rd in thy infernal cell,

That thou fo many Princes at a fhot

So bloodily haft ftruck ?

Amb. The fight is difmal,

And our affairs from England come too late :'
The ears are fenfelefs, that should give us hearing
To tell him, his commandment is fulfill'd,

That Rofincrantz and Guildenftern are dead:
Where fhould we have our thanks?

Hor. Not from his mouth,

Had it th' ability of life to thank you :

He never gave commandment for their death.
But fince fo jump upon this bloody question,

You from the Polack Wars, and you from England,

Are