(For so this side of our known world esteem'd him) Did forfeit with his life all those his lands, To the inheritance of Fortinbras, Had he been vanquisher; as, by the same co-mart, His fell to Hamlet. Now, sir, young Fortinbras, Hath in the skirts of Norway, here and there, For food and diet, to some enterprize And terms compulsative3, those 'foresaid lands The source of this our watch, and the chief head Ber. I think, it be no other, but e'en so1: And carriage of the article DESIGN'D,] The folio, 1623, has cor'nant and design, for "co-mart" and "design'd." The latter improvement was not made till the folio, 1632. The quartos have "co-mart." 1 Of UNIMPROVED mettle-] The quarto, 1603, reads, inapproved, i. e. unproved; which may have been the true reading, but all the other quartos and folios have "unimproved." 2 - LAWLESS resolutes,] So every quarto, including that of 1603: the folio, probably by an error, gives it "landless resolutes." 3 And terms COMPULSATIVE,] So the folio, 1623, which suits the measure better than "And terms compulsatory" of the quartos. I think, it be no other, but e'en so:] This and the seventeen following lines are not in the folio, nor is any trace of them to be found in the earliest quarto, that of 1603. They are, however, contained in all the subsequent quarto editions. 5 Well may it SORT,] i. e. agree or accord. See Vol. v. p. 257; and Vol. vi. P. 16. Comes armed through our watch; so like the king Hor. A mote it is to trouble the mind's eye. The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead Re-enter Ghost. But, soft! behold! lo, where it comes again! Speak to me: If there be any good thing to be done, That may to thee do ease, and grace to me, Speak to me: If thou art privy to thy country's fate, 6 As, stars with trains of fire and dews of blood, Disasters in the sun;] There is evidently some corruption here, which it is perhaps impossible now to set right. Malone imagined, that a line had been accidentally omitted. We suspect also that "disasters" may be a misprint, the compositor having been misled in some way by the words "as stars" in the line immediately preceding. 7 of FIERCE events] So some of the later quartos: that of 1604 has "feare events," and perhaps the true word was fear'd. Stay, illusion!] At these words there is a stage-direction in the edition of 1604, copied into the later quartos, which seems to show the action used by the Ghost: the words are, "It spreads his arms." Lower down, just before the Ghost disappears again, the stage-direction in the quartos (likewise omitted in the folios) is, "The Cock crows." O, speak! Or, if thou hast uphoarded in thy life Extorted treasure in the womb of earth, For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death, [Cock crows. Speak of it :-stay, and speak!-Stop it, Marcellus. Hor. Do, if it will not stand. Ber. Hor. Mar. "Tis gone. "Tis here! "Tis here! [Exit Ghost. We do it wrong, being so majestical, For it is, as the air, invulnerable, And our vain blows malicious mockery. Ber. It was about to speak, when the cock crew. Mar. It faded on the crowing of the cock. 9 Shall I strike AT it-] The word "at" is omitted in the quartos ; and in a preceding line they read, "your spirits," for "you spirits." 10-trumpet to the MORN,] The folio has day for "morn;" but the cock is the trumpet to the "morn," and not to the day; and we have not only "day" just afterwards, but it seems used in such a manner as to show that " morn (found in all the quartos but that of 1603, which has morning) is the true reading. 1 — no spirit DARES STIR abroad,] So all the quartos, but the first of 1603, which has "dare walk:" the folio, can walk. Lower down, the folio has "the time," for "that time" of the quartos; but it seems right in substituting "eastern" for eastward. The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, Hor. So have I heard, and do in part believe it. Mar. Let's do't, I pray; and I this morning know Where we shall find him most conveniently. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The Same. A Room of State. Enter the King, Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAErtes, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, Lords, and Attendants. King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe; Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature, 2 No fairy TAKES.] Talks in the folio. To "take" is to blast or infect. 3 With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage, Or thinking, by our late dear brother's death To our most valiant brother.-So much for him. Farewell; and let your haste commend your duty. Cor. Vol. In that, and all things, will we show our duty. King. We doubt it nothing: heartily farewell. [Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS. And now, Laertes, what's the news with you? 4 Thus much the business is :] All the preceding part of this speech is not found in the quarto, 1603. 5 For BEARERS of this greeting-] The folio, 1623, less correctly, "For bearing," &c. The later folios, as usual, copy the first. |