4tos. time, his form and pressure." Now this, overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; the * of which. censure of the which* One, must, in your allowance, o'er-weigh a whole theatre of others.(22) 0, there be players, that I have seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly, not to speak it profanely,(23) that, neither having the accent of christians, nor the gait of christian, pagan, nor man,† have so strutted, and bellowed, that I have thought some of nature's journeymen had made men, and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably. + So 4tos. or, Nor man, 1623, 32. nor Turke. 1603. ‡ point. 1603. 1 PLAY. I hope, we have reformed that indifferently with us. HAM. O, reform it altogether. And let those, that play your clowns, speak no more than is set down for them :(24) for there be of them, that will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators (25) to laugh too: though, in the mean time, some necessary question of the play be then to be considered: that's villainous; and shows a § 4to. 1603. most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. [§And then you have some againe, that keepes one sute of jests, as a man is knowne by one sute of apparell, and Gentlemen quotes his jeastes downe in their tables before they come to the play, as thus: Cannot you stay till I eate my porrige? and, you owe me a a shew the very age and body of the time, his form and pressure] i. e. hold up and reflect the shape or form, the lively pourtraiture of the age, and exhibit the mould, or (as we say, its form, of the hare) the very impress or indented mark, the pressure of the body of the time. "It is the very air of the time." Tim. IV. 3. Paint. b come tardy off] i. e. without spirit or animation; heavily, sleepingly done. the censure of the which One] i. e. "the judgment of which one class or description of persons (" one of whom" had been more familiar language) must, by your admission, &c. d indifferently] i. e. in a reasonable degree. ay. 4tos. a quarters wages: and, my coate wants a cullison :a Enter POLONIUS, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN. How now, my lord? will the king hear this piece POL. And the queen too, and that presently. [Exit POLONIUS. [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. HAM. What, ho; Horatio! Enter HORATIO. HOR. Here, sweet lord, at your service. HAM. Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man As e'er my conversation coap'd withal." HOR. O, my dear lord. Нам. No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp; 66 be my coate wants a cullison—thus keeping in his cinkapase of jeasts] i. e. wants a collar-and an ambling succession of jests." "Cull or Coll about the neck, or Fr. G. accoller &c. to clip or coll." Skin. Collet is modern French for collar. Cinque-pace is a dance the measures of which are regulated by the number five: and such is the number of instances of jests here given. See Tw. N. I. 3. Sir Toby. b coap'd withal] i. e. encountered with. And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee, * fauning. Where thrift may follow faining;*(27) Dost thou 4tos. hear? + So 4tos. Since my dear soul (28) was mistress of hert choice, my. 1623, And could of men distinguish, her election 32. Hath seal'd thee for herself: for thou hast been Has ta'en with equal thanks: and bless'd are those, comedled. Whose blood and judgment are so well 4tos. gled,(29) co-min That they are not a pipe for fortune's finger To sound what stop she please: Give me that man That is not passion's slave, and I will wear him In my heart's core,(30) ay, in my heart of heart, As I do thee. Something too much of this.— There is a play to-night before the king; One scene of it comes near the circumstance, Which I have told thee of my father's death. I pr'ythee, when thou seest that act a-foot, So 4tos. Even with the very comment of thy § soul* Observe my uncle: if his occulted guilt Do not itself unkennel in one speech, my. 1623, 32. It is a damned ghost (31) that we have seen; As Vulcan's stithe.(32) Give him heedful note: For I mine eyes will rivet to his face; And, after, we will both our judgments join HOR. a the very comment of thy soul] i. e. the most intense direction of every faculty. b occulted guilt do not itself unkennel] i. e. stifled, secret guilt, do not develop itself. c In censure of his seeming] i. e. in making our estimate of the appearance he shall put on. d steal aught] i. e. contrive so to carry it off, as that the slightest conscious feeling, he shews, should escape unobserved. HAM. They are coming to the play; I must be idle: Get you a place. Danish March. A Flourish. Enter King, Queen, POLONIUS, OPHELIA, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and Others. KING. How fares our cousin Hamlet? HAM. Excellent, i'faith; of the cameleon's dish: I eat the air, promise-crammed: You cannot feed capons so." KING. I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet; these words are not mine.b HAM. No, nor mine. Now, my lord,-you played once in the university, you say?(33) [TO POLONIUS. POL. That did I, my lord; and was accounted a good actor. HAM. And what did you enact? POL. I did enact Julius Cæsar: I was killed i'the Capitol; (34) Brutus killed me. HAM. It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a calf there.(35)-Be the players ready? a Ros. Ay, my lord; they stay upon your patience.(36) " promise-cramm'd: you cannot feed capons so] As afterwards in this scene he replies to Rosencrantz, who tells him he has the voice of the king himself for the succession," but, sir, while the grass grows, &c. the proverb is something musty." b I have nothing with this answer; these words are not mine] i. e. they grow not out of mine: have no relation to any thing said by me. No, nor mine, now] i. e. They are now any body's." Johnson observes, "c a man's words, says the proverb, are his own no longer than while he keeps them unspoken." G * dear. 4tos. + contrary. 4to. 1603. me. QUEEN. Come hither, my good* Hamlet, sit by HAM. No, good mother, here's metal more attractive. POL. O ho! do you mark that? [To the King. [Lying down at OPHELIA'S Feet (37) OPH. No, my lord. HAM. I mean, my head upon your lap? HAM. Do you think, I meant country + matters? HAM. That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs. OPH. What is, my lord? HAM. Nothing. OPH. You are merry, my lord. HAM. Who, I? OPH. Ay, my lord. HAM. O God! your only jig-maker. What should a man do, but be merry? for, look you, how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within these two hours. OPH. Nay, 'tis twice two months, my lord. HAM. So long? Nay, then let the devil wear Jesus. black, for I'll have a suit of sables.(38) O heavens! 4to. 1603. die two months ago, and not forgotten yet? Then there's hope, a great man's memory may outlive his life half a year: But, by'r-lady, he must build churches then: or else shall he suffer not thinking jig-maker] i. e. writer of ludicrous interludes. See II. 2. Haml. b But, by'r-lady, he must build churches then] i. e. "the remembrance of such conspicuous and signal acts of piety, and public benefit, does not presently pass away." |