No jocund health, that Denmark drinks to-day, and LAERTES. man! A little month; or ere those shoes were old, With which she follow'd my poor father's body, 6 7 S No jocund health,] The King's intemperance is very strongly impressed; every thing that happens to him gives him occasion to drink, the king's rouse-] i. e. the King's draught of jollity. resolve itself into a dew!] Resolve means the same as dissolve. 8 merely.) is entirely, absolutely. 9 Hyperion to a satyr:] Hyperion or Apollo is represented in all the ancient statues, &c. as exquisitely beautiful, the satyrs hideously ugly. That he might not beteem-] i. e. permit, or suffer. Like Niobe, all tears;—why she, even she,- uncle, Enter HORATIO, BERNARDO, and MARCELLUS. I am glad to see you well: Horatio, or I do forget myself. Hor. The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever. Ham. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name? with you. And what make you' from Wittenberg, Horatio ?Marcellus ? Mar. My good lord, — Ham. I am very glad to see you; good even, sir.But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg ? Hor. A truant disposition, good my lord. Ham. I would not hear your enemy say so; you do mine ear that violence, I'll change that name—] I'll be your servant, you shall friend. what make you—] A familiar phrase for what are you doing. be my s mind's eye, eye, Horatio. Hor. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral. Ham. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow student; I think, it was to see my mother's wedding. Hor. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon. Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral bak'd meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. 'Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven" Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio !My father,-Methinks, I see my father. Hor. Where, My lord? Ham. In my Hor. I saw him once, he was a goodly king. Ham. He was a man, take him for all in all, Hor. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight. The king my father! For God's love, let me hear. Hor. Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, In the dead waist and middle of the night, 8 5 4- the funeral bak'd meats-] It was anciently the general custom to give a cold entertainment to mourners at a funeral. In distant counties this practice is continued among the yeomanry. dearest foe in heaven--] Dearest is most immediate, conseguential, important. admiration -] That is, temper it. ? With an attent ear;] Attent for attentive. & In the dead waist and middle of the night,] This strange 6 Season your Been thus encounter'd. A figure like your father, But where was this? Mar. My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd. Ham. Did you not speak to it? Hor. My lord, I did; But answer made it none: yet once, methought, It lifted up its head, and did address Itself to motion, like as it would speak : But, even then, the morning cock crew loud; And at the sound it shrunk in haste away, And vanish’d from our sight. Ham. 'Tis very strange. Hor. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true; And we did think it writ down in our duty, To let you know of it. Ham. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hold you the watch to-night? 9 phraseology seems to have been common in the time of Shakspeare. By waist is meant nothing more than middle. with the act of fear,] Fear was the cause, the active cause that distilled them by the force of operation which we strictly call act in voluntary, and power in involuntary agents, but popularly call act in both. John'son. All. We do, my lord. Arm'd, my lord. From top to toe? Then saw you not His face. Hor. O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up. A countenance more Pale, or red? And fix'd his eyes upon you? I would, I had been there. Very like, bundred. His beard was grizzl’d? no? I will watch to-night; I warrant, it will. 9 — wore his beaver up.] Though beaver properly signified that part of the helmet which was let down, to enable the wearer to drink, Shakspeare always uses the word as denoting that part of the helmet which, when raised up, exposed the face of the wearer: and such was the popular signification of the word in his time. |