V. 48. Which. PC. That. MS. What is conj. V. 56. wast. PC. In Shakespeare's HAMLET, A. II. fc. 7. the Hero of the Play takes occafion to banter Polonius with fome fcraps of an old Ballad, which has never appeared yet in any colection: for which reafon, as it is but short, it will not perhaps be unacceptable to the Reader; who will also be diverted with the pleasant abfurdities of the compofition. It was retrieved from utter oblivion by a lady, who wrote it down from memory as he had formerly heard it fung by her father. I am indebted for it to the friendship of Mr. STEEVENS. The The Banter of Hamlet is as follows: "HAMLET. "O Jephta, Judge of Ifrael," what a treasure hadst thou? "POLONIUS. What a treasure had he, my Lord? "HAM. Why, "One faire daughter, and no more, "the which he loved paffing well." "POL. Still on, my daughter. "HAM. Am not I i'th' right, old Jephta? "POLON. If you call me Jephta, my Lord; I have a "daughter, that I love paffing well. "HAM. Nay, that followes not. "POLON. What followes then, my Lord? "HAM. Why, "As by lot, God wot:" and then you know," It came to passe, As most like it was." "The first row of the Pont chanfon will shew you more. Firf fol. Edit. p. 263. HAVE you not heard these many years ago, Jeptha was judge of Ifrael? He had one only daughter and no mo, The which he loved paffing well: And, as by lott, God wot, It fo came to pass, As Gods will was, That great wars there fhould be, And none fhould be chofen chief but he. 10 VOL. I. N And And when he was appointed judge, And chieftain of the company, A folemn vow to God he made; If he returnd with victory, At his return To burn The first live thing, That should meet with him then, Off his house, when he shoud return agen. It came to pafs, the wars was oer, And he returnd with victory; His dear and only daughter first of all Came to meet her father foremostly: She did play On tabret and pipe Full many a ftripe, 15 20 25 With note fo high, For joy that her father is come fo nigh. 30 But when he faw his daughter dear Coming on moft foremostly, He wrung his hands, and tore his hair, And cryed out most piteously; Oh! its thou, said he, 35 That low have brought me, And And troubled me fo, That I know not what to do. For I have made a vow, he fed, The which must be replenished: "What thou haft spoke Do not revoke : What thou haft faid, Be not affraid; Altho' it be I; Keep promises to God on high. But, dear father, grant me one request, Three months there with my friends to ftay; There to bewail my virginity; And let there be, Said fhe, Some two or three Young maids with me." So he fent her away, For to mourn, for to mourn, till her dying day. 40 45 50 IV. A SONG TO THE LUTE IN MUSICKE. Shakespear has made this fonnet the fubject of some pleafant ridicule in his ROMEO AND JULIET, A. IV. Sc. 5. where he introduces Peter putting this Queftion to the Muficians. "PETER.... why "Silver Sound"? why" Muficke "with her filver found?" "1. Mus. Marry, fir, 66 found. what fay you, Simon Catling? becaufe filver bath a fweet "PET. Pretty! what fay you, Hugh Rebecke ? "2. Mus. I fay, filver found, becaufe Muficians found for filver. 66 PET. Pretty too! what fay you, James Sound-poft. 3. Mus. Faith, I know not what to say. “ PET. . . . I will fay for you: It is " Muficke with "her fil-ver found," because Muficians have no gold for "founding." Firft folio Ed. p. 73. This ridicule is not fo much levelled at the fong itself (which for the time it was written is not inelegant) as at thofe forced and unnatural explanations often given by us painful editors and expofitors of ancient authors. This copy is printed from an old quarto MS in the Cotton Library, [Vefp. A. 25.] entitled "Divers things of Hen. 66 viij's time :" with fome corrections from The Paradife of Dainty Devifes, 1596. WHERE |