Laer. He is juftly ferved.

It is a poifon temper'd by himself.
Exchange forgivenefs with me, noble Hamlet;
Mine and my father's death come not on thee,
Nor thine on me!

&

[Dies:

Ham. Heav'n make the 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 bom
Is ftrict in his arreft) oh I could tell you
But let it beHoratio, I am dead;
Thou liv'ft, 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,

To the Ambaffadors of England gives
This warlike volley.

Ham. O, I die, Horatio :

Give me the cup; let go; by heav'n, I'll have't.
Oh good Horatio, what a wounded name, ~!
Things ftanding 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 fhout within.
What warlike noife is this?

Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Young Fortinbras, with Conqueft come from Po-
land,

The potent poifon quite o'er-grows my fpirit;
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.

Jak

14

1

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

And flights of angels fing thee to thy Reft! and da
Why does the Drum come hither ?

ppz.

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Enter Fortinbras and English Ambaffadors, with drum, colours, and attendants.

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Fort. Where is this fight?
Hor. What is it you would fee?
If ought of woe or wonder, cease your fearch..
Fort. This quarry cries on havock, Oh proud
death! (76)
dawad: a!!
What feaft is tow'rd in thy infernal cell, i
That thou fo many Princes at a shot !
So bloodily haft ftruck?

WON JUAN
KÖY FUR.

J.

WY:

eli

Amb. The fight is difinal,
And our affairs from England come too late: 3
The ears are fenfelefs, that fhould give us hearing son x
'To tell him, his command'ment is fulfill'd,on of
That Rofincrantz and Guildenstern are dead
Where should we have our thanks h

a

NUANC

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8

Hor. Not from his mouth,
Had it th' ability of life to thank you : NOYRENST
He never gave command'ment for their death. (77):
But fince fo full upon this bloody question,

(76)

Oh, proud Death!

What Feaft is toward in thy eternal Cell,] This Epithet, I think, has no great Propriety here. I have chofe the Reading of the old Quarto Editions, infernal. This communicates an Image fuitable to the Circumftance of the Havock, which Fortinbras looks on and would reprefent in a light of Horror. Upon the Sight of fo many dead Bodies, he exclaims against Death as an execrable, riotous, Destroyer; and as preparing to make a favage, and hellish Feaft.

I

(77) He never gave Commandment for their Death.] We must either believe, the Poet had forgot himself with Regard to the Circumftance of Rofincrantz and Guildenftern's Death; or we muft understand him thus; that he no otherways gave a Command for their Deaths, than in putting a Change upon the Tenour of the King's Commiffion, and warding off the fatal Sentence from his own Head.

You

You from the Polack Wars, and you from England,
Are here arriv'd; give Order, that these bodies
High on a Stage be placed to the view,

And let me fpeak to th' yet unknowing world,
How these things came about. So fhall you hear
Of cruel, bloody, and unnatural acts;
Of accidental judgments, cafual flaughters;
Of deaths put on by cunning, and forc'd cause;
And, in this upfhot, purposes mistook,
Fall'n on th' inventors heads. All this can I
Truly deliver.

Fort. Let us hafte to hear it,
And call the Noblefs to the audience.

For me, with forrow, I embrace my fortune;
I have some rights of memory in this Kingdom,
Which, now to claim my vantage doth invite me.

Hor. Of that I fhall have alfo caufe to speak,
And from his mouth whofe voice will draw on more: (78)
But let this fame be prefently perform'd,

Even while men's minds are wild, left more mischance
On plots and errors happen.

Fort. Let four captains

Bear Hamlet, like a foldier, to the Stage;
For he was likely, had he been put on,

To have prov'd moft royally. And for his paffage,

This is the

(78) And from his Mouth, whofe Voice will draw no more.] Reading of the old Quarto's, but certainly a mistaken one. We fay, a Man vill no more draw Breath; but that a Man's Voice will draw no more, is, I believe, an Expreffion without any Authority. I chufe to efpouse the Reading of the Elder Folio.

And from his Mouth, whofe Voice will draw on more. And this is the Poet's Meaning. Hamlet, just before his Death, had faid;

But I do prophefie, th' Election lights

On Fortinbras He has my dying Voice;
So tell him,&c.

Accordingly, Horatio here delivers that Meffage; and very justly infers, that Hamlet's Voice will be feconded by others, and procure them in Favour of Fortinbras's Succeffion.

The Soldiers' musick, and the rites of war
Speak loudly for him-

Take up the body: fuch a fight as this
Becomes the field, but here fhews much amiss.
Go, bid the Soldiers fhoot.

[Exeunt, marching: after which, a peal of Ordnance are fhot off.