O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!" For the confirmation of the sense given here, there is the strongest internal evidence in the passage. The historian is speaking of the VII facraments, and he expressly names five of them, viz. baptifm, marriage, auricular confeffion, the eucharift, and extreme unction. The antiquary is defired to confult the edition of Fabian, printed by Pynson, 1516, because there are others, and I remember to have seen one in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, with a continuation to the end of Queen Mary, London, 1559, in which the language is much modernized. BRAND. 10, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!] It was ingenioufly hinted to me by a very learned lady, that this line seems to belong to Hamlet, in whose mouth it is a proper and natural exclamation; and who, according to the practice of the stage, may be supposed to interrupt so long a speech. JOHNSON. 8 A couch for luxury-] i. e. for lewdness. So, in K. Lear: "To't luxury, pell-mell, for I lack soldiers." STEEVENS. See Vol. XI. p. 410 and 453. MALONE. 9-pale his uneffectual fire:] i. e. shining without heat. WARBURTON. To pale is a verb used by Lady Elizabeth Carew, in her Tragedy of Mariam, 1613: - Death can pale as well "A cheek of roses, as a cheek less bright." Again, in Urry's Chaucer, p. 368: "The sterre paleth her white cheres by the flambes of the fonne," &c. Uneffectual fire, I believe, rather means, fire that is no longer feen when the light of morning approaches. So, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 1609: "-like a glow-worm, "The which hath fire in darkness, none in light." STEEVENS. Adieu, adieu, adieu! remember me.* [Exit. HAM. O all you host of heaven! O earth! What elfe? And shall I couple hell? - O fie! -Hold, hold, my heart; And you, my finews, grow not instant old, But bear me ftiffly up!-Remember thee? In this distracted globe. Remember thee? Yea, from the table of my memory s I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, * Adieu, adieu, adieu! &c.] The folio reads: Adieu, adieu, Hamlet: remember me. 3 STEEVENS. O fiel] These words (which hurt the measure, and from that circumstance, and their almost ludicrous turn, may be fufpected as an interpolation,) are found only in the two earliest quartos. STEEVENS. Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a feat In this distracted globe.] So, in our poet's 122d Sonnet: "Which shall above that idle rank remain, "Beyond all dates, even to eternity; "Or at the least, so long as brain and heart "Have faculty by nature to fubfift." MALONE. -this distracted globe.] i. e. in this head confused with thought. STEEVENS. 5 Yea, from the table of my memory-] This expression is used by Sir Philip Sidney in his Defence of Poefie. MALONE. 6 My tables, meet it is, 1 set it down,] This is a ridicule on the practice of the time, Hall says, in his character of the Hypocrite, VOL. XV. G ! That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; [Writing. So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;" I have fworn't. HOR. [Within.] My lord, my lord, "He will ever fit where he may be seene best, and in the midst of the fermon pulles out his tables in haste, as if he feared to loofe that note," &C. FARMER. No ridicule on the practice of the time could with propriety be introduced on this occafion. Hamlet avails himself of the fame caution obferved by the doctor in the fifth act of Macbeth: “ I will fet down whatever comes from her, to fatisfy my remembrance the more ftrongly." " Dr. Farmer's remark, however, as to the frequent use of table-books, may be supported by many instances. So, in the Induction to The Malcontent, 1604: "I tell you I am one that hath seen this play often, and can give them intelligence for their action: I have most of the jests of it here in my table-book." Again, in Love's Sacrifice, 1633: "You are one loves courtship: "You had fome change of words; 'twere no lost labour "To stuff your table-books." Again, in Antonio's Revenge, 1602: "Balurdo draws out his writing-tables and writes. " Retort and obtufe, good words, very good words." "Let your tables befriend your memory; write," &c. Again, in Every Woman in her Humour, 1609: See alfo The Second Part of King Henry IV: " And therefore will he wipe his tables clean, " And keep no tell-tale to his memory." STEEVENS. York is here speaking of the King. Table-books in the time of our author appear to have been used by all ranks of people. In the church they were filled with short notes of the fermon, an at the theatre with the sparkling sentences of the play. MALONE. 7 - Norw to my word;] Hamlet alludes to the watch-word given every day in military fervice, which at this time he says is, Adieu, adicu! remember me. So, in The Devil's Charter, a tragedy, 1607: " Now to my watch-word" STEEVENS. HAM. Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, come. Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS. MAR. How is't, my noble lord? HOR. HAM. O, wonderful! 8 What news, my lord? HAM. How fay you then; would heart of man once think it? But you'll be fecret, HOR. MAR. Ay, by heaven, my lord. HAM. There's ne'er a villain, dwelling in all Denmark, But he's an arrant knave. 8-come, bird, come.] This is the call which falconers use to their hawk in the air, when they would have him come down to them. HANMER. This expreffion is used in Marston's Dutch Courtezan, and by many others among the old dramatick writers. It appears from all these passages, that it was the falconers' call, as Sir T. Hanmer has observed. Again, in Tyro's Roaring Megge, planted against the Walls of Melancholy, &c. 4to. 1598: " Yet, ere I iournie, Ile go fee the kyte: STEEVENS. HOR. There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave, To tell us this. Why, right; you are in the right; And fo, without more circumstance at all, I hold it fit, that we shake hands, and part: You, as your business, and defire, shall point you; For every man hath business, and defire, Such as it is, and, for my own poor part, Look you, I will go pray. Hor. These are but wild and whirling words, my lord. HAM. I am forry they offend you, heartily; yes, 'Faith, heartily. HOR. There's no offence, my lord. HAM. Yes, by faint Patrick, but there is, Ho ratio, And much offence too. Touching this vision here,- HOR. We will. What is't, my lord? HAM. Never make known what you have feen to-night. 9 - by faint Patrick,] How the poet comes to make Hamlet fwear by St. Patrick, I know not. However, at this time all the whole northern world had their learning from Ireland; to which place it had retired, and there flourished under the auspices of this Saint. But it was, I suppose, only faid at random; for he makes Hamlet a student of Wittenberg. WARBURTON. Dean Swift's "Verses on the sudden drying-up of St. Patrick's Well, 1726," contain many learned allufions to the early cultivation of literature in Ireland. NICHOLS. |