Your Grace hath laid the odds o'th' weaker fide. King. I do not fear it, I have feen you both: P that table. King. Set me the ftoops of wine upon m H. and J. read, Your grace bath laid upon the weaker fide. 7. objects against the reading of the other editions, As the odds were on the fide of Laertes, who was to hit Hamlet twelve times to nine, and fays, it was perhaps the author's flip. But let Dr. Johnson confider, the odds here spoken of were laid, therefore the odds were in the wager; and if we turn back, we shall find that the king betted fix Barbary horfes against fix French rapiers and poniards, with their appurtenances. Who fees not that the Barbary horfes are to be look'd upon as odds, against the French rapiers, &c. What the king fays afterwards of his having the odds, relates to the number of hits. The qu's read better. Since he is better'd, &c. i. e. fince the wager he gains, if he should win, is better than what we shall gain if he lofes, therefore we have odds, that is, we are not to make Lo many hits as Laertes." 。 C. reads you for wwe. P The 2d and 3d qu's the for that. q T. reads gives. The 3d and 4th f. and R. read a for the. The 1ft q. reeds Vnice; the 2d and 3d, and P. onyx. T. fays, If I am not mistaken, neither the onyx nor fardonyx are jewels which ever found place in an imperial crown. An union is the finest fort of pearl, and has its place in all crowns and coronets. Befides, let us confider what the king fays on Hamlet's giving Laertes the first hit. Stay, give me drink; Hamlet, this pearl is thine, &c. Therefore if an union be a pearl, and an onyx a gem, or stone quite differing in its nature from pearls; the king's faying, that Hamlet has earn'd the pearl, I think, amounts to a demonftration that it was an un on-pearl, which he meant to throw into the cup. T. N 4 Richer Richer than that which four fucceffive kings t The trumpet to the cannoneer without, heavens to earth': Now the king drinks to Hamlet.-Come: Begin: And you, the judges, bear a wary eye. Ham. Come on, fir. King. Stay, give me drink. Hamlet, this pearl is thing; Here's to thy health. Give him the cup. [† Trumpets sound, shot goes off. Ham. I'll play this bout first. Set it by awhile, Come another hit-what fay you? : a Laer. I do confefs 't. King. Our fon fhall win. Queen. He's fat, and fcant of breath, • Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows. The queen caroufes to thy fortune, Hamlet. King. Gertrude, do not drink. Queen. I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me d Ham. I dare not drink yet, madam. Queen. Come, let me wipe thy face. By and by, [Afide Laer. And yet it is almost against my confcience. [Afide. Ham. Come, for the third, Laertes; you f do but dally ; I pray you, pafs with your beft violence : I am fure you make a wanton of me. Ofr. Nothing neither way. Laer. Have at you now. [Play. [ Laertes wounds Hamlet; then, "in fcuffling, they change rapiers," and Hamlet wounds Laertes. King. Part them, they are incens'd. Ham. Nay, come again. Ofr. Look to the queen there ho! Hor. They bleed on both fides. How is 't, my lord? i Laer. Why, as a woodcock to my own fpringe, Ofrick; I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery. Ham. How does the queen? King. She fwoons to fee them bleed. Queen. No, no, the drink, the drink Oh! my dear Hamlet- the drink, the drink I am poifon'd [Queen dies. Ham. Oh1 villainy!—" how? - let the doors be lock'd. Treachery! feck it out n Laer. It is here, Hamlet: thou art flain; King. O yet defend me, friends, I am but hurt. The 3d q. reads villaine. -bow? i. e. how was the poifon'd. So the 1ft q. the fo's and R. the reft read bo! r So all the editions before T.'s duodecimo, where to is altered to do; and n The fo's, R. and C. read, It is bere, fo do comes into all the editions after, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou, &c.. • So the qu's and C; the reft, balf an bour of life. except C. The qu's have no direction here. The fo's direct, Hurts the king. Ham. t Ham. Here thou inceftuous, murtherous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion. Is " the " union here? Follow my mother. Laer. He is juftly ferv'd. It is a poifon temper'd by himself. [x King dies. Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet; a [2 Dies. Ham. Heav'n make thee free of it. I follow thee. Thou liv'ft, report me and my cause aright Hor. Never believe it. I am more an antique Roman than a Dane. Ham. As thou'rt a man, Give me the cup. Let go; by heav'n I'll hav't. |