Puslapio vaizdai
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there are no tongues elfe for 's turn.

Hor. This lapwing runs away with the fhell on his head!

W

y

Ham. He did fo, fir, with his dug before he fuck'd it. Thus has he, and many more of the fame breed that I know the droffy age doats on, only got the tune of the time, and (out of an habit of encounter) a kind of

mifty collection, which carries them through and through

r The fo's, R. and editions after, did comply with bis dug. So that the read, Yours, yours, &c.

The qu's omit He.

t The fo's read tongue for turn.

u All the editions read runs. J. fays, I fee no propriety in the image of lapwing. (He means, I fuppofe, when applied to

true reading appears to be, He did compliment with bis dug before be fuck'd it; i. e. ftand upon ceremony with it, to fhew he was born a courtier. This is extremely humorous. W. Followed by J. and C.

But I don't fee why the old reading may not ftand. If Horatio's foregoing fpeech means to exprefs a wonder at fo raw a youth's affecting the airs of a courtier; Hamlet's reply is very pertinent, He did fo with bis dug before be fuck'd it. Do you wonder at his affect

Ofrick's taking his leave of Hamlet.) Ofrick did not run till he had done bis bufinefs. We may read, This lapwing ran away that is, this fellow was full of unimportant buftle from his birth. So far J. But I fee no reason why we may not read runs: Ofrick is called young ofrick in the next speech but one, and being the courtier now? why he has done it from his very cradle.

ing young, he may be fuppofed to be but

an half-formed courtier, which Horatio juftly compares to a lapwing fcarcely hatched; and, by the running away with the fhell on his head, he would image out his forwardness of talk, and conceit of himself; his putting on the courtier before he was properly qualified.

w The 1ft q. reads, A did, fir, with bis dug, &c. The other qu's, A did fo, fir, with bis dug, &c. What! (fays W.) run away with it? The folio reads, He

R. P. and H. follow the qu's.
x Fo's, bas.

y For many, the 1ft f. reads mine, the other fo's and R. nine.

z For breed, the fo's and R. read beavy.

a C. an.

b So the qu's; the reft, outward babit of encounter.

c The 1ft q. reads bify; the 2d and 3d, mifly; all the reft yefly.

the

d

the most profane and tres-renowned opinions, and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out.

f

Enter a lord.

Lord. My lord, his majesty commended him to you by young Ofrick, who brings back to him, that you attend him in the ball. He fends to know if your pleasure hold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time?

Ham. I am conftant to my purposes, they follow the king's pleafure; if his fitness fpeaks, mine is ready, now, or whenso ever, provided I be fo able as now.

Lord. The king and queen and all are coming down.

Ham. In happy time.

Lord. The queen defires you to use fome gentle entertainment to

h

Laertes, before you fall to play.

Ham. She well inftructs me.

Hor. You will lofe, my lord.

[Exit Lord.

Ham. I do not think fo. Since he went into France, I have been in continual practice; I fhall win at the odds.

d So the qu's; H. W. and C. read, topics, and carries them through and fann'd; all the rest, fond. through the most common (for fo pro fane may here fignify) and even the most renowned opinions; i. e. opinions, or branches of learning, which bring renown to the learned in them. f All but the qu's and C. read trials. g What paffes between Hamlet and the Lord is omitted in the fo's.

e The 1ft q. reads trennowed; the other qu's trennowned. All the rest, winnowed. Shakespeare seems to have written tres-renowned (which is the French method of forming the fuperlative degree) i. e. most renowned. Then the description of thefe perfons, as it ftands in the old quartos, will be, Those who, out of accuftoming themselves to encounter in all kinds of discourse, have got fuch a fuperficial collection of knowledge, as furnish them with words on all

h The 2d and 3d qu's, and R. read go for fall.

N 2

iSo the qu's; the reft, You will lofe this wager, my lord,

* Thou

m

nod wouldst not think how ill all 's " here about my heart-but it is no matter.

Ir. Nay, good my lord,

slam. It is but foolery; but it is fuch a kind of gaingiving as would, perhaps, trouble a woman.

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Hor. If your mind diflike any thing, obey it. I will foreftal their repair hither, and fay you are not fit.

Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury; there is 1 fpecial providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be ', 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come; the readiness is all. • Since no man of aught he leaves, knows, what is't to leave betimes?

t Let be.

k Before thou all but the qu's and C. infert But.

The fo's and R. omit ill.

-m The fo's omit the contracted is after all.

n W. and J. read, Nay, my good lord. • The 1ft q. reads gamgiving (wherein in might be blunder'd into m by the printer). The 2d and 3d, gamegiving. P. reads game giving in his quarto, and mis-giving in his duodecimo.

Gain-giving, the fame as mis-giving, a giving againft, as gain-faying, &c. H.

The fo's and R. omit it.

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SCENE V.

Enter King, Queen, Laertes and Lords, with other attendants with foils, and gantlets. A table, and flaggons of wine on

it.

King. Come, Hamlet, come and take this hand from me. [Gives him the hand of Laertes. Ham. Give me your pardon, fir: I've done you wrong; But pardon 't, as you are a gentleman,

This prefence knows, and you must needs have heard,
How I am punifh'd with a fore diftraction.

What I have done,

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That might your nature, honour, and exception
Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness:
Was't Hamlet wrong'd Laertes? never, Hamlet.
If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away,

And, when he's not himfelf, does wrong Laertes,
Then Hamlet does it not; Hamlet denies it.
Who does it then? his madnefs. If 't be fo,
Hamlet is of the faction that is wrong'd;

His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy.

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Let

my difclaiming from a purpos'd evil,
Free me fo far in your moft generous thoughts,
That I have fhot my arrow o'er the house,
And hurt my brother.

The qu's direct thus, A table prepared, trumpets, drums and officers, with cufbions, King, Queen, and all the fate, fails, daggers and Laertes.

This direction by H.

x The 2d, 3d and 4th fo's, read, satures bonour, &c.

a All but the fo's and R. omit, Sir, in this audience.

a The fo's and R. read mother for bra

The fo's, R, P. H. and C. omit a. ther.

N3

Lacr.

Laer. I am fatisfied in nature,

Whose motive in this cafe fhould ftir me moft
Το

my revenge: but in my terms of honour I ftand aloof, and will no reconcilement,

'Till by fome elder mafters of known honour I have a voice, and

с

To keep my name

prefident of peace,

с

ungor'd. But till that time,

I do receive your offer'd love like love,

And will not wrong it.

Ham. f I embrace it freely,

And will this brother's wager frankly play.

Give us the foils &.

Laer. Come, one for me.

Ham. I'll be your foil, Lasrtes; in mine ignorance Your fkill fhall, like a ftar i'th' darkest night,

Stick fiery off indeed.

Laer. You mock me, fir.

Ham. No, by this hand.

King. Give them the foils, young Ofrick. Coufin Hamlet, You know the wager.

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