The prefent death of Hamlet. Do it, England; [Exit. The verb to conjure (in the fenfe of to fupplicate,) was formerly accented on the first syllable. So, in Macbeth: "I conjure you, by that which you profess, Again, in King John: 66 I conjure thee but flowly; run more fast." Again, in Romeo and Juliet: "I conjure thee, by Rofaline's bright eyes,"-. Again, in Measure for Measure: "O prince, I cónjure thee, as thou believ'ft," &c. MALONE. like the hectick in my blood he rages,] So, in Love's Labour's Loft: "I would forget her, but a fever, she, "Reigns in my blood." MALONE. 2 Howe'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin.] This being the termination of a scene, fhould, according to our author's custom, be rhymed. Perhaps he wrote, Howe'er my hopes, my joys are not begun. If haps be retained, the meaning will be, 'till I know 'tis done, I fball be miferable, whatever befal me. JOHNSON. The folio reads, in support of Dr. Johnson's remark, Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun. Mr. Heath would read: Howe'er 't may hap, my joys will ne'er begin. STEEVENS, By his haps, he means his fucceffes. His fortune was begun, but his joys were not. M. MASON. Howe'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin.] This is the reading of the quarto. The folio, for the fake of rhyme, reads: Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun. The king is But this, I think, the poet could not have written. fpeaking of the future time. To fay, till I shall be informed that a certain act has been done, whatever may befall me, my joys never had a beginning, is furely nonfenfe. MALONE. SCENE IV. A Plain in Denmark. Enter FORTINBRAS, and Forces, marching. FOR. Go, captain, from me greet the Danish king; Tell him, that, by his licence, Fortinbras 3 Craves the conveyance of a promis'd march CAP. FOR. Go foftly on. I will do't, my lord. [Exeunt FORTINBRAS and Forces. Enter HAMLET, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, &c. HAM. Good fir, whofe powers are these?' 3 Craves-] Thus the quartos. The folio-Claims. STEEVENS. 4 We shall express our duty in his eye,] So, in Antony and Cleopatra: 66 tended her i'the eyes." In his eye means in his prefence. The phrafe appears to have been formulary. See The Establishment of the Household of Prince Henry, A. D. 1610: "Alfo the gentleman-ufher fhall be careful to fee and informe all fuch as doe fervice in the Prince's eye, that they performe their dutyes" &c. Again, in The Regulations for the Government of the Queen's Household, 1627: " -all fuch as doe fervice in the Queen's eye." STEEVENS. 5 Good fir, &c.] The remaining part of this scene is omitted in the folio. STEEVENS. CAP. The nephew to old Norway, Fortinbras. HAM. Goes it against the main of Poland, fir, Or for fome frontier? CAP. Truly to fpeak, fir, and with no addition, We go to gain a little patch of ground, That hath in it no profit but the name. HAM. Why, then the Polack never will defend it. HAM. Two thousand fouls, and twenty thousand ducats, Will not debate the question of this straw: Ros. [Exit Captain. Will't please you go, my lord? HAM. I will be with you straight. Go a little before. [Exeunt Ros. and GUILD. How all occafions do inform against me, -chief good, and market of his time, &c.] If his highest good, and that for which he fells his time, be to fleep and feed. JOHNSON. Market, I think, here means profit. MALONE. Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Ros. What have you done, my lord, with the dead body? HAM. Compounded it with duft," whereto 'tis kin. Ros. Tell us where 'tis; that we may take it thence, And bear it to the chapel. HAM. Do not believe it. Ros. Believe what? HAM. That I can keep your counfel, and not mine own. Befides, to be demanded of a spunge! -what replication fhould be made by the fon of a king? Ros. Take you me for a spunge, my lord? HAM. Ay, fir; that foaks up the king's countenance, his rewards, his authorities. But fuch officers do the king best service in the end: He keeps The folio reads: "Ham. Safely flow'd. Rof. &c. within. Hamlet! lord Hamlet. "Ham. What noife," &c. In the quarto, 1604, the fpeech ftands thus: "Ham. Safely ftow'd; but foft, what noise? who calls on Hamlet?" &c. I have therefore printed Hamlet's fpeech unbroken, and inserted that of Rosencrantz, &c. from the folio, before the words, but feft, &c. In the modern editions Hamlet is made to take notice of the noi fe made by the courtiers, before he has heard it. MALONE. 6 Compounded it with duft,] So, in King Henry IV. Part II: Only compound me with forgotten duft." 66 Again, in our poet's 71it Sonnet: "When I perhaps compounded am with clay." MALONE. them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw; first mouth'd, to be laft fwallow'd: When he needs what you have glean'd, it is but fqueezing you, and, fpunge, you fhall be dry again. Ros. I understand you not, my lord. 1-like an ape,] The quarto has apple, which is generally followed. The folio has ape, which Sir T. Hanmer has received, and illuftrated with the following note: "It is the way of monkeys in eating, to throw that part of their food, which they take up firft, into a pouch they are provided with on each fide of their jaw, and there they keep it, till they have done with the reft." JOHNSON. Surely this should be " like an ape, an apple." FARMER. The reading of the folio, like an ape, I believe to be the true one, becaufe Shak fpeare has the fame phrafeology in many other places. The word ape refers to the king, not to his courtiers. He keeps them like an ape, in the corner of his jaw, &c. means, he keeps them, as an ape keeps food, in the corner of his jaw, &c. So, in King Henry IV. Part I: “ -your chamber-lie breeds fleas like a leach;" i. e. as faft as a loach breeds loaches. Again, in King Lear: "They flatter'd me like a dog;" i. e. as a dog fawns upon and flatters his mafter. That the particular food in Shakspeare's contemplation was an apple, may be inferred from the following paffage in The Captain, by Beaumont and Fletcher: “And lie, and kifs my hand unto my mistress, "As often as an ape does for an apple." I cannot approve of Dr. Farmer's reading. Had our poet meant to introduce both the ape and the apple, he would, I think, have written not like, but " as an ape an apple." The two inftances above quoted fhew that any emendation is unneceffary. The reading of the quarto is, however, defenfible. MALONE. Apple in the quarto is a mere typographical error. So, in Peele's Araygnement of Paris, 1584: 66 -you wot it very well "All that be Dian's maides are vowed to halter apples in hell." The meaning, however, is clearly" as an ape does an apple." RITSON. |