churches then; or else shall he suffer not thinking on with the hobby-horse; whose epitaph is, " For "oh, for oh, the hobby-horse is forgot."

Hautboys play. The Dumb-show enters. (52) Enter a Duke and Duchess, with regal Coronets, very lovingly; the Duchess embracing him, and he her. She kneels; he takes her up, and declines his head upon her neck; he lays him down upon a bank of flowers; she seeing him asleep, leaves him. Anon comes in a Fellow, takes off his crown, kisses it, and pours poison in the Duke's ears, and exit. The Duchess returns, finds the Duke dead, and makes passionate action. The poisoner, with some two or three mutes, comes in again, seeming to lament with her. The dead body is carried away. The poisoner woos the Duchess with gifts; she seems loth and unwilling a while, but in the end accepts his love.

Oph. The king rises.

Ham. What, frighted with false fire!

[Exeunt.

(52) The whole action of this dumb shew, may be seen to be exhibited by the disk of the moon, if the late king, (Hamlet's father,) the queen, and Claudius, who are the actors of it, be referred to their prototypes there, already pointed out.

Queen. How fares my Lord?
Pol. Give o'er the play.
King. Give me some light.

All. Lights, lights, lights!

Away!

[Exeunt.

Manent HAMLET and HORATIO.

Ham. Why, let the strucken deer go weep,
The hart ungalled play;

For some must watch, whilst some must sleep:
So runs the world away.

Would not this, Sir, and a forest of feathers, (if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with me) with two provincial roses on my rayed shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players, Sir? Hor. Half a share.

Ham. A whole one, I.

"For thou dost know, oh Damon dear, "This realm dismantled was

"Of Jove himself, and now reigns here "A very, very,-paddock."

Hor. You might have rhymed. (53)

(53) An ass, which word would have completed the rhyme of Hamlet's stanza, inay be seen, in light, attached to or making a part of Claudius's person, and situate about the back of his head, as drawn in

Fig. 69.

Ham. Oh, good Horatio, I'll take the Ghost's word for a thousand pounds, Didst perceive?

Hor. Very well, my Lord.

Ham. Upon the talk of the poisoning?
Hor. I did very well note him.

Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN.

Ham. Oh, ha! come, some music: Come, the For if the King like not the comedy, [recorders. Why, then, belike, he likes it not, perdy.

Come, some music.

Guil. Good my Lord, vouchsafe me a word with you.

Ham. Sir, a whole history.

Guil. The King, Sir

Ham. Ay, Sir, what of him?

Guil. Is, in his retirement, marvellous distem

pered

Ham. With drink, Sir?

Guil. No, my Lord, with choler.

Ham. Your wisdom shall shew itself more rich, to signify this to his doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation, would perhaps plunge him into more choler.

Guil. Good my Lord, put your discourse into some frame, and start not so wildly from my affair.

· Ham. I am tame, Sir ;-pronounce,

Guil. The Queen your mother, in most great affliction of spirit, hath sent me to you.

Ham. You are welcome.

Guil. Nay, good my Lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed. If it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer, I will do your mother's commandment; if not, your pardon, and my return, shall be the end of my

Ham. Sir, I cannot.

Guil. What, my Lord?

business.

Ham. Make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseased. But, Sir, such answer as I can make shall command; or, rather, as you say,

you

my mother-therefore no more but to the matter my mother, you say

Ros. Then thus she says; your behaviour hath struck her into amazement and admiration.

Ham. Oh wonderful son, that can so astonish a mother! But is there no sequel at the heels of

this mother's admiration?

Ros. She desires to speak with you in her closet, ere you go to bed.

Ham. We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. (54)

(54) Ten times. The queen occupies in the moon a considerable portion of the Roman numeral X, drawn above in figure 48; and I incline to think there is an allusion to that circumstance in this remarkable expression.

Have you any further trade with us?
Ros. My Lord, you once did love me.

Ham. So I do still, by these pickers and stealers. Ros. Good my Lord, what is your cause of distemper? you do, surely, bar the door of your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to your friend. Ham. Sir, I lack advancement.

Ros. How can that be, when you have the voice of the King himself for your succession in Denmark?

Ham. Ay, but "while the grass grows"-the proverb is something musty.

Enter one, with a Recorder.

Oh, the recorders; let me see one. To withdraw with you-why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toil? Guil. Oh my Lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly.

Ham. I do not well understand that. Will you play upon this pipe? (55)

Guil. My Lord, I cannot.

Ham. I pray you.

Guil. Believe me, I cannot.

Ham. I do beseech you.

(55) Vide figure 67, ante; and compare the pipe or recorder there, with its prototype in the moon.