But, on: Six Barbary horses against six French words, their assigns, and three liberal conceited carriages; that's the French bet against the Danish: Why is this impawned, as you call it? Osr. The king, sir, hath laid, that in a dozen passes between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you three hits; he hath laid, on twelve for nine; and it would come to immediate trial, if your lordship would vouchsafe the answer. Ham. How, if I answer, no? Osr. I mean, my lord the opposition of your person in trial. Ham. Sir, I will walk here in the hall: If it please his majesty, it is the breathing time of day with me; let the foils be brought, the gentleman willing, and the king hold his purpose, I will win for him, if I can; if not, I will gain nothing but my shame, and the odd hits. Osr. Shall I deliver you so? Ham. To this effect, sir; after what flourish your nature will. Osr. I commend my duty to your lordship. [Exit. Ham. Yours, yours.- He does well to commend it himself: there are no tongues else for's turn. Hor. This lapwing * runs away with the shell on his head. Ham. He did comply with his dug, before he sucked it. Thus has he (and many more of the same breed, that, I know, the drossy + age dotes on), only got the tune of the time, and outward habit of encounter; a kind of yesty collection, which carries them through and through the most fond and winnowed opinions; and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out. Enter a Lord. Lord. My lord, his majesty commended him to you by young Osric, who brings back to him, that you attend him in the hall: He sends to know, if your pleasure hold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time. Ham. I am constant to my purposes, they follow the king's pleasure: if his fitness speaks, mine is ready; now, or whensoever, provided I be so able as now. Lord. The king, and queen, and all are coming down. Ham. In happy time. Lord. The queen desires you, to use some gentle entertainment to Laertes, before you fall to play. Ham. She well instructs me. [Exit Lord. Hor. You will lose this wager, my lord. Ham. I do not think so; since he went into France, I have been in continual practice; I shall win at the odds. But thou wouldst not think, how ill all's here about my heart: but it is no matter. Hor. Nay, good my lord, Ham. It is but foolery; but it is such a kind of gain-giving ¶, as would, perhaps, trouble a woman. Hor. If your mind dislike any thing, obey it: I will forestal ** their repair hither, and say, you are not fit. Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury; there is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, '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? Let be. Enter King, Queen, LAERTES, Lords, OSRIC, and Attendants, with Foils, &c. King, Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. [The King puts the Hand of LAERTES into that of HAMLET. Ham. Give me your pardon, sir: I have done you wrong; But pardon it, as you are a gentleman. How I am punish'd with a sore distraction Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Let my disclaiming from a purposed evil most To my revenge: but in my terms of honour, Ham. Your skill shall, like a star i'the darkest night, You mock me, sir. * A bird which runs about immediately as it is hatched. Worthless. ** Prevent. Frothy. Very well, my lord; + Compliment. Misgiving #Uuwounded, Your grace hath laid the odds o'the weaker side. King. I do not fear it: I have seen you both:[odds. But since he's better'd, we have therefore Laer. This is too heavy, let me see another. Ham. This likes me well: These foils have all a length? [They prepare to play. Osr. Ay, my good lord. [table :King. Set me the stoups of wine upon that If Hamlet give the first or second hit, Or quit in answer of the third exchange, Let all the battlements their ordnance fire; The king shall drink to Hamlet's better breath; And in the cup an union + shall he throw, And let the kettle to the trumpet speak, Ham. Laer. Ham. [They play. One. No. Judgment. Osr. A hit, a very palpable hit. Here's to thy health.-Give him the cup. Ham. I'll play this bout first, set it by awhile. Come.-Another hit; What say you? Queen. He's fat, and scant of breath.Here, Hamlet, take my napkin t, rub thy brows: The queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet. Ham. Good madam, King. Gertrude, do not drink. [me. Queen. I will, my lord;-I pray you, pardon King. It is the poison'd cup; it is too late. [Aside. Ham. I dare not drink yet, madam; by and by. Queen. Come, let me wipe thy face. I pray you, pass with your best violence; Laer. Have at you now. King. Part them, they are incensed. I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery. King. She swoons to see them bleed. Queen. No, no, the drink, the drink,-0 my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink ;-I am poison'd. [Dies. Ham. O villany!-Ho! let the door be lock'd: [LAERTES falls. Treachery! seek it out. Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain; No medicine in the world can do thee good, Envenom'd too!-Then, venom to thy work. Laer. Nor thine on me! [Dies. Ham. Heaven make thee free of it! I fol low thee. I am dead, Horatio:-Wretched queen, adieu! And in this harsh world draw thy breath in To the ambassadors of England gives Ham. * O, I die, Horatio; [Dies. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! Fort. Where is this sight? What feast is toward in thine eternal cell, The sight is dismal; 1 Amb. To tell him, his commandment is fulfill'd, Hor. Had it the ability of life to thank you; But let this same be presently perform❜d, Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage; Take up the bodies:-Such a sight as this [Exeunt, bearing off the dead Bodies; after Heap of dead game. of censure when more game was destroyed than was reasonable. ** By chance. + Polish. || A word ¶ i. e., The king's. If the dramas of Shakspeare were to be characterized, each by the particular excellence which distinguishes it from the rest, we must allow to the tragedy of Hamlet the praise of va riety. The incidents are so numerous, that the argument of the play would make a long tale. The scenes are interchangeably diversified with merriment and solemnity: with merriment that includes judicious and instructive observations; and solemnity not strained by poetical violence above the natural sentiments of man. New characters appear from time to time in continual succession, exhibiting various forms of life and particular modes of conversation. The pretended madness of Hamlet causes much mirth, the mournful distraction of Ophelia fills the heart with tenderness, and every personage produces the effect intended, from the apparition that chills the blood with horror, to the fop, that exposes affectation to just contempt. The conduct is perhaps not wholly secure against objections. The action is indeed for the most part in continual progression. but there are some scenes which neither forward nor retard it. Of the feigned madness of Hamlet there appears no adequate cause, for he does nothing which he might not have done with the reputation of sanity. He plays the madman most, when he treats Ophelia with so much rudeness, which seems to be wanton cruelty. Hamlet is, through the whole piece, rather an instrument than an agent. After he has, by the stratagem of the play, convicted the King, he makes no attempt to punish him; and his death is at last effected by an incident which Hamlet had no part in producing. The poet is accused of having shown little regard to poetical justice, and may be charged with equal neglect of poetical probability. The apparition left the regions of the dead to little purpose; the revenge which he demands is not obtained, but by the death of him that was required to take it; and the gratification, which would arise from the destruction of an usurper and a murderer, is abased by the untimely death of Ophelia, the young, the beautiful, the harmless, and the pious.-JOHNSON. SCENE I. Venice. A Street. Enter RODERIGO and IACO. ACT I. Rod. Tush, never tell me, I take it much unkindly, That thou, Iago,-who hast had my purse, As if the strings were thine,-shouldst know of this. lago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me :If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me. Rod. Thou told'st me, thou didst hold him But he, as loving his own pride and purposes, My mediators; for, certes ‡, says he, Forsooth, a great arithmetician, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife§; [tion: Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the elecAnd I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof, * Saluted. + Circumlocution. At Rhodes, at Cyprus; and on other grounds By debitor and creditor, this counter-caster**; Preferment goes by letter, and affection, Whether I in any just term am affin❜d †† Rod. I would not follow him then. I follow him to serve my turn upon him: Whip me such honest knaves; Others there are, Certainly. For wife some read life, supposing it to allude to the denunciation in the Gospel, Wo unto you when all men shall speak well of Rulers of the state. ** It was anciently the practice to reckon you Theory. up sums with counters. Related. Bra. What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice; My house is not a grange. Rod. Most grave Brabantio. In simple and pure soul I come to yon. It is as sure as you are Roderigo, joy, Yet throw such changes of vexation on't, Rod. Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud. [dire yell, lago. Do; with like timorous accent, and As when, by night and negligence, the fire Is spied in populous cities. Rod. What ho! Brabantio! signior Brabantic, ho! [thieves! thieves! thieves! Iago. Awake! what, ho! Brabantio! Look to your house, your daughter, and your Thieves! thieves! [bags! BRABANTIO, above, at a Window. Bra. What is the reason of this terrible What is the matter there? [summons? Rod. Signior, is all your family within? Iago. Are your doors lock'd? Bra. Why? wherefore ask you this? lago. 'Zounds, sir, you are robb'd; for shame, put on your gown; [soul; Your heart is burst, you have lost half your Even now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise; Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you: Arise, I say. Bra. That, have you lost your wits? Rod. Most reverend signior, do you know Bra. Not I; What are you? [my voice? Rod. My name is-Roderigo. Bra. The worse welcome: I have charged thee, not to haunt about my doors: In honest plainness thou hast heard me say, My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness, Being full of supper, and distempering draughts, Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come Rod. Sir, sir, sir, sir,-- Patience, good sir. • Outward show of civility. Intoxicating. A waterman. lago. 'Zounds, sir, you are one of those, that will not serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service, you think we are ruffians: You'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you'll have your nephews neigh to you: you'll have coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans T. Bra. What profane wretch art thou? Iago. I am one, sir, that comes to tell you, daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs. Bra. Thou art a villain. lago. You are a senator. Bra. This thou shalt answer: I know thee, Roderigo. [beseech you, Rod. Sir, I will answer any thing. But I If't be your pleasure, and most wise consent, (As partly, I find, it is,) that your fair daughter, At this odd-even ** and dull watch o'the night, Transported-with no worse nor better guard, But with a knave of common hire, a gondoliert To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor,If this be known to you, and your allowance #, We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs; [me, But, if you know not this, my manners tell I say again, hath made a gross revolt; If she be in her chamber, or your house, Bra. Strike on the tinder, ho! With such loud reason to the Cyprus' wars, A lone farm house. i. e., Is broken. ** Midnight. Dismiss. |