A ranker rate, should it be sold in fee. Ham. Why, then the Polack never will defend it. Cap. Yes, 'tis already garrison'd. Ham. Two thousand souls, 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 GUIL,, To fust in us unus'd. Now, whether it be Of thinking too precisely on the event,- And, ever, three parts coward,-I do not know Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means, 6-chief good, and market of his time, &c.] If his highest good, and that for which he sells his time, be to sleep and feed. large discourse,] Such latitude of comprehension, such power of reviewing the past, and anticipating the future. 7 some craven scruple-] Some cowardly scruple. Makes mouths at the invisible event; 2 SCENE V. Elsinore. A Room in the Castle. Enter Queen and HORATIO. Queen. I will not speak with her. Hor. She is importunate; indeed, distract; Her mood will needs be pitied. 9 Queen. What would she have? Hor. She speaks much of her father; says, she hears, Rightly to be great, Is, not to stir without, &c.] But then, honour is an argument, or subject of debate, sufficiently great, and when honour is at stake, we must find cause of quarrel in a straw. 2 a plot] A piece, or portion. continent,] Continent, in our author, means that which comprehends or encloses. There's tricks i'the world; and hems, and beats her heart; Spurns enviously at straws ;3 speaks things in doubt, That carry but half sense: her speech is nothing, Yet the unshaped use of it doth move 4 The hearers to collection; they aim at it,5 And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts; Which, as her winks, and nods, and gestures yield them, Indeed would make one think, there might be thought, Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily. Queen. "Twere good, she were spoken with; for she may strew Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds: Let her come in. [Exit HORATIO. To my. sick soul, as sin's true nature is, Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss:" It spills itself in fearing to be spilt. Re-enter HORATIO, with OPHelia. Oph. Where is the beauteous majesty of Denmark? Queen. How now, Ophelia? 3 Spurns enviously at straws;] Envy is much oftener put by our poet (and those of his time) for direct aversion, than for malignity eonceived at the sight of another's excellence or happiness. 4 to collection;] i. e. to deduce consequences from such premises; or, as Mr. M. Mason observes, "endeavour to collect some meaning from them." 5 they aim at it,] To aim is to guess. Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily.] i. e. though her meaning cannot be certainly collected, yet there is enough to put a mischievous interpretation to it. 7 to some great amiss:] Shakspeare is not singular in his use of this word as a substantive. Each toy is, each trifle. Queen. Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song? Oph. Say you? nay, pray you, mark. He is dead and gone, lady, He is dead and gone; At his heels a stone. Queen. Nay, but Ophelia, Q, ho! Oph. [Sings. White his shroud as the mountain snow, Pray you, mark. [Sings. Enter King. Queen. Alas, look here, my lord. Oph. Larded' all with sweet flowers; With true-love showers. 8 How should I your true love, &c.] There is no part of this play in its representation on the stage, more pathetick than this scene; which, I suppose, proceeds from the utter insensibility Ophelia has to her own misfortunes, A great sensibility, or none at all, seems to produce the same effect. In the latter the audience supply what she wants, and with the former they sympathize. SIR J. REYNOLDS. By his cockle hat and staff, And his sandal shoon.] This is the description of a pilgrim. While this kind of devotion was in favour, love-intrigues were carried on under that mask. Hence the old ballads and novels made pilgrimages the subjects of their plots. The cockle-shell hat was one of the essential badges of this vocation: for the chief places of devotion being beyond sea, or on the coasts, the pilgrims were accustomed to put cockle-shells upon their hats, to denote the intention or performance of their devotion. King. How do you, pretty lady? Oph. Well, God'ield you! They say, the owl was a baker's daughter.3 Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table! King. Conceit upon her father. Oph. Pray, let us have no words of this; but when they ask you what it means, say you this: Good morrow, 'tis Saint Valentine's day, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine: Then up he rose, and don'd his clothes,* King. Pretty Ophelia! Oph. Indeed, without an oath, I'll make an end on't: By Gis, and by Saint Charity, Alack, and fye for shame! Young men will do't, if they come to't; Larded] The expression is taken from cookery. 2 Well, God'ield you !] i. e. Heaven reward you! 3 the owl was a baker's daughter.] This was a legendary story. Our Saviour being refused bread by the daughter of a baker, is described as punishing her by turning her into an owl. 4 don'd his clothes,] To don is to do on, to put on, as doff is to do off, put off. 5 And dupp'd the chamber door ;] To dup, is to do up; to lift the latch. 6 By Gis,] Probably the contraction of some Saint's name. by Saint Charity,] Saint Charity is a saint among the Roman Catholicks. 8 By cock,] This is a corruption of the sacred namre |