Conjures the wandring ftars, and makes them ftand Hamlet the Dane. [Hamlet leaps into the Grave. Laer. The Devil take thy foul! [Grappling with him. I pr'ythee, take thy fingers from my throat Hold off thy hand. [The attendants part them. upon this theme, Ham. Why, I will fight with him Until my eye lids will no longer wag. Queen. Oh my fon! what theme? Ham. I lov'd Ophelia; forty thousand brothers Make up my fum. What wilt thou do for her? Queen. For love of God, forbear him. Ham. Come, fhew me what thou'lt do. Woo't weep? woo't fight? woo't faft? woo't tear thy felf? Woo't drink up Eifel, eat a crocodile? (29) I'll (29) Would drink up Efill, eat a Crocodile?] This Word has thro' all the Editions been distinguish'd by Italick Characters, as if it were the proper Name of fome River: and fo, I dare fay, all the Editors have from time to time understood it to be. But then this must be fome River in Denmark; and there is none there fo call'd; nor is there any near it in Name, that I know of, but rel, from which the Province of Overyffel derives its Title in the German Flanders. Befides, Hamlet is not propofing any Impoffibilities to Laertes, as the drinking up a River would be: but he rather feems to mean, Wilt thou refolve to do things the moft fhocking and diftafteful to human Nature? and, behold, I am as refolute. I am persuaded, the Poet wrote; I'll do't. Do'st thou come hither but to whine? Queen. This is meer madness; And thus a while the Fit will work on him: Ham. Hear you, Sir What is the reason that you use me thus? The cat will mew, the dog will have his day. [Exit. [Exit Hor. Strengthen your patience in our laft night's speech. [To Laertes. We'll put the matter to the present push. [Exeunt. Wilt drink up Eifel, eat a Crocodile ? i. e. Wilt thou fwallow down large Draughts of Vinegar? The Propofition, indeed, is not very grand; but the doing it might be as diftasteful and unfavoury, as eating the Flesh of a Crocodile. And now there is neither an Impoffibility, nor an Anticlimax and the Lownefs of the Idea is in fome measure remov'd by the uncommon Term. : SCENE SCENE changes to a HALL, in the Palace. Ham. S° Enter Hamlet and Horatio. much for this, now fhall you fee the other. You do remember all the circumftance ? Hor. Remember it, my lord? Ham. Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting, That would not let me fleep; methought, I lay Worfe than the mutines in the Bilboes; Rafhnefs (And prais'd be rafhnefs for it) lets us know, Our indifcretion fometimes ferves us well, When our deep plots do fail; and that should teach us, Hor. That is moft certain. My fea-gown fcarft about me, in the dark No, not to lay the grinding of the ax, Har. Is't poffible? Ham. Here's the commiffion, read it at more leisure; But wilt thou hear now how I did proceed? Hor. I beseech you. Ham. Being thus benetted round with villany, (Ere I could make a prologue, to my Bane (30) (30) Being thus benetted round with villains, E'er I could make a Prologue to my Brains, They They had begun the Play :) I fate me down, A baseness to write fair; and labour'd much Hor. Ay, good my lord. Ham. An earneft conjuration from the King, As love between them, like the palm, might flourish, a This Paffage is certainly corrupt both in the Text and Pointing. Making Prologue to his Brains is fuch a Phrafe as SHAKESPEARE would never have us'd, to mean, e're I could form my Thoughts in making a Prologue. I communicated my Doubts to my two ingenious Friends Mr. Warburton and Mr. Bishop, and by their Affiftance, I hope, I have reform'd the whole to the Author's Intention. The Senfe is, plainly, this " Being thus in their Snares, e're I could make a Prologue (take the leaft previous Step) to ward off Danger, "they had begun the Play (put their Schemes in Action) "which was to terminate in my Deftruction. " (31) As Peace should still her wheaten Garland wear, And fand a Comma 'tween their Amities, &c.] Peace is finely and properly perfonaliz'd here, as the God defs of good League and Friendship: but what Ideas can we form of her ftanding as a Comma, or Stop, betwixt their Amities? I am sure, fhe ftands rather like a Cypher, in this Reading. I have no Doubt, but the Poer wrote; And ftand a Commere: 'tween their Amities; i. e, a Guarantee, a Common Mother. Nothing can be more picturefque than this Image of Peace's standing dreft in her wheaten Garland between the two Princes, and extending a Hand to each. In this Equipage and Office we frequently fee her on Roman Coins: particularly, on two exhibited by Baron Spanheim; one of Auguftus, and the other of Vespafan. The Poets likewife image to us Peace holding an Ear of Corn, as an Emblem of Plenty, Tibull. lib. I. Eleg. x. At nobis, Pax alma, veni, spicamq; teneto. Mr.Warburton. And And ftand a Commere 'tween their amities Hor. How was this feal'd? Hor. Why, ev'n in that was heaven ordinant; Hor. So, Guildenftern and Rofincrantz go to't. ment. They are not near my confcience; their defeat Doth by their own infinuation grow: 'Tis dangerous when the bafer nature comes Between the pafs, and fell incenfed points, Of mighty oppofites. Hor. Why, what a King is this! Ham. Does it not, think't thou, ftand me now upon? He that hath kill'd my King, and whor'd my mother, Popt in between th' election and my hopes, Thrown out his angle for my proper life, And with fuch cozenage; is't not perfect confcience, To quit him with this arm? and is't not to be damn'd, To let this canker of our nature come In further evil? Hor. It must be shortly known to him from England, What is the iffue of the bufinefs there. Ham. It will be short. The Interim's mine; and a man's life's no more Than to fay, one. But I am very forry, good Horatio, For by the image of my cause I fee The |