no other thing to me, than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculties in form, and moving, how express and admirable in action, how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world! theparagon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me, nor woman neither; though, by your smiling, you seem to say so. Ros. My lord, there is no such stuff in my thoughts. Ham. Why did you laugh then, when I said, Man delights not me? Ros. To think, my lord, if you delight not in man, what lenten' entertainment the players shall receive from you: we coted them on the way: and hither are they coming, to offer you service. 8 Ham. He that plays the king, shall be welcome; his majesty shall have tribute of me; the adventurous knight shall use his foil, and target: the lover shall not sigh gratis; the humorous man shall end his part in peace: the clown shall make those laugh, whose lungs are tickled o' the sere; and the lady shall say her mind freely, or the blank verse shall halt for 't. What players are they? Ros. Even these you were wont to take such delight in, the tragedians of the city. Ham. How chances it, they travel? their residence, both in reputation and profit, was better both ways. Ros. I think, their inhibition comes by the means of the late innovation. Ham, Do they hold the same estimation they did when I was in the city? Are they so followed? Ros. No, indeed, they are not. Ham. How comes it? Do they grow rusty? 7 Spare. 8 Overtook. VOL. X. P Ros. Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace: But there is, sir, an aiery of children, little eyases, that cry out on the top of question', and are most tyrannically clapp'd for 't: these are now the fashion; and so berattle-the common stages, (so they call them) that many, wearing rapiers, are afraid of goose quills, and dare scarce come thither. 3 2 Ham. What, are they children? who maintains them? how are they escoted? Will they pursue the quality no longer than they can sin? will they not say afterwards, if they should grow themselves to common players, (as it is most like, if their means are no better,) their writers do them wrong, to make them exclaim against their own succession? Ros. 'Faith, there has been much to do on both sides; and the nation holds it no sin, to tarre* them on to controversy: there was, for a while, no money bid for argument, unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question. Ham. Is it possible? Guil. O, there has been much throwing about of brains. Ham. Do the boys carry it away? Ros. Ay, that they do, my lord; Hercules and his load too". Ham. It is not very strange: for my uncle is king of Denmark, and those, that would make mouths at him while my father lived, give twenty, forty, fifty, an hundred ducats a-piece, for his picture in little. There is something in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out. [Flourish of Trumpets within. Guil. There are the players. 5 i. c. The globe, the sign of Shakspeare's Theatre. 6 Ham. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your hands. Come then: the appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony: let me comply with you in this garb; lest my extent to the players, which, I tell you, must show fairly outward, should more appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome; but my uncle-father, and auntmother, are deceived. Guil. In what, my dear lord? Ham. I am but mad north-north west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a hand-saw. Enter POLONIUS. Pol. Well be with you, gentlemen! Ham. Hark you, Guildenstern; - and you too; at each ear a hearer: that great baby, you see there, is not yet out of his swaddling-clouts. Ros. Happily, he's the second time come to them; for, they say, an old man is twice a child. Ham. I will prophecy, he comes to tell me of the players; mark it. You say right, sir; o' Mon day morning; 't was then, indeed. Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you. Ham. My lord, I have news to tell you; When Roscius was an actor in Rome, Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord. Pol. Upon my honour, Ham. Then came each actor on his ass, Pol. The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, [tragical-historical, tragical.comical-historical-pastoral,] scene individable, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor 6 Compliment. Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the liberty, these are the only men. Ham. O Jephthah, judge of Israel,-what a treasure hadst thou! Pol. What a treasure had he, my lord? Ham. Why One fair daughter, and no more, Pol. Still on my daughter. [Aside. Ham. Am I not i' the right, old Jephthah? Pol. If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter, that I love passing well. Ham. Nay, that follows not. Pol. What follows then, my lord? Ham. Why, As by lot, God wot, and then, you know, It came to pass, As most like it was, The first row of the pious chanson will show you more; for look, my abridgment comes. 8 Enter Four or Five Players. You are welcome, masters: welcome, all:-I am glad to see thee well: welcome, good friends : — O, old friend! Why, thy face is valanced since I saw thee last; Com'st thou to beard me in Denmark? What! my young lady and mistress! your ladyship is nearer to heaven, than when I saw you last, by the altitude of a chopine'. Pray heaven, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not cracked within the ring. -Masters, you are all welcome. We 'll e'en to 't like French falconers, fly at any thing we see: We 'll have a speech straight: Come, give us a taste of your quality; come, a passionate speech. 1 Play. What speech, my lord? Ham. I heard thee speak me a speech once, but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above once for the play, I remember, pleased not the 7 Writing. 8 Christmas carols. 9 Fringed. Clog. million; 't was caviare2 to the general 3: but it was (as I received it, and others, whose judgments, in such matters, cried in the top of mine,) an excellent play; well digested in the scenes, set down with as much modesty as cunning. I remember, one said, there were no sallads in the lines, to make the matter savoury; nor no matter in the phrase, that might indite the author of affection": but called it, an honest method, as wholesome as sweet, and by very much more handsome than fine. One speech in it I chiefly loved: 't was Æneas' tale to Dido; and thereabout of it especially, where he speaks of Priam's slaughter: If it live in your memory, begin at this line : let me see, let me see; The rugged Pyrrhus, like the Hyrcanian beast,—· 'tis not so; it begins with Pyrrhus. The rugged Pyrrhus, - he, whose sable arms, Now is he total gules'; horridly trick'd With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons; With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus 1 Play. Anon he finds him Striking too short at Greeks; his antique sword, Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls, 2 An Italian dish made of the roes of fishes. 3 Multitude. 4 Above. 5 Convict. 7 Red, a term in heraldry. 6 Affectation. 8 Blazoned. |