Hor. Illo, ho, ho, my Lord!

Ham. Hillo, ho, ho, boy. (5) Come, bird, come.
Mar. How is't, my noble Lord?

Hor. What news, my Lord?

Ham Oh, wonderful!

Hor. Good, my Lord, tell it.

Ham. No, you'll reveal it.

Hor. Not I, my Lord, by heav'n.

Mar. Nor I, my Lord.

Ham. How fay you then, would heart of man once think it?

But you'll be fecret

Both. Ay, by heav'n, my Lord.

Ham. There's ne'er a villain, dwelling in all Denmark,

But he's an errant knave.

Hor. There needs no Ghoft, my Lord, come from the Grave

To tell us this.

Ham. Why right, you are i' th' right; And fo without more circumftance at all,

I hold it fit that we thake hands, and part;

You, as your bufinefs and defires fhall point you;
For every man has business and defire,

Such as it is; and, for my own poor part,

I will go pray.

Hor. Thefe are but wild and whirling words, my. Lord.

Ham. I'm forry they offend you, heartily;

Yes, heartily.

(5) Come, bird, come.] This is the call which falconers ufe to their hawk in the air when they would have him come down to

them.

Oxford Editor.

Hor.

Hor. There's no offence, my Lord.

Ham. Yes, (6) by St. Patrick, but there is, my
And much offence too. Touching this vifion here,
It is an honeft Ghost, that let me tell you:
For defire to know what is between us,

your

O'er-mafter it as you may.

Lord,

And now, good friends,

As you are friends, fcholars, and foldiers,

Give me one poor request.

Hor. What is't, my Lord?

Ham. Never make known what you have seen to

night.

Both. My Lord, we will not.
Ham. Nay, but swear't.

Hor. In faith, my Lord, not I.

Mar. Nor I, my Lord, in faith.

Ham. Upon my fword.

Mar. We have fworn, my Lord, already.

Ham. Indeed, upon my fword, indeed.

Ghost. Swear.

[Ghost cries under the Stage.

Ham. Ah ha, boy, fay'ft thou fo? art thou there,

true-penny ?

Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage.

Confent to fwear.

Hor. Propofe the oath, my Lord.

Ham. Never to speak of this that

(7) Swear by my fword.

Ghost. Swear.

to

(6) By St. Patrick,- -] How the poet comes to make Ham. let fwear by St. Patrick, I know not. However at this time all the whole porthern world had their learning from Ireland; which place it had retired, and there flourished under the auspices of this Saint. But it was, I fuppofe, only faid at random; for he WARBURTON. makes Hamlet a student of Wittenberg.

(7) Swear by my favord.] Here the poet has preferved the manners of the ancient Danes with whom it was religion to fwear upon their fwords. See Bartholine, De caufis contemp. mort. apud

Dan.

WARBURTON.

I was once inclinable to this opinion, which is likewife well defended by Mr. Upton, but Mr. Garrick produced me a paffage, I think, in Brantôme, from which it appeared, that it was common to fwear upon the fword, that is, upon the crofs which the old fwords always had upon the hilt.,

G 5

Ham,

Ham. Hic & ubique ? then we'll shift our ground. Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my sword.

Never to speak of this which you have heard,
Swear by my fword.

Gloft. Swear by his fword.

Ham. Well faid, old mole, can't work i'th' ground.
fo faft!

A worthy pioneer! Once more remove, good friends.
Hor. Oh day and night but this is wondrous
ftrange.

Ham. (8) And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heav'n and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philofophy. But come,
Here, as before, never, (fo help you mercy!)
How strange or odd foe'er I bear myself,

As I perchance, hereafter shall think_meet

To put an antick difpofition on,

That you, at fuch time feeing me, never shall,
With arms incumbred thus, or this head-fhake,
Or by pronouncing of fome doubtful phrase,
As, well we know

would

Or, if we lift to speak

R

might

or, we could, and if we

-or, there be, and if there

Or fuch ambiguous givings out, denote

That you know aught of me ; This do ye fwear,
So grace and mercy at your moft need help you!

Swear.

Ghost. Swear.

vet

Ham. Reft, refl, perturbed Spirit. So, Gentle

men,

2

With all my love do I commend me to you;
And what fo poor a man as Hamlet is
May do t'exprefs his love and friending to you,
God willing fhall not lack. Let us go in together,
And ftill your fingers on your lips, I pray.

(8) And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.] i. e. receive it to your feif; take it under your own roof: As much as to fay, Keep it fecret. Alluding to the laws of hofpitality.

WARBURTON.

The

".

The Time is out of joint; oh, cursed spight!
That I ever I was born to fet it right.
Nay, come, let's go together.

[Exeunt..

G

ACT II SCENE I.

An Apartment in Polonius's Houfe.

Enter Polonius and Reynoldo..

POLONIU S.

IVE him this money, and these notes, Reynoldo.
Rey. I will, my Lord.

Pol. You fhall do marvellous wifely, good Reynoldo Before you vifit him, to make inquiry

Of his behaviour.

Rey. My Lord, I did intend it.

Pol. Marty, well faid; very well faid. Look you',»
Sir,

Enquire me firft what Danskers are in Paris;

And how; and who; what means; and where they

keep;

What company;
at what expence ;
and finding,
By this encompaffment and drift of question,.
That they do know my fon, come you more near; -
Then your particular demands will touch it.
Take you, as 'twere fome diftant knowledge of him.
As thus. I know his father and his friends, -

And in part him--Do you mark this, Reynoldo ?:

well, my

Lord.

Rey. Ay, very Pol. And in part him-but you may fay-not well; But if't be he, I mean, he's very wild;

may

Addicted fo and fo-and there put on him
What forgeries you pleafe; marry, none fo rank,
As difhonour him; take heed of that;
But, Sir, fuch wanton, wild, and ufual flips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

`Reys

Rey. As gaming, my Lord

Pol. Ay, or (9) drinking, fencing, fwearing, Quarrelling, drabbing-You may go fo far. Rey. My Lord, that would dishonour him. Pol, Faith no, as you may feafon it in the Charge; You must not put (1) an utter fcandal on him, That he is open to incontinency,

That's not my meaning; but breathe his faults fo quaintly,

That they may seem the taints of liberty;
The flash and out-break of a fiery mind,
(2) A favagenefs in unreclaimed blood

(3) Of general affault.

Rey. But, my good Lord

Pol. Wherefore should you do this?
Rey. Ay, my Lord, I would know that.
Pol. Marry, Sir, here's my drift;
And I believe it is a fetch of

You, laying thefe flight fon,

on

As 'twete a thing a little foil'd i' th' working,
Mark you, your party in converfe, he you'ld found,
Having ever feen in the prenominate crimes,
The youth you breathe of, guilty, be affur'd,
He clofes with you in this confequence;
(4) Good Sir, or fo, or Friend, or Gentleman,

Accord

(9)-drinking [fencing,] fwearing,] Fencing, dh interpolation.

WARBURTON. fuppofe, by fencing is meant a too diligent frequentation of the fencing-school, a refort of violent and lawlefs young men. In former, editions, another. The emen

an utter.

(1)dation is Theobald's.

to.

(2) A favageness-] Savageness, for wildness.

WARBURTON.

(3) Of general affault.] . e. fuch as youth in general is liable WARBURTON

(4) Good fir, or so, or friend, &c.] We should read,

Or SIRE, i, e. father.

WARBURTON.

I know not that fire was ever a general word of compliment as diftin&t from fir; nor do I conceive why any alteration should be made. It is a common mode of colloquial language to use, or fo, as a flight intimation of more of the fame, or a like kind, that might be mentioned. We might read,

Good Sir, Forfeoth, or Friend, or Gentleman.

For footb,