SCENE VIII. Manet Hamlet. Ham. Ay, fo, God b'wi'ye. Now I am alone. A broken voice, and his whole function fuiting, What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her? What would he do, That I have? He would drown the stage with tears, Yet I, A dull and muddy-mettled rafcal, peak, Like John-a-dreams, (2) unpregnant of my caufe, (8) All bis vifage WARM'D:] This might do, did not the old Quarto lead us to a more exact and pertinent reading, which is, Vifage WAN'D i. e. turn'd pale, or wan. For fo the vifage appears when the mind is thus affectioned, and not warm'd or flushed. ----(6). (1) WARBURTON. The cue for paffion,] The bint, the direction. The general ear---] The ears of all mankind. So before, Caviare to the general, that is, to the multitude. (2) Unpregnant of my caufe,] Unpregnant, for having no due fenfe of. WARBURTON. Rather, not quickened with a new defire of vengeance; not teeming with revenge. A (3) A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward? Yet I fhould take it -for it cannot be, But I am pigeon-liver'd, and lack gall Why, what an afs am I? this is moft brave, A Scullion. Fy upon't! foh! For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak (3) A damn'd defeat was made.] Defeat, for destruction. Kindness Unnatural. WARBURTON. (5) About, my brain!] Wits, to your work, Brain, go about the present business. (6) Tent bim-] Search his wounds. (7) If be but blench,] If he fhrink. More י (8) More relative than this: The Play's the thing, Wherein I'll catch the Confcience of the King. Exit. ACT III. SCENE I The PALACE. Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rofincrantz Guildenftern, and Lords.. A KING. ND can you by no drift of conference Rof. He does confefs, he feels himself distracted; When we would bring him on to fome confeffion Queen. Did he receive you well? Rof. Moft like a gentleman. Guil. But with much forcing of his difpofition. Moft free in his reply.. (8) More relative than this:] Relative, for convictive. Queen. WARBURTON. Convictive is only the confequential fenfe, Relative is, nearly res lated, clafely connected. (9) Niggard of question, but of our demands Moft free in bis reply.] This is given as the defcription of the converfation of a man whom the speaker found not forward to be founded; and who kept aloof when they would bring him to confeffion: But fuch a defcription can never pass but at cross purposes ShakeSpeare certainly wrote it just the other way. Moft Queen. Did you affay him to any pastime? To hear of it. They are about the Court; And (as I think) they have already order Pol. Tis moft true : And he befeech'd me to entreat your Majefties King. With all my heart, and it doth much consent. me To hear him so inclin'd. Good gentlemen, give him a further edge, King Sweet Gertrude leave us too; For we have closely fent for Hamlet hither, That he, as 'twere by accident, may here (1) Affront Ophelia. Her father, and myself, lawful Efpials, Will fo beftow ourselves, that, feeing, unfeen, I't be th' affliction of his love, or no, Queen. I fhall obey you: And for my part, Ophelia, I do wish, That your good beauties be the happy cause [Exeunt. Of Hamlet's wildnefs! So fhall I hope, your virtues May bring him, to his wonted way again To both your honours. Oph. Madam, I wish it may. [Exit Queen. Moft free of question, but of our demands. That this is the true reading we need but turn back to the preceding fcene, for Hamlet's conduct, to be fatisfied. WARBURTON. O'er-raught on the way ;] Over raught is, over-reached, that is, over-took. Pol. Pol. Ophelia, walk you here. Gracious, fo pleate ye, We will bestow ourfelves-Read on this book, That fhew of fuch an exercife may colour Your loneliness. We're oft to blame in this, [To Oph. (2) 'Tis too much prov'd, that with devotion's vifage, And pious action, we do fugar o'er The devil himfelf. King. Oh, 'tis too true. How smart a lash that speech doth give my confcience! The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastring art, [Afide. Pol I hear him coming; let's withdraw, my Lord. [Exeunt all but Ophelia. SCENE IL Enter Hamlet. Ham. (4) To be, or not to be? that is the quef tion. Whether (2) 'Tis too much prov'd,] It is found by too frequent expe rience. (3) more ugly to the thing that helps it,] That is compared with the thing that helps it. (4) "To be, or not to be ] Of this celebrated foliloquy, which bursting from a man diftracted with contrariety of defires, and overwhelmed with the magnitude of his own purposes, is connected rather in the speaker's mind, than on his tongue, I shall endeavour to difcover the train, and to fhew how one fentiment produces another. Hamlet, knowing himfelf injured in the moft enormous and atrocious degree, and feeing no means of redrefs, but fuch as muft expofe him to the extremity of hazard, meditates on his fituation in this manner: Before I can form any rational fcheme of action under this preffure of diftrefs, it is neceffary to decide, whether, after our prefent flate, we are to be or not to be. That is the question, |