Rof. Good my lord, what is your caufe of diftemper? You do furely bar the door upon your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to your friend.

Ham. Sir, I lack advancement.

Ref. How can that be, when you have the voice of the king himself for your fucceffion in Denmark?

Ham. Ay fir, but while the grafs grows ---the proverb 'is fomething mufty.

Enter the players with recorders.

Oh, the recorders, let me fee one.

To withdraw with you

--why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toil?

Guil. Oh my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly.

Ham. I do not well understand that. Will you play upon this pipe?

Guil. My lord, I cannot.

• The fo's and R. read freely instead this direction, alter Hamlet's speech thus,

of furely.

fir.

I Fo's, of.

Ob, the recorder, let me fee; to withdraw,
&c. But unfortunately R. and the mo-

s So the qu's and C. All the reft omit dern editors (except C.) having reftored

So the qu's. The fo's and the reft direct, Enter one with a recorder; and the fo's, to make what follows agree with

the reading of the qu's in Hamlet's
fpeech, have forgot to restore the direc
tion in the qu's, with which it should
agree.

your

W

your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most eloquent mufic. Look you, these are the ftops.

Guild. But thefe cannot I command to any utterance of harmony; I have not the fkill.

Ham. Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me; you would play upon me, you would seem to know my ftops, you would pluck out the heart of my myftery, you would found me from my loweft note to my compass; and there is much mufic, excellent voice in this little organ, yet cannot you make it fpeak: 'sblood do you think I am easier to be play'd on than a pipe? Call me what inftrument you will, tho' you can fret me, you cannot play upon me. God bless you, fir.

Enter Polonius.

a

Pol. My lord, the queen would speak with you, and pre. fently.

d

Ham. Do you fee yonder cloud, that's almoft in fhape of a camel?

Pol. By th' mafs and 'tis—like a camel indeed!
Ham. Methinks it is like a f weafel.

The fo's and R. read finger.
w The 1ft q. and C. read, and the um-
ber; the 2d and 3d, and the thumb. We
should be glad to know what C. under-
ftands by the umber.

* Fo's and R. excellent.

y J. reads, you would make, &c. 2 So the qu's. The rest read to the top of my compass.

a The fo's and R. omit speak.

So the qu's. The reft, Why, do you shink that I am cafier to be play'd on,

H 2

The qu's read, though you fret me not, &c.

d The fo's and R. read, Do you fee that cloud, that's almost in shape like a camel?

e The 1ft, 2d and 3d fo's read, By th' Miffe, and it's like a camel indeed; 4th f. and all after but C, By th' mass, and it's like a camel indeed. C. weazel for camel.

f P. reads oule, i. e. blackbird, followed by the reft, except C, who reads

camel,

Pol.

Pol. It is back'd like a weafel,

Ham. Or like a whale.

Pol. Very like a whale.

Ham. Then I will come to my mother by and byThey fool me to the top of my bent.-I will come by

and by.

Pol. I will fay so.

Ham. By and by is eafily faid.

Leave me, friends. 'Tis now the very witching time of night,

[Exeunt. When church-yards yawn, and hell itself 'breathes out Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood, And do fuch bufinefs as the day

Would quake to look on. Soft, now to my mother-
O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever
The foul of Nero enter this firm bofom;
Let me be cruel, a not unnatural;

I will speak daggers to her, but use none.
My tongue and foul in this be hypocrites;
How in my words
To give them feals,

foever fhe be fhent,

never my foul confent!

g So the 1ft q. and all the fo's and C. The 2d and 3d qu's, P. and all after, black.

h C. camel for wcafel.

So the qu's. The rest, will I. k In the qu's and P.'s q. this fpeech of Polonius is made a part of Hamlet's; and the words, Leave me, friends, inferted before it, as follows;

-I will come by and by, Leave me, friends. I will fay fo. By and by is cafily faid. 'Tis now the very witching time, &c.

The 1st and 2d qu's read breakes. S. takes no notice of the reading of the

3d q. breathes.

[Exit.

The qu's read, And do fuch business as the bitter day. From whence W. conjectures that we should read, better day j and Heath, bitter'ft day.

n7. before not inferts but,

• The 1st and 2d qu's read dagger. S. takes no notice of the reading of the 3d, viz. daggers.

P These two lines are omitted by P... and H.

9 First and 2d qu's, fomever. So S. but gives not the reading of 3d, forver. To give them feals—] i. e. put them in execution. W.

SCENE

SCENE IX.

Enter King, Rofincraus and Guildenftern.

King. I like him not, nor ftands it safe with us

To let his madness range. Therefore, prepare you;
I your commiffion will forthwith dispatch,
And he to England fhall along with you.
The terms of our estate may not endure
Hazardfo near us, as doth hourly grow
Out of his brows.

Guil. We will ourfelves provide;
Most holy and religious fear it is
To keep those many, many bodies safe,
That live and feed upon your majesty.

Rof. The fingle and peculiar life is bound,
With all the ftrength and armour of the mind,
To keep itself from 'noyance; but much more,
That spirit upon whofe a weal depend and rest
The lives of many. The ceafe of majefty
Dies not alone, but like a gulf doth draw

What's near it with it. It is a maffy wheel
Fixt on the fummit of the highest mount,
To whofe f huge spokes ten thousand leffer things
Are & mortiz'd and adjoin'd; which when it falls,
Each small annexment, petty consequence,
Attends the boisterous h ruin. Never alone

Did the king figh; but with a general groan.

King. Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage; For we will fetters put upon this fear,

k

Which now goes too free-footed.

Ref. We will hafte us.

Enter Polonius.

[Exeunt Gent,

Pol. My lord, he's going to his mother's closet;
Behind the arras I'll convey myself

To hear the procefs. I'll warrant, fhe'll tax him home,
And, as you faid, and wifely was it faid,

'Tis meet that fome more audience than a mother,
Since nature makes them partial, fhould o'er-hear
The fpeech of vantage. Fare you well, my liege;
I'll call upon you ere you go to bed,

And tell you what I know.

King. Thanks, dear my lord.

Oh! my offence is rank, it fineils to heavin,
It hath the primal, eldeft, curfe upon 't;

[Exit.

d Before it is the qu's infeit or.
e The qu's ani fo's read, fomnet.
f The 1ft q. bough; 2d, bugh.
8 Qu's, morteif.

The qu's read raine. * The qu's omit zwith.

* Qu's, ateur.

1 The qu's and C. give this fpecch only to Rofencraus; the reft to both.

The 3d q. reads we will make hafte z which S, takes no notice of.