GUIL. Believe me, I cannot. HAM. I do beseech you. GUIL. I know no touch of it, my lord. HAM. 'Tis as easy as lying: govern these ventages with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most excellent music. Look you, these are the stops. GUIL. But these cannot I command to any utterance of harmony; I have not the skill. HAM. Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me? You would play upon me; you would seem to know my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my mystery; you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass and there is much musick, excellent voice, in this little organ; yet cannot you make it speak. 'Sblood, do you think, I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me.(70) Enter POLONius. God bless you, sir! POL. My lord, the and presently. queen would speak with you, HAM. Do you see yonder cloud, that's almost in shape of a camel? POL. By the mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed. HAM. Methinks, it is like a weasel. POL. It is backed like a weasel. HAM. Or, like a whale? govern these ventages-and it will discourse most excellent music] Justly order these vents, or air-holes, and it will breathe or utter, &c. For excellent, the quartos read eloquent. POL. Very like a whale. HAM. Then will I come to my mother by and by.(7) They fool me to the top of my bent." I will come by and by. POL. I will say so. [Exit POLONIUS. HAM. By and by is easily said.-Leave me, friends. [Exeunt Ros. GUIL. HOR. &c. 'Tis now the very witching time of night; When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out (2) Contagion to this world: Now could I drink hot blood, (73) And do such bitter business as the day Would quake to look on. Soft; now to my mo ther. O, heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever I will speak daggers to her, but use none; [Exit. They fool me to the top of my bent] To the height; as far as they see me incline to go: an allusion to the utmost flexure of a bow. bgive my words seals] Make my "sayings a deed;" as is nearly his language in I. 3. Laert. and Tim. V. 1. Painter. SCENE III. A Room in the same. Enter King, ROSENCRANTZ and Guildenstern. KING. I like him not; nor stands it safe with us,* To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you; your commission will forthwith despatch, I And he to England shall along with you: GUIL. Ros. The single and peculiar life is bound, * near us, 4tos. somnet, That spirit, upon whose spirit depends and rests weal, 4tos, ⚫ stands it safe with us] Is it consistent with our security. the cease of majesty] Demise, fall. Throughout our author a strong sense is attached to the verb cease. See "fall and cease,” Lear, last sc. Alb. The quartos give cesse. KING. Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage; For we will fetters put upon this fear, Ros. GUIL. a We will haste us. [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Enter POLONIUS. POL. My lord, he's going to his mother's closet: Behind the arras I'll convey myself, To hear the process; I'll warrant, she'll tax him home: And, as you said, and wisely was it said, 'Tis meet, that some more audience than a mo ther, Since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear KING. Thanks, dear my lord. O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven;" d this fear] Bugbear. See Ant. and Cl. II. 3. Sooths. bo'erhear the speech of vantage] If conveying any thing distinctly; "that gives the means of availing itself of occur rences." O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven] Even there, where the odour of sacrifice only should rise, to the seat of the gods, its offensive steam reaches. Though inclination be as sharp as will] "Though desire, though my wishes, be as earnest as my willingness:" bias, inclination to any thing, being stronger than mere will or consent to it. Something of the nature of contrast or opposition, by how licentious an use soever of the word "inclination," must have been here meant. And, like a man to double business bound, And what's in prayer, but this two-fold force, Or pardon'd, being down? Then I'll look up; Whereto serves mercy, C But to confront the visage of offence?] With a benign and softened aspect to meet or encounter the harsh features of crime. To be forestalled ere we come to fall] Prevented from falling. there the action lies In his true nature, and we ourselves compell'd.] The transaction shews, or presents itself; the suit, stripped of all chicane, is entertained and prosecuted simply as it is; and there it is that we are compelled, &c. For the use of the personal pronoun here, see "his own scandal." I. 4. Haml. Yet what can it, when one can not repent] What can that course, though it can do all, do, if I cannot pursue it? |