The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Part 76

_Osr_. I commend my duty to your Lords.h.i.+p. [Sidenote: _Cour_.]

_Ham_. Yours, yours [18]: hee does well to commend [Sidenote: _Ham_. Yours doo's well[18]]

it himselfe, there are no tongues else for's tongue, [Sidenote: turne.]

[Footnote A: _Here in the Quarto_:--

_Hora_. I knew you must be edified by the margent[19] ere you had done.]

[Footnote 1: accompaniments or belongings; things _a.s.signed_ to them.]

[Footnote 2: the thongs or chains attaching the sheath of a weapon to the girdle; what the weapon _hangs_ by. The '_or so_' seems to indicate that Osricke regrets having used the old-fas.h.i.+oned word, which he immediately changes for _carriages_.]

[Footnote 3: imagination, taste, the artistic faculty.]

[Footnote 4: 'corresponding to--going well with the hilts,'--in shape, ornament, and colour.]

[Footnote 5: bold invention.]

[Footnote 6: a new word, unknown to Hamlet;--court-slang, to which he prefers the old-fas.h.i.+oned, homely word.]

[Footnote 7: related; 'akin to the matter.']

[Footnote 8: He uses Osricke's words--with a touch of derision, I should say.]

[Footnote 9: I do not take the _Quarto_ reading for incorrect. Hamlet says: 'why is this all----you call it --? --?' as if he wanted to use the word (_imponed_) which Osricke had used, but did not remember it: he asks for it, saying '_you call it_' interrogatively.]

[Footnote 10: _1st Q_

that yong Leartes in twelue venies 223 At Rapier and Dagger do not get three oddes of you,]

[Footnote 11: In all printer's work errors are apt to come in cl.u.s.ters.]

[Footnote 12: the response, or acceptance of the challenge.]

[Footnote 13: Hamlet plays with the word, pretending to take it in its common meaning.]

[Footnote 14: 'By _answer_, I mean, my lord, the opposition &c.']

[Footnote 15: 'my time for exercise:' he treats the proposal as the trifle it seems--a casual affair to be settled at once--hoping perhaps that the king will come with like carelessness.]

[Footnote 16: the _three_.]

[Footnote 17: To Osricke the answer seems too direct and unadorned for ears royal.]

[Footnote 18: I cannot help here preferring the _Q_. If we take the _Folio_ reading, we must take it thus: 'Yours! yours!' spoken with contempt;--'as if _you_ knew anything of duty!'--for we see from what follows that he is playing with the word _duty_. Or we might read it, 'Yours commends yours,' with the same sense as the reading of the _Q._, which is, 'Yours,' that is, '_Your_ lords.h.i.+p--does well to commend his duty himself--there is no one else to do it.' This former shape is simpler; that of the _Folio_ is burdened with ellipsis--loaded with lack. And surely _turne_ is the true reading!--though we may take the other to mean, 'there are no tongues else on the side of his tongue.']

[Footnote 19: --as of the Bible, for a second interpretative word or phrase.]

[Page 260]

_Hor_. This Lapwing runs away with the sh.e.l.l on his head.[1]

[Sidenote: 98] _Ham_. He did Compile[2] with his Dugge before [Sidenote: _Ham_. A did sir[2] with]

hee suck't it: thus had he and mine more of the [Sidenote: a suckt has he many more]

same Beauy[3] that I know the drossie age dotes [Sidenote: same breede]

on; only got the tune[4] of the time, and outward [Sidenote: and out of an habit of[5]]

habite of encounter,[5] a kinde of yesty collection, [Sidenote: histy]

which carries them through and through the most fond and winnowed opinions; and doe but blow [Sidenote: prophane and trennowed opinions]

them to their tryalls: the Bubbles are out.[6]

[Sidenote: their triall, the]

[A]

_Hor_. You will lose this wager, my Lord. [Sidenote: loose my Lord.]

_Ham_. I doe not thinke so, since he went into France, I haue beene in continuall practice; I shall [Sidenote: 265] winne at the oddes:[7] but thou wouldest not thinke [Sidenote: ods; thou]

how all heere about my heart:[8] but it is no matter[9]

[Sidenote: how ill all's heere]

_Hor_. Nay, good my Lord.

_Ham_. It is but foolery; but it is such a kinde of gain-giuing[10] as would perhaps trouble a woman, [Sidenote: gamgiuing.]

_Hor_. If your minde dislike any thing, obey.[11] [Sidenote: obay it.]

I will forestall[12] their repaire hither, and say you are not fit.

_Ham_. Not a whit, we defie Augury[13]; there's a [Sidenote: there is speciall]

[Sidenote: 24, 125, 247] speciall Prouidence in the fall of a sparrow.[14] If

[Footnote A: _Here in the Quarto:--_

_Enter a Lord_.[15]

_Lord_. My Lord, his Maiestie commended him to you by young Ostricke,[16] who brings backe to him that you attend him in the hall, he sends to know if your pleasure hold to play with _Laertes_, or that you will take longer time?[17]

_Ham_. I am constant to my purposes, they followe the Kings pleasure, if his fitnes speakes, mine is ready[18]: now or whensoeuer, prouided I be so able as now.

_Lord_. The King, and Queene, and all are comming downe.

_Ham_. In happy time.[19]

_Lord_. The Queene desires you to vse some gentle entertainment[20] _Laertes_, before you fall to play.

_Ham_. Shee well instructs me.]

[Footnote 1: 'Well, he _is_ a young one!']