The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Part 23

[Footnote 9: --reading, or pretending to read, the words from the book he carries.]

[Footnote 10: When the pa.s.sion for emendation takes possession of a man, his opportunities are endless--so many seeming emendations offer themselves which are in themselves not bad, letters and words affording as much play as the keys of a piano. 'Being a G.o.d kissing carrion,' is in itself good enough; but Shakspere meant what stands in both Quarto and Folio: _the dead dog being a carrion good at kissing_. The arbitrary changes of the editors are amazing.]

[Footnote 11: He cannot help his mind constantly turning upon women; and if his thoughts of them are often cruelly false, it is not Hamlet but his mother who is to blame: her conduct has hurled him from the peak of optimism into the bottomless pool of pessimistic doubt, above the foul waters of which he keeps struggling to lift his head.]

[Page 86]

_Ham_. Let her not walke i'th'Sunne: Conception[1]

is a blessing, but not as your daughter may [Sidenote: but as your]

conceiue. Friend looke too't.

[Sidenote: 100] _Pol_.[2] How say you by that? Still harping on my daughter: yet he knew me not at first; he said [Sidenote: a sayd I]

I was a Fishmonger: he is farre gone, farre gone: [Sidenote: Fishmonger, a is farre gone, and truly]

and truly in my youth, I suffred much extreamity and truly for loue: very neere this. Ile speake to him againe.

What do you read my Lord?

_Ham_. Words, words, words.

_Pol_. What is the matter, my Lord?

_Ham_. Betweene who?[3]

_Pol_. I meane the matter you meane, my [Sidenote: matter that you reade my]

Lord.

_Ham_. Slanders Sir: for the Satyricall slaue [Sidenote: satericall rogue sayes]

saies here, that old men haue gray Beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thicke Amber, or Plum-Tree Gumme: and that they haue [Sidenote: Amber, and]

a plentifull locke of Wit, together with weake [Sidenote: lacke with most weake]

Hammes. All which Sir, though I most powerfully, and potently beleeue; yet I holde it not Honestie[4] to haue it thus set downe: For you [Sidenote: for your selfe sir shall grow old as I am:]

your selfe Sir, should be old as I am, if like a Crab you could go backward.

_Pol_.[5] Though this be madnesse, Yet there is Method in't: will you walke Out of the ayre[6] my Lord?

_Ham_. Into my Graue?

_Pol_. Indeed that is out o'th'Ayre: [Sidenote: that's out of the ayre;]

How pregnant (sometimes) his Replies are?

A happinesse, That often Madnesse hits on, Which Reason and Sanitie could not [Sidenote: sanct.i.ty]

So prosperously be deliuer'd of.

[Footnote 1: One of the meanings of the word, and more in use then than now, is _understanding_.]

[Footnote 2: (_aside_).]

[Footnote 3: --pretending to take him to mean by _matter_, the _point of quarrel_.]

[Footnote 4: Propriety.]

[Footnote 5: (_aside_).]

[Footnote 6: the draught.]

[Page 88]

[A] I will leaue him, And sodainely contriue the meanes of meeting Betweene him,[1] and my daughter.

My Honourable Lord, I will most humbly Take my leaue of you.

_Ham_. You cannot Sir take from[2] me any thing, that I will more willingly part withall, except my [Sidenote: will not more my life, except my]

life, my life.[3]

[Sidenote: _Enter Guyldersterne, and Rosencrans_.]

_Polon_. Fare you well my Lord.

_Ham_. These tedious old fooles.

_Polon_. You goe to seeke my Lord _Hamlet_; [Sidenote: the Lord]

there hee is.

_Enter Rosincran and Guildensterne_.[4]

_Rosin_. G.o.d saue you Sir.

_Guild_. Mine honour'd Lord?

_Rosin_. My most deare Lord?

_Ham_. My excellent good friends? How do'st [Sidenote: My extent good]

thou _Guildensterne_? Oh, _Rosincrane_; good Lads: [Sidenote: A Rosencraus]

How doe ye both? [Sidenote: you]

_Rosin_. As the indifferent Children of the earth.

_Guild_. Happy, in that we are not ouer-happy: [Sidenote: euer happy on]

on Fortunes Cap, we are not the very b.u.t.ton. [Sidenote: Fortunes lap,]

_Ham_. Nor the Soales of her Shoo?

_Rosin_. Neither my Lord.

_Ham_. Then you liue about her waste, or in the middle of her fauour? [Sidenote: fauors.]

_Guil_. Faith, her priuates, we.

_Ham_. In the secret parts of Fortune? Oh, most true: she is a Strumpet.[5] What's the newes?

[Sidenote: What newes?]

_Rosin_. None my Lord; but that the World's [Sidenote: but the]