common players (as it is most like, if their means are no better), their writers do them wrong, to make them exclaim against their own succession? Ros. "Faith, there has been much to`do on both sides; and the nation holds it no sin, to tarre them on to controversy: There was, for a while, no money bid for argument, unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question. Ham. Is it possible? 502 Guil. O, there has been much throwing about of brains. Ham. Do the boys carry it away? Ros. Ay, that they do, my lord; Hercules and his load too]. 508 Ham. It is not very strange: for my uncle is king of Denmark; and those, that would make mouths at him while my father liv'd, give twenty, forty, fifty, an hundred ducats a-piece, for his picture in little. There is something in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out. [Flourish of trumpets. Guil. There are the players. Ham. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsineur. Your hands. Come then the appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony: let me comply with you in this garb; lest my extent to the players, which, I tell you, must shew fairly outward, should more appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome: but my uncle-father, and aunt-mother, are deceiv'd. 523 Guil. In what, my dear lord? Ham. I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a hand-saw. Enter POLONIUS. Pol. Well be with you, gentlemen! Ham. Hark you, Guildenstern ;-and you too;~~~ at each ear a hearer: That great baby, you see there, is not yet out of his swadling-clouts. 530 Ros. Haply, he's the second time come to them; for, they say, an old man is twice a child. Ham. I will prophesy, he comes to tell me of the players; mark it. You say right, sir: on Monday morning; 'twas then, indeed. Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you. Ham. My lord, I have news to tell you. When Roscius was an actor in Rome, Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord. Ham. Buz, buz! Pol. Upon mine honour,→ Ham. Then came each actor on his ass, 540 Pol. The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral [tragical-historical, tragical-comical, historical-pastoral], scene undividable, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light: For the law of writ, and the liberty, these are the only men. 549 Ham. O Jephtha, judge of Israel,what a treasure hadst thou! F ; Pol Pol. What a treasure had he, my lord? Pol. Still on my daughter. Ham. Am I not the right, old Jephtha? [Aside. Pol. If you call me Jephtha, my lord, I have a daughter, that I love passing well. Ham. Nay, that follows not. Pol. What follows then, my lord? 558 Ham. Why,, as By lot, God wot,--and then, you know, It came to pass, As most like it was,-The first row of the pious chanson will shew you more; for look, where my abridgment comes. Enter four or five Players. You are welcome, masters; welcome, all:-I am glad to see thee well-welcome, good friends:-O; old friend! Why, thy face is valanc'd since I saw thee last; Com'st thou to beard me in Denmark? What! my young lady and mistress! By-'r-lady, your ladyship is,nearer to heaven than when I saw you last, by the altitude of a chioppinę. Pray God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not crack'd within the ring.-Masters, you are all welcome. We'll e'en to't like French falconers, fly at any thing we see: We'll have a speech straight: Come, give us a taste of your quality; come, a passionate speech. 577 1 Play. What speech, my good lord ? Ham. I heard thee speak me a speech once,-but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above once: for the play, I remember, pleas'd not the million; 'twas caviare to the general: but it was (as I receiv'd it, and others, whose judgments, in such matters, cried in the top of mine) an excellent play; well digested in the scenes, set down with as much ntodesty as cunning. I remember, one said, there were no sallets in the lines, to make the matter savoury; nor no matter in the phrase, that might indite the author of affection: but call'd it, an honest method; {as wholesome as sweet, and by very much more handsome than fine]. One speech in it I chiefly lov'd 'twas Æneas' tale to Dido; and thereabout of it especially, where he speaks of Priam's slaughter: If it live in your memory, begin at this line; let me see, let me see ; The rugged Pyrrhus, like the Hyrcanian beast,→ 'tis not so; it begins with Pyrrhus. The rugged Pyrrhus,—he, whose sable arms, With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons; 597 To their lord's murder: Roasted in wrath, and fire, With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus Fij 609 Old Old grandsire Priam seeks:So, proceed you. Pol. 'Fore God, my lord, well spoken; with good accent, and good discretion. 1 Play. Anon he finds him, Striking too short at Greeks; his antique sword, Of reverend Priam, seem'd i' the air to stick: But, as we often see, against some storm, Out, out, thou strumpet Fortune! All you gods, 629 630 Break |