What Majesty should be, what duty is, And how exquifitely does the poet ridicule the reafoning in fafhion, where he makes Polonius, remark on Hamlet's madnefs; Though this be madness, yet there's method in't: As if method, which the wits of that age thought the moft effential quality of a good difcourfe, would make amends for the madnefs. It was madness indeed, yet Polonius could comfort himself with this reflection, that at least it was method. It is certain Shakespear excels in nothing more than in the prefervation of his characters; To this life and variey of character (fays our great poet in his admirable preface to Shakespear) we must add the wonderful profervation of it. We have faid what is the charac. ter of Polonius; and it is allowed on all hands to be drawn with wonderful life and fpirit, yet the unity of it has been thought by fome to be grofly violated in the excellent precepts and inftructions which Shakespear makes his ftatefman give to his fon and fervant in the middle of the firft, and beginning of the Second act. But I will venture to fay, thefe criticks have not entered into the poet's art and addrefs in this particular. He had a mind to ornament his fcenes with thofe fine leffons of focial life; but his PoLanius was too weak to be the author of them, tho' he was pedant enough to have met with them in his reading, and fop enough to get them by heart, and retail I was about to Say Something? The fervant replies, At, clofes in the confequence. This fets Polonius right, and he goes on, At, clofes in the confequence. He clefes thus ; gentleman, &c. -I know the which fhews they were words got by heart which he was repeating. Otherwife clafes in the confequence, which convevs no particular idea of the fubject he was upon, could never have made him recollect where he broke off. This is an extraordinary inftance of the poet's art, and attention to the prefervation of Character. WARB. This account of the character of Polonius though it fufficiently reconciles the feeming inconfillency of fo much wifdom with fo much folly, does not perhaps correfpond exactly to the ideas of our authour. The commentator makes the charactor of Polonius, a character only of manners, difcriminated by properties fuperficial, accidental, and acquired. Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time. Queen. More matter, with less art. Pol. Madam, I fwear, I use no art at all. Mad let us grant him then; and now remains The poet intended a nobler de lineation of a mixed character of manners and of nature. Polonius is a man bred in courts, exercifed in business, stored with obfervation, confident of his knowledge, proud of his eloquence, and declining into dotage. His mode of oratory is truly reprefented as defigned to ridicule the practice of those times, of prefaces that made no introduction, and of method that embarraffed rather than explained. This part of his character is accidental, the reft is natural. Such a man is pofitive and confident, because he knows that his mind was once ftrong, and knows not that it is become weak. Such a man excels in ge. neral principles, but fails in the particular application. He is knowing in retrofpect, and ignorant in forefight. While he depends upon his memory, and can draw from his repofitories of knowledge, he utters weighty fentences, and gives useful counfel; but as the mind in its enfeebled ftate cannot be kept long bufy and intent, the old man is fubject to fudden dereliction of his faculties, he loses the order of his ideas, and entangles himself in his own thoughts, till he recovers the leading principle, and falls again into his former train. This idea of dotage encroaching upon wifdom, will folve all the phænomena of the character of Polonius. 9 - 10 expoftulate] To exp ftulate, for to enquire or difcufs. N 4 WARB. Who Who in her duty and obedience, mark, [He opens a letter, and reads.] To the celestial, and my foul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia That's an ill phrafe, a vile phrase: beautified is a vile phrase; but you fhall hear-Thefe to her excellent white bofom, thefe. Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her? Pol. Good Madam, stay a while. I will be faithful. Doubt thou, the stars are fire, Doubt, that the Sun doth move; But never doubt, I love. [Reading. Oh, dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers; I have To the celeftial, and my foul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia.] I have ventur'd at an emendation here, against the authority of all the copies; but, I hope, upon examination it will appear probable and reasonable. The word beautified may carry two diftinct idea, either as applied to a woman made up of artificial beauties, or to one rich in native charms. As Shakespeare has therefore chofe to use it in the latter acceptation, to exprefs natural comeliness; I cannot imagine, that here, he would make Polonius except to the phrafe, and call it a vile one. But a ftronger objection ftill, in my mind, lies against it. As celeftial and foul's idol are the introductory characteriflics of Ophelio, what a dread not art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee beft, ob most beft, believe it. Adieu. Thine evermore, moft dear Lady, whilst this Machine is to him, Hamlet. This in obedience hath my daughter fhewn me, 2 As they fell out by time, by means and place, King. But how hath she receiv'd his love? King. As of a man faithful and honourable. Pol. I would fain prove fo. But what might you think When I had feen this hot love on the wing, What might you think? No, I went round to work, 2 More above, is, more over, befides. 3 If I had play'd the desk or table-book, Or giv'n my heart a working mute and dumb, Or lock'd upon this love with idle fight; What might you think?-] i. e. If either I had conveyed intelligence between them, and been the confident of their amours, [play'd the defk or table-book,] or had connived at it, only obferved them in fecret without acquainting my daughter with my difcovery, [given my heart a mute and dumb working, or laftly, had been negligent in obferving the intrigue, and over-looked it, [look'd upon this love with idie fight;] what would you have thought of me? WARB. This This must not be; and then, I precepts gave her, That she should lock herself from his refort, Admit no messengers, receive no tokens : 4 Which done, she took the fruits of my advice; And he repulfed, a fhort tale to make, 5 Fell to a sadness, then into a fast, Thence to a watching, thence into a weakness, King. Do you think this? Queen. It may be very likely. Pol. Hath there been fuch a time, I'd fain know that, That I have pofitively faid, 'tis so, When it prov'd otherwise? King. Not that I know. Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwise. [Pointing to his Head and Shoulder. If circumstances lead me, I will find Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed this character is here admirably Where truth was hid, though WARB. |