Rof. Truly, and I hold ambition of fo airy and light a quality, that it is but a fhadow's fhadow.

Ham. Then are our beggars, bodies; and our monarchs and out-ftretch'd heroes, the beggar' fhadows. Shall we to th' Court? for, by my fay, I cannot reafon.

Both. We'll wait upon you.

Ham. No fuch matter. I will not fort you with the rest of my servants; for, to fpeak to you like an honeft man, I am moft dreadfully attended. But in the beaten way of Friendship, what make you at Elfindor?

Rof. To vifit you, my Lord; no other occafion. Ham. Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I thank you; and fure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear of a half-penny. Were you not fent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free vifitation? Come, deal juftly with me; Come, come; Nay, fpeak.

Guil. What fhould we fay, my Lord?

Ham. Any thing, but to the purpose. You were fent for; and there is a kind of confeffion in your looks, which your modefties have not craft enough to colour. I know, the good King and Queen have fent for you.

Rof. To what end, my Lord?

Ham. That you muit teach me; but let me conjure you by the rights of our fellowship, by the confonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our everpreferved love, and by what more dear, a better propofer could charge you withal; be even and direct with me, whether you were fent for or no? Ref. What fay you?

9 Then are our beggars, badies;] Shakespeare teems here to defign a ridicule of thefe declamations

[To Guilden.

againft wealth and greatnefs, that feem to make happiness confift in poverty.

Guil. My Lord, we were fent for.

you: if you love

Ham. I will tell you why. So fhall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your fecrefy to the King and Queen moult no feather. I have of late, but wherefore I know not, loft all my mirth, forgone all cuftom of exercife; and, indeed, it goes fo heavily with my difpofition, that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a fteril promontory; this most excellent canopy the air, look you, this brave o'er-hanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me, than a foul and peftilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reafon! how infinite in faculties in form and moving how exprefs and admirable in action how like an angel! in apprehenfion how like a God! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! and yet to me, what is this quinteffence of duft? Man delights not me.Nor woman neither; though by your fmiling you feem to fay fo.

Rof. My Lord, there was no fuch stuff in my thoughts.

Ham. Why did you laugh, when I said, man delights not me?

Rof. To think, my Lord, if you delight not in man, what lenten entertainment the Players fhall receive from you; we accofted them on the way, and hither are they coming to offer you service.

Ham. He that plays the King fhall be welcome. His Majefty fhall have tribute of me; the adventurous Knight fhall use his foyl and target; the lover fhall

not figh gratis; the humorous man, 2 shall end his part in peace; and 3 the lady fhall fay her mind freely, or the blank verfe fhall halt for't. What Players are they?

Rof. Even those you were wont to take delight in, the Tragedians of the city.

Ham. How chances it, they travel? their refidence both in reputation and profit was better, both ways. Rof. I think, their inhibition comes by means of the late innovation.

4

Ham. Do they hold the fame eftimation they did, when I was in the city? are they fo follow'd? Rof. No, indeed, they are not.

*Ham. How comes it? do they grow rusty ?

66

Rof. Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace; but there is, Sir, an Aiery of Children, "little Eyafes, that cry out on the top of question;

6

2 fhall end his part in peace;] After thefe words the filio adds, the clown fhall make thofe laugh abofe lungs are tickled o' th' fere. WARBURTON.

This paffage I have omitted, for the fame reafon, I fuppofe, as the other editors. I do not understand it.

3 the lady fhall, &c.] The lads Spall have no obftruction, unless from the lameness of the verfe.

4 I think, their inhibition] I fancy this is tranfpofed: Hamlet enquires not about an inhibition, but an innovation; the answer therefore probably was, I think, their innovation, that is, their new practice of trolling, comes by the means of the late inhibition.

The lines marked with commas are in the folio of 1623, but not in the quarto of 1637, nor, I fuppofe, in any of the quartos. 5 little Yafes, that cry out on

the top of question;] The poet here fteps out of his fubject to give a lafh at home, and fneer at the prevailing fashion of following plays perform'd by the Children of the Chapel, and abandoning the establish'd the

atres. But why are they call'd little Yafes? As he first calls 'em an Aiery of Children, (now, an Aiery or Eyery is a hawk's or eagle's neft; there is not the leaft queftion but we ought to restore-little Eyafes; i. e. Young neftlings, creatures juft out of the egg. THEOBALD.

An Aiery of children,] Relat ing to the play-houses then contending, the Bankfile, the For tune, &c. play'd by the children of his Majesty's chapel. Pore.

6 cry out on the top of question:] The meaning feems to be, they afk a common question in the highest notes of the voice.

"and

❝ and are most tyrannically clapt for't; these are now "the fashion, and fo berattle the common stages, (so they call them) that many wearing rapiers are afraid "of goofe-quills, and dare fcarce come thither.

66

"Ham. What, are they children? who maintains "'em? how are they 7efcoted? will they purfue "the Quality, no longer than they can fing? will they "not fay afterwards? If they should grow themselves "to common players, as it is moft like, if their means are no better: their writers do them wrong "to make them exclaim against their own fucceffion. "Rof. 'Faith, there has been much to do on both "fides; and the nation holds it no fin, to tarre them on to controverfy. There was, for a while, no << mony bid for argument, unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question.

ઃઃ

"Ham. Is't poffible?

"Guil. Oh, there has been much throwing about ❝ of brains.

"Ham. Do the Boys carry it away?

"Rof. Ay, that they do, my Lord, 9 Hercules and his load too.

Ham. It is not ftrange; for mine uncle is King of Denmark; and thofe, that would make mowes at him while my father lived, give twenty, forty, fifty, an hundred ducats a-piece, for his picture in little. There is fomething in this more than natural, if philofophy could find it out. [Flourish for the Players.

Guil. There are the Players.

2

Ham Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elfinoor. Your hands. Come then. The appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony; let me comply with you in this garbe, left my extent to the players, which, I tell you, muft fhew fairly outward, fhould more appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome; but my Uncle-father and Aunt- mother are deceiv'd.

Guil. In what, my dear Lord?

Ham. I am but mad north, north-weft: when the wind is foutherly, I know a hawk from a hand-faw.

3

SCEN E VII.

'Enter Polonius.

Pol. Well be with you, gentlemen.

Ham Hark you, Guildenstern; and you too, at each ear a hearer. That great Baby, you fee there, is not yet out of his fwathling-clouts.

Rof. Haply, he's the fecond time come to them; for they fay, an old man is twice a child.

Ham. I will prophefy, he comes to tell me of the players. Mark it. You fay right, Sir; for on Monday morning 'twas fo, indeed.

Pol. My Lord, I have news to tell you.

Ham. My Lord, I have news to tell you. When Rofcius was an Actor in Rome

Pel. The Actors are come hither, my Lord.

2 Hanmer reads, Let me compliment with ou.

3 Ik wahawk from a hand Jau This was a common prove b al fpeech. The Oxford Editar alers it to, I know a hawk from a bernftar. As if the As if the

other had been a corruption of the players; whereas the poet found the proverb thus corrupted in the mouths of the people. So that this critick's alteration only ferves to fhew us the original of the expreflion. WARB.

Ham.