Fell in the weeping brook; her cloaths fpread

wide,

And mermaid-like, a while they bore her up;
2 Which time fhe chaunted fnatches of old tunes,
As one incapable of her own diftrefs;

Or like a creature native, and indued

Unto that element: but long it could not be,
'Till that her garments heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.

Laer. Alas then, fhe is drown'd!
Queen. Drown'd, drown'd.

Laer. Too much of water haft thou, poor Ophelia,
And therefore I forbid my tears. But yet
It is our trick: Nature her custom holds,
Let fhame fay what it will. When these are gone,
The woman will be out. Adieu, my Lord!

I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze,
But that this folly drowns it.

King. Follow, Gertrude.

How much had I to do to calm his rage!
Now fear I, this will give it start again;
Therefore, let's follow.

2 Which time he chaunted Snatches of old tunes,] Fletcher, in his Scornful Lady, very invidiously ridicules this incident.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

T 3

ACT V. SCENE I.

A CHURCH.

Enter to clowns, with spades and mattocks.

I CLOWN.

Is the to be buried in christian burial, that wilfully

feeks her own salvation?

2 Clown. I tell thee, fhe is, therefore make her Grave ftraight. The crowner hath fate on her, and finds it chriftian burial.

1 Clown. How can that be, unless fhe drowned her felf in her own defence?

2 Clown. Why, 'tis found fo.

1 Clown. It must be fe offendendo, it cannot be else. For here lies the point; If I drown myself wittingly, it argues an act; and an act hath three branches; it is to act, to do, and to perform. Argal, the drown'd herself wittingly.

2 Clown. Nay, but hear you, goodman Delver.

I Clown. Give me leave. Clown, here lies the water; Good: here ftands the man; Good. If the man go to this water, and drown himself, it is, will he, nill he, he goes; mark you that: But if the water come to him, and drown him, he drowns not himself.

3 make her Grave Araight.] Make her grave from eaft to weft in a direct line parallel to the church; not from north to fouth, athwart the regular line. This, I think, is meant.

1 an act hath three branches; it is to act, to do, and to perform ;] Ridicule on fcholaftic divifions without diftin&tion; and of diftinctions without difference.

WARBURTON.

Argal,

Argal, he, that is not guilty of his own death, fhortens not his own life.

2 Clown. But is this law?

1 Clown. Ay, marry is't, crowner's queft-law.

2 Clown. Will you ha' the truth on't? If this had not been a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out of christian burial.

1 Clown. Why, there thou fay'ft. And the more pity, that great folk fhould have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves, more than 5 their even chriftian. Come. My fpade. There is no ancient gentlemen but gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they hold up Adam's profeffion.

66

2 Clown. Was he a gentleman?

1 Clown. He was the first that ever bore arms. "2 Clown. Why, he had none.

''

1 Clown. What, art a heathen? How doft thou "understand the Scripture? the Scripture fays, Adam digg'd; could he dig without arms?" I'll put another queftion to thee; if thou anfwereft me not to the purpose, confefs thyfelf

2 Clown. Go to.

1 Clown. What is he that builds ftronger than either the mason, the fhipwright, or the carpenter?

2 Clown. The gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand tenants.

1 Clown. I like thy wit well, in good faith; the gallows does well; but how does it well? it does well to thofe that do ill: now thou doft ill, to fay the gallows is built ftronger than the church; argal, the gallows may do well to thee. To't again, come,

2 Clown. Who builds ftronger than a mason, a fhipwright, or a carpenter ?

5 their even chriftian] So all old English expreffion for fellowthe old books, and rightly. An chriftians. Dr. THIRLEY.

1 Clown. 6 Ay, tell me that, and unyoke.

2 Clown. Marry, now I can tell. 1 Clown. To't.

2 Clown. Mafs, I cannot tell.

Enter Hamlet and Horatio, at a distance.

1 Clown. Cudgel thy brains no more about it, for your dull afs will not mend his pace with beating; and when you are afk'd this queftion next, fay, a grave-maker. The houses, he makes, laft 'till doomsday. Go, get thee to Yaughan, and fetch me a ftoup of liquor. [Exit 2 Clown.

He digs, and fings.

7 In youth when I did love, did love,
Methought, it was very sweet;

To contract, oh, the time for, a, my bebove,
Oh, methought, there was nothing fo meet.

8

Ham. Has this fellow no feeling of his business, that he fings at Grave-making?

Hor. Cuftom hath made it to him a property of eafinefs.

Ham. 'Tis e'en fo. The hand of little imployment hath the daintier fenfe.

Clown fings.

• But age, with his stealing steps,
Hath claw'd me in his clutch;
And bath fhipped me into the land,
As if I had never been fuch.

Ham. That fcull had a tongue in it, and could fing once; how the knave jowles it to the ground, as if it were Cain's jaw-bone, that did the first murder! This might be the pate of a politician,

I

2

which this afs

o'er

he had taken it ill, and laid it to heart that God Almighty would bring Such a work to pass in Europe without his concurrence, and even against all his machinations. Hift. of the Rebellion, Book 16.

WARBURTON.

2 which this afs o'er-offices;] The meaning is this. People in office, at that time, were so overbearing, that Shakespear speaking of infolence at the height, calls it Infolence in office. And Donne fays,

Who is he Who officers' mifery Can write in jeft Sat. Alluding to this character of minifters and politicians, the speaker obferves, that this infolent officer is now o'er-officer'd by the Sexton, who, knocking his fcull about with his spade, appears to be as infolent in his office as they were in theirs. This is faid with much humour. WARBURTON.

rage and fuitors'

In the quarto, for over-offices. is, over-reaches, which agrees

better