Osr. Your lordship speaks most infallibly of him. Ham. The concernancy, sir? why do we wrap the gentleman in our more rawer breath? Osr. Sir? Hor. Is't not possible to understand in another tongue1? You will do't, sir, really. Ham. What imports the nomination of this gentleman? Osr. Of Laertes ? Hor. His purse is empty already; all his golden words are spent. Ham. Of him, sir. Osr. I know, you are not ignorant— Ham. I would, you did, sir; yet, in faith, if you did, it would not much approve me.—Well, sir. Osr. You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is Ham. I dare not confess that, lest I should compare with him in excellence; but to know a man well were to know himself. Osr. I mean, sir, for his weapon; but in the imputation laid on him by them, in his meed he's unfellowed. Ham. What's his weapon? Osr. Rapier and dagger. Ham. That's two of his weapons: but, well. Osr. The king, sir, hath wagered with him six Barbary horses against the which he has imponed, as I take it, six French rapiers and poniards, with their 4 to understand in another tongue ?] Malone suspected that we ought to read "in a mother tongue," but no change seems necessary: Horatio is adverting to the sort of affected language used by Osrick and retorted by Hamlet, and asks if it be not possible that they should understand each other in another tongue. For "You will do't really," the quarto, 1604, has, “You will to't really." Perhaps we ought to read rarely for "really." 5 in his MEED he's unfellowed.] i. e. in his merit or excellence. See "meed" used in a similar sense in Vol. v. pp. 251 and 317, and Vol. vi. p. 515. 6 against the which he has IMPONED,] The folio has "imponed" for impauned of the quartos: but by what follows, "imponed" seems right, in order to imitate Osrick's affected pronunciation. assigns, as girdle, hangers, and so. Three of the carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very responsive to the hilts, most delicate carriages, and of very liberal conceit. Ham. What call you the carriages? Hor. I knew, you must be edified by the margin, ere you had done'. Osr. The carriages, sir, are the hangers. Ham. The phrase would be more german to the matter, if we could carry a cannon by our sides: I would, it might be hangers till then. But, on: six Barbary horses against six French swords, their assigns, and three liberal-conceited carriages; that's the French bet against the Danish. Why is this imponed, as you call it? Osr. The king, sir, hath laid, sir, that in a dozen passes between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you three hits: he hath laid, on twelve for nine; and that would come to immediate trial, if your lordship would vouchsafe the answer. Ham. How, if I answer, no? Osr. I mean, my lord, the opposition of your person in trial. Ham. Sir, I will walk here in the hall: if it please his majesty, it is the breathing time of day with me, let the foils be brought, the gentleman willing, and the king hold his purpose, I will win for him, if I can; if not, I will gain nothing but my shame, and the odd hits. Osr. Shall I deliver you so?? Ham. To this effect, sir; after what flourish your nature will. Osr. I commend my duty to your lordship. [Exit. - ere you had done.] Horatio (whose interruption is not in the folio) refers to the explanatory comment upon the body of a work, sometimes inserted in the margin of the page. s Why is this IMPONED, as you call it ?] The quartos omit "imponed," and other trifling variations hardly require notice: thus the folio has "French but" for "French bet." • Shall I deliver you so ?] The folio has, “ Shall I re-deliver you e'en so?" Ham. Yours, yours. He does well to commend it himself; there are no tongues else for's turn". Hor. This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head. Ham. He did comply with his dug before he sucked it'. Thus has he (and many more of the same breed', that, I know, the drossy age dotes on) only got the tune of the time, and outward habit of encounter, a kind of yesty collection, which carries them through and through the most fond and winnowed opinions3; and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out. Enter a Lord1. Lord. My lord, his majesty commended him to you by young Osrick, who brings back to him, that you attend him in the hall: he sends to know, if your pleasure hold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time. Ham. I am constant to my purposes; they follow the king's pleasure: if his fitness speaks, mine is ready; now, or whensoever, provided I be so able as now. Lord. The king, and queen, and all are coming down. Ham. In happy time. Lord. The queen desires you to use some gentle entertainment to Laertes, before you fall to play. 10 -no tongues else for's TURN.] The folio repeats tongue instead of "turn," as it stands in the quartos. 1 He did COMPLY with his dug, before he sucked it.] Horatio, by the simile of the lapwing, calls Osrick a forward fellow, and Hamlet follows it up by saying that he was so forward and conceited, that he complimented with his dug before he sucked it. Many authorities might be produced to show that to "comply" was to compliment. 2 - and MANY more of the same BREED,] The folio reads, "and mine more of the same beavy : " bery might be right, but mine must be wrong. 3 the most FOND and WINNOWED opinions ;] The quarto, 1604, has "the most prophane and trennowed opinions," and trennowed was altered in later quartos to trennowned, which affords no better sense. Our reading is that of the folio. The quarto has some other minor corruptions. 4 Enter a Lord.] From the entrance of this lord, to his exit, the text is only to be found in the quartos. It is to be traced in the quarto, 1603. Ham. She well instructs me. Hor. You will lose this wager', my lord. [Exit Lord. Ham. I do not think so: since he went into France, I have been in continual practice; I shall win at the odds. Thou would'st not think, how ill all's here about my heart; but it is no matter. Hor. Nay, good my lord,— Ham. It is but foolery; but it is such a kind of gaingiving, as would, perhaps, trouble a woman. Hor. If your mind dislike any thing, obey it: I will forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit. Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury: there is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all. Since no man, of aught he leaves, knows, what is't to leave betimes? Let be'. Enter King, Queen, LAERTES, Lords, OSRICK, and King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. [The King puts the Hand of LAERTES into that of HAMLET. Ham. Give me your pardon, sir: I've done you wrong; But pardon't, as you are a gentleman. This presence knows, And you must needs have heard, how I am punish'd 5 You will lose this wager,] The words "this wager" are from the folio. 6- such a kind of gain-giving,] i. e. mis-giving, against-giving. The quartos have gam-giving and game-giving, but none of them have "gain-giving" of the folio. In the next line, for "obey it," the folio has merely "obey." No old copy is at all well printed in this scene. 7 Since no man, of aught he leaves, knows, what is't to leave betimes? Let be.] We have preferred here the reading of the quarto, 1604, which Warburton adopted: the folio has, "Since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes?" omitting "Let be." That might your nature, honour, and exception, And when he's not himself does wrong Laertes, Let my disclaiming from a purpos'd evil Free me so far in your most generous thoughts, And hurt my brother'. Laer. To keep my name ungor'd. But till that time, And will not wrong it. Ham. I embrace it freely; And will this brother's wager frankly play.— Give us the foils; come on'. Laer. Come; one for me. Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes: in mine ignorance Your skill shall, like a star i̇'the darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed. Laer. You mock me, sir. Ham. No, by this hand. 8 Sir, in this audience,] This hemistich is not in any of the quartos. And hurt my brother.] The folio misprints "brother" mother. In the next speech of Laertes it reads ungorg'd for "ungor'd." Modern editors pass over these variations as if the defects did not exist in the folio. Such errors, however, detect themselves. Give us the foils; come on.] The quartos have not come on." |