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Laer. He is juftly ferved.

It is a poison temper'd by himself.

Exchange forgivenefs with me, noble Hamlet ars Mine and my father's death come not on thee,

Nor thine on me!

Ham. Heav'n make the free of it! I follow thee.
I'm dead, Horatio; wretched Queen, adieu !
You that look pale, and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act,
Had I but time, (as this fell Serjeant death o
Is ftrict in his arreft) oh I could tell you—
But let it be-Horatio, I am dead;
Thou liv'ft, report me and my cause aright
To the unfatisfied.

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I'm more an antique Roman than a Dane;
Here's yet fome liquor left.

Ham. As th' art a man,

Give me the cup; let go; by heav'n, I'll have't.
Oh good Horatio, what a wounded name,

[Dies:

Things ftanding thus unknown, fhall live behind me? If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,

Absent thee from felicity a while,

And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain,

To tell my tale.

[March afar off, and fhout within.

What warlike noife is this?

Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Young Fortinbras, with Conqueft come from Poland,

To the Ambaffadors of England gives

This warlike volley

Ham. O, I die, Horatio :

The potent poifon quite o'er-grows my fpirit;
I cannot live to hear the news from England.
But I do prophefie, th' election lights
On Fortinbras; he has my dying voice;

So tell him, with the occurrents more or lefs,
Which have follicited. The reft is filence.

[Dies

Hor.

Hor. Now cracks a noble heart; good night, fweet

Prince;

And flights of angels fing thee to thy Reft ey Why does the Drum come hither ?

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Enter Fortinbras and English Ambaffadors, with drum, colours, and attendants. digg 19

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If ought of woe or wonder, cease your search. Fort. This quarry cries on havock. Oh death! (76)

What feast is tow'rd in thy infernal cell,

That thou fo many Princes at a fhot !
So bloodily haft ftruck?

Amb. The fight is difinal,

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And our affairs from England come too late:

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The ears are fenfelefs, that should give us hearing a 13 To tell him, his command'ment is fulfill'd,bn ?.

That Rosincrantz and Guildenstern are dead : L

Where should we have our thanks?

Hor. Not from his mouth,

Had it th' ability of life to thank you :

38 3

He never gave command'ment for their death. (77):
But fince fo full upon this bloody question,

(76)

-Oh, proud Death!

What Feaft is toward in thy eternal Cell,] This Epithet, I think, has no great Propriety here. I have chofe the Reading of the old Quarto Editions, infernal. This communicates an Image fuitable to the Circumftance of the Havock, which Fortinbras looks on and would reprefent in a light of Horror. Upon the Sight of fo many dead Bodies, he exclaims against Death as an execrable, riotous, Deftroyer; and as paring to make a favage, and belli Feaft.

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(77) He never gave Commandment for their Death.] We muft either believe, the Poet had forgot himself with Regard to the Circumstance of Rofincrantz and Guildenftern's Death; or we muft understand him thus; that he no otherways gave a Command for their Deaths, than in putting a Change upon the Tenour of the King's Commiffion, and warding off the fatal Sentence from his own Head.

You

You from the Polack Wars, and you from England,
Are here arriv'd; give Order, that these bodies
High on a Stage be placed to the view,

And let me fpeak to th' yet unknowing world,
How these things came about. So fhall you hear
Of cruel, bloody, and unnatural acts;

Of accidental judgments, cafual flaughters;
Of deaths put on by cunning, and forc'd cause ;
And, in this upfhot, purposes mistook,

Fall'n on th' inventors heads, All this can I
Truly deliver.

Fort. Let us hafte to hear it,

And call the Noblefs to the audience.

For me, with forrow, I embrace my fortune;
I have fome rights of memory in this Kingdom,
Which, now to claim my vantage doth invite me.
Hor. Of that I fhall have alfo cause to speak,
And from his mouth whofe voice will draw on more: (78)
But let this fame be prefently perform'd,

Even while men's minds are wild, feft more mischance
On plots and errors happen.

Fort. Let four captains

Bear Hamlet, like a foldier, to the Stage;

For he was likely, had he been put on,

To have prov'd moft royally. And for his paffage,

(78) And from his Mouth, whofe Voice will draw no more.] This is the Reading of the old Quarto's, but certainly a mistaken one. We fay, a Man vill no more draw Breath; but that a Man's Voice will draw no more, is, I believe, an Expreffion without any Authority. I chufe to efpoufe the Reading of the Elder Folio.

And from his Mouth, whofe Voice will draw on more.

And this is the Poet's Meaning. Hamlet, just before his Death, had faid;

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Accordingly, Horatio here delivers that Meffage; and very justly infers, that Hamlet's Voice will be feconded by others, and procure them in Favour of Fortinbras's Succeffion.

The Soldiers' mufick, and the rites of war
Speak loudly for him-

Take up the body: fuch a fight as this

Becomes the field, but here fhews much amifs.
Go, bid the Soldiers shoot.

[Exeunt, marching: after which, a peal of Ordnance are fhot off.

OTHELLO

OTHELLO

THE

Moor of VENICE.

VOL. VII.

A a

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