Larded with many several sorts of reason,
Importing Denmark's health, and England's too,
With, ho! such bugs and goblins in my life,"
That, on the supervise, no leisure bated,
No, not to stay the grinding of the axe,

My head should be struck off.

HOR.

Is't possible?

HAM. Here's the commission; read it at more leisure.

But wilt thou hear now how I did proceed?

HOR. Ay, 'beseech you.

HAM. Being thus benetted round with villanies,
Or I could make a prologue to my brains,"
They had begun the play: I sat me down;
Devis'd a new commission; wrote it fair :
I once did hold it, as our statists do,

A baseness to write fair,(4) and labour'd much
How to forget that learning; but, sir, now

It did me yeoman's service.
The effect of what I wrote ?

HOR.

Wilt thou know

Ay, good my lord.

HAM. An earnest conjuration' from the king,As England was his faithful tributary;

Larded with many several sorts of reason] Garnished. IV. 5. Ophel. For reason the quartos read reasons.

such bugs and goblins in my life] Such multiplied causes of alarm, such bugbears, if I were suffered to live.

⚫the supervise] At sight, on the mere inspection,

Or I could make a prologue to my brains,

They had begun the play] Ere I could well conceive what they were about, what could be their object in this mission; before I had time to give my first thoughts to their process, they were carrying their projects into act.

• It did me yeoman's service] As good service as a yeoman performed for his feudal lord; in the sense in which we yet use knight's service.

!conjuration] Requisition. See "conjuring," IV. 3. King.

As love between them like the palm might flou

rish; a

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As peace should still her wheaten garland wear, And stand a comma 'tween their amities;" And many such like as's of great charge, knowing, That, on the view and know of these contents, Without debatement further, more, or less, He should the bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving-time allowed. (42)

4tos.

HOR.

How was this seal'd?

HAM. Why, even in that was heaven ordinant;
I had my father's signet in my purse,

Which was the model of that Danish seal:
Folded the writ up in form of the other;

Subscrib'd it; gave't the impression; plac'd it

safely,

The changeling never known: Now, the next
day

Was our sea-fight; and what to this was sequent*
Thou know'st already.

like the palm might flourish] This comparison is scriptural: "The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree."

Psalm xcii. 11. STEEVENS.

stand a comma 'tween their amities] Continue the passage or intercourse of amity between them, and prevent the interposition of a period to it: we have the idea, but used in a contrary sense, in an author of the next age. "As for the field, we will cast lots for the place, &c. but I feare the point of the sword will make a comma to your cunning." Nich. Breton's Packet of Letters, 4to. 1637, p. 23.

In the Scornful Lady we have something like this mode of expression:

"No denial-must stand between your person and the business." A. III.

as's of great charge] Items of high import and weight.

The changeling never known] A changeling is a child which the fairies are supposed to leave in the room of that which they steal. JOHNSON.

HOR. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't.

HAM. Why, man, they did make love to this employment;

They are not near my conscience; their defeat Does by their own insinuation

grow: 'Tis dangerous, when the baser nature comes Between the pass and fell incensed points Of mighty opposites."

HOR.

Why, what a king is this!

HAM. Does it not, think thee, stand me now

upon?

He that hath kill'd my king, and whor'd my mo

ther;

Popp'd in between the election and my hopes;
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,(43)
And with such cozenage; is't not perfect con-
science,

To quit him with this arm? and is't not to be damn'd,

To let this canker of our nature come

In further evil?

HOR. It must be shortly known to him from England,

What is the issue of the business there.

HAM. It will be short: the interim is mine;

their defeat

Does by their own insinuation] Their overthrow or ruin (see " damn'd defeat," II. 2. Haml.) was the consequence of their own voluntary intrusion. For defeat, the reading of the quartos, the folios give debate.

• When the baser nature, &c.] For inferiors to intermeddle in the strife between great and powerful antagonists.

SEYMOUR.

stand me upon] Become a most imperative duty upon me. quit] Requite. See M. for M. V. 1. Duke.

1

come in further evil] Grow to a greater head, and work further injury.

And a man's life no more than to say, one.
But I am very sorry, good Horatio,
That to Laertes I forgot myself;

For by the image of my cause,* I see

The portraiture of his: I'll count his favours:"
But, sure, the bravery of his grief did put me
Into a towering passion.

HOR.

Peace; who comes here?

Enter OSRIC.

OSR. Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark.

HAM. I humbly thank you, sir.-Dost know this water-fly?

HOR, No, my good lord.

HAM. Thy state is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him: He hath much land and fertile: let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the king's mess: 'Tis a chough; but, as I say, spacious in the possession of dirt.(4)

OSR. Sweet lord, if your lordship were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his majesty.

HAM. I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of

image of my cause] Representation, character, colour. See "image of a murder," III. 2. Haml.

b count his favours] Note, make a due estimate or reckoning of. The modern editors substitute court; which certainly gives a more obvious and satisfactory sense: and it may have been a misprint.

Dost know this water-fly] A water-fly skips up and down upon the surface of the water, without any apparent purpose or reason, and is thence the proper emblem of a busy trifler.

JOHNSON.

spirit: Your bonnet to his right use; 'tis for the head.

OSR. I thank your lordship, 'tis very hot.

HAM. No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is northerly.

OSR. It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed.

HAM. But yet, methinks it is very sultry and hot for my complexion.

OSR. Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry, as 'twere,—I cannot tell how.-But my lord, his majesty bade me signify to you, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter,

HAM. I beseech you, remember

[HAMLET moves him to put on his Hat.

OSR. Nay, in good faith; for mine ease, in good faith.(46) [Sir, here is newly come to court, Laertes: believe me, an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent differences, of very soft society, and great showing: Indeed, to speak feelingly of (47) him, he is the card or calendar of gentry, for you shall find in him the continent of what part a gentleman would see.d

• all diligence of spirit] "With the whole bent of my mind." A happy phraseology; in ridicule, at the same time that it was in conformity with the style of the airy, affected insect that was playing round him.

ban absolute-a great showing] A finished gentleman, full of various accomplishments, of gentle manners, and very imposing appearance.

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to speak feelingly of him] With insight and intelligence.

.d the continent of what part a gentleman would see] Literally the contents or sum of whatever, &c.: but a quibble is also intended," a specimen or exhibition of such part of the continent or whole world of man, as a gentleman need see." And in the same way in L. L. L. IV. 1. Boyet calls Rosaline, " my continent of beauty," i. e. universe of beauty, the whole, that it contains. Johnson in his Dict. says, the use of this word in this sense (it is very frequent in Shakespeare) is confined to our author.